Wireless Ethernet from local machines to offices- What do you folks use ?

Good Morning ,

I have a lot of projects going on and it seems more helpful to stay in the office and work on multiple things , than run to a machine onsite and work at the machine.

We have many machines around that have different IP Addresses . Eventually we will have the plant networked but for now we have. My question is , what do you guys use when your onsite , and you work across the plant or in a meeting , and you need to go online with a machine ?

Is there any easy way to connect Ethernet to a CompactLogix , switch , etc. to reach across the plant . Would the Banner Ethernet Radios do the same thing ? What do you guys use ?

Thanks so much in advance ,

I like the Ubiquiti LocoM5. it is simple to set up and you can network multiple buildings pretty easily. The last pair I installed were the AC version. They don't allow a direct wifi connection to the laptop, but they have bluetooth radio and a phone app so you can configure them wirelessly. That config radio shuts down a few minutes after power up. This was for a connection from an office to a building about a block away and needs to be secure, simple, and with good throughput. On the bench, it was sitting next to my PC with a panel installed in the shop. It was showing a throughput of 340Mb with one radio pointed at the ceiling, talking through an interior wall to the other radio laying in a closed metal cabinet about 50' away.

I have used some of the NanoStation M2s that do allow a laptop to wirelessly access the network. That is even more handy if you need to roam around a facility and stay online with a PLC or HMI.

https://www.newegg.com/p/1A7-007W-0...5AC-_-9SIAMTFB204345-_-Product&quicklink=true

I think you can get models in both 2GHz and 5Ghz bands that allow wifi access. I have dealt with a dozen or so of these things, and they are cheap and easy enough to get going that I have not had to learn a heck of a lot about the details.

When you're on-site with your customer, the easiest way is to have them get the individual PLCs at least connected to a switch, and then concentrate getting that switch hooked to a server so you could use a VPN in, or at least to a PC with remote access so you could use TeamViewer or a similar remote program.

AT our plant I have added NICs to each PLC that can accept it, and have them hooked to our network. I can sit at home or at my office desk and "dial in" to any of them.

We have some low-cost 8 or 16-port switches distributed around the plant. and some PLCs, Android screens, weight scales and printers are connected there.

Before we had some devices connected via WiFi and the problems of disconnections and high latency have disappeared after connecting them via cable.

Now WiFi is only used for barcode scanner PDAs and they even get disconnected sometimes.

I think the PDA connection would probably be more reliable if they connect through the cellular mobile network using VPN.