Mount Mesh Gateway (Gen 2)

Learn how to mount the Gen 2 Silvanet Mesh Gateway to a pole or a tree.

After a successful Device Registration and Connectivity Test, the Mesh Gateway can be permanently mounted to the tree or pole. The Deployment app provided guidelines for mounting the Mesh Gateway.

Instructions for mounting Mesh Gateways

Go ahead and mount the Mesh Gateway to a metal or wood pole or on a tree, as described in the following sections.

Attach Mesh Gateways to poles

To attach Mesh Gateways to a metal or wood pole, the maximum dimension of the pole must be 60 mm (2.3 inch). U-Clamps are provided to attach the Mesh Gateway to the pole.

1. Loosely attach the U-Clamps to the Mesh Gateway, then slide the Mesh Gateway onto the pole from the top, if possible.

U-Clamp on pole

1. Ensure the Gateway is oriented properly (facing the sun at 12:00 noon) with the antenna connector facing upwards. You may need assistance holding the Mesh Gateway.

Mounted to pole

Maximizing radio transmissions

Ensure the pole is not interfering with radio transmission. If a metal pole is used, ensure the top of the Mesh Gateway is level with the top of the pole to allow the antenna to free from interference from the metal.

1. Hand-tighten the nuts on the U-clamps, then use the 17 mm wrench to tighten the nuts. Do not use excessive force to prevent damage to the Border Gateway. Ensure the Mesh Gateway is securely connected to the pole and cannot move.

2. Attach the LoRaWAN antenna to the Mesh Gateway.

Mesh Gateway mounted on pole

Attach Mesh Gateways to trees

If the Mesh Gateway is to be attached to a tree, ensure the tree is stable and unlikely to be cut.

1. Once a tree has been selected, use a safety strap to hold the ladder to the tree. Then with an assistant stabilizing the ladder at the bottom, locate a position on the tree that is approximately 3 m above forest floor and facing the sun (at 12:00 noon).

2. Remove any branches that might interfere with maximum sunlight irradiation.

3. If required, carefully remove a small portion of the bark with an axe where the holes for the treenails will be drilled. This allows the Mesh Gateway to hang vertically on the tree.

Clear a small area of bark

1. Drill the top holes using the 10mm drill bit approximately 6–7 cm into the tree. The distance between the holes must be 70 mm.

70mm distance between drill holes

When drilling into a hardwood tree, start with a smaller drill bit then drill to the final size with the 10 mm drill bit. Also, ensure you are using a drill bit for wood, not for steel or concrete.

1. Hammer the treenails through the top loops of the Mesh Gateway into the drilled holes. Be careful not to damage the device while doing so. You may need an assistant to support the Mesh Gateway while hammering the treenails into the tree.

Mesh Gateway mounted using treenails

1. With the Mesh Gateway attached to the tree at the top, drill through the bottom loops of the device approximately 6-7 cm into the tree. Do not damage the Mesh Gateway while drilling through the loops.

If you plan on drilling the bottom holes before attaching the Mesh Gateway to the tree, you can use the Mesh Gateway as a template to locate the positions to drill the bottom holes.

Carefully drill holes for bottom of Mesh Gateway

1. Carefully hammer the treenails through the bottom loops into the holes. Do not damage the device.

2. Attach the LoRaWAN antenna to the Mesh Gateway.

To maximize the radio connection of the Mesh Gateway, the antenna should have at least a finger-width distance from the trunk.

1. Check to ensure the Mesh Gateway is securely connected to the tree and does not move.

Mesh Gateway mounted to a tree

Next step

After mounting the Mesh Gateway and allowing it to fully charge, run the Connectivity Test to ensure the Mesh Gateway connects with either the Border Gateway or another Mesh Gateway.

See also

For details, see Mesh Gateway Connectivity Test.