Keeping maintenance access separate from the production network
The customer’s network may carry production, monitoring, office and security traffic. Adding remote access for a service provider therefore involves rules, responsibilities and sometimes IT approval.
With a dedicated cellular link, remote maintenance traffic remains separate from the customer’s Internet connection. This does not remove the security rules on the industrial LAN, but it avoids modifying the existing Internet infrastructure.
Working across different types of sites
An integrator may work one day in a factory equipped with a managed firewall, and the next day in a technical room with no fixed connection. A solution that depends on the customer’s network imposes a different method each time.
4G/LTE provides a consistent way to connect across different sites: if a mobile network is available, the gateway can establish its own outbound connection.
Limitations to consider
Radio coverage remains a physical constraint. A basement, metal room or rural area may require a better antenna position or may make cellular connectivity difficult. Throughput and latency also vary according to the mobile network.
Programming, diagnostics, SSH, HTTP, RDP or VNC have very different requirements from a continuous video stream: the connection should be matched to the actual use case.
Independent connectivity without permanent exposure
The purpose of a cellular link is not to expose the equipment directly through a public address. A maintenance architecture should favour outbound connections, authentication and encryption.
RescueLAN uses its 4G/LTE connectivity to provide remote access on demand, remaining independent of the site’s Internet network without leaving a maintenance service permanently open.