Weatherproof Wi-Fi Router Connection

The Challenge:

A major global technology company was developing components to support wide-area Wi-Max wireless broadband internet networks. Their system design included a Wi-Fi router to be installed on existing assets such as street lights and light poles. They needed weatherproof cable & connector to route 100-volt power to the router which were certified for outdoor installation. The technology company found Remke Industries on the internet and contacted them with a RFQ and sample request. Remke found themselves competing against two larger, more well-known connector manufacturers.

The Remke Solution:

To meet the specific requirements of the applications, the Remke Flexible Solutions Team developed a molded mini-style 3-pin black rubber connector with UV resistant black type SOO-W cable and a mating receptacle. SOO-W cable was chosen as it is UL Listed & CSA Certified for indoor/outdoor use with excellent resistance to ozone, weather, sunlight and water. The connector system developed by the Remke team was tested by the technology company with results that exceeded their design specifications.

The Remke solution was described as “the most robust” and was installed on routers sitting atop light poles with cabling to the ballast at the base of the pole. Within a short time the technology company asked Remke to develop a second solution for their router to connect to an energized photo cell on the top of a streetlight. Working with the vendor supplying the existing street light photo cell, the Remke Flexible Solutions Team designed a connector system that utilized the photo cell as the power source for the Wi-Fi router. In this new system, the vendor terminates 3 feet of SOO-W cable from the mini-style molded connector into their photo cell. Testing demonstrated once again that Remke had developed a system that exceeded the customers’ design specifications.

Both Wi-Fi router solutions continue to be utilized in all installations to date.