A. Industrial-Grade Hardware
Today’s crypto ATM resellers and solution providers have many questions about connecting their equipment. For instance, they need to know the environment around their ATMs. Will it be outdoors? Inside a retail building? Is the location urban or rural? What are the temperature requirements?
Industrial routers are a great option for Bitcoin ATMs that live outdoors or in an area with a wider-than-typical temperature variation. Industrial routers built are built to withstand difficult environments and extreme temperatures for 24/7 operation. They are also offer performance consistency in many remote areas as well as high-traffic zones.
Typically, an industrial-grade 4G LTE category 4 router offers the best mix of fast speed and reliability for connecting a Bitcoin ATM.
Learn more about industrial-grade connectivity here.
B. Uptime and Redundancy
While industrial-grade routers offer exceptional durability, most ATM operators and owners are just fine with cellular routers built for indoor use. Depending on the overall strength of the brand, an industrial router and retail router offer the same reliability. The question then turns to whether or not the router is single-SIM or dual-SIM.
A single-SIM router is much like a typical cell phone: when the network goes down, everything goes down. By contrast, a dual-SIM router protects the connection in the event of an outage, automatically switching from the primary SIM to the secondary SIM. Once network connectivity is restored, the dual-SIM router can switch back to its premier carrier. This kind of connection protection is invaluable.
A cellular expert can help you walk through other pros and cons of single-SIM versus dual-SIM connectivity.
C. Remote Monitoring and Management
Have you ever had to call a technician to service an ATM in another location? Those truck rolls (what some technicians call “windshield time”) can be a huge cost burden.
When connectivity issues arise, you need a solid plan that includes some type of remote management. If your cellular hardware vendor also includes carrier services and 24/7 remote monitoring in one bill, so much the better. (This is the norm for all OptConnect-branded hardware, by the way—and for good reason).
Why is a fully managed connectivity plan a good idea for your Bitcoin ATM? Consider this:
- You can lease all your hardware rather than paying for it up front.
- Your router is monitored 24/7, period. If a network issue arises, you get a real-time alert.
- Your cellular MSP also takes care of firmware updates and remote troubleshooting. No truck rolls necessary.
For additional benefits, check out our fully managed services page.
