5G wireless SD-WAN: sites online on day one, on any carrier
Run 4G and 5G as primary, backup or bonded links. Routers pick the better of two carriers, failover takes under a second, and a new site goes live the day the router arrives.
Key facts
- Cellular as a real WAN
- 4G LTE (Cat 4/6) and 5G sub-6 GHz (SA/NSA), as primary, backup or bonded with wired links.
- Two carriers per site
- Dual-SIM arbitration by signal, latency or data usage; dual-module models keep both carriers live at once.
- Online on day 1
- The router calls home over cellular, is recognised by serial number and pulls its full configuration. Wired links can follow later.
- Carrier-ready for India
- APN auto-provisioning, SIM PIN lock, per-modem keepalive and SMS control; outdoor ODU units put the radio where the signal is.
- Proven at scale
- 2,500 ATM sites moved from VSAT to dual-LTE with day-1 zero-touch provisioning, with more than double the bandwidth.
- Quantum-safe
- Hybrid ML-KEM (FIPS 203) key exchange on IPsec tunnels over every link.
Why wireless SD-WAN now
Your new branch is ready, but the fibre is weeks away. Fibre is not available everywhere, and it takes weeks to provision. VSAT is slow and expensive, and one broadband line is a single point of failure. 5G coverage and 4G reach across India now make cellular a practical primary WAN for many of your sites. For the rest, it is a strong second path. The hard part is keeping it reliable, secure and manageable at scale. Wireless SD-WAN does that for you.
How it works
- Two carriers, chosen automatically. Your dual-SIM Instaroute router holds two SIMs from different operators. It selects the better one by signal, latency or data usage. Dual-module models run both at once.
- Bonded with any wired link. Add fibre or broadband on any port. Health checks, not just link state, gate link backup, link switch and load balancing.
- Your policy decides the path. SD-WAN steering sends each application over the best path. Payments and voice take the lowest-latency link; bulk traffic takes the cheapest.
- Encrypted end to end. IPsec tunnels with hybrid post-quantum key exchange run on every link. Your traffic over public cellular networks stays private.
- Managed centrally. You manage the 4G Instaroute Lite Series from Instaroute SDWAN Lite 2.0. You manage Enterprise X Series 5G edges and full SD-WAN fabrics from the Nexapp Controller. Each shows you signal, data usage, failover and health for every site, and pushes configuration and firmware centrally.
Signal and data visibility
Your cellular link is only as good as the signal at the site. You see RSRP, RSRQ, SINR and CSQ per SIM, with signal-quality alarms. You get a ranking of your worst-signal sites and per-SIM data usage against each plan. Your team fixes antenna placement or switches carriers before users notice.
Where it fits
- ATMs, kiosks and payment points: replace VSAT with dual-LTE or 5G, with APN configuration and SIM PIN lock per SIM.
- New branches and stores: open on 5G on day one while fibre is being laid, then keep 5G as the backup.
- Temporary and mobile sites: construction sites, events, vehicles and field teams.
- Industrial and remote sites: plants, substations, towers and pipelines, with DIN-rail and outdoor IP65 models.
- MPLS and broadband backup: a second carrier that fails over in under a second.
Models for wireless SD-WAN
| Need | Recommended series |
|---|---|
| 4G branch, ATM or POS | Instaroute Lite Series: IR1100 models (LTE Cat 4/6, single or dual SIM, dual-module options) |
| High-bandwidth 5G site | Enterprise X Series: IRX100 models (5G SA/NSA, Wi-Fi 6, Gigabit) |
| Weak indoor signal | Outdoor ODU (4G or 5G, IP65, PoE), mounted where the signal is |
| Panels and plants | DIN-rail models (IR11004GS, IR1180DM, IR1190DMG, IRX100-5Gv2) |
See the full router catalogue for model details.
Proven at scale
Nexapp moved 2,500 ATM sites from VSAT to dual-LTE with day-1 zero-touch provisioning. The result was more than double the bandwidth, direct cloud connectivity and higher uptime. More than 75,000 Nexapp devices are in production across 400+ enterprise and banking customers. Read the VSAT to LTE for ATMs solution.
Frequently asked questions
Can 5G be the primary WAN, not just backup?
Yes. Instaroute routers treat 4G and 5G as first-class WAN links.
You can run cellular as primary with a second carrier as backup. Or you can bond cellular with fibre and broadband.
What happens when one carrier's signal drops?
Your router switches to the second SIM or module based on signal, latency or data usage.
SD-WAN steering moves your traffic in under a second. Dual-module models keep both carriers live, so you see no SIM switch-over delay.
Is traffic over public cellular networks secure?
Yes. Every link carries IPsec tunnels with hybrid post-quantum key exchange (classical + ML-KEM, NIST FIPS 203) and ML-DSA authentication.
The zone firewall on your router adds another layer.
Which Indian operators are supported?
Instaroute routers are built for Indian carriers.
You get APN auto-provisioning, SIM PIN lock, per-modem keepalive and SMS control. Your management channel works on any carrier.
How do we control cellular data costs?
Per-SIM data-plan tracking, usage-based switching and application steering keep your bulk traffic off metered links.
SDWAN Lite pricing is flat per device. You pay no data metering on management or remote access.
Plan a wireless SD-WAN pilot on your own sites and carriers.
24×7 NOC in Pune · 75,000+ devices deployed · 400+ enterprise and banking customers since 2014.