Peplink Technology Partner | The Tech Factory

THE COMPANY

Who is Peplink?

Peplink is a networking company that designs and manufactures SD-WAN routers, cellular bonding equipment, access points and cloud management software. The company was founded in 2006, and its parent company, Plover Bay Technologies, is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code 1523). In 2024, Peplink exceeded $100 million in annual revenue.

The company's core engineering focus has always been the same problem: how do you build a reliable internet connection from unreliable individual links? Their answer is SpeedFusion, a patented tunnel technology that bonds multiple WAN connections (cellular, fibre, satellite, broadband, Starlink) into a single resilient data path. More than 70 granted patents protect the underlying algorithms for dynamic link monitoring, packet resequencing and secure bonding.

Peplink hardware is deployed in broadcast vehicles, naval vessels, ambulances, mining sites, oil rigs, Formula 1 paddocks, military command posts and office buildings across every continent. Their cloud management platform, InControl 2, now manages over 700,000 devices worldwide. In 2024, Peplink became a Starlink Authorised Technology Provider, which means their routers integrate directly with Starlink terminals for bonded satellite and cellular connectivity.

The company maintains R&D teams in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Lithuania and Taiwan. Hardware is manufactured and tested in-house, and firmware updates ship on a regular cadence with long-term support for older devices. Peplink does not officially discontinue products; they release new hardware revisions and continue firmware support for existing models well beyond what most vendors offer.

A brief timeline

2006

Peplink founded. First products focused on bonding early 3G and Wi-Fi connections for reliable mobile internet.

2007

Pepwave subsidiary established for wireless networking products. First Balance router launched.

2008

InControl cloud management platform launched, giving administrators remote visibility and control across distributed router fleets.

2009

First US patent filed for WAN bonding technology, later named SpeedFusion.

2016

Parent company Plover Bay Technologies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

2018

Selected for Forbes Asia's "Best Under A Billion" list. First inclusion in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure.

2021

First 5G router variants launched. InControl 2 reaches 300,000 managed devices.

2024

Annual revenue exceeds $100 million. InControl 2 reaches 600,000 devices. Peplink becomes a Starlink Authorised Technology Provider.

2025

Balance 5000 EC flagship router launched with 30 Gbps SpeedFusion throughput. InControl 2 surpasses 700,000 managed devices. New X65 5G modems across the MAX range.

CORE TECHNOLOGIES

What Makes Peplink Different

Most enterprise router vendors sell boxes that route packets. Peplink sells boxes that keep connections alive when the underlying links are failing. The difference matters in practice, and it comes down to three core technologies.

SpeedFusion

SpeedFusion is Peplink's patented tunnel technology for combining multiple WAN connections into a single, encrypted data path. It operates at the packet level, splitting and reassembling traffic across all available links. Three modes handle different use cases: Hot Failover switches to a backup connection in under a second when the primary drops. Bonding aggregates bandwidth from all links simultaneously, giving you the combined throughput of every connected WAN. WAN Smoothing duplicates packets across multiple paths to eliminate jitter and packet loss for real-time applications like live video and VoIP. Forward Error Correction (FEC) adds a further layer of resilience by reconstructing lost packets without retransmission. We cover SpeedFusion in technical depth in our SpeedFusion bonding guide.

InControl 2

InControl 2 is Peplink's cloud management platform. It provides a single dashboard for monitoring, configuring and updating every Peplink device in your fleet, whether you have five routers or five thousand. Configuration templates let you define a standard setup once and push it to any number of devices. Firmware updates can be staged across groups to avoid fleet-wide disruption. Real-time alerts notify you when a WAN link drops, a tunnel disconnects or a device goes offline. InControl 2 also supports zero-touch provisioning: ship a preconfigured router to a remote site, plug it in, and it pulls its configuration from the cloud automatically. More than 700,000 devices are managed through InControl 2 globally. We use it daily, and we cover fleet management in detail in our InControl2 fleet management article.

PepVPN and FusionHub

PepVPN is Peplink's site-to-site VPN protocol that connects Peplink devices to each other or to FusionHub virtual appliances. FusionHub is a software appliance that runs on AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or on-premises hypervisors (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM). It acts as the remote endpoint for SpeedFusion tunnels, receiving bonded traffic from edge routers and reassembling it before forwarding. For organisations that need bonding or WAN Smoothing, FusionHub is the piece that makes it work. For those who prefer not to manage their own infrastructure, SpeedFusion Cloud provides hosted endpoints without the overhead of running a virtual machine. We deploy and manage FusionHub instances for clients as part of our SpeedFusion configuration service.

PRODUCT RANGE

Peplink Hardware

Peplink builds networking equipment for fixed sites, mobile deployments, and everything between. Here is how the product range breaks down.

ENTERPRISE ROUTERS

Balance Series

Fixed-location SD-WAN routers for offices, branches, campuses and data centres. The range starts with the B One for small offices (1 Gbps throughput, dual Gigabit WAN, Wi-Fi 6) and scales through the Balance 310X, 380X and 580X for mid-size branches. At the top, the Balance 2500 handles large enterprise sites, and the Balance 5000 EC is the current flagship: 30 Gbps SpeedFusion throughput, 4,000 VPN peers, and 40G or 100G QSFP options for data centre WAN aggregation.

Browse Balance routers →

MOBILE ROUTERS

MAX Series

Cellular-first routers built for vehicles, temporary deployments and field operations. The MAX BR1 Pro 5G is a compact single-modem router with the Qualcomm X65 chipset. The MAX BR2 Pro 5G adds dual 5G modems for bonded cellular throughput and redundancy. The MAX Transit Duo Pro is the workhorse for transport and temporary sites, with dual cellular, eSIM support and dual USB-C power input. The MAX HD4 MBX is the flagship mobile router: four 5G modems, FlexModule bays for future upgrades, 2.5 Gbps throughput and PoE output for powering IP cameras and access points directly from the chassis.

Browse MAX routers →

SPECIALIST

Access Points, Switches and Accessories

The AP One Enterprise is Peplink's Wi-Fi 7 access point, managed through InControl 2 alongside the rest of your Peplink fleet. Peplink PoE switches (8-port 10G, 24-port 2.5G and 48-port 2.5G) provide managed switching with the same cloud management. The Pepwave 5G Dongle adds 5G connectivity via USB-Ethernet to any device. The SDX and SDX Pro offer modular SD-WAN with swappable modules for maximum flexibility in edge deployments.

Browse accessories →

SOFTWARE

FusionHub and SpeedFusion Cloud

FusionHub is a virtual appliance that runs on cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) or on-premises hypervisors. It acts as the remote endpoint for SpeedFusion tunnels, enabling bonding and WAN Smoothing for your edge devices. Licensing is based on the number of concurrent peers and throughput tier. SpeedFusion Cloud is Peplink's hosted alternative: bonding endpoints in multiple global regions, no infrastructure to manage. Both options integrate with InControl 2 for centralised monitoring.

Learn about SpeedFusion →

Not sure which product fits your use case? Our engineers will spec the right hardware based on your requirements. Read our Balance vs MAX guide or talk to us directly.

OUR PARTNERSHIP

Why We Chose Peplink

We evaluated SD-WAN and cellular bonding equipment from Cradlepoint, Sierra Wireless (now Semtech), Cisco Meraki and several others before settling on Peplink as our primary platform. The decision was not based on a feature matrix or a vendor pitch. It was based on field testing.

SpeedFusion bonding solved problems that no other vendor could address reliably. Bonding four cellular connections on a moving vehicle, with constantly shifting latency, intermittent signal loss and wildly different throughput on each WAN, is a genuinely hard engineering problem. SpeedFusion handles it. We tested competing products in the same conditions, and they either dropped connections, introduced unacceptable latency or required manual intervention when conditions changed. The Peplink kit just ran.

InControl 2 made fleet management practical. When you are responsible for hundreds of routers across dozens of sites, on different continents, you need a management plane that provides real visibility without requiring a VPN into every device. InControl 2 gives us firmware control, configuration templates, real-time monitoring and alerting across every device in a client's fleet. It works, and it scales.

The product range covers the full spectrum. B One for a small branch. Balance 5000 EC for a data centre. MAX Transit Duo Pro for a broadcast van. HD4 MBX for a military vehicle. Every device runs the same firmware, supports the same SpeedFusion features and appears in the same InControl 2 dashboard. That consistency across the portfolio is rare. Mixed-vendor networks introduce integration headaches and firmware incompatibilities that consume engineering hours. With Peplink, we avoid that entirely.

Peplink's engineering team is responsive. When we report bugs or request features through the partner channel, we get substantive responses from engineers, not templated replies from a support queue. Firmware updates ship regularly, and the community forum is genuinely useful for edge-case troubleshooting. For a company building its practice on a single vendor's platform, the quality of that relationship matters as much as the hardware.

Our credentials

The Tech Factory is a Peplink Gold Partner and UK Authorised Reseller. Our engineering team holds PCE-Trainer (Peplink Certified Engineer Trainer) certification, which means we are qualified not only to deploy and support Peplink infrastructure, but also to train other engineers. This is a distinction held by a small number of organisations globally.

We have deployed Peplink infrastructure across six continents, in scenarios ranging from single-site office installations to 200-device fleet rollouts. Our online store carries the full Peplink range with UK-based stock and support. Every device we sell ships pre-configured to the client's requirements and tested before dispatch.

Peplink Gold Partner

UK Authorised Reseller · PCE-Trainer Certified · Global deployment capability

HONEST COMPARISON

How Peplink Compares

We are a Peplink partner, so we are not impartial. But we have deployed and tested equipment from the main competitors, and we will tell you where each one is stronger.

The table below summarises how Peplink stacks up against the two vendors we are asked about most often: Cradlepoint (now part of Ericsson) and Cisco Meraki. Further detail on each comparison follows below.

Feature	Peplink	Cradlepoint (Ericsson)	Cisco Meraki
Cellular bonding	SpeedFusion bonds multiple cellular WANs at packet level	Session-based failover; no true bonding	Failover only; no bonding
SpeedFusion throughput	Up to 30 Gbps (Balance 5000 EC)	N/A (different architecture)	N/A
WAN Smoothing / FEC	Yes, built into SpeedFusion	No	No
Cloud management	InControl 2 (700,000+ devices)	NetCloud (strong, US-focused)	Meraki Dashboard (market leader)
5G modem integration	X65 chipset across MAX range	Strong carrier certification, especially US	Limited cellular models
Licensing model	PrimeCare (annual, per device)	NetCloud subscription (per device)	Per-device licence (required for functionality)
Typical cost per site	Lower (especially at scale)	Comparable hardware, higher software	Higher total cost with licence
Best for	Cellular-primary, bonding, mobile, broadcast	US carrier deployments, retail	Full-stack Cisco/Meraki shops
Security integration	Basic firewall, content filtering	Basic firewall	Deep integration with Meraki security stack
Starlink integration	Authorised Technology Provider	Compatible	Compatible

We are a Peplink partner, so this comparison reflects our experience. We have deployed and tested equipment from all three vendors. Where a competitor is stronger, we say so.

Peplink vs Cradlepoint (now part of Ericsson)

Cradlepoint is the closest competitor in the cellular router space and has strong carrier relationships in North America. Their NetCloud management platform is polished. Where Peplink wins: SpeedFusion bonding is more mature and performs better in degraded cellular conditions. Peplink hardware supports more simultaneous WAN connections per chassis. InControl 2 licensing is simpler and cheaper at scale. Where Cradlepoint wins: their 5G modem integration was initially faster to market (though Peplink has now caught up with the X65 chipset across the MAX range), and their first-party carrier certification in the US is broader.

Peplink vs Cisco Meraki

Meraki is an enterprise networking giant with excellent cloud management and a huge installed base. Their SD-WAN works well in traditional office environments. Where Peplink wins: cellular bonding. Meraki routers support cellular failover, but they do not bond multiple cellular connections into aggregate throughput the way SpeedFusion does. For any deployment where cellular is the primary connection (broadcast, maritime, events, defence), Peplink is the stronger choice. Where Meraki wins: if your organisation is already a Meraki shop with switches, access points and security appliances all managed through the Meraki dashboard, adding a Meraki MX for SD-WAN keeps everything under one vendor. That has real operational value.

Peplink vs Cisco/Viptela and Fortinet

Traditional SD-WAN vendors like Cisco Viptela and Fortinet SD-WAN are designed for large enterprise WAN fabrics with hundreds of sites. They integrate deeply with their respective security stacks. Where Peplink wins: cost per site is significantly lower, deployment is faster, and cellular bonding is far stronger. Where they win: if you need integrated next-gen firewall, IDS/IPS and advanced threat protection at the WAN edge, those vendors offer deeper security integration. For most of our clients, a properly configured Peplink firewall plus a dedicated security appliance where needed is the better architecture.

The honest summary: if your primary requirement is bonding unreliable WAN connections into something reliable, especially over cellular, Peplink is the best platform we have found. If your primary requirement is deep security integration at the WAN edge and cellular is only a backup, there are strong alternatives. We are happy to discuss which fits your situation. Get in touch.

THE FULL PICTURE

Beyond the Router

A Peplink deployment is more than hardware. The platform includes cloud management, licensing, support plans and connectivity services that all work together.

PrimeCare

PrimeCare is Peplink's bundled support and licensing programme, included with most current-generation routers. It covers warranty with standard RMA, InControl 2 cloud management, FusionHub licence entitlement and SpeedFusion bonding and WAN Smoothing features. PrimeCare subscriptions are annual and renewable. Without an active PrimeCare subscription, some SpeedFusion features are limited or unavailable depending on the device model. We include PrimeCare activation as part of every deployment we manage, and we track renewal dates for managed service clients.

SpeedFusion Cloud

SpeedFusion Cloud provides hosted bonding endpoints in multiple global regions. Instead of deploying and managing your own FusionHub instance, you point your Peplink routers at a SpeedFusion Cloud server, and the bonding, failover or WAN Smoothing happens in Peplink's infrastructure. It is ideal for smaller deployments or organisations that do not want to manage cloud infrastructure. SpeedFusion Cloud data allowances are included with PrimeCare on most devices, with additional data available as add-ons.

Starlink integration

Since becoming a Starlink Authorised Technology Provider in 2024, Peplink routers integrate directly with Starlink terminals. The Starlink connection appears as a WAN interface alongside cellular and fixed-line connections, and SpeedFusion bonds all of them together. This is particularly relevant for maritime, remote and mobile deployments where Starlink provides the primary backhaul and cellular fills the gaps. Several of our maritime and broadcast clients now run Starlink plus cellular through Peplink routers with SpeedFusion bonding.

Alchemy SIM

Our Alchemy SIM multi-network data service is designed specifically to work inside Peplink routers. Multi-carrier SIMs, managed from our platform, populate the SIM slots in your Peplink hardware. SpeedFusion bonds the cellular connections. The result is a complete connectivity solution: Peplink hardware from our shop, Alchemy SIMs for the cellular connections, and our engineering team to design, deploy and manage the whole thing.

Peplink