Wifx L1 Gateway - Lightweight for Maximum Height

Why Weight Matters

The Wifx L1 weighs 240 grams. That's less than your phone.

When I mention this to people, they shrug. Who cares about a couple hundred grams? Then they try hauling a 5kg Multitech gateway up a 20-meter mast in moderate wind. Suddenly weight matters a lot.

Here's what lightweight actually means in practice: you can mount this gateway where it needs to be, not where it's convenient. That water tower at 30 meters? You can get there. That narrow pole on the building corner with perfect line-of-sight? No problem. The rooftop that requires three ladder sections to reach? Easy.

Height is everything in LoRaWAN. Every meter of elevation adds hundreds of meters to your coverage radius. But you only get that height advantage if you can actually install the gateway there. Heavy gateways stay on the ground because nobody wants to carry them up. Light gateways go where the coverage is.

The Height Advantage

Coverage from elevation: Gateway at 3m: ~2km urban coverage Gateway at 10m: ~5km urban coverage Gateway at 20m: ~8-10km urban coverage Gateway at 30m: ~12-15km urban coverage

That's the Fresnel zone effect - first 60% of signal path needs to be clear. Higher gateway means line-of-sight over buildings/trees.

Traditional gateways: Kerlink iStation: 1kg - lightweight but still needs proper mounting Multitech Conduit: 5kg - requires structural pole or building mount

Wifx L1: <240g without antenna, <300g with antenna. Can go on thin poles, tall masts, building tops where weight restrictions exist. Pole doesn't need to support heavy loads at 20m height. 4x lighter than Kerlink, 20x lighter than Multitech.

Hardware Specs

Frequency bands: 8XX version (863-870 MHz): EU868, IN865, RU864 9XX version (902-928 MHz): AS920, AS923, AU915, US915 Order correct region - not field-changeable.

Channels: 8-channel configuration using SX1302 baseband chip. SF5-SF12 support (SF5-SF6 is newer feature not all gateways support).

Connectivity:

• 10/100 Mbps Ethernet with passive PoE (10-48 Vdc)
• USB-C providing serial + Ethernet interface
• MicroSD slot for storage expansion
• 4G LTE (separate L1 4G model)

Power consumption: 1.2W typical, 1.5W maximum. This is extremely low - less than 1/3rd the power of Kerlink (3.5W) and 1/8th the power of Multitech (10W). Smallest solar panel and battery setup of any professional gateway.

Processor: ARM Cortex-A5 600 MHz, 256 MB RAM, 1 GB internal storage. Runs LORIX OS (custom Yocto Linux).

Operating temperature: -30°C to +70°C. Matches Multitech's upper limit (+70°C), better than what I see in many gateways.

Weatherproofing: IP65 rated. Dust-tight, water jet resistant. Not submersion-proof like IP67/IP68 but adequate for pole mounting.

RF performance: RX sensitivity: -139 dBm @ SF12BW125 (excellent - among best available) TX power: 27 dBm (very high - double typical 14dBm devices)

Origin: Swiss design and manufacturing. This matters for quality control and support.

What Makes It Good

Power efficiency is unbeatable: 1.2W typical consumption. Multitech uses 10W, Kerlink 3.5W. Wifx beats both. For solar installations: 10W panel + small battery runs this gateway indefinitely. Compare to 25-50W+ panels needed for other professional gateways. This alone can save 150-400 EUR on solar hardware.

Installation simplicity: One person can carry it up ladder. No crane, no heavy lifting equipment. Install antenna, connect PoE cable, done. Typical install time: 30-45 minutes vs 2-3 hours for heavy gateways.

Pole compatibility: Works on thin poles (40-60mm diameter) that can't support heavier gateways. Opens up mounting locations impossible with heavy hardware.

Wind loading: Lightweight means less wind resistance. Important at 20-30m heights where wind forces are significant. Pole doesn't need to be as rigid.

No cable losses: 240g weight means you can mount gateway directly at antenna height. Heavy gateways (Multitech 5kg, Kerlink 1kg) stay at ground level with long coax cables to rooftop antennas. Cable loss matters: LMR400 coax loses 3 dB per 10m at 868 MHz, LMR240 loses 6 dB per 10m. A 20m cable run = 6-12 dB loss. That's huge - 6 dB loss roughly halves your range. Wifx goes where antenna goes. Zero cable loss. Every dB counts for LoRaWAN coverage.

LORIX OS software: Purpose-built operating system for LoRaWAN gateways. Not generic Linux with packet forwarder bolted on - designed specifically for gateway operations. Updates are reliable. Configuration is straightforward. Works with ChirpStack, TTN, AWS IoT Core out of box.

Swiss support: Swiss company means real support, not outsourced helpdesk. English/German/French support available. Firmware updates continue for years. This matters when gateway has issues at 2am.

RF performance: -139 dBm sensitivity matches best gateways available. 27 dBm TX power is higher than most (typical 14-20 dBm). This translates to better coverage - especially at network edges.

MicroSD expansion: Local data logging, gateway configuration backups, custom applications. Flexibility that industrial gateways often lack.

What's Not Great

IP rating: IP65 vs IP67/IP68 for heavy industrial gateways. Difference: IP65 handles rain/spray, IP67/IP68 handles temporary submersion. For standard pole mounting, IP65 is fine. But if gateway might flood, IP67 is better.

No integrated 4G on base model: Need separate L1 4G model for cellular backhaul. Multitech/Kerlink offer modular 4G cards you can add later. Wifx requires choosing 4G model upfront.

Track record vs old models: Multitech Conduit been in field since 2016 (8+ years proven). Wifx L1 is newer. But predecessor LORIX One has good long-term track record, and L1 improves on it.

Compact size limits antenna options: Smaller enclosure means antenna connectors may limit some high-gain antenna choices. Not a problem for standard deployments, but extreme range setups might prefer larger gateway with more mounting options.

Typical Deployment Scenarios

Urban coverage: Mount on tall building rooftops (20-40m). Lightweight means no structural analysis needed for roof attachment points. Cover 5-10km radius from single gateway.

Rural installations: Tall agricultural poles, grain silos, water towers. Places where bringing heavy gateway up is logistics problem.

Temporary networks: Event coverage, construction site monitoring. Easy to install and remove. Lightweight means portable deployment feasible.

Solar-powered remote sites: 1.2W power draw changes solar economics completely. Here's the comparison:

Wifx L1 (1.2W) solar setup:

• 10W solar panel (50-80 EUR)
• 20Ah 12V battery (40-60 EUR)
• Charge controller (20-30 EUR)
• Gateway: 240g
• Total: 110-170 EUR, ~5kg weight (mostly battery/panel, gateway negligible)

Kerlink iStation (3.5W) solar setup:

• 20W solar panel (80-120 EUR)
• 50Ah 12V battery (100-150 EUR)
• Charge controller (25-40 EUR)
• Gateway: 1kg
• Total: 205-310 EUR, ~12kg weight

Multitech Conduit (10W) solar setup:

• 50W solar panel (150-200 EUR)
• 100Ah 12V battery (200-300 EUR)
• Charge controller (30-50 EUR)
• Gateway: 5kg
• Total: 380-550 EUR, ~25kg weight

Wifx savings:

• vs Kerlink: 95-140 EUR, 7kg lighter
• vs Multitech: 270-380 EUR, 20kg lighter

For pole mounting at 20m height, carrying 5kg solar setup vs 12kg (Kerlink) or 25kg (Multitech) matters hugely. The Wifx gateway itself at 240g is so light it's negligible - all the weight is battery and panel. Plus smaller panel means less wind resistance at height.

Battery runtime (no sun):

• Wifx @ 1.2W on 20Ah: 250-300 hours (10-12 days) - real-world avg draw often below rated 1.2W
• Kerlink @ 3.5W on 50Ah: 170 hours (7 days)
• Multitech @ 10W on 100Ah: 120 hours (5 days)

Wifx runs longest on smallest battery. Efficiency wins.

Installation Best Practices

Maximize height: Don't waste the weight advantage. If you can get to 20m, do it. Gateway at 20m beats gateway at 10m with better antenna.

Pole selection: 40-60mm diameter poles work fine. Use proper mounting brackets. Secure cable routing with zip ties every 2-3m to prevent wind damage.

Power considerations: PoE injector at ground level. Run outdoor-rated CAT5e/CAT6 cable. Lightning protection mandatory for tall masts - surge protector on Ethernet line.

Antenna choice: Stock 3dBi omnidirectional sufficient for most. Lightweight allows 6-8dBi upgrade without structural concerns. Directional antenna (12dBi) possible for specific sector coverage.

Comparison with Alternatives

vs Multitech Conduit: Multitech: More rugged (IP68), proven 8-year track record, modular 4G option. 10W power, 5kg weight. Wifx L1: 1.2W power (8x less!), lightweight, Swiss support, LORIX OS, modern SX1302 chip. Winner: Wifx for solar sites and height installations. Multitech for extreme environments needing maximum robustness.

vs Kerlink iStation: Kerlink: Industrial-grade, IP67, -140 dBm sensitivity, 3.5W power, 1kg. Wifx L1: Better power efficiency (1.2W vs 3.5W = 3x less), -139 dBm sensitivity (nearly equal), USB-C + MicroSD expansion, better software, 4x lighter (240g vs 1kg). Winner: Wifx for most deployments. Kerlink if you need established enterprise vendor or extreme robustness.

Power consumption comparison:

• Wifx L1: 1.2W
• Kerlink iStation: 3.5W
• Multitech Conduit: 10W For solar: Wifx uses 1/3rd power of Kerlink and 1/8th of Multitech. This directly translates to smaller/cheaper solar systems.

Real-World Performance

Range: With 20m mounting height, regularly see 8-12km coverage in urban environments. Rural line-of-sight can reach 15-20km.

Capacity: Handles 1000+ devices without issues. Standard 8-channel configuration sufficient for most deployments.

Uptime: Field reports show 99%+ uptime. Fewer issues than budget gateways, comparable to industrial options.

Worth It?

For hobbyists: Depends on your priorities. Lower-cost options exist, but Wifx offers professional-grade support and purpose-built software that hobbyist gateways can't match.

For solar-powered deployments: Absolutely. 1.2W power consumption means 300-500 EUR savings on solar hardware vs traditional gateways. ROI is immediate. Plus easier installation due to lighter solar panels.

For urban deployments needing maximum coverage: Yes. Weight advantage enables mounting at 20-30m where heavy gateways can't go. Coverage gains justify cost. Plus Swiss support means less downtime.

For professional installations prioritizing reliability: Yes. LORIX OS is purpose-built for gateways. Swiss support responds in hours, not days. Firmware updates continue for years. These matter when gateway failure costs money.

For remote deployments: Absolutely. Combination of low power (enables solar), lightweight (enables pole mounting), and reliable software (reduces site visits) makes this ideal for hard-to-reach locations.

For extreme environments: Check temperature requirements. -30°C to +70°C covers most deployments. Matches Multitech's +70°C limit, exceeds Kerlink. Only Arctic <-30°C needs Multitech's -40°C rating.

What I Help With

Services:

• Coverage planning for high-mounting deployments
• Pole selection and structural analysis
• Installation procedure guidance
• Solar power system sizing (takes advantage of low power draw)
• Network configuration and optimization

You own everything:

• Complete installation documentation
• Network configuration details
• No ongoing fees after setup