Teltonika RUT281 — Compact Global LTE Cat 4 Industrial Router
The Teltonika RUT281 is a compact industrial LTE Cat 4 router launched in February 2026, replacing the popular RUT241. Built around a global Telit LTE modem covering 18 FDD bands, 7 UMTS bands, and 4 GSM bands in a single hardware SKU, the RUT281 eliminates the regional ordering variants that complicated procurement of its predecessor.
At just 83 × 25 × 74 mm and 130 grams, the RUT281 is designed for space-constrained deployments — inside enclosures, behind screens, mounted on DIN rail in compact cabinets, or installed alongside existing equipment where every millimetre counts. Despite its size, it runs the full RutOS industrial software stack with support for Modbus TCP, OPC UA, DNP3, and DLMS/COSEM protocols.
Global Cellular Connectivity
The Telit LTE Cat 4 modem delivers up to 150 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload on 4G, with 3G fallback at 21 Mbps (HSPA+) and 2G fallback. The global band configuration covers Europe (B3, B7, B8, B20, B28), North America (B2, B4, B5, B12, B13, B14, B25, B26), Asia-Pacific (B1, B3, B5, B8, B18, B19, B28), and Latin America — all from one device.
4G LTE FDD Bands: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B8_US, B9, B12, B13, B14, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B28
3G UMTS Bands: B1, B2, B4, B5, B6, B8, B19
2G GSM Bands: B2, B3, B5, B8
SIM & eSIM
The RUT281 has one physical Mini SIM slot (2FF) plus a built-in consumer eSIM supporting up to 7 downloadable profiles. Automatic failover between physical SIM and eSIM is based on signal strength, data limits, roaming status, or network availability. The eSIM supports bootstrap provisioning for zero-touch deployments managed through Teltonika RMS.
Hardware Specifications
| Cellular | LTE Cat 4: 150/50 Mbps · 3G: 21/5.76 Mbps · 2G fallback · 3GPP Release 10 |
| SIM | 1 × Physical Mini SIM (2FF) + Consumer eSIM (7 profiles) |
| Ethernet | 2 × RJ45 (1 WAN + 1 LAN), 10/100 Mbps |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n (Wi-Fi 4), AP + Station mode, up to 50 clients |
| I/O | 1 × Digital Input, 1 × Digital Output (open collector, 30V/300mA) |
| Antenna Connectors | 2 × SMA (cellular), 1 × RP-SMA (Wi-Fi) |
| CPU | Mediatek 580 MHz MIPS 24KEc |
| Memory | 128 MB DDR2 RAM, 32 MB SPI Flash |
| Power | 9–30 VDC, 4-pin industrial connector, passive PoE on LAN1 |
| Power Consumption | Idle: < 2W, Max: < 4W |
| Operating Temperature | -40°C to +65°C |
| Housing | Aluminium with plastic panels, IP30 |
| Dimensions | 83 × 25 × 74 mm |
| Weight | 130 g |
| Mounting | DIN rail, wall mount, flat surface (optional kit) |
Software & Protocols
The RUT281 runs RutOS, Teltonika’s OpenWrt-based industrial operating system. Key capabilities include:
Routing: BGP, OSPF v2, RIP v1/v2, EIGRP, NHRP, policy-based routing.
VPN: OpenVPN, IPsec (IKEv1/v2), WireGuard, GRE, PPTP, L2TP, Stunnel, DMVPN, SSTP, ZeroTier, Tinc.
Industrial Protocols: Modbus TCP (client/server), OPC UA (client/server), DNP3 (station/outstation via TCP), DLMS/COSEM (client via TCP), Modbus MQTT Gateway.
Security: WPA3, 802.1x, RADIUS, TACACS+, VLAN, DDoS prevention, Let’s Encrypt & SCEP certificate management.
Cloud Integration: Teltonika RMS, Azure IoT Hub, AWS IoT Core, ThingWorx, Cumulocity.
Management: Web UI, SSH, SNMP v1/v2/v3, TR-069, MQTT broker, JSON-RPC, FOTA.
Note: The RUT281 supports Modbus and DNP3 over TCP only — there are no serial ports on this model.
Ordering Codes
| Order Code | Description |
|---|---|
| RUT281000000 | Standard package with EU PSU |
| RUT281002000 | Standard package with UK PSU |
| RUT281003000 | Standard package with US PSU |
| RUT281004000 | Standard package with AU PSU |
| RUT281001020 | Mass packing code |
HS Code: 851762 · HTS: 8517.62.00
What’s in the Box
RUT281 router, quick start guide, 9W regional PSU, 2 × SMA mobile antennas, 1 × RP-SMA Wi-Fi antenna, 1.5m Ethernet cable, SIM adapter kit.
Certifications
CE, UKCA, EAC, UCRF, FCC, ISED (IC), RCM, CB
Replaces
The RUT281 is a direct physical replacement for the Teltonika RUT241. The 83 × 25 mm footprint is identical — no panel modifications required. Key upgrades include the global Telit modem (eliminating regional variants), integrated eSIM capability, and the full industrial protocol stack. The 3G maximum download speed is reduced from 42 Mbps (DC-HSPA+) to 21 Mbps (HSPA+), and the upper operating temperature narrows from +75°C to +65°C.
Typical Applications
CCTV backhaul, vending machine telemetry, digital signage, POS terminals, kiosk connectivity, environmental sensor gateways, car park payment systems, building access systems, backup WAN links, remote monitoring of compact cabinets, and solar-powered or battery-backed IoT installations.
