230 V power supply
A replacement for the original adapter, with 13.1 W of spare capacity.
€13.95 incl. VATBuy now
RUT9 series · power guide
Teltonika RUT981 power supply and cables
Everything about powering the Teltonika RUT981, a four-port 4G router: the voltage it accepts, its real power draw and the cables that fit.
12/24 V car cable
For 12 V cars and 24 V trucks, passing 9 to 30 V straight through.
€12.95 incl. VATBuy now
Screw terminal cable
For DC rails, batteries and solar. Green and white bring out the I/O.
€11.95 incl. VATBuy now
About the Teltonika RUT981
The RUT981 pairs a Telit Cat 4 modem with the proven RUT9 hardware: four Ethernet ports, Wi-Fi, dual SIM and an eSIM with bootstrap. Teltonika positions it as a global model with long-term availability, and it supports WAN failover and load balancing.
It is meant for fleets of sites spread over several countries that need the same router everywhere.
Teltonika RUT981 at a glance
- Mobile
- 4G LTE Cat 4 (Telit)
- Ethernet
- 4 x RJ45
- Wi-Fi
- 2.4 GHz
- SIM
- 2 x SIM + eSIM
- Extras
- eSIM bootstrap
- Power input
- 9 to 30 V DC, 4-pin socket
- I/O on power socket
- 1 digital input, 1 digital output
- Peak draw at 12 V
- 4.9 W (405 mA)
- Size
- 110 x 50 x 100 mm
- Status
- In production
Power socket pinout
| Pin | Function | Our wire |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Power (+) | Red |
| 2 | Ground (-) | Black |
| 3 | Digital input | Green |
| 4 | Digital output | White |
The car cable and the 230 V supply only use pins 1 and 2. The I/O wires are on the screw terminal cable.
How much power the RUT981 draws
Teltonika measured the Teltonika RUT981 at 1.2 W when idle and 4.9 W at full load on a 12 V supply, about 405 mA. That is 27% of what our 18 W supply can deliver. On a 24 V supply the peak is about 5 W.
Which cable should I pick?
- Wall socket. A replacement for the original adapter, with 13.1 W of spare capacity.
- Vehicle. For 12 V cars and 24 V trucks, passing 9 to 30 V straight through.
- Cabinet, battery or solar. For DC rails, batteries and solar. Green and white bring out the I/O. Add a 2 A slow-blow fuse near the source.
Install tips
- For multi-country roll-outs, the 230 V supply has an EU plug. Outside the EU, the screw terminal cable with a local DC supply is the easier choice.
- On 24 V vehicles, add surge protection. Truck and bus systems can spike well above 30 V at engine start, and the Teltonika RUT981 is only rated to 30 V.
- Insulate any wire you do not use. A loose green or white wire touching the cabinet can trigger an input or short an output.
Teltonika RUT981 power FAQ
?Can I run the Teltonika RUT981 on 12 V or 24 V?
Yes, both. The input range is 9 to 30 V DC, fed through the 4-pin power socket.
?Does the Teltonika RUT981 come with a power supply?
New units usually ship with a 9 V wall adapter. A second cable makes sense for spares, a second site, or an install where a wall plug is not practical, such as a vehicle or a DIN rail cabinet.
?Is the Teltonika RUT981 power draw different from the RUT951?
Slightly higher at the top end. Teltonika measured the RUT981 at about 4.9 W at 12 V under full load, against about 4.2 W for the RUT951. Both are far below what our 18 W supply can give.
?Can I use the input and output on the Teltonika RUT981 with your cable?
Yes. The screw terminal cable brings pin 3 (digital input) out on the green wire and pin 4 (digital output) on the white wire. Configure them in RutOS under Services, Input/Output.
?Does Smart Power Cable sell Teltonika routers?
Not the router, no. We are an independent maker of power cables. The Teltonika RUT981 is a Teltonika product sold through their own channels.