ChangingLocalAreaConnectionProperties

gbradley

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gbradley
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Apr 2002
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Corona, Ca.
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I have some machines that are on a totally different IP network than the local server.
When I need to make changes to those machines I change the IP settings on the Local Area Network on my laptop.
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I go online and make my changes then save.
I've got my changes saved to the laptop C: drive, but I want to save the changes that I made to the server on the company network.
I bring my laptop back into the office, and plug it into the Local network.
I Open Local Area Connection properties, and select the radio button Obtain an IP Address Automatically.
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I can now transfer files from the laptop onto the server.
When I want to go back and make changes to the machine, I have to go through the whole motion again and manually enter the IP address.

Is there some way to remember what the IP address is so that I don’t have to manually enter it in each time?
 
This is another one of those threads that I'm going to reply to not because I know the answer, but rather because I'd like to get an E-mail when someone who DOES know the answer replies!!! :)
90% of our PLC's are on the company network, but a few are not, and I have the same Issue...I have to change the IP address of my laptop everytime I connect to one, and then change it back when I want to connect to the company network!!!
 
When you go to the properties for TCP/IPv4 you can see a tab at the top that says alternative configuration.

Set that to your PLC network and leave the general tab as obtain address automatically.

That's what I do and it works for me.

Cheers

Mark

IP Addressing.png
 
Hmmm, I'm running XP so I have TCP/IPv not TCP/IPv4 and no Alternate Configuration tab...time to do some research to see if that can be set up in XP...

EDIT: So, according to Microsoft: This issue can occur if you did not configure the network adapter to use the Obtain an IP address automatically option.

I'm not able to do that as my IP is assigned by the corporate IT and that ain't gonna change no time soon!!! :(
 
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Win XP

On the TCP/IP Property Page below the DNS Server Address there is an Advanced Button.


On The Advanced Property Page you will see the Add button.

This Allows Multiple Address and Subnet Mask
 
I just wish you could save profiles that set your laptop network settings depending on which customer site you are on or which network you're connected to. Can't imagine it would be that difficult for some whizz to program. Unfortunately I'm not that whizz.
 
I use 2 batch files to accomplish this...
Double-clicking 1 changes the IP address of my laptop to a static IP for a PLC network. I can duplicate this file and change the numbers as many times as I want for all the PLC networks I have to get on.
The other batch file sets the IP address back to DHCP (which is "auto" for those who do not know".

In the blink of an eye, it allows me to change the IP address just by double-clicking. Works for me, but others may have even better suggestions...
 
I think you can just have Local area network 1,2,3,4,5,etc. and just configure each one for each different network put a label for which LAN # it is and go, I could be mistaken but I think it will save the network settings on them.

It may be possible to rename them to, but that I don't know.
 
shoelesscraig said:
I use 2 batch files to accomplish this...
Double-clicking 1 changes the IP address of my laptop to a static IP for a PLC network. I can duplicate this file and change the numbers as many times as I want for all the PLC networks I have to get on.
The other batch file sets the IP address back to DHCP (which is "auto" for those who do not know".

In the blink of an eye, it allows me to change the IP address just by double-clicking. Works for me, but others may have even better suggestions...
Click to expand...


Do you have any information on creating the Batch files to do this, or an example. This would be great on our maintenance departments laptop.

Thanks,
Kenneth
 
The problem with the "Alternate Configuration" is that Windows takes a full 60 seconds to time out looking for the DHCP server to set the alternate IP.

I now use TCP IP Manager http://sourceforge.net/projects/tcpipmanager/ which lets me select from various profiles I create (they take effect instantly). It is the smallest, friendliest such program I've come across.


In your case, where this seems like a semi-permanent situation, you can plug the PLCs into the plant network router and set a permanent route on your laptop. In a command window run with administrator privileges, type:

route add 192.168.1.0 mask 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.1 -p

where 192... is the network your PLCs are on (leave the last bit as 0 to route to all IP addresses on the network), 255... is the subnet mask for their network, and 10... is the IP address of the router.
 
Use Steve's....it is WAY better than mine. As a matter of fact, I'm going to start using this one as well, everything in 1 file instead of juggling multiple .bat files. Nice Steve...very nice!
 
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