The MultiConnect rCell 100, in plain terms
Last updated 2026-06-28 · ~8 min read
What it is
The MultiConnect rCell 100 Series is a compact, DIN-rail mountable industrial cellular router. In practice it's a small ruggedised box that takes a SIM card, connects to an LTE network, and hands that connection to your wired LAN over a single Ethernet port. It's aimed at machine-to-machine / IoT deployments — remote pumping stations, digital signage, ATMs, backup WAN for a small site — anywhere you need an IP path but can't (or don't want to) run fixed-line.
Compared to a consumer 4G router, the things you actually pay for are the wide DC input range, the −30 to +70 °C operating range, the dual SIM for carrier failover, and a management UI that's built for set-and-forget remote operation rather than a phone app. It's not fast — the units I run are LTE Cat 1 / Cat 4 — but it is dependable, which is the whole point.
My one-line summary: it's a boring, reliable industrial LTE gateway. Boring is a compliment here.
Key specs at a glance
These are the figures I care about day to day. They line up with the 100-series units I've deployed; your radio variant and region SKU will differ, especially on bands.
| Item | Value (typical, my units) |
|---|---|
| Cellular | LTE Cat 1 / Cat 4, with 3G (HSPA+) and 2G fallback on some SKUs |
| Peak throughput | Cat 4: up to ~150 Mbps down / 50 Mbps up (Cat 1: ~10 / 5 Mbps) |
| LTE bands (NA SKU) | B2, B4, B5, B12, B13, B14, B66, B71 (varies by region variant) |
| SIM | Dual SIM, 2FF, software-selectable, carrier failover |
| Antennas | 2 × SMA (Main + Aux / RX-diversity) |
| Ethernet | 1 × 10/100 RJ45 (LAN) |
| Serial | RS-232 (DB9) console / passthrough |
| Input power | 9–32 V DC (terminal block), ~4 W idle / ~8 W peak TX |
| Operating temp | −30 °C to +70 °C |
| Mounting | DIN-rail clip or panel/wall bracket |
| Management | Local web UI (HTTPS), SSH/CLI, SNMP, RS-232 console |
| Default LAN address | 192.168.2.1 (DHCP server on by default) |
Numbers above are for orientation only, gathered from my own devices — they are not a substitute for the manufacturer's datasheet.
Where I use it
Two roles in my setup. First, as an automatic failover WAN at home: when the fibre drops, the rCell brings up LTE and the firewall reroutes egress to it until the primary comes back. Second, as the only uplink at a small remote cabinet that has power but no wired internet — a handful of IoT sensors and a little NVR sit behind it on a cheap unmanaged switch.
Recent notes
- Cellular failover + watchdog configthe exact keepalive/auto-reboot settings I settled on
- Firmware 5.3.4 flashed on both unitschecksum + rollback notes, no drama this time
- LED reference, finally written downwhat the amber Status blink actually means
- First-boot / APN quick-startSIM orientation, default IP, AT commands for signal