Glossary · Industrial communication
Industrial router
Also known as: Industrial cellular router, OT router
German: Industrierouter
In industrial communication, an industrial router is a ruggedized network device that forwards IP traffic between different networks, for example between a machine network and a plant network or a cellular connection, typically with functions such as NAT, VPN and basic firewalling.
- Industrial communication
- OT security
In one sentence
An industrial router forwards IP traffic between machine, plant and remote networks, often with NAT, VPN and firewall functions.
Example
A machine builder installs an industrial router with an LTE modem in each machine so that service engineers can reach the PLC through a VPN.
How it applies
- Engineering: Routers separate IP subnets. NAT (network address translation) lets many identical machine networks use the same internal addresses while being reachable from the plant network under different addresses.
- Remote service: Routers with VPN are widely used for Remote access. Access must be controlled by the plant operator (for example enabled only on request), authenticated and logged.
- Security: Default passwords, unused services and outdated firmware are typical weaknesses. Routers belong in the asset inventory and in Patch management.
- Documentation: The documentation team documents IP addressing, NAT rules, the VPN concept and who is responsible for the router's configuration and updates: machine builder or plant operator.
Industrial router vs. managed switch
A Managed switch forwards frames within one network (layer 2) and can separate VLANs. A router connects different IP networks (layer 3). Layer 3 switches blur the line, but in machine documentation the distinction still clarifies responsibilities.