Most people don’t give network connectivity at work a second thought. They just show up, power on their computers, and start working: the internet is omnipresent and invisible for office-dwellers and work-from-home employees.
But for many others, it’s a different conversation. Setting up stable internet can be a challenge and a source of frustration for people who work in the field, who work in remote locations, or who need the ability to create their own connectivity in seconds.
For organizations and teams whose work often takes them outside the office, a rugged, portable WiFi hotspot is the innovative answer to establishing network connectivity. Construction sites, remote locations, and on-the-ground emergencies.
What Is a Rugged Portable WiFi Hotspot?
When most people think of a WiFi hotspot, they picture a small device that fits in their bag. They may even picture their smartphone, which can function as a personal hotspot. But a rugged portable hotspot is different.
Rugged portable WiFi hotspots provide internet and network connectivity in locations where traditional networks are impractical or impossible. Typically built into a rugged case the size of a large briefcase, these portable custom hardware solutions provide remote wireless connections over cellular networks, enabling any location with cellular coverage to become a secure network environment.
Rugged portable WiFi hotspots are especially useful in industrial contexts such as commercial construction, where no wired infrastructure exists (at least yet). Other everyday use cases include military, first responders, and emergency communications.
How Rugged Portable WiFi Hotspots Work
Rugged portable hotspot devices combine several pieces of hardware into a cohesive system. First is the enterprise-grade cellular router — the component that connects to a cellular network, often with multiple antennas working in parallel (for example, 2×2 MIMO or 4×4 MIMO). Most of the routers we use at Westward Sales are from Ericsson, Peplink, and Semtech.
Next up are the other antennas integrated in the case: WiFi antennas broadcast a wireless signal and receive connections from the devices that need internet access (PCs, mobile devices, IoT sensors, etc.). Most commercial WiFi hotspot devices also include GPS antennas to properly geolocate the device and orient it within a cellular network.
Last, a complete rugged WiFi hotspot includes a rugged battery, cabling, and a SIM card.
The Westward Sales Difference
Typically, rugged portable WiFi hotspots like the ones we’ve described do not arrive prebuilt and preconfigured. Businesses are often forced to purchase a case antenna and then select, purchase, and configure the internals.
Westward Sales does things differently: we provide a true turn-key solution. We procure and install all necessary hardware (including batteries and cabling), then preconfigure and test the router to ensure it operates properly as soon as the customer powers it up.
For example, check out our WSH8MD-R190 Portable WiFi Hotspot with the Ericsson R1900 5G router: this robust, powerful, rugged WiFi hotspot comes fully wired and configured using a 4×4 MIMO 5G LTE cellular antenna, an R1900 cellular router from Ericsson, and a 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi (both 2.4 and 5 GHz) antenna. This particular unit also includes integrated GPS and Bluetooth technologies and can be cloud-managed with NetCloud.
This level of hands-on, turnkey service is what customers love about Westward Sales.
Benefits of Using a Rugged Portable WiFi Hotspot
Rugged portable hotspots deliver real advantages to many businesses and organizations. Here are just a few of those benefits.
Low Complexity
The hardware may be complex, but using it is dead simple: our mobile WiFi hotspot devices come preconfigured and thoroughly tested so they start working just minutes after powering up.
High Configurability
There is no one-size-fits-all commercial portable hotspot. Every use case is unique, with different budgets, limitations, needed functions, and security requirements. Westward offers numerous rugged hotspot devices with differing configurations and capabilities at various price points. No matter what a business or organization needs, we can configure an industrial-grade portable hotspot that satisfies their requirements.
Battery or AC Power
Depending on their needs, customers can choose between AC-powered and battery-powered models.
Lower Cost and Quicker Deployment than with Wired Solutions
In many use cases, a wired network isn’t feasible (or even possible). But even where wired solutions are an option, rugged portable WiFi hotspots may offer lower costs and faster deployment. When quick, reliable connectivity is the primary goal, a cellular hotspot device is the ideal solution.
Built to Take a Beating and Keep On Performing
Our rugged WiFi hotspot cases are built to withstand the most demanding conditions: heat, cold, impacts, water, and humidity. This means our IP67-rated units are impervious to dust and protected against water, even during short periods of full immersion.
Use Cases for Rugged Portable WiFi Hotspots
- Construction: Construction companies need connectivity in places where it doesn’t yet exist (because they’re building the infrastructure where the permanent network will eventually be deployed). A portable cellular WiFi hotspot provides stable, secure connectivity through all stages of construction.
- Industrial: Some industrial sites don’t lend themselves well to permanent wired networks (or don’t need connectivity during everyday operations). Portable WiFi hotspots deliver connectivity when it’s needed without the expense or complexity of wiring the industrial site.
- Remote applications: National parks, remote mining operations, and other far-flung operations still need connectivity. A commercial-grade cellular hotspot device is a convenient solution.
- Military and first responders: A rugged portable WiFi hotspot can provide secure connectivity whenever and wherever, under nearly any conditions. Some units, such as the WSH7BX-BR1P with Peplink’s MAX-BR1-PRO-5G router, are designed to operate effectively in areas with low or compromised signal (including remote and highly congested areas).
- Emergency communications: Critical when disaster strikes. A mobile hotspot can bypass local limitations (such as power or network outages) by connecting to less vulnerable cellular networks.
Solve Your Connectivity Challenges with Westward Sales
With nearly four decades of experience in communication technologies, the team behind Westward Sales understands the connectivity landscape like few others. Our experience and personalized, hands-on approach give you confidence that you’re getting the ideal solution for your specific needs, not just a one-size-fits-all mass market product. Questions about the right mobile WiFi solution for your project?
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