Wi-Fi HaLow (802.11ah) is an emerging standard designed to enhance range and improve penetration capabilities through barriers, although it does sacrifice some throughput. The ideal applications for HaLow encompass industrial IoT, building automation, security systems, access control, utility smart meters, and intelligent grid management.
This standard gained approval in September 2016 and was subsequently published in May 2017. Initially, the adoption rate was modest, with a limited number of products certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. However, recent trends indicate a surge in Wi-Fi HaLow’s adoption, with vendors such as AsiaRF offering Certified Wi-Fi HaLow products. This article provides a hands-on evaluation of AsiaRF’s Wi-Fi mesh gateway, characterized by a star topology capable of accommodating 8,000 connections, particularly for industrial IoT scenarios.
The dual-band Wi-Fi mesh gateway (ARFHL-AP) from AsiaRF is specifically built for industrial IoT applications. AsiaRF asserts that it can maintain a solid data rate of 150Kbps over distances greater than 1 km (or 0.62 miles), which is excellent for relaying essential information across large industrial settings. The company claims that each unit (priced at $206) can support an impressive 8,000 stable connections thanks to its unique star network configuration.
A distinguishing feature of this AsiaRF gateway is its ability to simultaneously utilize both 2.4GHz and Sub-GHz HaLow frequencies, allowing users to leverage the HaLow radio for extended-distance connections while also enabling the 2.4GHz radio to link with closer Wi-Fi devices that do not support HaLow.
The gateway offers support for both IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity. It can function as a router and includes an optional firewall feature. Additionally, it can serve various roles such as a DHCP client, relay, or server. In wireless networking scenarios, it allows for multiple SSIDs and supports WPA2 security (either PSK or 802.1X) for Wi-Fi 4, while facilitating up to WPA3 security for the Wi-Fi HaLow.
This main device is housed in a plastic enclosure designed for indoor use only and is relatively compact for an access point, measuring approximately 5 inches by 3.5 inches by 1.2 inches. It comes equipped with a detachable SMA dipole antenna for sub-GHz frequencies, an Ethernet port for WAN/LAN connections, a USB port for storage or camera use, and a power input rated at 12V / 1A.
While this model lacks a weather-resistant enclosure, AsiaRF offers an outdoor gateway model. Additionally, they provide various antennas if you’re in need of a more directional or durable option. For situations where gateways are positioned away from electrical outlets, they also have a battery pack available.
Within the gateway, AsiaRF employs the Morse Micro MM6108 chipset for the HaLow technology. The HaLow radio is capable of flexible operations across global sub-GHz ISM bands ranging from 850 MHz to 950 MHz. The single-stream modulation and coding scheme (MCS) offers data rates from 150 Kbps to 22 Mbps at 8MHz.
For conventional Wi-Fi connectivity, it features the MediaTek MT76X8 chipset, facilitating 2.4 GHz wireless connections. While it only supports the older Wi-Fi 4 (802.11b/g/n), the HaLow technology would act as a limitation if a more modern and faster Wi-Fi standard were to be used.
A straightforward deployment method for this gateway is through HaLow bridge mode. The HaLow connection effectively establishes a virtual Ethernet link between two locations where it would be impractical to run a physical cable. The integration of HaLow is seamless for other devices on the network. This setup can be particularly useful for extending network coverage or linking networks across two separate buildings without fragmenting them into smaller sub-networks, especially when utilizing bridge mode.
The device also features router mode, enabling the connection of various IP network segments, each with its own designated range of IP addresses and subnet mask. This allows the router to forward packets efficiently, facilitating communication between devices across different network segments while providing network layer isolation and security measures, including firewall rules.
Additionally, it incorporates a mesh architecture designed to optimize data transmission over large areas, improving connectivity in locations where conventional Wi-Fi systems may struggle. The system supports three distinct mesh configurations:
Upon connecting the gateway, it immediately begins to broadcast a default SSID and password. The DHCP server is activated by default for clients, enabling easy Wi-Fi connection and access to the web GUI through the default IP address. From there, users can configure IP addresses, choose their region, and set up the Wi-Fi modes accordingly.
We discovered that the web interface was clear-cut and simple to navigate. Nonetheless, it would have been beneficial to have an introductory setup wizard to assist in configuring the settings based on our desired wireless modes. While they do offer a user manual with instructions for basic configuration of the wireless modes, the addition of a wizard or at least some help links within the web interface would greatly enhance the initial experience with their equipment.
AsiaRF
Eric Geier is a freelance technology writer and the founder of NoWiresSecurity which offers a cloud-based Wi-Fi security service, Wi-Fi Surveyors providing RF site surveying, and On Spot Techs offering general IT services.