M2M Network

Private IoT APN: Isolate Your M2M Network on a Dedicated Network

A private IoT APN creates a secure, private cellular network for your M2M devices.

Quick answer
A Private IoT APN (Private Access Point Name) is a network access point dedicated to your M2M devices, separate from the operator’s public APN. SIM cards configured on this APN communicate with each other and with your cloud via the operator’s virtual private network, without passing through the public Internet. As a result, your IoT devices are invisible from the Internet and have static IP addresses within your private network, and traffic is isolated from the rest of the carrier’s network.

Why Public APNs Are Not Suitable for Critical Industrial IoT​

On an operator’s public IP address pool, your IoT devices are assigned public IP addresses (or shared IP addresses via CGNAT), and their traffic travels over the Internet. This poses several problems:

  • Visibility — Devices with a direct public IP address can be scanned from the Internet.
  • Dynamic IP — The IP address changes every time you reconnect, complicating firewall rules.
  • No isolation — your M2M traffic shares the same network as other carrier customers.
  • No control — you cannot filter traffic between your own M2M devices.

Private APN solves these problems by creating a virtual private cellular network within the carrier’s infrastructure.

Private APN IoT Architecture​

Traffic never leaves the public Internet between the devices and the Eziwan cloud. It remains within the private carrier infrastructure.

Benefits of a Private APN for Industrial IoT​

AdvantagePublic APNPrivate APN
Internet ExposurePublic IP exposedNon-routable private IP
Fixed IP per deviceDynamic (CGNAT)Configurable static
Network IsolationShared with other customersDedicated network
M2M Inter-site RoutingVia the InternetVia the carrier’s private network
Firewall FilteringDifficult (dynamic IP)Simple (fixed IP per site)
Regulatory ComplianceNIS2 complicatedNIS2 simplified

Configuring the APN on an Eziwan gateway​

In the gateway’s cellular settings, the private APN is configured as follows:

APN: apn-prive.eziwan.fr (or as specified by your carrier)
Authentication: PAP/CHAP with dedicated username and password
Type IP: IPv4
Routing: to the Eziwan cloud (10.0.0.0/16)

The configuration is deployed automatically via zero-touch provisioning—the on-site technician does not need to configure anything manually.

The Eziwan Approach​

Eziwan Connectivity offers M2M SIM cards with a dedicated private APN, integrated with the Eziwan Cloud. Eziwan gateways are preconfigured with APN settings during zero-touch provisioning. They feature a fixed IP address per site, an isolated M2M network, and secure access without Internet exposure.

Learn more: Multi-carrier M2M SIM, Secure industrial VPN, and 4G router with M2M SIM card.

Frequently Asked Questions

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