ZENNER IoT Gateways with LoRaWAN® Network & Visualization – Overview & Comparison
Last modified on April 2nd, 2024
Did you know that the Minol-ZENNER Group also offers its own IoT gateways? In this article, we would like to give you an overview of which ZENNER IoT Gateways are actually available, how they differ from one another in a direct comparison and for whom or which application areas/sectors they are particularly suitable and what advantages you have when buying such a gateway. You will also find out why it is worth ordering a gateway with the convenient additional option ZENNER IoT PLUG&PLAY and what all this has to do with our community.
GatewayPLUS SMART, Indoor or Outdoor
You can currently purchase three different ZENNER IoT Gateways based on LoRaWAN® in the ZENNER Shop I IoT Sensors & Solutions. In addition to the GatewayPLUS SMART and the GatewayPLUS Indoor, the GatewayPLUS Outdoor is also available. All three are delivered preconfigured as standard with access to the LoRaWAN® network EUROPE from ZENNER Connect GmbH for 24 months and 50 devices (sensors). They use the powerful LoRaWAN® technology, which is characterized by excellent building penetration and extensive network coverage, thus ensuring the connectivity of your IoT sensors even under difficult environmental and installation conditions. The gateways also have in common that they can currently only be used in the ZENNER Connect network and therefore only together with the backend system ZENNER Datahub.
But what is the difference between the GatewayPLUS SMART, Indoor and Outdoor? There is a direct comparison in the following table:
GatewayPLUS SMART  | GatewayPLUS Indoor  | GatewayPLUS Outdoor  | |
|---|---|---|---|
Operational location | Indoor | Indoor | Outdoor |
Areas of application | Smart Home / Building / School, Submetering, Indoor Air Quality Measurement... | Smart Home / Office / School, multi-branch reading, submetering, monitoring of transformer stations, indoor air quality measurement... | Smart City / Parking / Waste / Lighting, monitoring of transformer stations, reading of shaft meters, asset tracking... |
Mounting location | Power socket / USB port | Wall | Wall / Mast |
Backhaul/Mobile radio | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, frequency band: 2.4 GHz, security: WPA/WPA2 | Mobile radio: Mini SIM - 2G, 3G (UMTS), 4G (LTE) - internal antenna | Mini SIM - 2G, 3G (UMTS), 4G (LTE) - external LTE antenna |
Ethernet | - | RJ45 - priority over mobile radio | RJ45 - priority over mobile radio |
Number of LoRa channels | 8 channels | 8 channels | 16 channels - two external antennas |
Transmitting power | up to +20 dBm / 100 mW | up to +27 dBm / 500 mW | up to +27 dBm / 500 mW |
Power supply | 230V socket (Euro plug) / USB Type-C (900mA) | External power supply unit (230V) / Internal power supply unit (230V, in preparation) | Power over Ethernet (PoE) |
Antennas | Internal: 1x LoRa, 1x Wi-Fi | Internal: 1x LoRa, 1x Wi-Fi | External: 2x LoRa, 1x LTE |
Protection class | IP40 | IP40 | IP67 |
Housing | Plastic with flame protection according to UL94 -2013 Rev.9 -2019, class.: V- 0 | Plastic with flame protection according to UL94-2013 Rev.9-2019, class.: V-0 | Aluminium, lacquered |
Operating temperature | 0 °C to +40 °C | 0°C to +50°C | 0°C to +50°C |
Storage temperature | -40 °C to +70 °C | -40°C to +80°C | -40°C to +80°C |
LED | Wi-Fi Status | Power, LAN, mobile radio, back-end connection (visible from outside) | Power, LAN, mobile radio, back-end connection (only visible when the housing is open) |
Standards | CE / RoHS | EN 301 489-3, EN 300 220-2 | EN 301 489 -3, EN 300 220 -2 |
Dimensions (LxWxH) | 10.0 x 8.2 x 3.8 cm | 18.4 x 12.7 x 4.8 cm | 19.8 x 24.0 x 54.9 cm |
Weight | 0,16 kg | 0,47 kg | 4,1 kg |
Features to highlight | Quick and easy commissioning I WLAN connection via WPS function I very small form factor I mobile gateway function through power supply via USB-C port and WLAN connection via smartphone hotspot | Quick and easy commissioning I Automatic connection to the backend via pre-configured SIM card I Simple and unobtrusive design | Automatic connection to the backend via pre-configured SIM card I Very robust and powerful I 16 frequency channels |
If you would like to learn more about the individual gateways, we recommend the following articles. Here we present each gateway in detail:
- ZENNER IoT GatewayPLUS SMART – Compact indoor gateway with LoRaWAN® network for the socket
- ZENNER IoT GatewayPLUS Indoor – Powerful indoor gateway with LoRaWAN® network
- ZENNER IoT GatewayPLUS Outdoor – Robust Outdoor Gateway with LoRaWAN® Network
For an overview, here are the central features of all ZENNER gateways:
- suitable for LoRaWAN® IoT solutions from ZENNER and network operation from ZENNER Connect
- bidirectional LoRaWAN® radio communication
- encrypted data transmission end-to-end (AES 128)
- high level of data protection: no storage of data / readings on the gateway
- plug & play – easy integration with preconfigured software
- compatible with the Gateway Management System (GMS) ZENNER Datahub (remote configuration)
- Use in Germany and many other EU countries (as of May 9th, 2022: Austria, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia)
Construction & use of common IoT Infrastructure
Each GatewayPLUS automatically expands the LoRaWAN® network of ZENNER Connect GmbH. This means that, due to the technology, all LoRaWAN® end devices in the reception area of your gateway are received in encrypted form and transmitted to ZENNER Connect as the network provider. Encryption and client separation in the ZENNER Datahub ensure that each end user only receives the data from their own end devices. By purchasing a GatewayPLUS, you also create added value for the entire B.One Community , as this creates an ever-growing, jointly usable IoT infrastructure . You yourself benefit directly from the connectivity even beyond the reach of your own gateway – and together we are driving digitization forward in various areas. And so that as a community member you can see where there is already network coverage through the gateways of other members, you can optionally display the approximate position of your own gateway on the so-called Community Map.
GatewayPLUS with Network & optional Visualization
As already mentioned, with the purchase of a ZENNER IoT GatewayPLUS you always automatically get access to the LoRaWAN® network of the ZENNER Connect in Germany and other EU countries(see above), hence the name “GatewayPLUS”. Among other things, you benefit from the high network coverage thanks to operation by ZENNER Connect as one of the largest LoRaWAN® network providers. Do you want to get an impression of it? Then take a look at our network availability map.
You can also book the convenient ZENNER IoT PLUG&PLAY option for an additional charge. In addition to the hardware and network access, you also receive a license for the visualization platform B.One Gallery for 24 months and 50 devices (without automatic extension).
To order a gateway with this option, simply select it in the shop via the checkbox and place the desired product in the shopping cart.
After you have received your access data, you can either integrate your existing sensors into the ZENNER Datahub and the B.One Gallery , or you can simply order suitable ZENNER IoT PLUG&PLAY-capable sensors with the corresponding option. These are then automatically created for you in the systems so that you can view and use your sensor data directly. Simply PLUG and PLAY !
Want to learn more about this new option? Then take a look at the ZENNER shop or our blog category ZENNER IoT PLUG&PLAY.
You don’t know the B.One Gallery yet? Then take a look at our blog category B.One Gallery.
Have you already had experience with one of the ZENNER gateways or do you have any questions? Then share them with us in the comments or send us a message!
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