Last Updated on March 29, 2021 by Larious

A gateway is a critically important part of a successful Internet of Things network. It typically refers to a physical encasement that holds the hardware and application software that is necessary for performing certain tasks in order to connect the IoT devices to the cloud. In simple words, it is very, very similar to a Wi-Fi router. Click this to check how LoRaWan fits in here.

In short, the LoRaWan technology is used in various different fields, such as smart homes, smart buildings, industrial IoT and similar. To be even more precise, LoRa gateways serve as a sort of a bridge across which data are transmitted from sensors to network servers or clouds. They are often used for private networks which are controlled by an organization, or a company, or any other entity.

If you are on the lookout for your gateway, then you probably already know how LoRaWan works and why it is a great option. What you might not know is how to actually choose the perfect supplier that can sell you high-quality products. As I am sure you are aware, there are quite a lot of suppliers that sell their products in the IoT market, but that doesn’t mean that you should choose the first one that comes along, without thinking things through.

What is it, though, that you should do instead? Well, to put it simply, you should take your time to do some research and try to find the perfect suppliers for you. As long as you put in the necessary effort, you will certainly be able to make the right choice. The only thing is, you might not know what it is that you should do before making that choice and I’ll give you a few tips on that.

In case you want to try and make your gateway on your own, here’s something that could help you: https://www.instructables.com/LoRaWAN-Gateway/ 

Talk To Knowledgeable Experts

You are bound to know at least one person who knows his or her way around the Internet of Things and who can give you the advice you need. The best thing would be for you to talk to experts on the topic if you know any and let them give you their input regarding the LoRa gateway you should get and regarding the supplier you should shop from. Their insight will really come in handy.

Among other things, these experts can tell you precisely which suppliers to avoid, which is certainly an important piece of information. After all, you probably don’t want to waste your money on poor-quality products. So, make sure to check whether talking to an expert is a possibility you have and then hear them out and take note of the advice they provide.

Check Out Their Websites

In addition to talking to those people, you can also search for these suppliers online. During that process, you should take your time to have a look at the specific products offered at different shops and make some comparisons. Check the LoRa gateways they are offering and make sure to try and determine their quality. Of course, you can also compare their prices, but you should keep in mind that quality should always come first and that the prices shouldn’t be your number one determinant.

Read Reviews

When getting your LoRaWan gateways, you undoubtedly want them to be of perfect quality and in order to ensure that quality, you will need to find the perfect supplier. Now, one of the things that can help you decide whether a particular shop is great or not is its reputation. I assume you do understand why reputation is important here, so there’s no need for me to explain that.

Now, while you might understand why it is important, you might not be sure how to check it. This process shouldn’t be difficult at all, especially today when we can get all the information we need on the Internet. Basically, what you should do is search for online reviews and check what previous clients had to say about the products and the services that they received from specific IoT suppliers. That will help you determine their reputation and decide whether you want to buy their LoRa gateways or not.