wildswing
Member
Hey fellas,
I'm looking for some feedback on how you have set up your process control LAN (ethernet). About a year ago we upgraded our Wonderware Intouch HMIs from old NT4 boxes with KT cards for DH+ to WinXP and instead of buying 15 new PCI slot KTX cards, our Rockwell rep (along with other Rockwell tech types) convinced us that the way to go was to install a couple of CLX chassis containing ENBT and DHRIO cards to act as Ethernet to dh+ bridges.
After attending a special "networking for process control" seminar put on by our corporate IT department (large multi national), and with their assistance, we rearranged our ethernet network so that the bridges and HMIs and all process related equipment was on a physically separate network. All we had left to do was the configuration of a firewall between the business LAN and our process LAN when things suddenly changed.
New owners took over our facility. The new owners were a relatively small company with an IT department made up of only a few guys. Their IT department decided that is was best to switch us to how they do things at their original facility...VLAN. Since the change over to VLAN we have had a number of issues with connections dropping, slow access times and such. However, I have no proof that any of our issues are related to us being on VLAN.
I admit that my ethernet LAN experience is limited, so I'm just looking for advice from others out there.
1. How are you set up? Why?
2. What ethernet hardware do you use and/or recommend? Why?
3. Can you provide pros/cons for segregated and VLAN setups please?
Many thanks in advance!
I'm looking for some feedback on how you have set up your process control LAN (ethernet). About a year ago we upgraded our Wonderware Intouch HMIs from old NT4 boxes with KT cards for DH+ to WinXP and instead of buying 15 new PCI slot KTX cards, our Rockwell rep (along with other Rockwell tech types) convinced us that the way to go was to install a couple of CLX chassis containing ENBT and DHRIO cards to act as Ethernet to dh+ bridges.
After attending a special "networking for process control" seminar put on by our corporate IT department (large multi national), and with their assistance, we rearranged our ethernet network so that the bridges and HMIs and all process related equipment was on a physically separate network. All we had left to do was the configuration of a firewall between the business LAN and our process LAN when things suddenly changed.
New owners took over our facility. The new owners were a relatively small company with an IT department made up of only a few guys. Their IT department decided that is was best to switch us to how they do things at their original facility...VLAN. Since the change over to VLAN we have had a number of issues with connections dropping, slow access times and such. However, I have no proof that any of our issues are related to us being on VLAN.
I admit that my ethernet LAN experience is limited, so I'm just looking for advice from others out there.
1. How are you set up? Why?
2. What ethernet hardware do you use and/or recommend? Why?
3. Can you provide pros/cons for segregated and VLAN setups please?
Many thanks in advance!
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