• Client:

    Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL)

  • Location:

    Oxford

  • Date:

    2025

Overview

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), a leading UK science facility, faced a critical challenge in monitoring fire safety systems in three remote outbuildings, including an electrical substation. These locations were physically separated from the main infrastructure and lacked cost-effective options for traditional IT cabling. Without connectivity, RAL had no visibility of fire alarm events or the ability to perform remote isolations — both essential for maintaining site safety and compliance.

Project Objectives

  • Enable real-time monitoring of fire alarm panels located in remote, unconnected buildings.
  • Avoid the high cost and complexity of trenching or running physical cabling across the site.
  • Ensure a secure, reliable, and maintainable method of communication.
  • Maintain full compliance with fire safety standards and enhance incident response times.

Challenges

  • Remote buildings had no existing network infrastructure.
  • High costs and logistical barriers ruled out installing fibre or copper cabling.
  • The client required a secure and resilient solution that could integrate into their existing fire monitoring systems.

Our Solution

We designed a wireless VPN-based network using 4G routers, delivering secure and cost-effective communication between the remote buildings and central fire monitoring system:

  1. 4G Routers Installed at Remote Locations
    Each of the three buildings was fitted with an industrial-grade 4G router capable of sending data securely over mobile networks.
     
  2. Secure VPN Tunnel Configuration
    All routers were configured to communicate over a secure, encrypted VPN tunnel, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.
     
  3. 4G Receiver Router at Control Room
    A central receiving router was installed at the PC/server location within the main facility, allowing it to interface with the fire monitoring systems as though the remote panels were locally connected.
     
  4. Fire Alarm Integration
    The system was connected to the fire alarm panels, enabling RAL to monitor fire events, receive alerts, and perform remote isolations from a centralised location.

Results & Benefits

Cost-Effective Deployment – Avoided the need for expensive cabling works while still delivering a fully functional solution.

Secure Communications – VPN tunnels ensured that fire alarm data was transmitted securely between sites.

Improved Safety Oversight – Provided real-time visibility of remote fire alarm systems, improving response time and decision-making.

Scalable & Maintainable – The system can be easily expanded or reconfigured if further outbuildings are brought online in the future.

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