RAK811 upgrade to LoRaWAN 1.1

Hello eveybody, is there any plan about supporting LoRaWAN 1.1 specs in the near future, un order to support groups?

Thanks in advance

Hi @kennetgo,

Yes, we’ve a plan to support LoRaWAN 1.1 specs in all of RAK products. But it will be done in 2020 Q1.
BTW, RAK811 has a fully open source in Github:

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Hello!! Is there any update about this topic, when can we expect a new firmware release for RAK811 that supports LoRaWAN 1.1 specs? and can be interfaced through AT commands?

We are waiting for it!! :smiley: Thanks!

Hi @kennetgo,

Sorry, by now, we haven’t started this project because we haven’t completed other projects.
You know, the CNY will come soon, and it will be a long holiday. :slight_smile:
So i think we may start this project at the end of March if everything goes well.

Also, do you think LoRaWAN 1.0.3 or LoRaWAN 1.1 is better? We are thinking LoRaWAN 1.0.3 firstly too.

Hello Fomi!!

I hope you are enjoying your holidays! It sound great, LoRaWAN 1.0.3 should be awesome, since there are not many improvements on 1.1.

Thanks Fomi :smiley:

Hi Fomi! Thanks for the reply. Can you give us an update on the LoraWAN 1.1 support?
I can only see 34 commits in the git repository. Do you develop this in the open or will you dump the firmware in one commit when it’s done?
I can not find a repository for RAK7249 DIY outdoor gateway. Is that firmware not open? https://github.com/RAKWireless?tab=repositories
Thanks in advance!

Hi @kwinz,

Recently, we are focusing on the current features of RAK modules to improve them.
After completing it, i think we will do some support for LoRaWAN 1.0.3 firstly, but not LoRaWAN 1.1.
About the source code for these modules, yes, it will be developed based on RUI SDK which is not open source, but RUI SDK will supply a set of APIs so that users can do their customized firmware by cally RUI APIs.

About RAK7249 firmware, it is a comercial gateway which means that it is not open source.

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18 months later I have to ask how is the progress on LoRaWAN 1.1 going?
My main concern with LoRaWAN is security!
LoRaWAN 1.1 has many security fixes over LoRaWAN 1.0.x, most importantly introduction of a new NwkKey to fix some vulnerability in the encryption [1].

Can I just use LoRaWAN 1.1 with compatible end devices if the RAK7249 is just using packet forwarder? (not using built in LoRaWAN server). Or does the gateway still need to be changed to support LoRaWAN 1.1?

[1] https://lora-alliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/lorawantm_specification_-v1.1.pdf#page=48
[2] LoRaWAN 1.0, vulnerabilities and backward compatibility in version 1.1

Hi @kwinz ,

Sorry for the bad news but our latest module (RAK317) still works at LoRaWAN v1.0.3.
Other modules that are running in LoRaWAN v1.0.3 with the latest RUI V3 firmware.

On the other hand, you can create a LoRaWAN v1.1 FW for RAK3172 using our custom firmware guide via STM32CubeIDE and STM32WL SDK - RAK3172 Module Low Level Development Reference | RAKwireless Documentation Center

I haven’t really explored much with the LoRaWAN v1.1 but when I tried to run the custom LoRaWAN v1.1 FW on RAK3172 with TheThingsStack as LoRaWAN network server, it works on my RAK Developer gateway that only has the default packet-forwarder.

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Hi Carl! Thank you very much! That perfectly answers my question for the node/device side (WisDUO).

It’s also good to know that the 1.1 branch of the RAK3272 was tested working with the TheThingsStack (I am assuming v3?) on the WisGate Developer gateway.

So I am assuming that the gateway does not need any special firmware for LoRaWAN 1.1 to work, if the Application server supports it?
In any case I asked the question for the gateway side (Wisgate Edge Max) in a different thread to not cause confusion: How to connect RAK7249 to own Loriot Lora server - #28 by kwinz Maybe you can also provide some insight here. Thanks!

Hi @kwinz ,

Please note that we do not officially support LoRaWAN V1.1 on any of our modules or products.
But you can use the STM32WL SDK provide by STmicroelectronics itself which can be compiled for V1.1. I tested it in TTS and used NWKKEY instead of APPKEY for joining.

I am not really the point person on gateways like RAK7249 but as far as I know, there is no official on yet for LoRaWAN V1.1. You can probably do some test and see if it will work. If you are using class A device, ‘I think’ the gateway behavior won’t be much different from V1.0.x to V1.1.

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