Border router with internet access?

[embo san]

We want to build a network of many nodes (nrf52 boards) distributed in the apartments, that are connected via BLE over 6lowpan, of course using a border router for communication and connection.

Is it possible/realistic to build a hardware that will serve as both "the internet" and a border router, for example a Raspberry PI that would have a SIM card with internet connection, that would in the same time serve as a border router to the nodes? Would that be a smart idea? If yes/no, why?

Thanks

[bjorn-spockeli]

Hi Embo san ,

using a Raspberry Pi as a border router for multiple nRF52 nodes communicating using 6lowpan over BLE is perfectly feasible. This is in fact what we have done with our IoT SDK, see this Infocenter page for more information on how to use the IoT SDK and set up a Raspberry Pi as a border router.

Best regards

Bjørn

[embo san]

Hi Bjørn, thanks for your time, I already checked and implemented the IoT examples, currently in development our Raspberry Pi is connected to the internet via LAN, but we're thinking of creating a hardware that would serve as a wifi router (having its own SIM card for internet connection) and in the same time serve as a border router, that was basically my question, if that makes sense at all?

[bjorn-spockeli]

If the goal is to make the border router portable and independent of one specific Wifi network then I would say that it makes sense :)

[embo san]

We want to have the nodes in houses, and one border router would cover couple of houses, so the challenge is how should border router get internet connection, that's why we're thinking of implementing a SIM card with it

[bjorn-spockeli]

So the the router is going to be placed in between the houses outdoors?