Overview
LCD Gateway that collects Transceiver data and sends it to the cloud.
Replaced by a newer product
The GW201 Gateway has been replaced by the GW4 Gateway.
The GW201 LCD Gateway is the data-collector and cloud transfer point for Transceivers on a property. This model is identified by the custom LCD screen on the front of the Gateway.
Specifications
Connectivity
| Cloud Connection Options | Ethernet WiFi |
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More details
| Hardware Highlights | Sufficient to collect reads for up to 1 year without a cloud connection Integrated NextCentury Radio - no external receiver needed Custom 7" LCD Screen that displays network status, system status, alerts, and more Supports Large Properties - up to 5,000 end devices to a single Gateway |
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Certifications
| Certifications | FCC: Contains 2AB8I-RE-40-214 and MCQ50M1782 IC: Contains 20949-RE40214 and 1846A-50M1782 |
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Installation
What's in the box
- GW201 Gateway
- 12V 1A power supply
- Mounting plate
- Package of fasteners
- 5 ft Ethernet cable
Install the Gateway
Mount the Gateway
Secure the mounting plate to the wall with at least two of the included screws and anchors.
Attach the Gateway to the mounting plate.
Caution
Always use the screws and anchors. Tape alone won’t hold the Gateway securely.
Note
If the Gateway will be outdoors and exposed to the weather, house it in a suitable NEMA-rated plastic enclosure.
Connect Ethernet and power
If you’re connecting by Ethernet, plug the Ethernet cable into the Gateway’s Ethernet port.
Plug the 12V power supply into the Gateway’s 12 Volt power port.
Note
The Gateway doesn’t need a static IP address. It can be on a WAN or LAN network and use a DHCP address.
Connect by WiFi (if not using Ethernet)
On the touchscreen, press the Settings icon, then Network Settings.
Press the WiFi Settings icon, then the WiFi Network icon.
Choose your network and press Connect.
Enter the password, if there is one, and press Done.
The Gateway connects to the WiFi network and then to the NextCentury Cloud.
Confirm the connection
Check the Power light on the front of the Gateway. Solid blue means the Gateway is connected to the NextCentury Cloud.
Note
Most networks connect automatically. If the Gateway doesn’t connect, make sure the network doesn’t require a proxy login and isn’t blocking TCP traffic.
Gateway lights
Power light
| Solid red | No power |
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| Blinking red | Resetting itself (self-healing) |
| Solid green | Powered on, not connected to the NextCentury Cloud |
| Solid blue | Powered on and connected to the NextCentury Cloud |
| Blinking blue | Property programming is being done from the web portal |
RF light
| Quick red flash | Sending or receiving a 3rd Party message |
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| Quick green flash | Sending or receiving an RE201 Repeater or TR201 Transceiver message |
FAQ
The Cellular Gateway GW301's integrated cellular features are made possible due to an onboard cellular modem. This integrated cellular modem is not included on the older LCD Gateway.
A commercial grade external cellular modem can provide a cellular data connection to the GW201 where needed. The additional integrated cellular features of the GW301 are only available by making the upgrade to the new model.
The LCD Gateway is only compatible with the included 12v power supply.
It is not recommended that a Gateway be installed outside.
If an LCD Gateway is installed outside, it must be installed in an appropriate enclosure. See the NextCentury NEMA Enclosures document for more information.
Once reads are uploaded to the Cloud, they are kept on the Gateway for an additional 24 hours and then cleaned up and cleared out of the Gateway memory. If the Gateway is not able to connect to the Cloud to upload/sync reads, it will store them until a connection can be made and a successful upload occurs. The GW201 and GW301 models have sufficient storage to run an average-size property offline for about a year.
The LCD Gateway requires one of the following data/internet connection types:
- Ethernet
- WiFi
The chosen connection must provide a speed of at least 1mb/sec. A 150 mb monthly data transfer is to be expected on an average 500 unit property. Any firewall or proxy present on some networks must include policies allowing the Gateway to communicate with the NextCentury servers. (Contact support@nextcenturymeters.com for more details.)
A "Gateway Connection Error" alert is created after a Gateway has not connected to the NextCentury servers for more than 72 hours.
The "line of site" range or the LCD Gateway (and Cellular Gateway) is +4 miles.
Note
This range is for "line-of-site" measurement with a direct free-space path between the two points. Actual ranges of installed equipment will be reduced depending on the installation location, building material, and other RF obstructions in the environment in which it operates.
Yes. To remotely reset the Gateway, navigate to the Equipment/Network page and select the Gateway tile. The tile will expand to show specific information about the Gateway. Next, click on Action (bottom blue strip of the expanded Gateway tile) and select Reset Gateway.
There are two LED light indicators on the LCD Gateway.
- The top LED (Power LED) indicates the power state
- Green: powered on, but not yet connected to our Cloud servers
- Blue: powered on and connected to our Cloud servers
- Red: power loss
- Blinking blue: equipment programming in progress
The bottom LED (RF Signal LED) indicates the type of traffic going through the Gateway.
- Green blinks: Gateway is currently processing messages over RF from NextCentury equipment
- Blue blinks: internal messages going between the coordinator and the Gateway
- Red blinks: indicates that the Gateway is processing messages from 3rd party devices
- Purple: the Gateway is in debug mode. Please contact NextCentury Support.
Clients may use any 3rd party surge protector, however, we have both an automatic resetting fuse and diodes for protecting the Gateway and Repeaters from surges. The wall power supply also has built-in protection. If a large surge does occur, it should take out the power supply before the Gateway or Repeater is damaged.
When a Gateway loses power, it will immediately use its reserve power to save and close ongoing operations and send a power-loss alert.
The Gateway has built-in self-healing technologies, so when power is restored, it will boot up and automatically reconnect to the NextCentury web server.
The database for one Gateway has been tested with up to 2,000 Transceivers.
The NextCentury system features automatic network balancing. The Gateway is able to dynamically adjust the check-in interval for a single Transceiver in order to balance the communication of all equipment on a property. This drastically reduces dropped messages and allows the equipment to service much larger properties.
A smartphone or cellular hotspot device can be useful for providing a temporary WiFi connection but are unreliable as a long-term solution. Many consumer-grade cellular hotspot devices are not designed for persistent device connection. When used with the NextCentury Gateway, the hotspot device may drop the internet connection after a few days, or even hours, and require an on-site visit to restart.
The MAC address can be found by navigating to the Network Settings on the Gateway LCD screen. Then select either Wifi or Ethernet, and the applicable MAC address will be displayed.