First 5G High-speed Router

Mainz – November 19, 2020 – With the CyBox RT 3-W, ELTEC Elektronik has developed a new robust, maintenance-free router certified according to EN 50155 for applications in railway technology. It is especially designed for 5G communication and thus for high-speed Internet applications in the mobile radio standard of the future. The device provides reliable, secure and broadband 5G and LTE connections for high-performance train-to-ground as well as on-board communication, enabling passengers to download, exchange and store information and entertainment content faster.

Short latency times and the associated high quality of service (QoS) ensure the router's real-time capability while taking functional safety into account – both aspects play an important role in safety and time-critical applications, including autonomous driving. The integrated GNSS module of the 5G router allows positioning via navigation satellites with an accuracy of up to 1.5 m. The CyBox RT 3-W is designed for an operating temperature range of -40 °C to +70 °C and is suitable for worldwide use in any type of train.

Combine two 5G or one 5G with Wave 2

The CyBox RT 3-W has two sockets for communication modules, which can be equipped with 5G, IEEE 802.11ac or Wave 2. The parallel use of two 5G channels allows a maximum data throughput of 4.8 Gbit/s. Alternatively, a Wave 2 interface can be combined with one 5G interface in order to efficiently distribute the radio transmission data in the train to the end devices via Wi-Fi.

Thanks to the optional Wave 2 interface with 4x4 multi-user MIMO, the router can simultaneously transmit data to a large number of clients at up to 1733 Mbps. A high-performance dual-core processor optimized for network communication offers sufficient power reserves for this purpose. The configurable stateful firewall and multi-VPN support with hardware-accelerated encryption according to current standards ensure the best possible security for communication. For multi-provider support with the best network coverage, the router offers the possibility of using up to four SIM cards per 5G interface.

Fail-proof connectivity in the daisy chain

For local communication, two Gigabit Ethernet ports are available for network cables with X-coded M12 connectors. An optional upgrade supports 2.5 Gbit/s Ethernet (with copper cable) as well as 10 Gbit/s Ethernet (with optical cable).

The CyBox RT 3-W offers various power supply options: either via the integrated railway-compliant wide-range power supply from 24 V to 110 V or the Power-over-Ethernet (PoE+) interface according to IEE 802.3at (Class 4). Particularly advantageous are the optionally available bypass relays, which are then already integrated in the router and ensure ongoing daisy-chain operation in the event of a router failure.

Daisy chaining is made possible by software through two Ethernet interfaces switched as a bridge, which eliminates the costs of external switches, especially for long backbone distances. Ethernet chaining of several CyBox routers with bypass relays provides a reliable high-speed connection even if one router is switched off. In addition, daisy chaining is a significant factor for cost savings, especially in the case of retrofits, as the cabling effort is extremely low.

Convenient web interface simplifies configuration

The CyBox RT 3-W can be managed web-based via a user interface. Access point and router configurations as well as the management of the firmware can thus be done easily and comfortably remotely via a login window; this concerns the global setup parameters as well as the configuration of the radio interfaces including the provider information and the stateful firewall.

Hackers have bad cards

Reliable protection for all Wi-Fi subscribers on the train is provided not only by the firewall but also by cross-device client isolation. Different than usual, the CyBox RT 3-W not only prevents unauthorized access from mobile devices that are dialed in at the same access point (AP); it also prevents access from devices at different ELTEC access points – the security concept now covers the entire train. A further advantage is that the configuration of the access point cannot be influenced via Wi-Fi. With AP isolation, each device operates as an independent unit. This prevents mobile devices from communicating with each other. This reliably prevents potentially harmful network traffic and increases network security. A hardware-accelerated encryption engine that supports SNMPv3, WPA3 and OWE standards ensures secure data transmission.

Thanks to multipath TCP (MPTCP) support, several transmission channels can be interconnected in the mobile phone and Wi-Fi networks to increase data throughput and improve connectivity through redundancy. This results in high-performance, uninterrupted data transmission on the train. Mobile device users benefit from this when, for example, they start an online video in the Wi-Fi network, which continues seamlessly and without noticeable interruption in the mobile network when they leave the range of the network. Users can switch from one network to another in a convenient and transparent manner, while also saving costs.

Complete evaluation kit with all essentials

The evaluation kit for the CyBox RT 3-W contains two 5G modules, 1 GB RAM, 128 MB flash, a PoE+ power supply, antennas and all necessary adapters and cables.