Understanding Teltonika Router Specifications

Teltonika router specifications describe the hardware, connectivity, cellular performance, and industrial features available on each router. Understanding terms such as LTE category, dual SIM, Wi-Fi generation, Ethernet ports, RMS support, and industrial protocol interfaces makes it easier to select the correct router for your application and to diagnose performance issues once it is deployed.

This guide works through every section of a Teltonika router specification using the RUTX50 as the primary example — it carries the most complete feature set in the range. Where a specification appears on other models but not the RUTX50, the relevant router is referenced directly. Every product mentioned links to its product page.

Teltonika router families — what the model names mean

Teltonika’s model naming follows a consistent pattern. Understanding it helps narrow down the right product before reading individual datasheets.

All families run RutOS and support Teltonika RMS. Docker is exclusive to the RUTC series — it is a hardware capability difference, not a firmware option.

Specification myths — what the datasheet does not tell you

Several widely held assumptions about router specifications lead to incorrect purchasing decisions and unexplained field performance. These are the most common ones.

Myth: Cat 20 is always faster than Cat 4

LTE category defines the maximum theoretical throughput a modem can achieve under ideal conditions. It does not determine the throughput you will actually see on a given cell. Signal quality, cell load, the number of active users on the tower, and carrier aggregation availability at that specific location all determine real-world speed.

A Cat 4 router on a strong, uncongested rural cell routinely delivers 60–80 Mbps. A Cat 20 router on a congested urban cell in the same conditions as other users may deliver 20–30 Mbps. The modem category sets a ceiling — the network and signal set the floor.

Myth: Dual SIM doubles your speed

Dual SIM provides resilience, not throughput. One SIM is active at a time. If the primary SIM loses connectivity, the router switches to the secondary SIM. You get failover, not aggregation. The only exception is the RUTX12, which carries two independent modems — both active simultaneously — enabling genuine load balancing across two cellular connections.

Myth: 5G is always faster than 4G

5G coverage in the UK remains concentrated in urban centres and transport corridors. A strong 4G Cat 6 or Cat 12 connection in a rural area will significantly outperform a marginal 5G NSA connection at the edge of a 5G cell. 5G matters where the site has strong n78 or n77 coverage and throughput above 300 Mbps is a genuine requirement. For most industrial IoT applications — SCADA, telemetry, CCTV, remote access — Cat 4 is sufficient and far more widely available.

Myth: More Ethernet ports is always better

Port count matters less than port speed and WAN flexibility. The RUT200 has two 10/100 Mbps ports — adequate for a cellular-primary deployment where the cellular uplink is the bottleneck. The RUTX50 has five Gigabit ports — necessary when aggregating LAN traffic or when a Gigabit fibre connection is used as the wired WAN. Match the port speed and count to the actual traffic requirements, not the highest available spec.

Myth: SIM switching happens automatically

Dual SIM failover requires configuration in RutOS. Out of the box, a Teltonika router does not automatically switch SIMs on connection loss. Switch triggers — signal threshold, data limit, connection failure, roaming — must be configured explicitly. The same applies to ping reboot, load balancing, and VPN failover. These are powerful features that require deliberate setup.

Mobile connectivity

5G SA and NSA — what the difference means

5G comes in two deployment modes: NSA (Non-Standalone) and SA (Standalone).

NSA uses 5G radio access but anchors signalling to a 4G LTE core network. It is the mode used for the majority of UK 5G deployments today. EE, Vodafone, O2, and Three all launched 5G on NSA architecture. The 5G radio delivers higher throughput, but the underlying core is still 4G. Latency improvements are modest compared to 4G on the same cell.

SA uses both 5G radio and a native 5G core network. It enables network slicing, ultra-low latency, and the full feature set defined in 3GPP Release 15 and above. UK operators are actively rolling out SA — EE launched SA 5G in 2023 and coverage is expanding. SA is the architecture required for private 5G networks in industrial and utilities deployments.

The RUTX50 supports both SA and NSA 5G. A router that supports NSA only will work on current UK 5G infrastructure but will not benefit from SA capabilities as they become available on the network.

LTE categories — Cat 1 through Cat 20

LTE categories define the maximum theoretical throughput a modem can achieve. The table below summarises the categories you will encounter across the Teltonika range, with realistic real-world speeds and the router that best represents each tier.

Cat 1 and Cat 1bis are not present in Teltonika’s main router range. They appear in embedded IoT modules and compact TRB gateways where cost and power consumption matter more than throughput. Cat 1 delivers up to 10 Mbps down / 5 Mbps up. If a supplier quotes Cat 1, it is not a router-class product.

5G RedCap (Reduced Capability, also referred to as NR-Light) is a 5G standard positioned between Cat 4 LTE and full 5G NR in terms of capability and cost. It targets mid-tier IoT and industrial devices that need 5G network features — lower latency, network slicing, n28 band access — without the hardware overhead of a full 5G modem. RedCap is beginning to appear on UK networks on n28 (700 MHz) and n78 (3.5 GHz). It does not currently feature in the main Teltonika router range. See our 5G RedCap and n28 guide for a detailed explanation.

Carrier aggregation

Carrier aggregation (CA) combines multiple LTE or 5G bands simultaneously to increase throughput. Rather than using a single 20 MHz carrier, a CA-capable modem combines two, three, or more carriers for proportionally higher speeds. Cat 6 supports two-carrier aggregation. Cat 12 supports three. Cat 20 supports up to five.

CA requires network support. Not all cells broadcast CA even where the operator licence permits it. The CA indicator on the RutOS mobile status page confirms whether carrier aggregation is active on the current connection. This is worth checking on any Cat 6 or above deployment — if CA is not active, the connection is performing at Cat 4 speeds regardless of the modem’s capability.

The RUTX12 takes this further. Its two independent Cat 6 modems each support carrier aggregation. With MWAN3 load balancing, the RUTX12 aggregates throughput across two independent cellular connections — up to 600 Mbps combined under ideal conditions.

LTE FDD and TDD bands — and why band numbers matter for UK deployments

LTE uses two duplex methods to separate uplink and downlink traffic.

FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) uses two separate frequency blocks — one for uplink, one for downlink. This is the standard for most UK LTE bands and provides symmetric, predictable performance.

TDD (Time Division Duplex) uses a single frequency block and alternates between uplink and downlink in time slots. TDD is asymmetric — operators configure more slots for downlink. UK TDD bands include B38 (2570–2620 MHz), B40 (2300–2400 MHz), and B41 (2496–2690 MHz).

The band number tells you the frequency. Frequency determines range and building penetration.

• B20 (800 MHz): The primary UK rural coverage band. Long range, strong building penetration. EE, Vodafone, and O2 all use B20 for wide-area coverage. A router missing B20 will underperform in rural UK deployments.
• B28 (700 MHz): The APT 700 band, rolled out from 2021 after the Freeview spectrum reallocation. Even longer range than B20. Critical for Shared Rural Network coverage in remote areas. Also used for 5G n28.
• B3 (1800 MHz): High-capacity urban band. Used by all four UK operators for LTE capacity in towns and cities.
• B7 (2600 MHz): Urban throughput band. Shorter range, high capacity. Common in dense urban areas.
• B1 (2100 MHz): Used for 3G and LTE. Good balance of range and capacity.
• B8 (900 MHz): Legacy GSM band repurposed for LTE. Good rural and indoor penetration.

The RUTX50 covers LTE FDD B1, B3, B5, B7, B8, B20, B28 and LTE TDD B38, B40, B41, B42, B43. Always check the band list for the specific order code — coverage varies between regional variants.

5G NR bands

5G uses the same band numbering logic as LTE but prefixed with “n”. The key UK 5G bands are:

• n28 (700 MHz): Low-band 5G. Long range, strong rural and indoor coverage. The Shared Rural Network band.
• n78 (3.5 GHz): The primary UK 5G mid-band. Used by all major UK operators for 5G capacity.
• n77 (3.3–4.2 GHz): Wider band that includes n78. Used for some private 5G network deployments.
• n1, n3, n7, n8, n20: Dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) bands where 5G and 4G share the same spectrum. Lower throughput than dedicated 5G bands but extends the 5G coverage footprint using existing antenna infrastructure.

3GPP release numbers

3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) defines the standards that mobile networks and devices implement. Each release adds new features on top of the previous one.

• Release 9: Baseline LTE.
• Release 10: LTE-Advanced. Carrier aggregation, enhanced MIMO.
• Release 11: Enhanced carrier aggregation, CoMP.
• Release 12: Small cell enhancements.
• Release 13: LTE-Advanced Pro. NB-IoT, Cat-M1.
• Release 14: V2X (vehicle-to-everything), enhanced NB-IoT.
• Release 15: 5G NR. NSA and SA 5G defined.
• Release 16: 5G SA enhancements. Network slicing, URLLC, industrial IoT features.

The RUTX50 is Release 15/16 depending on hardware version. This matters when specifying for private 5G networks or operators who mandate specific release compliance — particularly energy, utilities, and critical national infrastructure deployments.

Signal quality metrics — RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ, SINR

These four values appear on the RutOS mobile status page and in Teltonika RMS. Understanding them is essential for diagnosing connectivity problems and optimising antenna placement.

RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) measures total received power across the channel, including signal, interference, and noise. It is the bluntest instrument of the four. A high RSSI on a congested cell can still produce poor throughput because the measurement includes interference.

RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) measures the power of the LTE reference signal from a specific cell. This is the standard metric for LTE signal strength and the one most commonly used for antenna surveys. As a guide: above -80 dBm is excellent; -80 to -100 dBm is good; -100 to -110 dBm is fair; below -110 dBm is poor.

RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality) is the ratio of RSRP to total received power. It indicates signal quality relative to interference. RSRQ degrades on congested cells even when RSRP looks good — a useful indicator that the problem is cell load or interference rather than signal level. Above -10 dB is good; below -15 dB is poor.

SINR (Signal to Interference-plus-Noise Ratio) is the most useful metric for predicting throughput. It measures how much stronger the wanted signal is compared to interference and noise combined. Above 13 dB generally delivers reliable LTE throughput. Below 0 dB means the interference level exceeds the signal level.

Ping reboot in RutOS triggers on connection loss, not on signal degradation. A router can show worsening RSRP and SINR for hours before connectivity drops enough to trigger a reboot. Monitoring these metrics via RMS allows identification of a failing antenna connection, a cell handover problem, or growing network congestion before it becomes a service outage.

SIM, eSIM, and SIM management

SIM formats — Mini, Micro, Nano

SIM cards come in three physical sizes used across the Teltonika range. Getting the format wrong is one of the most common installation errors — particularly for engineers accustomed to consumer hardware where Nano SIM is universal.

• Mini SIM (2FF): 25 x 15 mm. Used in most RUT series routers — RUT200, RUT956, RUT901. The external SIM holder on the front panel is accessible without opening the enclosure.
• Nano SIM (4FF): 12.3 x 8.8 mm. Used on RUTC series routers including the RUTC40 and RUTC41.

Standard SIM cards from UK operators are supplied as multi-format punch-out cards. Confirm the correct format before punching — a Nano SIM cannot be re-expanded to Mini.

eSIM — SGP.22, bootstrap profiles, and remote provisioning via RMS

An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a chip soldered directly to the router’s PCB. There is no physical SIM to insert, lose, or damage. The eSIM follows the SGP.22 eUICC specification, which defines how profiles are stored, downloaded, and removed.

On Teltonika routers with eSIM — including the RUTX50, RUTC41, and RUT906 — profile download, switching, and removal are managed remotely via Teltonika RMS. This is what makes eSIM practically useful at scale: provisioning a SIM profile on a device in the field without physical access.

Newer Teltonika eSIM routers ship with a bootstrap profile already loaded. The bootstrap profile allows the router to register on a network and connect to RMS immediately on first power-up, without a physical SIM inserted. Once connected to RMS, an operational eSIM data profile is pushed remotely. The bootstrap profile is not a data plan — it provides the initial connectivity needed to receive a provisioned profile. A separate active eSIM data plan is required before the router carries customer traffic.

eSIM availability varies by order code within each model family. Confirm the specific order code before ordering if eSIM is a requirement.

Dual SIM and SIM switching

Dual SIM means two physical SIM slots with configurable switching between them. The RUTX50 carries two Mini SIM slots plus an integrated eSIM — three connectivity options from a single device.

SIM switch triggers in RutOS include: weak signal threshold, data limit reached, SMS limit reached, roaming detected, no network available, network denied, data connection failure, and SIM idle protection. SIM switching requires configuration in RutOS — it does not activate automatically on first installation.

For genuine carrier redundancy, use SIMs from two different UK mobile network operators. Two SIMs on the same network provide no protection against a cell, regional, or national network outage. Our fixed IP SIM cards are available alongside any Teltonika router.

SIM idle protection

Some mobile operators de-provision a SIM that has not established a data connection for an extended period. SIM idle protection in RutOS periodically switches to the inactive SIM and establishes a brief connection to keep it active. Important for backup SIM deployments where the primary connection rarely fails.

Auto APN

The router queries an internal database to determine the correct APN for the inserted SIM automatically on first connection. This works for most major UK operators. For fixed IP SIMs, enterprise SIMs, and some MVNO SIMs, the APN is specific to the network arrangement and requires manual entry. Our fixed IP SIM cards come with full APN configuration details.

Band lock and operator allow/block lists

Band lock forces the modem to use a specific LTE or 5G band rather than allowing automatic selection. Useful when automatic selection consistently picks a congested cell on a higher band when a less-loaded lower band gives better throughput in practice. Configured in RutOS under the mobile settings page.

The operator block/allow list restricts which networks the modem will register on, by country or by individual operator. Used to control roaming behaviour or force a specific operator in areas with overlapping networks.

Wi-Fi

802.11 standards — Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5, and Wi-Fi 6

• 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4): 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Up to 600 Mbps theoretical with 4×4 MIMO. Adequate for IoT and general connectivity. Used on the RUT200 and most compact RUT series models.
• 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5): 5 GHz primary (plus 2.4 GHz 802.11n). Up to 867 Mbps with 2×2 MU-MIMO. Higher throughput and better multi-client performance than Wi-Fi 4. Used on the RUTX50.
• 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6): 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Improved spectral efficiency using OFDMA and MU-MIMO on both uplink and downlink. Better in congested environments with many simultaneous clients. Used on the RUTC40, RUTC41, RUTC42, and RUTC50.

Access Point and Station modes

AP (Access Point) mode makes the router a Wi-Fi base station — client devices connect to it. This is the default for most deployments. STA (Station) mode makes the router a Wi-Fi client — it connects to an existing Wi-Fi network as a WAN source. Both modes can run simultaneously on Teltonika hardware.

Mesh and roaming features

• 802.11s (Wireless mesh): Multiple access points form a self-configuring mesh without a wired backhaul between nodes.
• 802.11r (Fast roaming): Reduces handover time between access points from 200–500 ms to under 50 ms. Critical for voice and video applications.
• 802.11v (BSS transition management): Allows the AP to suggest that a client roam to a better access point. The client makes the final decision.
• 802.11k (Radio resource measurement): Gives clients information about neighbouring APs for smarter roaming without a full channel scan.

Wi-Fi security — WPA2 and WPA3

WPA2-PSK is the most widely supported standard. Uses a pre-shared passphrase and AES-CCMP encryption. Vulnerable to offline dictionary attacks on weak passphrases. WPA3-SAE replaces the WPA2 handshake with a Dragonfly key exchange resistant to offline attacks. Use WPA3-SAE for new deployments where all clients support it. WPA2/WPA3-Enterprise uses RADIUS for centralised authentication — the correct choice where individual device credentials are managed centrally. OWE encrypts open Wi-Fi connections without a password, protecting against passive eavesdropping on guest networks.

Ethernet

10/100 Mbps vs Gigabit

10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet is sufficient for most cellular router deployments. A Cat 4 connection peaks at 150 Mbps theoretically and delivers 20–80 Mbps in practice — well within Fast Ethernet capacity. Gigabit Ethernet matters when aggregating LAN traffic from multiple devices, when a Gigabit fibre connection is the primary WAN, or when the router carries 5G throughput. The RUT200 has 10/100 ports. The RUTX50 has five Gigabit ports.

Passive PoE — Mode B and why 48 V active PoE will damage the router

Passive PoE on Teltonika routers powers the device over the Ethernet cable using spare pairs (Mode B — pins 4, 5, 7, 8). It operates at the same DC voltage as the router’s DC input — 9–30 V or 9–50 V depending on the model.

This is not compatible with active PoE standards (802.3af at 48 V, 802.3at at 48–57 V, 802.3bt at 48–54 V). Connecting a standard PoE switch or injector to a Teltonika router’s passive PoE port will apply 48 V to a device rated for 9–30 V or 9–50 V. This will damage or destroy the router. The connectors are physically identical — the voltage is not. A matched passive PoE injector at 12 V or 24 V is required.

The RUT200 passive PoE input is rated 9–30 V DC. The RUTX50 is rated 9–50 V DC. Verify the voltage rating on the datasheet for your specific model before connecting any PoE power source.

Routing and network management

Static and dynamic routing

Static routing uses manually configured, fixed routes. Appropriate for simple deployments with a fixed network topology — which covers the majority of cellular router installations. Dynamic routing protocols exchange topology information automatically. RutOS supports BGP (inter-AS routing), OSPF v2 (enterprise interior gateway), RIP v1/v2, EIGRP (Cisco hybrid protocol), and NHRP (used in DMVPN). Dynamic protocols are required when integrating the router into an existing managed network with route changes that need to propagate automatically.

Network failover and VRRP

RutOS supports automatic WAN failover across cellular, wired Ethernet WAN, and Wi-Fi WAN. Failover order and triggers are configured per deployment — there is no automatic failover on first boot.

VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol) allows two physical routers to share a virtual IP address. If the master fails, the backup takes over the virtual IP within seconds with no reconfiguration required on connected devices. Used when the router itself — not just the WAN connection — must be redundant.

Load balancing

Load balancing distributes outbound traffic across multiple WAN connections simultaneously. RutOS uses MWAN3. The RUTX12‘s two independent Cat 6 modems can be load-balanced for up to 600 Mbps combined throughput, or configured as active/passive failover.

VLAN

Port-based VLANs assign each physical Ethernet port to a VLAN. Tag-based VLANs (802.1Q) tag frames with a VLAN ID, allowing multiple VLANs to share a single physical port. Tag-based VLANs are required for connecting to managed switches or handling traffic from multiple device types through a single router interface.

Connection monitoring — ping reboot and wget reboot

Ping reboot sends ICMP echo requests to a target host. If unreachable after a configured number of retries, RutOS restarts the modem or reboots the device. Wget reboot performs an HTTP/HTTPS request — a more thorough check that confirms end-to-end TCP connectivity, not just ICMP reachability. Periodic reboot schedules a regular restart at a set time. None of these activate automatically — each requires configuration in RutOS.

VPN

Why VPN matters on a cellular router

Standard mobile SIM cards are placed behind carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT) by default. The router receives a private IP address shared with thousands of other devices. Inbound connections — CCTV remote viewing, SCADA polling, remote access — will not work behind CGNAT without a VPN or a fixed IP SIM.

A fixed IP SIM gives the router a public, static IP address, removing CGNAT without VPN configuration. A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel through which inbound connections reach the router. Both are used in practice. Fixed IP SIM cards suit single-site inbound access. VPN is required for site-to-site connectivity, encrypted traffic regardless of IP type, and large fleet deployments.

OpenVPN

SSL/TLS-based VPN. RutOS supports multiple simultaneous OpenVPN client instances and a server, with 27 encryption methods including AES-256-GCM. Runs over TCP or UDP on configurable ports — can run on port 443 and be indistinguishable from HTTPS traffic to a firewall. Slightly higher CPU overhead than WireGuard.

IPsec — IKEv1 and IKEv2

The standard for site-to-site connectivity in enterprise and industrial environments. IKEv2 establishes tunnels faster, handles network changes more gracefully via MOBIKE, and is more resistant to denial-of-service attacks than IKEv1. RutOS supports XFRM, IKEv1, and IKEv2 with 14 encryption methods. Required for interoperability with Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto, and other third-party firewalls.

WireGuard

Modern VPN protocol with a minimal codebase, very low latency, and lower CPU overhead than OpenVPN or IPsec. Re-establishes tunnels extremely quickly after a network interruption — particularly well suited to cellular deployments where handovers and brief signal drops are common. RutOS supports WireGuard as both client and server. For new deployments where all endpoints are under your control, WireGuard is generally the preferred choice.

ZeroTier and Tailscale

ZeroTier creates a virtual Ethernet network across the internet without a central VPN server or port forwarding. Useful for connecting devices all behind CGNAT without a fixed IP SIM. Tailscale builds on WireGuard and adds a managed control plane that handles key exchange and peer discovery automatically — simple to deploy across multiple sites. Both are client implementations in RutOS.

DMVPN, GRE, L2TP, Stunnel, SSTP, Tinc

DMVPN (Dynamic Multipoint VPN) uses NHRP and GRE for hub-and-spoke and partial-mesh architectures across large numbers of sites. Supports Phase 2 and Phase 3. GRE is a tunnelling protocol often used with IPsec — GRE handles the tunnel, IPsec handles encryption. L2TP v3 carries Ethernet frames for pseudo-wire connections between sites. Stunnel wraps TCP connections in TLS without modifying the application. SSTP is Microsoft’s HTTPS-based VPN for Windows Server interoperability. Tinc is an open-source mesh VPN with encryption, authentication, and compression.

Industrial protocols

Modbus TCP

The most widely deployed serial communication protocol in industrial automation, in active use since 1979 across virtually every industrial sector. Modbus TCP wraps the Modbus protocol in TCP/IP packets for use over Ethernet and cellular networks. RutOS supports Modbus TCP in client (master) and server (slave) modes, with custom register blocks that expose router parameters — signal strength, WAN IP, I/O state — as readable Modbus registers accessible to a SCADA system.

The RUT956 and RUT901 add serial Modbus RTU alongside Modbus TCP. The Modbus gateway in RutOS maps RTU slaves on the RS485 bus to Modbus TCP registers, allowing a SCADA system over VPN to poll serial field devices without a separate protocol converter. Applications include BESS monitoring, remote substation telemetry, PLC integration, and smart meter data collection.

OPC UA

The current standard for secure, platform-independent data exchange in industrial automation. Replaces OPC Classic (Windows DCOM) with transport-layer security, a flexible information model, and cross-platform support. RutOS supports OPC UA as client and server over TCP. Used in manufacturing, process control, and energy management where OPC UA is mandated by the control system.

DNP3

The standard SCADA communication protocol for electric utilities and water/wastewater management in the UK, US, and Australia. Specifically designed for unreliable communication links — which makes it well suited to cellular. Key features: unsolicited reporting (field devices send data without being polled), source timestamping, and event queuing. If the cellular link drops and reconnects, the outstation sends all queued events with accurate timestamps — no data is lost and the SCADA head-end has a complete time-series record through the outage. RutOS supports DNP3 in station and outstation modes over TCP.

DLMS/COSEM

The IEC standard for smart electricity, gas, and water meter communication. DLMS defines the protocol; COSEM defines the data model for meter objects. RutOS supports DLMS/COSEM as a client over TCP, allowing the router to read meter data and forward it to a head-end system. Used in UK and European AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) deployments.

MQTT

A lightweight publish/subscribe messaging protocol designed for constrained devices and unreliable networks. A device publishes data to a named topic on a broker; subscribers to that topic receive the message. RutOS includes an MQTT broker and publisher. The Data to Server feature collects parameters from multiple sources and publishes them to Azure IoT Hub, AWS IoT Core, or any MQTT broker. The RUTC40 is commonly used for edge Modbus-to-MQTT conversion — polling field devices via Modbus TCP, processing data locally in a Docker container, and publishing formatted telemetry to a cloud broker.

Management

WebUI, CLI, and SSH

The RutOS WebUI is accessible from any browser via HTTP or HTTPS. Use HTTPS in production — HTTP transmits credentials in plaintext. Configure a Let’s Encrypt certificate via the Certificate Manager for a browser-trusted HTTPS connection. The CLI is accessible over SSH v2 (disable SSH v1 — it has known cryptographic vulnerabilities) or via the WebUI terminal, giving full access to the underlying OpenWrt/RutOS configuration and scripting environment.

SNMP — v1, v2, v3

SNMP allows a network management system to monitor and configure the router using a standardised MIB. Use SNMP v3 only in production. SNMP v1 and v2c transmit community strings in plaintext — interceptable on the same network segment. SNMP v3 adds authentication (SHA) and encryption (AES). RutOS includes brute force protection for SNMP and SNMP trap support for proactive alerting.

TR-069

CWMP (CPE WAN Management Protocol) used by ISPs and MSPs for zero-touch provisioning, configuration, monitoring, and firmware updates via an ACS (Auto Configuration Server). RutOS supports GenieACS, LibreACS, FreeACS, and AVSystem. A router connects to the ACS on first boot, downloads its configuration, and enters service without manual intervention.

Teltonika RMS

Teltonika’s own cloud management platform. Remote monitoring, configuration push, fleet firmware updates, and RMS Connect — a secure remote access tunnel to the router without requiring a public IP or open inbound firewall ports. Works behind CGNAT because the device initiates the connection to RMS. All current RUT, RUTX, RUTM, RUTC, and TRB series devices support RMS. RMS operates on a credit system — we stock Teltonika RMS credits for UK customers.

FOTA and SMS management

FOTA (Firmware Over The Air) delivers firmware updates remotely — triggered from the WebUI, via SMS, or pushed from RMS to entire fleets simultaneously. SMS management provides a fallback management channel when the data connection is unavailable: reboot, status query, mobile data and output control via SMS commands. The permitted phone number can be restricted to an allowlist.

IoT platform integrations

RutOS includes native integrations with Azure IoT Hub (with Device Provisioning Service for zero-touch provisioning and Direct Method support), AWS IoT Core (with Jobs support), ThingWorx, and Cumulocity/Cloud of Things. The Data to Server feature can forward collected parameters to any MQTT broker or HTTP/HTTPS endpoint.

Security

Authentication

TACACS+ separates authentication, authorisation, and accounting into distinct functions and encrypts the entire packet payload — the more secure option for device administration. RADIUS is more widely used for enterprise Wi-Fi and VPN, providing centralised authentication against Active Directory or LDAP. X.509 certificates provide cryptographic identity for VPN and HTTPS. The Certificate Manager in RutOS creates CA, server, client, and Let’s Encrypt certificates, with SCEP for automated enrolment from enterprise PKI systems.

Firewall and attack prevention

Preconfigured firewall rules are accessible via the WebUI; unlimited custom rules via the CLI. NAT is active by default. DMZ exposes a single LAN device to all inbound WAN connections — use with care. NAT64 translates between IPv4 and IPv6 address spaces for networks transitioning between IP versions.

Active attack prevention covers SYN flood, SSH brute force, HTTP/HTTPS flood, and port scan patterns (SYN-FIN, SYN-RST, Xmas, NULL flag, FIN scan). Particularly relevant on deployments with a fixed IP SIM where the router is directly reachable from the public internet.

Mobile quota control and web filter

Quota control limits data usage over a configurable period, with warning thresholds and automatic data cutoff at the limit. Prevents unexpected overage charges on metered SIM plans. The web filter blocks domains or restricts browsing to approved sites — used in kiosk, retail, and transport deployments where the router’s Wi-Fi is accessible to end users.

TPM 2.0

Some Teltonika router variants include a TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0 chip for hardware-based cryptographic key storage. Private keys stored in TPM cannot be extracted even with physical device access. TPM availability varies by order code — verify against the specific variant datasheet.

GNSS and location

Multi-constellation GNSS

GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is the collective term for all satellite positioning systems. A multi-constellation receiver locks onto satellites from multiple systems simultaneously — faster fix acquisition, better accuracy with obstructed sky view, and continued operation if one system has outages.

• GPS: US system. 31 satellites. L1 (1575.42 MHz) and L5 (1176.45 MHz).
• GLONASS: Russian system. 24 satellites. Better coverage at high latitudes than GPS alone.
• BeiDou: Chinese system. 35 satellites. Strong Asia-Pacific coverage, also global.
• Galileo: European system. 30 satellites. Higher accuracy on E5 band with dual-frequency receivers.
• QZSS: Japanese regional system. 4 satellites at high elevation angles over Asia-Pacific, improving urban canyon performance.

The RUTX50 supports all five constellations. For deployments requiring GNSS alongside 4G but not 5G, the RUT956 supports the same constellation set in a compact DIN-rail enclosure.

NMEA 0183, NTRIP, and TAVL

NMEA 0183 is the standard ASCII serial format for GNSS output. Standard sentences include GGA (fix data), RMC (recommended minimum), and GSV (satellites in view). NMEA can be forwarded from RutOS to connected devices via serial port, USB, or TCP.

NTRIP (Networked Transport of RTCM via Internet Protocol) delivers differential correction data from a reference station over the cellular connection. RTCM corrections improve positioning accuracy from the standard 2–5 m CEP to sub-metre or centimetre level. Used in precision agriculture, construction machine control, and utilities mapping.

TAVL (Teltonika AVL) is Teltonika’s GPS tracking protocol, compatible with RMS and third-party fleet management platforms. Geofencing in RutOS defines configurable geographic zones — entry and exit events trigger alerts, SMS messages, or I/O output actions.

Digital input and output

Digital input

The digital input uses voltage thresholds: 0–6 V = logic low; 8–30 V = logic high. The gap between 6 V and 8 V is a dead band — ensure the driving signal is clearly above or below the threshold. Used to detect door contacts, tamper alerts, generator run signals, AC power fail signals, or any two-state sensor. On the RUTX50, the digital input and output share the 4-pin power connector with the DC power supply.

Digital output — open collector

The digital output is an open collector transistor. It sinks current (pulls to ground) but does not source a voltage. An external power supply must be in series with the load — the output switches the ground connection. Maximum 30 V, 300 mA. Used to control relays, signal lights, or sounders. Fit a flyback diode across inductive loads such as relay coils to suppress the turn-off voltage spike.

I/O juggler

I/O juggler in RutOS configures conditional logic without scripting: if input X goes high, trigger output Y and send SMS to number Z. Conditions include I/O state, signal strength, WAN status, or time of day. Actions include email, SMS, RMS notification, output toggle, and reboot. For complex logic, Lua scripts via the RutOS scripting interface give full programmatic control.

Analogue input — 4-20 mA

The RUT956 and RUT986 include a 4-20 mA analogue input for reading industrial sensor data — pressure transducers, temperature sensors, flow meters, level sensors. 4 mA represents minimum; 20 mA represents full scale. The current loop is inherently resistant to voltage drop over long cable runs, which is why it is the standard for industrial instrumentation.

Power

DC input voltage ranges and surge protection

Teltonika routers accept wide-range DC input. The range varies by model — always verify before connecting a supply.

• RUT200: 9–30 V DC, surge protection above 31 V DC
• RUT956: 9–30 V DC
• RUTX50: 9–50 V DC, surge protection above 51 V DC

The wider range on RUTX and RUTM series accommodates 48 V DC bus power common in telecoms infrastructure and industrial control panels. Connecting a 48 V supply to a router rated to 30 V maximum will damage it. Reverse polarity protection prevents damage from reversed polarity connections within the rated voltage range — it does not protect against over-voltage.

Idle and maximum power consumption

Always use the maximum power figure when sizing fuses, cable ratings, and UPS capacity. The idle figure reflects no active data transfer. Maximum reflects full cellular transmit power with all interfaces active.

• RUT200: Maximum 6.5 W
• RUTX50: Idle under 4 W, maximum under 16.5 W

For panels with multiple routers, sum the maximum figures for all devices on the same supply rail.

4-pin power connector

Most Teltonika routers use a 4-pin industrial DC connector carrying power, ground, digital input, and digital output. Standard pin order: Power positive (red), Ground (black), Digital input (green), Digital output (white or yellow). Verify against the specific model datasheet — pin order can vary. Label cables during installation. Reconnecting an unlabelled 4-pin connector to the wrong pins is a common cause of field failures.

Physical and environmental

IP rating — IP30

IP30 means protection against solid objects larger than 2.5 mm, and no rated protection against liquid ingress. Most Teltonika routers are IP30. This is appropriate for installation inside a sealed control cabinet, weatherproof NEMA enclosure, or lockable kiosk. It is not suitable for direct outdoor installation or wet environments. For outdoor or exposed installations, the router requires an enclosure rated to IP54 or higher.

Operating temperature

Most Teltonika routers operate from -40 to +75 °C. The -40 °C lower limit covers unheated outdoor cabinets and vehicle installations in cold climates. The +75 °C upper limit covers sealed steel cabinets in direct summer sunlight, which can reach 60–70 °C inside without ventilation. The RUTC42 operates to +40 °C maximum — check enclosure ventilation requirements carefully for this model. Always use the operating temperature figure in installation planning, not the storage temperature figure.

SMA vs RP-SMA connectors

Two connector types are used on Teltonika routers. They look almost identical but are not interchangeable.

SMA connectors are used for cellular antenna connections. The female socket on the router has a centre hole; the male plug on the antenna has a centre pin. RP-SMA (Reverse Polarity SMA) connectors are used for Wi-Fi. The female socket has a centre pin; the male plug has a centre hole. The polarity of the centre conductor is reversed.

The outer thread is identical between SMA and RP-SMA — an SMA plug threads onto an RP-SMA socket and feels secure. But there is no electrical contact because the centre conductors are incompatible. Always check the label on the router panel before connecting antennas. Browse our 4G antenna range and 5G antenna range for compatible external antennas.

Mounting options

DIN rail, wall mount, and flat surface mounting are all supported. Mounting kits are sold separately — not included in the standard router box. DIN rail uses a standard 35 mm EN 50022 rail, appropriate for control panels and telecoms cabinets. Call 0300 124 6181 to confirm the correct mounting kit for your model before ordering.

Certifications

CE/RED, UKCA, E-mark, RCM

CE/RED (Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU) is mandatory for placing radio equipment on the EU market. It certifies compliance with radio spectrum use, electromagnetic compatibility, and electrical safety requirements. UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) is the Great Britain equivalent, required for the England, Scotland, and Wales market from January 2023. Northern Ireland continues to follow CE marking. Most current Teltonika routers carry both. E-mark (UN/ECE Regulation No. 10) certifies electromagnetic compatibility for road vehicle installation — required when the router is permanently wired into a vehicle. Not required for portable use. RCM is the Australian and New Zealand market access mark, present on the RUTX50 and most RUTM and RUTC series models.

RoHS, REACH, and CB

RoHS restricts hazardous substances in electronic equipment (lead, mercury, cadmium, and others). REACH covers substances of very high concern in the supply chain. Both are substance compliance requirements — relevant for procurement in organisations with environmental or supply chain policies. CB scheme certification (IEC 62368-1) provides international safety test recognition, supporting market access across multiple countries from a single test report.

RutOS and the software platform

What RutOS is

RutOS is Teltonika’s Linux-based operating system, built on OpenWrt. It provides the WebUI, all routing and VPN features, the industrial protocol stack, firewall, IoT platform integrations, and the Package Manager. Because it is based on OpenWrt, advanced users can access the full underlying Linux environment via SSH — running shell scripts, Lua, Python, or C applications directly on the router.

All current Teltonika RUT, RUTX, RUTM, RUTC, and TRB series devices run RutOS. The same operating system runs on a compact RUT200 and on a RUTX50. An engineer familiar with RutOS on one model can configure any other Teltonika router without retraining.

Hardware, RAM, and what it determines

The hardware platform determines which software capabilities are available. This is particularly important for Docker and Package Manager use.

Package Manager

The Package Manager installs additional software on top of base RutOS — extended protocol support, VPN clients, monitoring agents, and third-party applications. Not all packages are available on all hardware. The RUTC series has significantly more headroom than the compact RUT series due to its larger RAM and flash. Check the Package Downloads page on the Teltonika wiki for your specific model before planning Package Manager deployments.

Docker — RUTC series only

Docker allows containerised Linux applications to run directly on the router alongside RutOS. A container packages an application with all its dependencies into an isolated runtime. On the router this enables edge computing workloads — local data processing, protocol conversion, custom monitoring agents, MQTT brokers, database servers — without a separate compute device at the site.

Docker is supported exclusively on the RUTC series: RUTC40, RUTC41, RUTC42, and RUTC50. This is a hardware limitation, not a firmware option. The RUTC’s dual-core ARM Cortex-A53 1.3 GHz CPU, 1 GB RAM, and 8 GB flash were specified to support container workloads alongside the standard RutOS feature set. Docker cannot be added to any other Teltonika router regardless of firmware version.

SDK and custom firmware

Teltonika provides an SDK with a full build environment for developers creating custom packages or modified RutOS firmware. GPL source code is published. Custom branded firmware — modified WebUI, logos, and default configurations — is supported for system integrators deploying large fleets under their own brand.

Frequently asked questions

What does LTE Cat 4 mean and is it fast enough?

LTE Cat 4 defines a maximum theoretical download speed of 150 Mbps. Real-world speeds on a good UK cell are 30–80 Mbps down and 10–30 Mbps up. This is sufficient for CCTV streams at standard resolution, SCADA and telemetry polling, VPN tunnels for remote access, and most IoT applications. Cat 4 is not the right choice if you need to stream multiple 4K camera feeds simultaneously or transfer large files continuously — those applications benefit from Cat 6 or above.

Is Cat 6 better than Cat 4?

Cat 6 has a higher throughput ceiling — 300 Mbps theoretical versus Cat 4’s 150 Mbps — achieved through carrier aggregation across two bands. In practice, whether Cat 6 outperforms Cat 4 depends on whether the cell you are connecting to supports carrier aggregation and whether both bands have good signal. On many UK cells, particularly in rural areas, Cat 4 and Cat 6 deliver similar real-world speeds because carrier aggregation is not active. Cat 6 delivers its advantage in urban areas with strong multi-band coverage.

What is the difference between dual SIM and dual modem?

Dual SIM means one modem with two SIM slots. One SIM is active at a time. If the active SIM loses connectivity, the router switches to the other. You get failover resilience, not additional throughput. Dual modem means two independent cellular modems — both active simultaneously. The RUTX12 is the clearest example: two Cat 6 modems, both running, supporting load balancing, active/active failover, and Bondix bonded 4G. Dual modem delivers both resilience and throughput.

Which Teltonika routers support Docker?

Only the RUTC series: RUTC40, RUTC41, RUTC42, and RUTC50. Docker requires the RUTC hardware platform — dual-core ARM Cortex-A53 1.3 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB flash. It is not a firmware option available on other models.

Do all Teltonika routers support VPN?

Yes. The full VPN stack — OpenVPN, IPsec (IKEv1/IKEv2), WireGuard, ZeroTier, GRE, PPTP, L2TP, Stunnel, DMVPN, SSTP, and Tinc — is part of RutOS and available on all current Teltonika routers regardless of model. The difference between models is CPU and RAM, which affects how many simultaneous VPN tunnels can be run at full throughput.

Do all Teltonika routers support Teltonika RMS?

Yes. All current RUT, RUTX, RUTM, RUTC, and TRB series devices support RMS. RMS does not require a fixed IP SIM — it works behind CGNAT because the device initiates the connection outbound to RMS servers. RMS Connect gives secure remote access to any RMS-managed device without requiring a public IP or open inbound firewall ports. We stock Teltonika RMS credits for UK customers.

What is the difference between RUT956 and RUT986?

The RUT956 is a regional variant with a modem certified for UK and European bands. The RUT986 is the global replacement — a Telit modem covering 18 LTE bands worldwide, eliminating regional variants. The RUT986 adds global band coverage and eSIM while maintaining the same form factor, DIN rail mounting, and cabling as the RUT956. If you are specifying new UK deployments, the RUT986 is the current model.

Browse Teltonika routers

We stock the full Teltonika range as a UK Diamond Partner — from compact Teltonika 4G routers to dual-modem Teltonika 5G routers — all from UK stock with next-working-day delivery. If you need a fixed IP SIM card or a compatible 4G antenna alongside your router, we supply both. Call 0300 124 6181 for help selecting the right hardware for your deployment.