RAK7393 WisGate Connect Outdoor Quick Start Guide
Powering on the Device
The RAK7393 can be powered via 9-36 VDC or PoE (802.3at) through the 1 GB Ethernet port.
Use only one power source (either DC or PoE) at a time. Do not use both simultaneously.
Figure 1: RAK7393 interfacesThe DC connector is a Kway K20-T4, which carries both power and RS485 signals.
Figure 1: Kway K20First Login
The RAK7393 is shipped with RAKPiOS pre-installed.You can complete the initial setup and use the gateway directly.
If you need to reinstall RAKPiOS (e.g., after replacing the Compute Module or updating the system image), see the RAKPiOS Quick Start Guide for flashing instructions.
To set the device in USB Mass Storage mode, move the flash switch to the right (away from the USB Type-C port), then power on the device. Connect the host computer that will be use to flash the binary from to the Flash USB Type C port, and follow the flashing steps described in the documentation. See the image below.
Figure 1: Type-C port and flash switch locationConnect the gateway to your network with an Ethernet cable for its first-time setup. RAKPiOS runs as a DHCP client by default, so it will pick up an address from your router automatically.
To find the gateway:
- In your router's client list: It appears as
rakpios. - By name: It appears as
rakpios.localif your computer supports mDNS. - On the OLED screen: If one is fitted, the network page shows the active addresses.
Log in with your preferred SSH tool:
ssh rak@rakpios.local
The default username is rak and the password is changeme. You are required to change the password on first login: SSH asks for the default password, then for a new one, twice.
sudo on RAKPiOS asks for your password, unlike stock Raspberry Pi OS. The password you set at first login is the one to use.
If the gateway cannot be accessed through Ethernet or the IP address cannot be obtained, refer to the Wi-Fi Access Point Fallback guide for an alternative setup method.
After accessing the gateway successfully, continue with the network configuration.
Network Connectivity
Connectivity management for the RAK7393 is handled through the NetworkManager tool suite. NetworkManager provides flexible configuration options for Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Cellular interfaces. It allows creation, editing, activation, and management of network connections either through configuration files or the nmcli command-line tool.
The NetworkManager configuration file must be owned by root, and only root should have read access. Set the permissions using the following commands:
sudo chmod -R 600
/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/MyConnection.nmconnection
sudo chown -R root:root
/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/MyConnection.nmconnection
The OS must be rebooted or the gateway power cycled for the configuration changes to take effect.
Ethernet
The gateway features a 1 Gb Ethernet port (eth0). DHCP client is enabled by default on RAKPiOS, so no additional configuration is needed. The assigned IP address can be retrieved via the router interface.
To assign a static IP to the Ethernet interface, create a new connection file named ethernet-eth0.nmconnection in the /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ folder with the following contents:
[connection]
id=ethernet-eth0
type=ethernet
interface-name=eth0
[ipv4]
address1=192.168.1.111/24,192.168.1.1
dns=8.8.8.8
method=manual
[ipv6]
addr-gen-mode=stable-privacy
method=auto
Key points:
interface-name=eth0: specifies the network interface to use;eth0(Ethernet) is used in this example.address1=192.168.1.111/24,192.168.1.1: defines the static IP address (192.168.1.111) and gateway (192.168.1.1).dns=8.8.8.8: sets the DNS server (Google’s in this example).
To configure the same using nmcli, run:
sudo nmcli con add type ethernet autoconnect yes ifname eth0 ipv4.addr 192.168.1.111/24 ipv4.gateway 192.168.1.1 ipv4.dns 8.8.8.8 ipv4.method manual
WiFi (WiFi 5)
If the CM4/CM5 module used has built-in Wi-Fi, it supports speeds up to Wi-Fi 5 (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac). Connecting to Wi-Fi is similar to configuring a manual Ethernet connection.
For example, to connect to a hotspot named RAK, create a new connection file named RAK.nmconnection in the /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ folder with the following contents:
[connection]
id=RAK
type=wifi
interface-name=wlan0
[wifi]
ssid=RAK
[wifi-security]
auth-alg=open
key-mgmt=wpa-psk
psk=rak20140629
[ipv4]
method=auto
route-metric=100
[ipv6]
addr-gen-mode=stable-privacy
method=auto
interface-name=wlan0: The built-in Wi-Fi interface iswlan0.ssid=RAK: The SSID of the network, in this case, it isRAK.key-mgmt=wpa-psk: Type of authentication, in this casewpa-psk.psk=rak20220922: Password, in this caserak20220922.
Apply and activate the configuration using the following commands:
sudo chown -R root:root /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/RAK.nmconnection
sudo chmod -R 600 /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/RAK.nmconnection
sudo nmcli con reload
sudo nmcli con up RAK
Or use the one-line nmcli command:
sudo nmcli device wifi connect RAK if name wlan0 password rak20220922
Cellular Connectivity
The RAK7393 supports cellular connectivity through mini PCIe (mPCIe) LTE modules, including options such as:
- Quectel EC25-E: Europe, Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia (including Thailand and South Korea)
- Quectel EC25-AU: Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America
- Quectel EG95-E: Europe, Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia (including South Korea)
- Quectel EG95-NA: North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)
Depending on the target region, the RAK8213 is available with the Quectel EG95-E/NA LTE module, EC25-AU/EC25-E (South Korea), or EC25-E (Thailand). The RAK8213 features a standard PCI Express® (mPCIe) form factor.
The RAK8213 features a standard PCI Express® (mPCIe) form factor.
Hardware Setup
The RAK7393 provides three mini PCIe slots for expansion modules:
| Slot | SIM Interface |
|---|---|
| mPCIe #1 | Uses the modem's onboard SIM card slot |
| mPCIe #2 | Uses the modem's onboard SIM card slot |
| mPCIe #3 | Connected to the external SIM card slot on the enclosure |
To use a modem installed in mPCIe #3, insert a SIM card into the external SIM card holder and install the modem into the slot.
For modems installed in mPCIe #1 or mPCIe #2, use the SIM card slot integrated on the cellular module itself (if available).
Cellular modules without an onboard SIM card holder should be installed in mPCIe #3 to utilize the RAK7393 external SIM card interface.
See the Compatible Hardware section for the supported hardware.
Connection File
Create a cellular connection file named gsm.nmconnection in the /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/ folder with the following contents:
[connection]
id=gsm
uuid=55e9c95e-5947-4dad-9a92-9d409449ba4d
type=gsm
interface-name=cdc-wdm0
permissions=
[gsm]
apn=iot.1nce.net
[ipv4]
dns-search=
method=auto
[ipv6]
addr-gen-mode=stable-privacy
dns-search=
method=auto
[proxy]
Key details:
apn=cmnet: specifies the Access Point Name (APN) for your SIM card's network provider.- After configuration, reboot your board, and the
wwan0interface will obtain an IP address, making it ready for internet connectivity.
interface-name=cdc-wdm0: indicates the interface used.uuid=55e9c95e-5947-4dad-9a92-9d409449ba4d: The UUID, should be provided with the SIM card.apn=iot.1nce.net: Every provider has a specific one, you need to obtain it via their online portal, for example, 1nce is used, which has the APNiot.1nce.net.
After creating the configuration file, reboot or power cycle the gateway for the changes to take effect. If the connection is established successfully, the wwan0 interface will obtain an IP address, which can be verified on the OLED display.
RS485 interface
The RAK7393 includes an external RS485 interface using the DC power connector. This is compatible with RAK's Battery Plus solution, allowing the gateway to monitor battery charging status and capacity.
The interface connects to an internal USB hub using:
- TP8485E (RS485 transceiver)
- CH341 (serial-to-USB converter)
It appears as a USB device, typically mapped to /dev/ttyUSB0. Because Linux USB enumeration is non-deterministic, the port number may vary depending on connected devices.
To help identify the correct port, RAKPiOS creates a symlink at /dev/ttyWB0, but if using a different system we recommend checking the dmesg:
rak@rakpios:~ $ dmesg | grep ch341 | grep attached
[ 5.803708] usb 1-1.4: ch341-uart converter now attached to ttyUSB0
Once you have the port, the battery can be monitored using a simple Python script. Start from this example: https://github.com/RAKWireless/wisblock-python/tree/master/power-supply/rak9155.
