Cisco Industrial Routers

About Cisco Industrial Routers

Cisco's industrial routers — the IR families — are the same routing software as an office branch router, built into hardware that survives a plant floor, a substation, a transportation cabinet or an outdoor enclosure. The differences from a conventional branch router are physical rather than functional: DIN-rail mounting instead of rack ears, extended operating temperatures, no fans to clog with dust, and power inputs suited to industrial supplies.

Most of the range is built around cellular WAN. That is the second thing that separates these from an office router: where a branch router expects a fibre or copper WAN hand-off, an industrial router very often has an LTE modem built in, because the site it serves has no wired connection at all — a remote pump station, a bus shelter, a temporary construction office.

The families stocked here, and what distinguishes them:

• IR1101 — the modular industrial router. It is the only one in this range that takes plug-in expansion modules, which makes it the choice where the interface mix (or the WAN type) may change over the life of the installation.
• IR807 — the low-power 4G/LTE router. Small, economical, intended for a single remote device or a light telemetry installation.
• IR809 — the step up from the 807, with more capability for a site that has several endpoints to connect rather than one.
• IR829 — the flagship LTE router of this generation, with dual LTE and integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi, for a site that needs both cellular WAN and local wireless coverage.
• IR829B — the B revision of the IR829, with the same dual-LTE and Wi-Fi architecture.
• IR829GW — the gateway variant, which adds GPS to the IR829 platform. Useful where the asset has to report its position as well as its data.
• IR829M — the M variant, which adds PoE ports and an SSD connector on top of the LTE and Wi-Fi capability, for sites that power cameras or access points directly from the router and need local storage.

How to Choose a Cisco Industrial Router

1. Start from the WAN, then the site

Almost every model here is a cellular router, so the first question is not "how many ports" but "which cellular network will this site use". That determines both the model and the regional suffix (see below). A site with a wired connection available is usually better served by a conventional branch router with an industrial enclosure; a site with no wired option needs one of these.

2. Reading the regional suffix — the part that trips people up

An LTE router is certified for particular bands in particular countries, and Cisco encodes that in the part number. The suffix letters are not arbitrary:

• -GA — Global variant, used across Europe and much of Asia-Pacific.
• -NA — North America.
• -LA — Latin America and the Asia-Pacific band group.
• -VZ — Verizon-certified, for deployment on the Verizon network in the United States.

These are followed by a two-letter country or carrier code — -AK9 for Canada, -BK9 for the United States, -EK9 for ETSI-regulated territories, -RK9 for general worldwide ETSI use, and country-specific codes such as -SK9 (Singapore), -ZK9 (Australia/New Zealand) and -DK9 (India). Ordering the wrong band variant is the single most common mistake on this product line: the router will power up and appear to work, but will not register on the local network. If you are unsure which variant covers your country, send us the destination and we will confirm against the band table before you order.

3. Decide whether you need Wi-Fi, GPS, PoE or storage

• IR807 / IR809 — cellular WAN only. The right answer when the router connects fixed equipment and nothing else.
• IR829 / IR829B — adds integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi, for sites where staff or devices connect wirelessly to the router.
• IR829GW — adds GPS, for mobile or dispersed assets that must report location.
• IR829M — adds PoE ports and an SSD connector, for sites that power cameras or access points directly and keep data locally.

4. New or remanufactured?

Several IR829 models are listed in a remanufactured variant, marked by the -RF suffix in the part number. These are factory-remanufactured units offered at a materially lower price than the equivalent new part — for example the remanufactured IR829-2LTE-EA-BK9 at US$1,504 against the new unit's US$2,589. They carry the same part number prefix, so the -RF suffix is the thing to check when comparing prices on this page. If your procurement rules require new equipment, order the part number without the suffix.

5. Don't forget the mounting and power accessories

The DIN-rail kit, DC power cord and external power supply are separate line items on most industrial installations. They are inexpensive relative to the router, but a router that arrives without its DIN-rail bracket cannot be installed in a cabinet — check the accessory list against the enclosure before the order goes out.

Cisco Industrial Router Model Comparison

IR1101 — modular industrial router

IR807 and IR809 — compact 4G/LTE routers

IR829 — dual LTE with 802.11n Wi-Fi

IR829B — B revision, dual LTE with Wi-Fi

IR829GW — adds GPS

IR829M — adds PoE ports and SSD connector

Mounting and power accessories

Prices are our current selling prices in US dollars, excluding shipping. Click a model number for the full specification table and availability. Models marked remanufactured carry the -RF suffix and are factory-remanufactured units; the IR1101-K9-DNA is quoted on request.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know which LTE band variant to order?

By the destination country. -GA covers Europe and much of Asia-Pacific, -NA North America, -LA the Latin America / Asia-Pacific band group and -VZ the Verizon network in the United States. The two-letter code that follows narrows it further — -AK9 Canada, -BK9 United States, -EK9 ETSI territories, -RK9 general worldwide. Ordering the wrong variant is the most common mistake on this line: the router boots and looks healthy but never registers on the local network. Send us the destination country and we will confirm the right suffix before you order.

What is the difference between the IR807, IR809 and IR829?

Capability and scale. The IR807 is the low-power 4G/LTE router for a single remote device or a light telemetry site. The IR809 is the next step up, for a site with several endpoints. The IR829 is the flagship of this generation — dual LTE plus integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi, so it provides both the cellular WAN and local wireless coverage.

What does the GW suffix mean?

GPS. The IR829GW adds a GPS receiver to the IR829 platform, which is what you want where the asset has to report position as well as data — mobile equipment, dispersed infrastructure, anything that may be moved or needs location-stamped telemetry.

What does the M suffix mean?

Capability. The IR829M adds PoE ports and an SSD connector beyond the LTE and Wi-Fi of the standard IR829 — for sites that power cameras or access points directly from the router and keep data locally rather than sending everything upstream.

Are the remanufactured (-RF) models a different product?

They are factory-remanufactured versions of the same part numbers, which is why they carry the same model prefix with an -RF suffix. The price difference is substantial — the remanufactured IR829-2LTE-EA-BK9 is US$1,504 against US$2,589 for the new unit. If your procurement requires new equipment, order the part number without the -RF suffix.

What accessories do I need for a typical installation?

Usually three things beyond the router: a DIN-rail kit for cabinet mounting, a DC power cord if the site supplies DC, and an AC power supply if it does not. All three are listed on this page. Check them against the enclosure before ordering — a router without its mounting bracket cannot be installed.

Is the IR1101 different from the IR829?

Yes, in architecture. The IR1101 is modular — it takes plug-in expansion modules, so the interface mix and WAN type can change over the life of the installation. The IR829 family is fixed-configuration. Choose the IR1101 where the site's connectivity requirements are likely to change; choose the IR829 where they are known and stable.

Do you supply antennas and SIM accessories?

Tell us the router model, the cellular band and the mounting arrangement and we will quote the complete installation — router, antennas, cabling, power and mounting hardware — rather than the router alone.