Setting Up Wiress Network With Cntrlgx

lostpatrol1 · Mar 21, 2012

I've search the forum regarding how to set up a wireless network using something like a Netgear wireless router to use with ControlLogix network, but found not instructions on how to do it...

Can anyone do a write up on how to set up a Netgear wireless router to connect with a controllgix network?

TIA

The Plc Kid · Mar 21, 2012

If your contrologix has a ethernet card then it is different then setting it up for a pc.

Give the wifi router a ip address in the same range as the clogix and connect to it. If you are using dhcp make sure to configure the pool of unused addresses and only what you need.

If you are going to give your laptop a static address then turn off dhcp.

You will be using all LAN ports on the wifi router. Don't use the WAN port.

mes788 · Mar 26, 2012

I have found wifi not a good way to go in our PLC environment. look at DATAEAGLE at the Wireless M2M-dyanmics.com.

daba · Mar 26, 2012

I've built the innards of a DLink wireless router into my ControlLogix training rig.

Initial testing - works great for RSLogix5000 comms via wireless, but is very shaky when using RSNetworx, and I haven't yet figured out why. If I put a cable from the PC to one of the router ports, everything works fine, so the problem must be the wireless link.

The Plc Kid · Mar 26, 2012

I have been useing linksys wap's running DD-WRT firmware or tomato to do stuff like this for years. I have set them up in several plants for maintenance to use and they work well. They use them everyday.

I prolly would not use them running standard linksys firmware though.

Ken Roach · Mar 26, 2012

There's nothing special about ControlLogix with regard to wireless when you're not doing an I/O connection across the wireless link. When you are, it's a totally different ballgame.

Virtually all WiFi access points are also routers (including Linksys). I prefer to use static IP addresses for my automation devices, then allow the router to be a DHCP Server for the computers on the network. I just assign the "starting DHCP Client address" in the router to start at a value higher than my automation devices, like:

192.168.2.1 Router
192.168.2.10 PLC
192.168.2.11 EOI
192.168.2.12 I/O Device
!92.168.2.100 - 254 DHCP Range

My preferred option for D-Link hardware is to smash it into tiny bits and put them in separate rubbish bins around town.

The Plc Kid · Mar 26, 2012

Ken Roach said:
My preferred option for D-Link hardware is to smash it into tiny bits and put them in separate rubbish bins around town.

I will second that. I have had very bad luck with D LInk gear like poor connection and very unstable connections and the occasionaly weirdness when doing static routes.

daba · Mar 26, 2012

Like I said it works great - solid, reliable, for RSL5K to ControlLogix via an ENBT.

But using the same setup to drill-down to DeviceNet with RSNetworks is iffy. While I'm watching the network with RSLinx, devices are going on and off the network like crazy - it's unusable.

Is there a protocol used on DeviceNet that the router is blocking ? And it's only via wireless that's affected.

The Plc Kid · Mar 27, 2012

I would not think so Daba. If your router has RIP V1 or V2 and it can be turned off I would do so if you are not using it.

If you router has a firewall like a SPI firewall option I would turn that off also just to see.

Are you using any security like wep or wpa?

The Plc Kid · Mar 27, 2012

Daba

if you go here http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/support/router-database and put in your router model number and see if it is compatible you may be better off upgrading the firmware to DD-WRT.

In simple terms it tuns a $40.00 router into a $400.00 router and most likely will clear up some of these issues.

If you flash it to DD-WRT you can't go back to OEM firmware though.

daba · Mar 27, 2012

RIP is not turned on.
It won't let me onto the Firewall page, because I have no DSL "Connection" configured, and since the Firewall is only active to the DSL port (which is not in use), I can't see how it might affect it.
I'm using WEP security.
My router (a D-Link DSL-G640T) is not in the database on the page you posted.

I'm getting to the point of giving up the idea of going wireless, just use the 4 ports on the router as a switch as I do now.

The Plc Kid · Mar 27, 2012

If firewall is only active on the WAN port then it won't cause a problem but some routers out of the box apply firewall rules to LAN traffic also.

Just for kicks have you tried it with no security? Disable security all together.

You may also want to try changing your wireless channels if there are other wireless devices in the home and not limited to 802.11 X such as phones, Games consoles,bluetooth,etc

Evena close neighbors wireless can interfere. Changing channels may help reliability.

mes788 · Apr 5, 2012

M2M Dynamics has a broadband solution that uses their own version of OPEN WRT with same results as DDWRT

http://www.m2m-dynamics.com/?page_id=480

Ken Roach · Apr 5, 2012

Mes788, really ? We're talking about an ordinary WiFi access point here, not carrier-grade backhaul gear.

There's a Forum rule about "no advertising", but then there's also just basic sensibility of not trying to sell tractors at a bicycle shop.

Setting Up Wiress Network With Cntrlgx

lostpatrol1

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daba

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Ken Roach

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daba

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