Security installers and systems integrators have been asking the same question for the last three years. Which router do I spec for a CCTV tower? What do I put on an ANPR camera installation? How do I get reliable remote access to a site without a fixed line?
The answers have got simpler. The hardware has got better. And 5G coverage in most UK towns and cities is now good enough that the old hesitation about going cellular for primary connectivity is largely gone.
This is a practical guide. We cover the three routers that go into the majority of security installations, what each one is suited for, and what to watch out for when speccing a job.
What a Security Installation Actually Needs from a Router
Before getting into specific models, it helps to be clear about what the application demands. A router for a CCTV tower or ANPR installation is not a general-purpose device. It needs to do specific things reliably, often in conditions that would kill a consumer router within months.
Sustained upload bandwidth. CCTV and ANPR generate continuous upload traffic. HD cameras typically need 2-4 Mbps sustained upload per stream. Multiple cameras multiply that. A router that can hit 20 Mbps upload in a speed test but throttles under sustained load is not fit for purpose.
Fixed IP or static routing. Remote access to cameras, DVRs, NVRs and ANPR systems requires a fixed IP SIM card or a VPN back to a monitoring centre. Without a fixed IP, you cannot reliably reach the device remotely. This is not a router spec issue – it is a SIM card issue – but it affects which SIM you order alongside the router.
Dual SIM failover. If the primary network drops on a monitored site, the system needs to stay connected. Dual SIM with automatic failover means the router switches to a second network without manual intervention. For monitored alarm or CCTV systems this is not optional.
Remote management. Security installers maintain large numbers of sites. A router that requires a physical visit to update firmware, change configuration, or diagnose a fault is not scalable. Remote management via Teltonika RMS or similar platform is the difference between a manageable estate and an unmanageable one.
Rugged construction. Pole-mounted CCTV towers, roadside ANPR gantries, and external security cabinets expose equipment to temperature extremes, vibration, condensation, and power fluctuations. Consumer and prosumer routers fail in these conditions. Industrial-grade hardware with a wide operating temperature range is the only sensible choice.
Teltonika RUT200 – The Compact Site Router
The Teltonika RUT200 is a compact single-SIM 4G LTE router that has become one of the most widely deployed cellular routers in the UK security market. Small form factor, low power consumption, solid build quality, and a proven track record across thousands of installations.
It is the right choice when:
- You have one or two cameras on a simple site and a single network connection is sufficient
- Space in the enclosure is tight and you need the smallest possible router footprint
- Budget is a factor and single-SIM redundancy is acceptable
- You are managing a large estate of similar sites and want a standardised, low-cost platform
The RUT200 runs RutOS and supports full Teltonika RMS remote management. Firmware updates, remote configuration, VPN setup and diagnostics all done from the management portal without touching the device on site. For large-scale deployments that matters enormously.
What it is not is a high-throughput device for multi-camera HD streaming. CAT4 LTE gives you up to 150 Mbps theoretical download but real-world upload on CAT4 is typically 10-20 Mbps. For one or two standard definition or lower-resolution HD cameras that is fine. For four or more HD cameras with continuous recording, look at the RUT901 or RUTX50.
Typical security applications: Single-camera remote sites, gate access systems, alarm communicators, perimeter sensors, basic CCTV with one or two cameras, IoT monitoring alongside cameras.
View the RUT200 specification and price at The Router Store
Teltonika RUT901 – Dual SIM for Monitored Sites
The Teltonika RUT901 adds dual SIM capability to the compact format of the RUT200 series. Two SIM slots, automatic failover between networks, load balancing option, and the same RutOS platform with full RMS support.
For monitored security installations – anything connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre or remote monitoring station – dual SIM is the correct specification. A single point of network failure on a monitored site creates a liability. The RUT901 eliminates that.
It is the right choice when:
- The site is monitored and network continuity is a contractual requirement
- You are operating in an area where a single network has patchy coverage
- The customer has specific network requirements (e.g. must use EE as primary, O2 as backup)
- You want to aggregate bandwidth across two SIMs for higher throughput
- It is a CCTV tower with multiple cameras requiring higher sustained upload
The RUT901 supports CAT6 LTE giving better real-world throughput than the RUT200’s CAT4 modem. Upload speeds of 20-50 Mbps are achievable in good signal conditions – sufficient for three or four HD camera streams simultaneously.
Combined with a fixed IP SIM on the primary slot and a roaming multi-network SIM on the backup slot, the RUT901 gives you the most resilient 4G connectivity available at this price point.
Typical security applications: Monitored CCTV towers, ANPR installations, intruder detection systems connected to ARCs, access control with remote management, retail security systems, construction site CCTV.
View the RUT901 specification and price at The Router Store
Teltonika RUTX50 eSIM – 5G for High-Bandwidth Security
The Teltonika RUTX50 eSIM is the top-spec option for installations where bandwidth, resilience, and future-proofing all matter.
5G connectivity with LTE fallback, dual physical SIM slots plus embedded eSIM, five Gigabit Ethernet ports, dual-band WiFi 5, and the full RutOS feature set. Operating temperature -40C to +75C – it will run in a roadside cabinet in January without issues.
The eSIM is increasingly relevant for security installers managing large fleets. Rather than physically swapping SIM cards when changing network provider or when a SIM fails, you reprovision the eSIM profile remotely. No site visit required. For a company maintaining 200 CCTV towers across the country that is a meaningful operational saving.
It is the right choice when:
- The site has multiple HD or 4K cameras requiring high sustained upload bandwidth
- 5G coverage is available and you want to future-proof the installation
- You are managing a large fleet and want remote SIM management capability
- The installation is in a location with demanding environmental conditions
- The customer requires the highest available resilience – dual SIM plus eSIM gives three connectivity options
- ANPR with plate recognition processing requires higher bandwidth for image quality
For ANPR specifically, image quality directly affects recognition accuracy. A router that throttles upload under load degrades the images reaching the recognition engine. The RUTX50’s 5G modem with consistent high-bandwidth performance is the right specification for ANPR at any meaningful scale.
Typical security applications: Multi-camera HD CCTV towers, ANPR gantries and fixed-point ANPR, body-worn video backhaul, mobile CCTV vehicles, high-security perimeter monitoring, smart city surveillance infrastructure.
View the RUTX50 eSIM specification and price at The Router Store
Antenna Selection for Security Installations
The router is only part of the equation. In many security installations – particularly pole-mounted CCTV towers and roadside ANPR – the router is installed inside a cabinet or enclosure where cellular signal is attenuated by the metalwork.
External antennas are not optional in these deployments. They are part of the specification.
For 4G installations using the RUT200 or RUT901, a 2×2 MIMO external antenna on SMA connectors will recover the signal loss from cabinet installation and improve throughput significantly.
For 5G installations using the RUTX50, a 4×4 MIMO 5G antenna is the correct specification. The RUTX50 has four SMA antenna connectors for the cellular modem. Using only two of them with a 2×2 MIMO antenna leaves performance on the table. A 4×4 MIMO antenna using all four ports delivers full modem capability.
Mount the antenna at the top of the pole or mast for clear line of sight to the nearest cell tower. Use low-loss coaxial cable – the signal loss on a cheap cable run can negate the gain from the antenna entirely. Keep cable runs as short as practically possible.
The Router Store stocks a full range of 5G antennas and 4G antennas suitable for security installations including pole-mount, panel-mount and magnetic-mount options.
SIM Cards for Security Installations
The router and antenna get the signal. The SIM card determines the network, the IP address, and the routing.
For any security installation requiring remote access – which is most of them – you need a fixed IP SIM card. A standard consumer or business data SIM uses dynamic IP addressing, which means the IP address changes periodically. You cannot reliably access a device behind a dynamic IP SIM without additional infrastructure.
A fixed IP SIM card gives the router a permanent, routable IP address. Remote access to cameras, recorders and alarm panels works from day one without VPN complexity.
For monitored installations requiring maximum network resilience, consider a multi-network roaming SIM on the backup slot. These SIMs connect to whichever UK network has the strongest signal at the installation location, providing genuine network diversity rather than the same carrier on both slots.
The Router Store supplies fixed IP SIM cards across all major UK networks alongside the router hardware. Ordering router and SIM together means the installation arrives configured and ready to activate.
Energy, Wind, Solar and BMS Applications
The same routers that serve security installations are increasingly deployed across energy infrastructure – wind turbines, solar farms, battery storage systems, and building management systems.
The requirements overlap significantly. Remote sites with no fixed line. Industrial environmental conditions. Remote management at scale. Requirement for VPN or private APN connectivity back to SCADA or monitoring systems.
The RUT901 and RUTX50 both support wide input voltage ranges and are designed for continuous operation in outdoor cabinets. The Modbus and MQTT protocol support in RutOS makes them compatible with most industrial monitoring systems without additional hardware.
For wind and solar site monitoring, the RUT901 with dual SIM and RMS management is the standard specification. For larger installations with higher data volumes or where 5G is available, the RUTX50 eSIM with its remote SIM management capability reduces the operational overhead of maintaining connectivity across a large number of remote sites.
Quick Specification Guide
| Application | Recommended Router | Key Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Single camera, simple site | RUT200 | Compact, cost-effective, RMS managed |
| Monitored CCTV tower | RUT901 | Dual SIM failover, CAT6 upload |
| Multi-camera HD CCTV | RUTX50 eSIM | 5G bandwidth, dual SIM + eSIM |
| ANPR installation | RUTX50 eSIM | High bandwidth for image quality |
| Alarm communicator | RUT200 | Low cost, small, reliable |
| Wind / solar monitoring | RUT901 | Dual SIM, Modbus/MQTT, industrial |
| BMS connectivity | RUT901 or RUTX50 eSIM | Protocol support, remote management |
| Fleet of remote sites | RUTX50 eSIM | Remote SIM management at scale |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a standard SIM card in a CCTV router?
You can, but for any installation requiring remote access you need a fixed IP SIM card. Standard SIMs use dynamic IP addressing which changes periodically, making reliable remote access impossible without additional infrastructure. Fixed IP SIM cards from The Router Store give the router a permanent routable IP address from day one.
What upload speed do I need for CCTV over 4G?
As a rule of thumb, allow 2-4 Mbps upload per HD camera stream. For four cameras recording and streaming simultaneously, you need at least 10-15 Mbps sustained upload available. The RUT901 on CAT6 can sustain 20-50 Mbps upload in good signal conditions. The RUTX50 on 5G can sustain significantly higher where 5G coverage is available.
Does ANPR work over 4G or 5G?
Yes. The majority of ANPR installations in the UK run over cellular connectivity. The key requirement is consistent upload bandwidth for image quality – ANPR recognition accuracy degrades if image compression increases due to bandwidth throttling. The RUTX50 eSIM with 5G is the recommended specification for ANPR where consistent image quality is critical.
How do I manage multiple routers across many sites?
Teltonika RMS (Remote Management System) handles fleet management across any number of routers. Firmware updates, configuration changes, VPN tunnels, monitoring and alerts – all managed from a web portal without visiting sites. The RUT200, RUT901 and RUTX50 all support RMS.
What is the difference between a fixed IP SIM and a roaming SIM?
A fixed IP SIM gives the router a permanent IP address on a single network. A roaming SIM connects to multiple networks and uses whichever has the strongest signal at the installation location. For dual-SIM installations, using a fixed IP SIM on the primary slot and a roaming SIM on the backup slot gives both remote access capability and genuine network diversity.
Speak to the Team
We are Teltonika Diamond Partners and the exclusive UK distributor for Proroute. We supply routers, antennas and SIM cards for security, CCTV, ANPR, energy and industrial applications across the UK.
If you are speccing a job and want advice on the right router, antenna and SIM combination, call us on 0300 124 6181 or visit The Router Store. Business customers only.
You can also browse the full range of products relevant to security installations: