WHAT IS APN

APN APPLICATIONS FOR 3G ROUTER AND MODEM

With the widespread use of 3G, i.e. mobile broadband access, the use of 3G modems and 3G routers is increasing.
3G Routers and 3G modems are now used not only for personal access to the internet but also for automation, on line systems and M2M applications. The fact that the same organization has dozens of lines also means access to the internet from dozens of points and security problems.
APN, a service offered in 3G modem and 3G Router applications, is a service offered by all service providers (Vodafone, Turkcell, Avea) operating in Turkey. APN service provides the necessary infrastructure for corporate companies to use mobile broadband securely for their own applications.

WHAT IS APN?

APN is a technology that enables the establishment of a virtual private network for organizations on mobile communication infrastructure such as GPRS, Edge and 3G. Thanks to this technology, it is possible to establish private networks for organizations that only authorized users can access. The mobile service provider creates a separate private network for each company using the APN service and only users authorized by the relevant institution (or in other words, machines with authorized sim cards) can access this network. Unauthorized devices cannot be included in this network.

APN for services such as 3G, GPRS and Edge is established within the scope of the agreement with your mobile service provider. For the APN system to work, a high speed IP connection must be established between the mobile operator and the organization. For this purpose, a high-speed line is established between the center of the organization and the mobile operator by installing technologies such as metro Ethernet, G.SHDSL. In order to ensure a high level of communication security, encryption (IPSEC crypto) technology is used in the connection between the mobile operator and the organization. In this way, the mobile operator securely transmits information from devices such as 3G modems using its own network to the center of the institution.

WHAT SHOULD BE THE CONNECTION SPEED BETWEEN THE MOBILE OPERATOR AND THE ORGANIZATION FOR APN?

In determining the speed of the connection to be established between the mobile operator and the organization, the services to be used and the number of devices that will use these services should be taken into account. For example, if only meter reading is to be done, a 2 Mbps connection between the mobile operator and the corporate center will be sufficient for a few thousand machines, while in applications that require very intensive data exchange such as graphics and video, it may be necessary to establish a 10 Mbps connection between the mobile operator and the corporate center for 20 users. Our company, AVD Teknolojik Çözümler, has grown continuously since its establishment and has carried out important projects especially in the field of industrial communication.

DOES APN ENABLE TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION?

In case APN is established, on line access is possible both from the center to the end devices and from the end devices to the center.

HOW ARE THE IP ADDRESSES OF THE DEVICES AT THE FAR END DETERMINED WHEN USING APN?

In 3G and GPRS applications, the IP address usually changes with each connection. This does not affect users in APN applications. Modems and routers included in the APN use IP addresses in the address group reserved for special use. These IP addresses are defined separately for each 3G modem or router by the operator and notified to the user organization. Since these IP addresses are selected from the IP address groups reserved for special use (e.g. 192.168.x.x), they are only known and accessed by the using organization. It is not possible for users not included in the APN to access these addresses.

CAN WE ACCESS THE INTERNET WHILE USING THE APN SERVICE?

Users using the APN service can access the internet through the infrastructure available within the organization. In this way, taking security measures only at the center ensures the security of the entire network. APN users can access the internet using all security systems such as firewall, antivirus system in the center. Since it is a centralized access, the institution administrator can grant internet access to the user group he/she wants or block internet access completely.

CAN WE TAKE ADDITIONAL SECURITY MEASURES WHEN USING APN?

While using APN, organizations can manage the authentication, authorization and measurement of the amount of data used by users by using services such as RADIUS. In this way, a separate policy can be defined for each user.

CAN OTHER USERS SEE MY PACKETS WHEN USING APN?

APN is your private network. Other devices and users on the 3G network cannot see your packets.

WHY SHOULD I USE APN ON MY 3G MODEM AND 3G ROUTER?

In standard use, a single IP address is provided for a 3G modem or router. If an APN is defined, the operator can give multiple IP addresses for each device. If there is more than one device (PLC, RTU, camera, computer etc.) behind the 3G Router, it is possible to give each of these devices a separate IP address. All these devices can be seen separately on your network map.

Each device accessing the internet means taking separate security measures for each device. In case of using APN, it will be possible to take security measures only at the center or, if not necessary, to completely close the internet access of the devices on your network.

Some operators have a service level guarantee for their customers using APN.