Software Routing

Does anyone know of software that could be run on a laptop to build a routing table for connecting to different plc networks?

I know ip address changing software has been discussed here before and i know this can be done with a hardware solution but is there a software solution that anyone knows that works?

Do you mean like IPswitcher?

I tried it and went back to using batch files.

I created a bunch of different batch files, put them all in a folder, and added the folder to my menu.

Typical batch files

I also use Batch Files, makes it easier, and one does not have to remember every exact IP, even though most are very similar!!
I do find that on this particular PC, it does take some time to get updated.

@echo off
Echo Setting IP address to static 192.168.0.10
netsh interface ip set address name="Local Area Connection" source=static addr=192.168.0.10 mask=255.255.255.0
ipconfig
pause

Click to expand...

Why the pause Alaric?

The batch files call ipconfig to show the successful configuration. Without the pause the window would close so fast I couldn't see it.

How are your networks setup? Do you have all the cables into your PC at the same time? Are they all sitting on a managed switch/router beside your desk or somewhere in IT land?

Setting up routes is pretty simple, especially if all the different networks have different IP address schemes.

Generally if your network is all 192.168.x.x you can set your netmask to 255.255.0.0 and use the entire range.

It's really going to depend on how you setup your network, a simple $20 cisco/linksys router can do all the routing for you without ever having to mess with batch files.

The Plc Kid said:

Does anyone know of software that could be run on a laptop to build a routing table for connecting to different plc networks?

I know ip address changing software has been discussed here before and i know this can be done with a hardware solution but is there a software solution that anyone knows that works?

Click to expand...

Can you describe in a little more detail what you are trying to do? Routing implies connecting different networks together. Perhaps more accurately, it implies connecting a laptop on X network to a PLC on Y network. For these situations, there may be a possible solution out there (I don't have specific examples though.)

If you are talking about walking out to a machine and plugging the laptop into the local machine network to talk to the PLC, then there is no routing involved. Your laptop simply needs to join the local PLC network, which is done by changing the IP address.

In the IT world, someone plugging a laptop in and getting an IP address is handled by a DHCP server. This solution doesn't work too well in an industrial environment as most devices are not assigned an address dynamically (no need for the DHCP server) and most devices on the industrial network are embedded devices (PLCs, VFDs, etc.) which cannot act as a server for the network.

What would be handy in these instances would be a small embedded computer you could mount inside the panel in these isolated machine networks that could act as a configurable DHCP server. Just have it hand out addresses from a very small IP pool that does not conflict with any of the statically assigned addresses for the other devices on the network. Then you could walk up to a machine network, plug in the laptop and go. Note that if the industrial network is connected to a router or is created with a sophisticated enough switch, these devices may support DHCP serving duties.

Brian

Alaric said:

The batch files call ipconfig to show the successful configuration. Without the pause the window would close so fast I couldn't see it.

Click to expand...

Ahh, sweet.
What sort of time does your IP switch take? I know when you do it conventionally via properties etc, it does take a bit to re-establish etc.
Mine is typically 1-2 minutes...

I am looking for the routing functionality of a router in a desktop software package. Just a laptop talking to different machine netwoks all less than 50 nodes on each network.

I would rather not change the ip addy and i don't want to lug around a linksys router. I just thought they may be software to handle simple low node router functions?

I don't know of any package that functions as a DHCP server to itself or the laptop on which it resides - thats not the way DHCP works.

However, if you have another computer (such as an RSView HMI) on the network into which you are connecting your laptop then you can put this software on that computer and it will then give your laptop an IP address via DHCP. The computer that is running vdhcp however will have to have a fixed network address on that network.

As far as lugging around a router goes, you might want to consider using a wireless router. You do have to pack it with your laptop, but once it is connected you are untethered and free to roam around the system as you work.

Something like this?
http://www.mobilenetswitch.com/

You just want to be able to switch TCP/IP settings at the drop of a hat?

All versions of Windows past NT have been capable of routing, though setting it up can be tricky.

See here: http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/routeset.html
and here: http://www.petri.co.il/configuring_routing_in_w2k_pro_xp_pro.htm
to get you started.