Avoguard

MeshLR™

Running a small to medium sized LoRaWAN network?
There is no need for a LoRaWAN Network Server.
Supercharge your gateways with MeshLR instead.

Overview

Avoguard's MeshLR™ is a mesh extension for LoRaWAN, enabling LoRaWAN gateways to operate a standard-compliant LoRaWAN network autonomously, without a Network Server.

MeshLR™ is built on 10 years of experience running LoRaWAN networks, and is compatible with all existing LoRaWAN devices.

Any LoRaWAN gateway can be upgraded to MeshLR with a simple software update, and eliminate the single-point-of-failure dependency on a network server.

LoRaWAN Compatibility

LoRaWAN gateway compatibility

MeshLR supports all LoRaWAN gateways that run Linux and have one or more of Semtech SX130x series chips.

We can support non-Linux gateways as well, please contact us to check for compatibility with specific models before you buy.

LoRaWAN version compatibility

MeshLR is compatible with all LoRaWAN versions released to date:

  • LoRaWAN 1.0.0 (released 2015)
  • LoRaWAN 1.0.1 (released 2016)
  • LoRaWAN 1.0.2 (released 2016)
  • LoRaWAN 1.0.3 (released 2018)
  • LoRaWAN 1.0.4 (released 2020)
  • LoRaWAN 1.1 (released 2017)

LoRaWAN device compatibility

From the perspective of a LoRaWAN device, a MeshLR network is no different than a LoRaWAN network. Instead of connecting to a LoRaWAN Network Server, devices connect to a MeshLR gateway mesh.

MeshLR is compatible with all LoRaWAN devices that follow LoRaWAN standards listed in the version compatibility list.

LoRaWAN Join Server compatibility

A MeshLR network can be configured to use a LoRaWAN Join Server, or to operate without one. In the latter case, MeshLR gateways can be configured to act as a Join Server.

MeshLR™ is compatible with all LoRaWAN Join Server that follow the Join Server specification, although an integration might be needed for Join Servers that have particular choices of interfaces.

Join servers that have the same interface as Semtech Join Service are supported out of the box.

Features

Data Integration

By default, MeshLR™ is designed to work as a distributed LoRaWAN-to-IP gateway. Device data can be delivered to any IPv4 / IPv6 address, using a basic set of protocols - HTTP, MQTT, and CoAP.

Network management

Distributed gateways still need a layer of control and management. An on-board web interface and API is available with each gateway. Each authorized gateway in a MeshLR network can adjust the network's configuration.

Observability

We built MeshLR for observability, with minimum local resource usage. Apart from a built-in web interface for monitoring and logging, each gateway has an Open Telemetry endpoint (Prometheus compatible) for monitoring.

Every MeshLR gateway can also be configured to forward logs to a remote server, such as Elasticsearch or Loki.

Site-to-site roaming

MeshLR is designed to be used in site-to-site roaming scenarios, so that multiple sites can process data from devices that are mobile and travel between sites.

Roaming can be used with both LoRaWAN v1.0.x and LoRaWAN v1.1 devices. Both passive and active roaming are supported.

Roaming with public LoRaWAN networks

If your devices have both local network and public network credentials, they can roam between MeshLR and public LoRaWAN networks seamlessly, without any extra steps.

If your devices only have local credentials, they can still roam to public networks, with a few extra configuration steps.

Geolocation without GPS

With 3 or more MeshLR gateways, you can use the built-in geolocation feature to locate devices without the need of a battery-hungry GPS receiver on the device.

A MeshLR network can passively locate each data transmission of a device with an accuracy of about 100 meters (300ft), depending on the gateway layout and density.

In-band backhaul

MeshLR supports an in-band backhaul, which means that the same radio (SX130x) is used for both device communication and gateway communication.

That means you don't need to deploy additional wireless or wired radio for links between gateways, reducing the cost of deployment. Your MeshLR gateways only need power and an antenna.

Geographical availability

MeshLR follows the same geographical rules as LoRaWAN, and can be used in all countries where LoRaWAN can be used. Additionally, MeshLR supports custom channel plans to enable operation in particular areas and conditions.

Ready to upgrade your LoRaWAN network to MeshLR?

Contact us today to find out how to deploy MeshLR network on your sites.

Contact Avoguard