(Automation technicians often need to modernize the network technology in their systems while still maintaining compatibility with older WLAN protocols, especially because some older devices still work with 802.11a/b. It is also important to consider the differences between routers, switches and gateways.

Router, switch, gateway - the differences

Let's take a brief look at the differences between these three types of device. A router connects the main computer to other devices on the network that use different communication protocols.

The router is connected to the hub of the main computer via Ethernet. Many different protocols are supported, such as WLAN, mobile radio and Ethernet. For the wired Ethernet connection, the router sends Ethernet packets to all Ethernet ports, regardless of whether the data packet is destined for that port or not. For some networks, this could already be considered a security risk. A router can also be used for wireless networks.

A switch is basically almost the same as a router, with the exception that the Ethernet packets are only sent to the port for which they are intended, which increases security. Like the router, the switch can also be used in wireless networks. A switch for use in wireless networks is often still referred to as a router throughout the industry.

A gateway , on the other hand, is a router for switching between dissimilar networks, such as a large company intranet with the public Internet. All of the intranet's data traffic has access to this one gateway, effectively the only gateway to the outside world.

Security in the network

The router is the gateway to a network. Hackers can easily bypass network security through a WIFI router if proper precautions are not taken. If this happens, the entire network is at risk. Highly sensitive materials such as intellectual property and personal information can be stolen, fail-safes can be overridden and lives can be put at risk. Choosing the right router with strong security protocols is critical for any network, whether it's for your home, office or manufacturing facility.

There are a number of security protocols available on the market. The most secure protocol (WPA/WPA2 - WIFI Protected Access), would be WPAWPA2-PSK (TKIP/AES), however this option is not generally available for most routers on the market today. The next best option would be WPA2-PSK (AES), which is compatible with most routers. Some of the weakest security protocols are the WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) protocols. Both WEP 128 and WEP 64 are unstable and offer very little security protection. They are not recommended.

Routers in industrial environments

Gateways or routers can also support wireless protocols, e.g. for WLAN and mobile communications. For example, the 4G/LTE-capable LR54-AW403 router for mobile networks from Digi International supports the very latest WLAN protocols such as 802.11a/b/g/n/ac in addition to the older ones. The security of web applications is guaranteed via TLS 1.0/1.1/1.2. Although TLS 1.0 is no longer considered sufficient for the security of newer applications, this router supports this protocol for older WLAN nodes or network nodes and can thus considerably simplify the continued use of these TLS 1.0 devices until they are modernized.

The router with 4-port GbE switch for cable networks can enable a theoretical transmission rate of up to 300 Mbps thanks to the LTE Advanced mobile radio standard with CAT6.

As security and protection are an ongoing challenge, the TLS 1.3 router is equipped with a whole range of security protocols, including HTTPS and SFTP for the World Wide Web and file transfer. In addition to AES256 encryption, older protocols such as AES128 are also supported.

While choosing a router or switch for an existing network can be a challenge, a router that supports both legacy and modern protocols will greatly simplify setup, operation and troubleshooting.