Application Tools

Application Tools

There are four functional modules in the application tool: Network Tools, LoRa Data Transceiving, VPN, and Node-Red.

Network Tools

In the Network Tools, the Ping tool and the NTP tool are provided.

Ping Tools

• A network layer connectivity testing tool based on the ICMP protocol, which sends probe packets (Echo Request) to the target IP and monitors response packets (Echo Reply).

  Applications in LoRaWAN:

  • Verify the gateway's Internet connectivity: Detect whether the gateway can access key network nodes (e.g., network server IP, DNS server, public network address).
  • Diagnose backhaul link quality: Measure end-to-end latency (RTT) and packet loss rate to evaluate the stability of backhaul links such as cellular/ Ethernet.
  • Fault isolation: If the gateway fails to transmit data, use the Ping test to quickly identify whether the issue is a gateway network fault (e.g., abnormal cellular module, incorrect routing configuration) or a remote service fault.

Network Time Protocol

A UDP-based time synchronization protocol used to calibrate the local system clock to a UTC standard time source (with the error controllable at the millisecond level).

Applications in LoRaWAN:

• Ensure time-sensitive operations:
  • Mandatory for Class B mode: Gateways need to broadcast Beacon frames accurately to enable end devices to synchronize reception time slots; time deviation will lead to communication failure.
  • Timestamp for uplink data: Mark the reception time of data packets (rx_time) accurately, which is used by the network server for positioning (TOA/TDOA) calculations.
• Maintain the timing sequence of system logs: Gateway logs and event records rely on a unified time reference, facilitating cross-device fault analysis.
• Dependence for security mechanisms: Some encryption protocols (e.g., session key validity verification) need to rely on time synchronization.

Data Transceiving

The data transceiving function is mainly used as a tool to test whether communication is normal.

LoRa Transmission:

LoRa Reception:

VPN

(typically network servers) over public internet. Their main purpose in the LoRaWAN ecosystem is to address core needs related to security and deployment flexibility.

• PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol): A data link layer tunneling protocol based on PPP encapsulation, used to establish virtual point-to-point connections over IP networks. It was originally designed to provide simple remote access, but as it relies on weak encryption algorithms (such as MPPE combined with MS-CHAPv2) and has known security vulnerabilities, it no longer meets modern network security standards.
• L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol): A standardized tunneling protocol (RFC 2661) that transmits PPP frames over network layers such as IP/UDP through encapsulation. Its core value lies in the fact that it must work in conjunction with the IPsec security suite (L2TP/IPsec). IPsec provides strong encryption (e.g., AES), data integrity verification (e.g., HMAC-SHA), and mutual authentication (e.g., pre-shared keys or certificates), thereby building a VPN tunnel that meets industrial-grade security requirements.

Node-RED

Node-RED is a flow-based low-code development tool specifically designed for the Internet of Things (IoT).

By dragging and dropping nodes, you can quickly build data flows and automated tasks.

With Node-RED, you can easily process data from LoRaWAN devices, enabling data parsing, storage, visualization, and automated control.

Click the "Start" button to access Node-RED.

For detailed instructions, please refer to the Node-RED content below.