Secure Connectivity and Remote Management for Traffic Cameras and Road Signage
A Robustel Application Example
Application Example – Fast Facts
Industry
Transportation, Smart Cities, Traffic Operations
Product(s)
R2120 (PoE PSE router for roadside cameras), R2010 (router for message signs, lane control, and cabinets)
Challenges
Agencies must keep camera streams and evidence reliable while pushing timely commands to variable message signs, speed displays, and lane control boards across dispersed poles and cabinets. Networks need to power cameras, protect control traffic, and withstand weather, contractor changeovers, and uneven coverage.
Expected Outcomes
A standard roadside kit that powers cameras, delivers stable backhaul, and provides a secure control channel to signage. Faster incident response, fewer truck rolls, and a clear audit trail from command to outcome.
Traffic Camera and Road Signage — Keep Eyes on the Road and Messages on Time
Road networks rely on two critical flows: visibility from cameras and action through roadside signs. Both live at the edge on poles, gantries, and cabinets. Each asset often arrives with its own interfaces and expectations, and when connectivity is improvised, streams drop, commands lag, and support teams spend time recovering rather than improving service.
This approach standardises the edge. Cameras receive clean PoE and an isolated uplink, signs get a secure control path, and both are monitored from a single console. The result is predictable deployment, quicker fault isolation, and confidence that what operators see and send actually reaches the roadside.
Business Challenges
Getting traffic assets online is not the hard part; keeping them dependable and secure at scale is the real work.
- Power and backhaul for cameras: Poles need reliable Power over Ethernet and a stable path so live and recorded video are always available.
- Low-latency control for signage: Message boards and lane control signs must receive updates promptly and predictably, even during network fluctuations.
- Segmentation and safety: Camera feeds, control commands, and any public access networks cannot bleed into each other; roles and paths must be enforced.
- Mixed vendors, mixed interfaces: Sign controllers, encoders, and sensors vary by project; the network must accommodate serial and Ethernet without custom wiring every time.
- Remote diagnostics at scale: Operations need status, logs, and the ability to change configuration centrally to avoid unnecessary site visits.
Solution Overview
We mapped each asset to the right device role, then normalised power, paths, and control so every site behaves the same way.
- Roadside cameras with PoE (R2120): The R2120 provides PoE PSE to power IP cameras and backhauls streams over cellular or Ethernet. VLANs and ACLs keep video isolated, while QoS preserves camera performance during busy periods.
- Signage and control cabinets (R2010): The R2010 connects variable message signs, speed displays, lane control, and cabinet sensors over Ethernet or serial. It presents a secure, policy-driven command channel to the control room and can watchdog for stuck states to prompt operator action.
- Clean separation of traffic: Camera, control, maintenance, and any public SSIDs are segmented, with clear rules for who can see what and when.
- Operate from one console (RCMS): Templates roll out configurations by corridor or district, alerts flag offline assets or rising latency, and Zero-Touch accelerates new sites and replacements.
- Secure remote access (RobustVPN): Time-boxed, least-privilege access lets accredited contractors diagnose devices without exposing the wider network.
Expected Customer Outcomes
What success looks like for the key stakeholders (Traffic Operations Center Manager, City IT and Security, Roadway Maintenance Manager) and the secondary stakeholders (Systems Integrators, Field Installers, Managed Service Providers).
- Traffic Operations Center Manager: Faster incident verification with stable streams, timely message updates across corridors, and fewer gaps during peak demand.
- City IT and Security: Enforced segmentation for video and control, encrypted paths, and auditable changes aligned to policy.
- Roadway Maintenance Manager: Quicker fault isolation, fewer unnecessary dispatches, and consistent handover tests for new poles and cabinets.
- Systems Integrators: A repeatable build that reduces site time, clear templates for corridors, and remote verification before handover.
- Field Installers/MSPs: Standard PoE for cameras, known test steps for signs, and remote tools to close tickets without return visits.
Featured Products
Robustel R2120 PoE PSE Router
Robustel R2010 Router
RCMS Cloud Device Management
Talk to an Expert
Planning a corridor upgrade or a new district deployment? Let’s design a consistent roadside kit and an operating model that keeps cameras online and messages on schedule.