IP Addressing

You could do that, but you'd have to set the subnet on ALL the devices you want to communicate with to 0.0.0.0. None of the devices with a subnet of 0.0.0.0 will be able to communicate with a router or gateway, which might screw up other networking going on.

You could add another network interface, either with a PCMCIA card or a USB adapter and configure it with whatever you want and leave the built in interface set to access the network.

That wouldn't be an issue this is a local ethernet network for that PLC's I/O only. There is a second ethernet card (Control Logix) for the plant network. There is also a second ethernet card in the laptop for the plant network with the subnet and gateway configured properly.

Well, you can't enter a subnet of 0.0.0.0 and since some local PLC networks start witn 10.x.x.x and others start with 192.x.x.x these are different network classes and from what I'm reading you can talk between them.

Would it not be easier to reconfigure all the plc's (Of course i dont know how many you have but..)

BTW You could also call IT in at 3.00am when you want to connect to a PLC..after a week or so of this i am sure they would set you up with Admin access....If you cant get a hold of IT at 3.00am make sure the plant manager knows your hands are tied becouse IT wont let you connect

The other thing is throw it back at IT..Ask them how do you want me to do this without changing IP's all the time..

Does your laptop have a static (manually assigned) IP address or does is automatically grab an IP using DHCP?


If it is automatically grabbing an IP address then you could just setup a cheap router/firewall like most people use at home to connect to the internet.

Set it up on the private network and anytime you plug into it, it will automatically assign you an IP address on the private network. There is a little setup involved but it's pretty easy stuff.

Just make sure all of the PLCs have static addresses otherwise it could affect them too.

This would be much easier than reassigning IP info to all network devices.

OG

If its static and your running Windows 2k or XP you can assign it multiple IPs in multiple subnets.

OK You do not want to change IP's on all of your equipment. That could cause untold trouble. Particularly if you use HMI's and DDE to import data to spreadsheets and the like.


So, It is best to use dual IP's on your laptop, and any other PC's that you wish to communicate with the PLC's. This can be done on any version of Windows, from 95 until XP. The method varies with the version of Windows. Only one NIC (network card) is needed.

We had dual networks for several reasons. The Dual IP's were needed on any machine that ran DDE or RSLinx apps. This particular setup got me a lot of wiggling room with the network people.

I was able to set up machines to talk to the PLC's. That ment I got all the perks of the regular network technicians. Very usefull at times

I can help if you let me know what version of windows you are running.

I thought the original poster said they cannot setup their own IP addresses on their laptops.

If so, they probably also cannot setup dual IP addresses (maybe they can) and they probably cannot add another ethernet card to their computer. These are all good solutions but we have to remember the question.

I use W2K and I just have two shortcuts I can double-click to change back and forth between my IP addresses.
OG

So...

Every time you want to connect to a different network, you have to go through the steps of manually reconfiguring your IP...

...on your laptop...
...which is a computer...
...running with some kind of operating system...

Can't you develop an Operating System specific "macro-type" function to automatically reconfigure the IP to a particular IP just by clicking on an Icon?

If you know that you want to connect to Network-A, then, before attempting to make the connection, just click on the Network-A Icon to reconfigure the IP to the required IP number. Then make the connection.

You might include some code in the "macro" that aborts the macro if it "sees" that an IP connection currently exists... just to keep yourself from stepping on your d... foot.

In the early days we created macros, com-files, executables, to perform all kinds of time-consuming, menial, tasks.

Surely, that capability has not disappeared... (Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know... don't call me Shirley! ...Roger! Over?)

But, if you do not have Admin rights on the computer, or if your IT department uses policies, then you may not be able to change the IP address.

OG

Thats why you throw it back at IT..

This is just another exapmle of why IT shouldnr be involved with the PLC world..

Another solution for you..(And i had to do this for a customer last year)..Buy a "spare part" from your distrubitor or your local automation people..this "spare part" looks and acts just like a laptop!! however it could be called a automation connection device or something along those lines..or automation diagnosic tool..IT is happey becouse they have control of all computers and you are happy becouse you have you own "automation diagnostic tool" that you have admin rights to..

D

Why in the hell would someone have a laptop... and not have all of the rights of the owner of that laptop?

At the very least, why accept that constraint?

If bad comes to worse, or worst, buy your own laptop and bring your own, your very own, laptop to do your job. Don't let the Ba$tards keep you from doing what you are expected, and required, to do!

LOL I ask myself this question...But as far as IT goes....????
I do disagree that you should supply your own..(And i am talking about techs at the floor level here..obviously automation contractors show up with there own equiptment..) Why should Jow blow who works the PLC's have to spend 2000 of his own money to keep the plant running when he has a laptop/desktop sitting there that is usless becouse some IT moron is playing God?

Bad attitude i know but let the plant go quiet for a couple of hours..Then when IT Finally shows fix the problem in 2 mins...see how quick IT heads roll..Soetimes you just have to make a point..