The LoRaWAN Network Server (LNS) plays a central role in the management and coordination between connected devices, gateways, and applications. The specifications of the 1st version (Release 1.0) were published in 2015. Successive minor improvements were mainly aimed at solving practical problems encountered during deployments and to prepare the ground:
February 2016 version 1.0.1: Minor fixes and specification clarifications.
July 2016 version 1.0.2: first stable release with many supported regions.
July 2018 version 1.0.3: Specification for Class B Devices added.
Released in October 2017, version 1.1 introduced significant improvements, including advanced security features and roaming support.
LoRaWAN gateways are used to transform radio flows using the LoRa protocol into IP packets that they send to the LoRaWAN server.
The software that performs this transformation is called packet forwarder.
It is important to understand that the LoRaWAN server specifications do not define the packet forwarder but only the network messages exchanged.
Despite its name, the packet forwarder manages the incoming and outgoing flows.
The best known packet forwarders are:
Note that gateway manufacturers deliver their hardware with the UDP packet forwarder and very often Basic Station.
Basic Station is a Semtech initiative that made the code open (see github). Basic station uses a secure communication model based on WebSockets and TLS. The gateway and server authenticate each other using TLS certificates, which prevents unauthorized connections.
Basic Station introduces a new component called CUPS (Configuration and Update Server). It is designed to facilitate centralized management of LoRaWAN gateways by supporting remote configuration, software updates, and security certificate management. The CUPS Server simplifies the deployment and maintenance of LoRaWAN networks, especially for large-scale infrastructures.
In particular, the CUPS server makes it possible to give the gateway the address of the LNS server to be used.
Manufacturers like Kerlink, Multitech, Milesight, Tektelic, and RAKwireless are leaders in customer integration LoRa Basics™ Station, guaranteeing secure and modern solutions for LoRaWAN deployments
Adding a gateway using the Basic Station software to a LoRaWAN server is done by giving the address of the CUPS server as well as the security certificates for mutual authentication.
The gateway is previously declared in the CUPS servers. When she communicates with the server, the server gives her the address of the LNS to use.
The procedure is simple but not automatic.
For this reason, we have integrated an automatic gateway registration method into our network server. Device Explorer.
Use LoRa Basics™ Station offers significant advantages in terms of security, interoperability and centralized management compared to proprietary packet forwarders. Its adoption ensures a robust, scalable network infrastructure that meets the modern requirements of LoRaWAN networks.
In particular, it allows you to take advantage of a wide choice of gateways from different manufacturers.
