Remote Access to AB Control/Compact Logix

[The Plc Kid]

We thought that the PC would serve as the access to the internet, as you said a gateway between the internet and the local control network.

The suggestion of installing Rockwell software on the local PC wont work. Clients wont pay for the Licences so hence its dead in the water. This is more so to help us trouble shooting the machines, so we would like the client not to have to pay anything other than having a Laptop available (which generally speaking is not an issue).

Seems that this might not work at all. Anyone any experience?

You could use Pertino between your PC and the clients pc and have the Rockwell software on your pc and it would work as long as the clients pc is in the same subnet as the PLC or have routing in between.

You could use Hamachi and make the clients PC the Gateway and have the Rockwell software and it would work also as long as the clients PC and the PLC are in the same subnet or have routing in between.

Links are below. These are both free solutions on small node counts and affordable even on the paid side. Both take only a few minutes to setup.

http://pertino.com/

https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/download.aspx

 

[Dravik]

I'd use some form of Industrial FW/VPN gateway w/ a hardwired switch to allow the VPN to be turned on and off.
You'd need to work with the companies IT folks to setup the routing properly.
The switch means the site has confidence you aren't in the system w/out their knowledge.
Involving their IT folks lowers the liability of setting up various ways to bypass any security they might have.