Kenton Research, the design and development arm of access network specialists The Kenton Group, is today launching a new access router designed specifically to deliver high availability performance in harsh environments.

The sophisticated MAR 150 Router, ideally suited to customers in the utility and transportation sectors, is unique in its range of features, such as mobile backup or IPSec/IPVPN capabilities, and its integration as an overall cost-effective package. It is an environmentally hardened access product that provides VDSL or ADSL2+ connectivity along with the capability to back up this primary link with a ‘fallback’ connection through any 2G/3G mobile data network.

“The marketplace was lacking a router that gave customers all the features of a normal VDSL/ADSL business router and the ruggedness needed to cope with difficult environments while still delivering high-level connectivity,” said Lee Palmer, commercial director at The Kenton Group. “The MAR 150 Router meets all the requirements and we now look forward to giving service providers the means to offer a better service to customers.”

The unit has the capability of using an external hi-gain antenna and antenna diversity in areas where installation is in a shielded environment or where mobile coverage is marginal.

Initial field trials of the router have shown that it can be easily installed by any engineer who is familiar with similar industry recognised access products, thus keeping service costs low. It is also waterproof to IP67 standards and can handle temperatures from -40 to +75˚ Celsius, with a wide range mains power input that is interruption tolerant.

The unit can be DIN rail mounted or be adapted for ‘bespoke’ mounting methods on request. Management is either via industry standard CLI or from any platform supporting SNMP v1/v2/v3.

Kenton Research also offer a complete product support service, with spares or repairs available on customer deployments as required.