Choose the gateway by where it will be mounted, not by where the sensors are. The Lierda IG41 is an indoor LoRaWAN gateway measuring 115 × 115 × 22.5 mm, built on the SX1302 platform with Class A and Class C support and a maximum transmit power of 27 dBm. The Lierda OG45 is an outdoor LoRaWAN gateway rated IP67, specified for −20°C to +70°C operation, measuring 256 × 164 × 92 mm, and supporting global frequency bands. Both pair with the same node family: the WB25 and WB26 LoRaWAN node modules at 22 × 18 × 3.0 mm, Class A/C, 22 dBm transmit power and −137 dBm sensitivity.

For consumer electronics teams and systems integrators, this decision usually arrives late in the design cycle — after the node modules are selected, after the network server is chosen, and often after the first site survey has already been booked. That order is backwards. The gateway's environment sets its enclosure, the enclosure sets its mounting method, and the mounting method determines how many gateways the site actually needs.

Lierda Science & Technology Group Co., Ltd. is an IoT service provider founded in 2001 and headquartered in Hangzhou, China, that develops IoT modules and IoT system solutions for customers in smart lighting, four-meter reading, smart travel, smart healthcare, automotive electronics and photovoltaic inverter applications. The IG41, OG45, WB25 and WB26 sit inside that portfolio, which is why they can be specified as one link rather than two vendor decisions.

The Real Question: Where Will the Gateway Be Mounted?

Indoor and outdoor gateways are not two grades of the same product. They answer two different physical questions, and the deciding factor is the gateway's mounting location — even when every node in the network sits indoors.

Two failure patterns account for most of the mismatch on real projects:

• The "technically indoors" mistake. An indoor gateway is installed in a plant room, service shaft, loading dock or unconditioned warehouse. The location is inside a building, but it is not a climate-controlled space. Dust, condensation and heat are genuine conditions there, and an indoor-rated unit is the wrong assumption.
• The oversized outdoor unit. An IP67 outdoor gateway is bolted into a hotel corridor ceiling or a retail back office. It works electrically, but the 256 × 164 × 92 mm housing and weatherproof mounting hardware are cost and installation effort the environment never demanded — and ceiling-mounting a unit that size is mechanically awkward.

The decision rule is straightforward: document the gateway's mounting location first, then the nodes' locations. If those two environments differ, the network needs two different answers, which is why mixed sites frequently run both models on the same LoRaWAN network.

A second factor sits alongside environment: coverage. Gateway placement decides how many gateways the site requires, and retrofitting units after commissioning is far more disruptive than planning them at the survey stage. Both questions — environment and coverage — should be answered before the bill of materials is frozen.

Why Indoor and Outdoor LoRaWAN Infrastructure Is Splitting in 2026

LoRaWAN has moved from pilot projects into infrastructure budgets. MarketsandMarkets estimates the global LoRa and LoRaWAN IoT market at USD 8.0 billion in 2024 and projects it to reach USD 32.7 billion by 2029, with growth driven by metering, building systems and industrial sensing rather than by consumer wearables.

Vendor activity reflects the same shift. According to Berg Insight data reported by Lierda News, Lierda's module shipments grew 69% year over year in 2025, placing the company among the fastest-growing vendors in the category. Growth at that scale comes from deployments that run for years, and long-life deployments are exactly where the indoor/outdoor hardware split becomes visible.

Two structural reasons explain why this split is happening now:

• LoRaWAN end devices can operate on small batteries across long field lifetimes, which makes them attractive for sensors that are difficult or expensive to reach for maintenance.
• LoRaWAN networks operate independently of cellular subscriptions, which matters for buildings where the operator does not want a recurring connectivity cost attached to every sensor.

As deployments scale from a single building to a portfolio, the environments diverge. Some gateways end up in conditioned interiors; others end up on roofs, masts and utility cabinets. Hardware portfolios split accordingly, and the IG41/OG45 pair is Lierda's version of that split: same network, two physical answers.

IG41 and OG45: What Each Gateway Is Built For

IG41 — Indoor LoRaWAN Gateway

The IG41 is designed for mounting inside buildings: offices, hotels, retail floors, hospital wings, factory production areas and residential common spaces. Its 115 × 115 × 22.5 mm form factor is small enough for ceiling and wall installation without introducing a visible industrial enclosure into the architecture. It is built on the SX1302 platform and supports LoRaWAN Class A and Class C device classes with a maximum transmit power of 27 dBm.

The device-class detail is worth reading carefully. Class A covers standard battery-powered sensors that only open a receive window after transmitting, while Class C covers mains-powered devices that can listen continuously. A single indoor gateway can therefore serve a mixed device population — for example, battery sensors in guest rooms alongside mains-powered actuators in a plant room. The 27 dBm maximum transmit power sets the downlink ceiling for the cell, which matters when nodes sit behind walls or at the far edge of a floor.

OG45 — Outdoor LoRaWAN Gateway

The OG45 is built for the conditions the IG41 is not: the enclosure is rated IP67 against dust and water ingress, and the operating range is specified from −20°C to +70°C. At 256 × 164 × 92 mm it is a pole- or wall-mount unit sized for rooftops, masts, utility cabinets and industrial yards. It supports global frequency bands, so the same model family can be deployed across regions instead of being replaced market by market.

The IP67 rating and the −20°C to +70°C span are the first two specification lines to test against your site survey. They are also the two lines that most often disqualify an indoor unit during commissioning reviews, because they describe durability rather than performance.

WB25 and WB26 — Node Modules That Pair With Both Gateways

Gateway choice does not change the node choice. The WB25 and WB26 LoRaWAN node modules measure 22 × 18 × 3.0 mm, support Class A and Class C, transmit at up to 22 dBm, and receive down to −137 dBm sensitivity. That receive sensitivity is what allows a node to keep decoding the gateway's downlink when it sits far from the gateway or behind dense building materials.

Paired with the IG41 or the OG45, the two ends of the link are specified with different strengths: a 27 dBm gateway transmitter for the downlink and a −137 dBm node receiver for weak-signal conditions. Designing both ends together is what keeps a mixed indoor/outdoor network predictable.

A Step-by-Step Framework for Choosing Between IG41 and OG45

Step 1 — Record the gateway's actual mounting location

Walk the site and write down where each gateway will physically sit. "Indoors" is not one environment: a climate-controlled office ceiling and a dusty loading dock are both indoors. If the location is unconditioned, exposed to water, or outside the building envelope, treat it as an outdoor requirement regardless of what the floor plan suggests.

Step 2 — Set the protection rating from that environment

IP67 on the OG45 addresses dust and water ingress. If the survey shows wash-down areas, roof-mounted enclosures, condensation risk or direct rain exposure, the outdoor unit is the correct default. If the location is dry and clean, the IG41's indoor design is sufficient and materially simpler to install.

Step 3 — Check the temperature envelope

The OG45 is specified from −20°C to +70°C. Compare that against the recorded extremes at the mounting point — not regional climate averages, but the actual location. A rooftop mast in summer sun and an unheated utility room in winter are the cases that break indoor-rated hardware. Where the site remains within a conditioned range year-round, an indoor unit is appropriate.

Step 4 — Design coverage before you count gateways

Coverage follows placement, not product choice. Antenna height, wall materials, racking, metal shelving and machinery all attenuate the signal. The IG41's 27 dBm maximum transmit power and the WB25/WB26's −137 dBm receive sensitivity describe the two ends of the link, while the practical cell size comes from the survey. In multi-level buildings, expect to place gateways on more than one level unless the survey shows a single position can cover the full vertical span. On outdoor sites, position gateways along the perimeter of the node population rather than clustered in one corner.

Step 5 — Confirm device class and node pairing

Both gateways support Class A and Class C, and the WB25 and WB26 node modules do the same. That alignment matters: a Class C node expecting continuous downlink windows needs a gateway configured for Class C operation, and a mixed fleet needs both. Confirming class support on both sides of the link before ordering avoids a firmware surprise at commissioning.

Step 6 — Confirm band variant and market access

The OG45 supports global frequency bands, but band support is a hardware capability, not a market approval. Market access is granted per product, per band variant and per region through certification. Lierda's module portfolio carries approvals including CE-RED, FCC, IC, TELEC, RCM and JATE, plus EU type-examination certificates under Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU for specific models — for example CE-RED and FCC Part 15C for the DB37 series Wi-Fi 6 module, TELEC and JATE for the NT26-FJP Cat.1 bis module, and an EU type-examination certificate for the MB26-AGL NB-IoT module. Ask for the certificate that names the exact gateway model and band variant you intend to deploy.

Step 7 — Plan mounting, power and backhaul together

The IG41's flat 115 × 115 × 22.5 mm profile suits ceiling voids and wall boxes. The OG45's 256 × 164 × 92 mm housing needs a pole or wall bracket plus a weatherproof cable entry. Decide power and backhaul routing at the same time as the gateway position, because relocating a gateway after installation usually means re-running both.

Step 8 — Validate with a physical unit before volume commitment

Run a pilot on the actual site with the exact gateway and node combination you intend to purchase. Lierda supports standard product direct sales as well as OEM and ODM programs, with custom QC standards and testing defined against customer specifications — so validation can be tied to your own acceptance criteria rather than a generic specification sheet.

Use Cases: Matching the Gateway to the Deployment

Smart buildings and hospitality — an indoor gateway case

Hotel and residential retrofit programs are a classic indoor scenario. Lierda's customer record includes more than 1,000,000 units supplied to a smart home and hotel equipment ODM in China across a 5 to 10 year relationship, transforming traditional lighting, switches and curtains into networked and intelligent devices, with reported stable usage and customer highlights of easy modification, controllability and quality. In buildings like these, gateways sit in corridors, risers and technical rooms inside the envelope — the environment the IG41 is designed for.

Consumer electronics manufacturing and warehousing — a mixed case

Production sites rarely fit one model. Offices, SMT areas and final assembly lines sit inside conditioned buildings, while yards, container docks and finished-goods storage are exposed to weather. Deploying the IG41 across indoor zones and the OG45 along the outdoor perimeter keeps both areas on one LoRaWAN network without weather-proofing indoor units unnecessarily or paying for oversized hardware where it is not needed.

Utility metering and outdoor assets — an outdoor gateway case

For water and gas metering, the gateway frequently lives in the same environment as the meters. Lierda's record includes a German energy OEM relationship covering water meter and gas meter applications, with over 19,600,000 units supplied and deployments running across 5-year and 10-year horizons with stable operation and continuous development; the customer highlights stable quality, reasonable prices and long-term trust. That is precisely the profile the OG45 is specified for: IP67 protection and a −20°C to +70°C operating range for gateways mounted outdoors or in unheated chambers.

IG41 vs OG45: Side-by-Side Comparison

The table below compares the two gateways and their shared node modules using the verified specifications for this deployment decision.

Cells marked "Not specified in this comparison" mean the attribute was not part of the verified specification set used for this article. They do not indicate that the product lacks the capability. Confirm any additional parameters directly with Lierda before design freeze.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the OG45's global band support mean it is certified in every market?

No. Global band support is a hardware capability; market access is granted per product, per band variant and per region through certification. Lierda's module portfolio carries approvals including CE-RED, FCC, IC, TELEC, RCM and JATE, along with EU type-examination certificates under Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU for specific models — for example CE-RED and FCC Part 15C for the DB37 series Wi-Fi 6 module, TELEC and JATE for the NT26-FJP Cat.1 bis module, and an EU type-examination certificate for the MB26-AGL NB-IoT module. Before committing, request the certificate that names the exact gateway model and band variant you plan to deploy, and confirm the scope covers your destination market.

Can one supplier deliver both the gateway and the node modules?

Yes, and it simplifies integration. Lierda develops wireless solutions across 5G, RF, LoRa, NB-IoT, Cat.1, Wi-SUN, Wi-Fi, BLE and ZigBee, and provides OEM and ODM support with customization at module and PCBA level. Because the IG41, OG45, WB25 and WB26 come from a single portfolio, device class support, band planning and firmware coordination can be handled as one engineering conversation instead of two separate vendor negotiations.

Is an outdoor gateway always the more expensive choice?

Cost should be judged per site, not per unit. The OG45's IP67 enclosure, −20°C to +70°C rating and outdoor mounting hardware exist to survive conditions that a climate-controlled interior does not impose. Specifying an outdoor unit for an internal corridor pays for protection the environment never requires, while specifying an indoor unit for a rooftop pays later in replacement and downtime. Lierda also keeps MOQ flexible based on project requirements, so a mixed rollout of indoor and outdoor units can be handled within one order rather than forcing a single-model decision.

Can we test the IG41, OG45, WB25 and WB26 before ordering production volumes?

Lierda supports standard product direct sales in addition to OEM and ODM programs, and provides dedicated project support with remote technical assistance. Evaluation units can be requested through the international team so the gateways and node modules are validated against your own coverage, power and enclosure requirements before a volume commitment. Requests can be sent to international@lierda.com or via the contact details below.

What is the typical lead time?

Lead time is negotiable and depends on project complexity and order volume. Lierda's production model combines standard product supply with OEM and ODM programs, and custom QC standards and testing can be defined against customer specifications. For planning purposes, the practical sequence is: confirm the model and band variant, agree the acceptance test, place the evaluation order, then agree the volume schedule — with lead time fixed once the configuration is frozen. To start that process, download the Lierda product brochure below or send your deployment requirements to the international team for a quotation.

Conclusion: Match the Gateway to the Environment, Then to the Nodes

The IG41 and the OG45 are not competing choices — they cover two different environments, and most projects that hesitate between them have simply not documented the gateway's mounting point yet. The rule is short. If the gateway sits inside the building envelope in a climate-controlled space, the IG41's 115 × 115 × 22.5 mm, SX1302-based indoor design with Class A/C support and 27 dBm maximum transmit power is the fit. If it is exposed to rain, dust or a −20°C to +70°C swing, the OG45's IP67 housing and global band support is the fit. Either way, pair it with the WB25 or WB26 node modules — 22 × 18 × 3.0 mm, Class A/C, 22 dBm transmit power and −137 dBm sensitivity — so that both ends of the radio link are specified together rather than negotiated separately.