Before procuring industrial networking equipment, many manufacturing enterprises find themselves stuck in the same dilemma: they fear that cellular router are vulnerable to intrusion via mobile networks, that wired routers risk physical link disruption, and that Wi-Fi routers are susceptible to signal eavesdropping. Which networking approach is genuinely secure? Some factories, worried about data leaks and cyberattacks on industrial control systems, even hesitate to deploy edge projects such as remote O&M and SCADA remote monitoring, slowing down their overall digital transformation.
To resolve this dilemma, we must first move beyond the misconception that "one particular networking method is absolutely secure." Instead, let's compare the security characteristics of cellular routers, wired network routers, and Wi-Fi routers in real industrial scenarios:
Their advantage lies in a physically enclosed link, offering stable data transmission and strong basic anti-interference capability in routine scenarios. However, their drawbacks are significant: if fiber optics are cut during plant construction or if lines are maliciously accessed physically, core production data can be easily stolen. Moreover, deployment flexibility is extremely poor, making them unsuitable for remote sites or mobile equipment.
They offer convenient deployment and low cost, suitable for short-range device networking within workshops. However, the encryption protocols of conventional commercial Wi-Fi are relatively easy to crack, and metal equipment in workshops can cause signal obstruction. Once an unauthorized device accesses the same frequency band, PLC and sensor data across the entire local network become exposed to risk.
They transmit data over carriers' mobile private networks without physical cabling, offering strong deployment flexibility. Many enterprises mistakenly believe that mobile networks are insecure because they are "exposed to the public internet." In reality, the protective capabilities of legitimate industrial-grade cellular routers far exceed those of ordinary commercial wired and Wi-Fi devices.
Many enterprises' understanding of cellular router security stops at whether they can "connect to the network," overlooking that industrial-grade devices employ a two-tier security architecture: The first tier is underlying LTE/5G over-the-air encryption. Legitimate 4G/5G cellular routers leverage carriers' mobile private networks to perform hardware-level encryption during the over-the-air data transmission phase, making it impossible for ordinary devices to intercept and decrypt the signal. Both the USR-G806w and USR-G816 support dedicated carrier APN (Access Point Name) access, effectively creating a closed, dedicated channel for data transmission that is physically isolated from public network traffic. The second tier is application-layer security protection, a capability entirely absent in ordinary commercial routers: industrial routers embed firewalls, access control lists (ACLs), VPN encryption tunnels, and device whitelisting mechanisms. Only pre-authorized devices can access the network, and even if external traffic attempts an attack, it is blocked directly at the router level, never reaching the backend SCADA systems, industrial computers, or production equipment. Many manufacturers mistakenly equate "wired equals absolutely secure," essentially conflating "physical enclosure" with "absolute security." In fact, a wired network without application-layer protection allows a virus to spread rapidly across the entire LAN once a single device is infected, causing far more severe security incidents than those arising from mobile networks.
In a SCADA centralized monitoring scenario, an auto parts factory in China previously used ordinary commercial wired routers to build its SCADA remote monitoring network without any access control rules. At one point, they faced a risk of external malicious traffic attempting to intrude into their PLC systems. After switching to the USR-G816 5G cellular router with dedicated APN access and IPsec encryption tunnels, they blocked over 120,000 unauthorized access attempts annually, experienced zero security incidents in the SCADA system for the entire year, and improved remote O&M response efficiency by 70%.
In remote outdoor PV and water utility sites where laying fiber is often impractical, the enterprise previously used ordinary commercial 4G routers to transmit equipment data, encountering frequent packet loss and unauthorized device access attempts. After switching to the USR-G806w 4G cellular router, leveraging its 15KV ESD protection, electromagnetic isolation, and comprehensive network security certification framework, they ensured end-to-end data encryption even in complex outdoor electromagnetic environments. Year-round data transmission reliability reached 99.99%, with no data leakage incidents whatsoever.
The core logic of industrial network security has never been "choosing wired over cellular," but rather "whether the architecture is sound and security configurations are properly executed." Even the most traditional wired network, without network segmentation, firewall configuration, or access permission controls, will exhibit severe vulnerabilities. Conversely, a legitimate industrial-grade cellular router, paired with a sound security architecture comprising private network access, encryption tunnels, and whitelist controls—with corresponding security configurations properly applied—can achieve security levels surpassing ordinary wired networks.
The USR-G806w holds over ten authoritative certifications including CCC, CE, SRRC, and network security certifications; the USR-G816 has also passed CCC, SRRC type approval, and industrial-grade network security certifications. Both products feature end-to-end security hardening from hardware to software systems, fully meeting industrial cybersecurity compliance requirements—capabilities that ordinary commercial routers simply cannot match.
To fully unlock the security capabilities of cellular routers, just five standardized configuration steps are needed—no complex retrofitting required to build a highly reliable industrial security network:
Network Architecture Planning:
Physically segment the production control zone, data acquisition zone, and remote O&M zone. Use cellular routers to enforce access isolation between different zones, blocking unauthorized cross-zone access.
Private Network Access Configuration:
Apply to the carrier for a dedicated APN private network so that all data from the cellular routers is transmitted exclusively within the closed mobile private network, never exposed to the public internet.
Encryption Tunnel Deployment:
Configure IPsec/OpenVPN encryption tunnels on the cellular routers. All cross-site SCADA data and equipment process parameters are transmitted through encrypted tunnels to prevent eavesdropping and tampering.
Access Rule Configuration:
Enable the cellular routers' firewall features, configure device whitelists and ACLs to allow only pre-authorized IP addresses and devices, and block all undefined external access requests.
Quarterly, batch-review security logs of all cellular routers via a remote management platform, promptly update security patches, and periodically back up security configuration rules to ensure continuous protection across the network.
