Cradlepoint IBR900 Mobile Router
Cradlepoint·Model IBR900·cradlepoint-ibr900
About the Cradlepoint IBR900
The Cradlepoint IBR900 is a ruggedized router with built-in cellular modem, WiFi access point, and Cradlepoint's NetCloud management — the choice for productions where the rack travels and venue WiFi can't be trusted. Common on touring rigs that need a stable internet uplink for cloud telemetry, remote support, and tablet control.
The IBR900 is the answer to a question every touring engineer eventually faces: what do you do when the venue's WiFi is garbage and your tablet control, cloud telemetry, or remote support session can't wait for the house IT guy to show up? Cradlepoint built this router specifically for mobile deployments — it has an integrated cellular modem, a built-in WiFi access point, and NetCloud management baked in. You mount it in the rack, bolt on the SMAThe small threaded RF connector on bodypacks and half-rack wireless — hand-tight antenna connections that survive a gig bag. antennas, hand it a SIM, and you own your own internet connection from load-in onward. That independence is what you're paying for.
At 15 watts nominal and a 25-watt ceiling, the IBR900 is light on your power strip. The four LAN ports cover a typical production data network — FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. console, monitor worldThe side-stage domain of the monitor engineer — console, IEM racks, and everything feeding the band’s ears instead of the audience., a backstage switch, and a spare — without needing an additional unmanaged switch for basic rigs. The WAN port takes a hard-line feed if you do get ethernet from the venue, letting you prioritize wired internet and keep cellular as failoverThe automatic switch to the backup when the primary dies — good failover is seamless enough that the audience never knows.. The unit is rackmountable but doesn't occupy a standard 1UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. slot on its own; budget for a rack shelf or a purpose-built mounting bracket, and account for the SMAThe small threaded RF connector on bodypacks and half-rack wireless — hand-tight antenna connections that survive a gig bag. antennas adding width or height depending on orientation.
If your rig travels every week and reliable internet is load-bearing — think DanteThe most common audio-over-network standard: dozens of channels of uncompressed digital audio down one ordinary Ethernet cable between Dante boxes. dante network monitoring, wireless system management over IP, or a TD keeping an eye on things remotely from across the country — this router earns its $1,499 price tag and its rack space. If you're doing mostly club dates where cellular signal is strong and you just need basic connectivity, a simpler LTE travel router costs a fraction of this and probably gets the job done. The IBR900 is for the engineer who has been burned enough times to stop trusting infrastructure they don't own.
In the rack
- Mount the IBR900 on a 1UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. shelf and route both SMAThe small threaded RF connector on bodypacks and half-rack wireless — hand-tight antenna connections that survive a gig bag. antenna cables to external antennas positioned outside the rack lid — metal enclosures can significantly degrade cellular signal if the antennas are trapped inside.
- Configure a primary WAN priority order in NetCloud before the tour starts: wired ethernet first, cellular second. That way you get the speed of a venue hardline when it's good, and the IBR900 silently fails over to cellular when it isn't, without anyone touching a cable.
- Patch one LAN port directly to a small unmanaged switch if you need more than four wired drops — the IBR900 handles routing and the downstream switch handles port count, keeping your rack data network clean and segmented from any house network you might be bridging.
- Label your SIM carrier and data plan renewal date on a piece of gaff tape stuck to the unit itself. On a long tour, nothing kills a run like a data plan that quietly hit its cap in a city two weeks ago.
Touring-grade router with integrated cellular + WiFi.
I/O Ports (9)
| Port | Connector | Direction | Signal | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAN (RJ45) | RJ45 | bidirectional | data | — |
| LAN 1 (RJ45) | RJ45 | bidirectional | data | — |
| LAN 2 (RJ45) | RJ45 | bidirectional | data | — |
| LAN 3 (RJ45) | RJ45 | bidirectional | data | — |
| LAN 4 (RJ45) | RJ45 | bidirectional | data | — |
| USB | USB A | bidirectional | data | — |
| Cellular Antenna A (SMA) | SMA | input | antenna | — |
| Cellular Antenna B (SMA) | SMA | input | antenna | — |
- Power (DC barrel) (DC BARREL)
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