RAKwireless and The Things Industries Collaborate to Launch Zero-Touch Provisioning for Effortless, Secure, and Scalable IoT Deployments
RAKwireless, a leading provider of private network solutions, and The Things Industries, a premier provider of LoRaWAN® network services, are thrilled to announce their collaboration to implement Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP).
This solution redefines the deployment of gateways for LoRaWAN by securely automating the configuration and provisioning process directly from the factory. Designed to simplify and expedite the deployment of large-scale LPWAN IoT networks, ZTP is an essential advancement that eliminates risks, inefficiencies, and reduces deployment times compared to traditional manual methods.
The partnership between RAKwireless and The Things Industries addresses the growing demand for efficient, scalable solutions in the IoT landscape. As the number of IoT devices and networks rapidly expands, the need to deploy and manage these networks quickly and securely has become a critical concern. With ZTP, RAKwireless and The Things Industries offer a streamlined approach, enabling users to focus on scaling their operations without being hindered by complex provisioning processes.
Transforming the User Experience with Zero-Touch Provisioning
Imagine automating time-consuming tasks like configuring gateway settings, selecting frequency plans, and managing authentication procedures—directly from the factory under secure conditions. This automation eliminates the risks and inefficiencies associated with manual credential management, particularly in deployments involving hundreds or thousands of gateways.
Traditional methods can compromise security or slow down the scaling process. With ZTP, tasks such as generating CUPS and LNS keys, securely provisioning them to gateways, and managing the onboarding process are greatly simplified, making large-scale IoT deployments more manageable than ever.
Features of Zero-Touch Provisioning
The new ZTP integration allows automation of gateway provisioning, which is critical for large deployments. When applied at the factory level within a secure environment, this automation addresses two major concerns for IoT solution creators: reducing manual, time-consuming tasks and ensuring robust security and control over the provisioning process.
This seamless process is made possible through RAKwirelss’ collaboration with The Things Industries, utilizing their mutual TLS (mTLS) authentication feature. mTLS enhances security by ensuring that every gateway is uniquely authenticated before connecting to The Things Stack. Specifically, RAKwireless, as the gateway vendor, generates unique TLS client certificates for each gateway in a secure environment. These certificates are then verified against the Certificate Authority (CA) credentials controlled by the client, ensuring that only authenticated gateways can connect to the network.
The solution leverages the Basics Station forwarder protocol and the Configuration and Update Server (CUPS) mechanism to securely manage and update gateway credentials and the LNS endpoint URL. By automating these steps, we eliminate the need for manual intervention, streamline deployment processes, and provide a higher level of security compared to traditional methods.
Key Benefits of Zero-Touch Provisioning:
1. Streamlined Deployment: Automates gateway pre-configuration and provisioning, significantly reducing manual setup time and accelerating the overall deployment process.
2. Enhanced Security: Leverages advanced security measures, including customer-specific certificates and mutual TLS (mTLS) authentication, to ensure that only authenticated gateways connect to the network, mitigating risks associated with manual provisioning.
3. Scalability: Supports large-scale deployments with seamless integration of the Basics Station forwarder LNS/CUPS, completed with the WisDM, offering full visibility and control over the entire network.
4. Flexibility and Control: Allows for the automated pre-configuration of both LNS-related and non-LNS-related settings (network settings, Cellular APN, etc), providing users with enhanced flexibility and control over their IoT infrastructure.
5. Robust Provisioning: Ensures proper authentication and encryption through automated security configurations, protecting against potential security vulnerabilities inherent in traditional manual methods.
Seamless, Secure, and Scalable Gateway Deployments by RAKwireless and The Things Industries
For IoT networks involving hundreds or thousands of gateways, ZTP automates the provisioning process from initial factory setup to final network deployment. This end-to-end automation is specifically designed for gateway provisioning, ensuring that large-scale deployments can be executed swiftly and securely, without the need for time-consuming manual configurations.
By focusing on gateways, ZTP enhances the efficiency and security of network scaling, allowing IoT solution creators to rapidly expand their infrastructure while maintaining full control and minimizing risks. “At RAKwireless, our focus has always been on enhancing how our users deploy and manage their products, ensuring a seamless, end-to-end user experience,” says Ken Yu, CEO of RAKwireless. “This philosophy drives our product development. As LoRaWAN applications evolve, many users are scaling their networks rapidly, deploying hundreds or even thousands of gateways.
“In this context, providing an automated solution that ensures secure and efficient gateway provisioning is crucial. Our collaboration with The Things Industries enables us to offer a solution that automates this process, removing the complexities and security risks associated with traditional methods like manual configurations or random password generation. This partnership allows us to deliver a streamlined, secure provisioning experience that significantly reduces deployment time and effort, giving our users the confidence to scale their networks with ease.”
“RAKwireless Zero-Touch Provisioning solution represents a significant leap forward for the IoT ecosystem,” says Wienke Giezeman, CEO of The Things Industries.
“At The Things Industries, we're committed to empowering our customers with tools that make IoT deployments not only scalable but also secure and effortless. This collaboration ensures that our users can achieve their goals faster, with less complexity, and with the confidence that their networks are built on robust, industry-leading technology.”
Early Success and Invitation to Learn More
The ZTP system is already being utilized by a select group of beta customers with great success. For those interested in learning more about this service and how it can enhance their IoT deployments using RAKwireless gateways and The Things Industries services, please contact us at inquiry@rakwireless.com.
Meet RAKwireless at The Things Conference on 25-26 September in Amsterdam. Learn more
