Subnet splitting for RSLinx

thingstodo

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Feb 2012
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Looking for some wisdom on subnet separation and RSLinx.

The old method we used for programming multiple ControlLogix was to have everything on the same subnet. 10.48.134.2xx with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and the gateway was not really used.

Our IT guys are now splitting things up by process areas. So my programming computer is still at 10.48.134.200, along with a few of the ControlLogix in the same area on the 134 subnet. I have 2 ControlLogix at different subnets, for now
10.48.226.203
10.48.214.207

Tech support tells me that I need RSLinx Gateway to bridge multiple subnets.

But one of the technical sales guys tells me that I can define separate drivers for each subnet ... but he's not sure exactly how.

IT has taken care of the layer 3 switching and firewall. Ping works from the programming computer, but I can't browse.

Is anyone doing this, or doing separate subnets this way?
 
Which driver are you using? When you configure ETH/IP driver, it gives you the option to select between 2 radiobuttons:
o Browse Local Subnet
o Browse remote subnet
 
Which driver are you using? When you configure ETH/IP driver, it gives you the option to select between 2 radiobuttons:
o Browse Local Subnet
o Browse remote subnet
I'm using AB_ETH-1. No other reason than that's what I've always used and it has worked

The browse local subnet is in the properties for the EN2T that I'm using at the 10.48.134 level. I have asked it to browse and it only shows me the 10.48.134 subnet.

Subnet browse.jpg
 
So, I've done this before but I had help from the IT folks.
What I ended up doing was getting a trunk port setup for my main lan connection and then using the intel nic drivers to setup virtual adapters for each VLAN, complete w/ a static IP on each. This allowed me to setup multiple Ethernet I/P drivers and connect each to its own virtual adapter. Thus keeping everything 'local'.
 
So, I've done this before but I had help from the IT folks.
What I ended up doing was getting a trunk port setup for my main lan connection and then using the intel nic drivers to setup virtual adapters for each VLAN, complete w/ a static IP on each. This allowed me to setup multiple Ethernet I/P drivers and connect each to its own virtual adapter. Thus keeping everything 'local'.

I will forward this to our IT guy, the Rockwell technical sales guy, and tech support. We'll see what they can look up!

Thanks
 
I'm using AB_ETH-1. No other reason than that's what I've always used and it has worked

Seems now it's not working. Check the attached screenshot. There are some differences between ETH and ETH/IP.


Btw, I got confused. You mentioned the EN2T is not seeing the other subnet. Do you want to browse all subnets from your computer or you want to make EN2Ts in different subnets communicate to each other?

Capture.JPG
 
Essentially what you are doing in that setup is this -

This assumes each subnet range is assigned to a unique VLAN -

1 port from the switch, setup as a trunk, allowed to pass all the 'tagged' vlans you need to talk too.
1 static or dynamic IP on each VLAN
A network card that is capable of doing VLAN tagging and virtual adapters for each VLAN.
1 ethernet/ip driver setup for each VLAN and the correct virtual adapter chosen in each.

Using the Eth driver and just making sure you can talk to the other subnets via a gateway(this would be on the network switch), not talking RsLinx Gateway here, would probably be easier if they can set it up that way.
 
Btw, I got confused. You mentioned the EN2T is not seeing the other subnet. Do you want to browse all subnets from your computer or you want to make EN2Ts in different subnets communicate to each other?

I actually want to browse to the ControlLogix from the programming software. If I can do that, I'm told that the routing should allow for the ControlLogix to talk to each other.

This is what I did on the ETH driver. The En2T/D card at 214.207 does not have an eds file on this computer. I need to get it registered. But the connection to 227.203 appears to shows up as it should.

When I try to connect to the ControlLogix I get this error

Subnet browse 2.jpg Subnet browse error.jpg
 
Essentially what you are doing in that setup is this -

This assumes each subnet range is assigned to a unique VLAN -

1 port from the switch, setup as a trunk, allowed to pass all the 'tagged' vlans you need to talk too.
1 static or dynamic IP on each VLAN
A network card that is capable of doing VLAN tagging and virtual adapters for each VLAN.
1 ethernet/ip driver setup for each VLAN and the correct virtual adapter chosen in each.

Using the Eth driver and just making sure you can talk to the other subnets via a gateway(this would be on the network switch), not talking RsLinx Gateway here, would probably be easier if they can set it up that way.

I am not sure what our IT guy set up. I would expect that the ethernet cards are capable of distinguishing VLANs. But this computer sees 1 ethernet card, so I think he is doing layer 3 routing in the firewall.

In the first layer of the browse, on the ETH driver (not the ETH/IP driver), I have the 132.3 and 245.1 as destination addresses for EN2Ts in ControlLogix racks. So I added the 227.203 and 214.207 addresses, to see what would happen.

The 227.203 shows up like I think it should, but won't let me go online with the ControlLogix. The 214.207 address shows an Unrecognized device. I think I have all of the eds files loaded for the various EN2T revisions. So perhaps I got a destination device (motor starter) instead of the EN2T. I'll have to double check the addressing.

But I'm making progress!
 
I am not sure what our IT guy set up. I would expect that the ethernet cards are capable of distinguishing VLANs. But this computer sees 1 ethernet card, so I think he is doing layer 3 routing in the firewall.

In the first layer of the browse, on the ETH driver (not the ETH/IP driver), I have the 132.3 and 245.1 as destination addresses for EN2Ts in ControlLogix racks. So I added the 227.203 and 214.207 addresses, to see what would happen.

The 227.203 shows up like I think it should, but won't let me go online with the ControlLogix. The 214.207 address shows an Unrecognized device. I think I have all of the eds files loaded for the various EN2T revisions. So perhaps I got a destination device (motor starter) instead of the EN2T. I'll have to double check the addressing.

But I'm making progress!
The connection to 10.48.227.203 works fine after exiting RS Studio and starting back up. I think there was a connection to the RSLinx service that went dark when I stopped it to add the addresses to browse.

I'm still having trouble with 10.48.214.207 but I think that is an IP address issue.

When I get things working the way I want them to, I'll post a summary. I'll do my best to translate what the IT guy did .. it may not make a lot of sense to most of us ;)
 
Summary:

I have 6 subnets now .. I used to have 4 so I guess this was solved some time ago but I didn't recognize it :

Existing connections
- VM running RSStudio - 10.48.234.10
- Main PLC rack that has the former EWEB programming gateway - - 10.48.132.3. That lets me bounce through a backplane and onto 10.48.134.xxx subnet. This is where all of the ControlLogix used to be. Most of them are still there
- Test rack 10.48.245.1
- Underground single interface rack 10.48.198.242

New connections
- New subnet for LC9 - 10.48.227.203
- New subnet for MCC7 - 10.48.214.207

Our IT Guys have layer 3 routing from 234 to 132 to 198 to 245 to 227 to 214 subnets. The masks are all 255.255.255.0 and the default gateway ends with .254 (address of the switch). The firewall (Cisco ASA equivalent) is where the routing rules live.

Using the AB_ETH-1 Ethernet driver,
Under Configure Driver, add 10.48.132.3, 10.48.214.207, 10.48.227.203 as 1756-EN2T's
Browse to your new addresses ... the magic happens in the routing!

Subnet working.jpg
 
Last edited:

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