Slow network speeds when using a 9300-ENA

[emroy]

I just installed a system using a 9300-ENA network device. The uplink port is connected to the plant network and the local to a L30ER compact logix with 10 point I/O modules over ethernet. When I connect to the 9300-ENA directly(uplink port) everything works perfectly. I have tested the network connections to the 9300-ENA and they work fine. I am able to view/upload from the plc but it is very slow.

Has anyone had much experience with the 9300-ENA module? They appear to be fairly new and there is not much information on them. Like I said it works, just very slowly.

Here is a link to Rockwells page on the 9300-ENA

 

[The Plc Kid]

That device is a 1:1 NAT Translator. It is 10/100 mb ports and full or half duplex. Make sure your duplex settings or auto negotiate settings are correct with the equipment it is connected to. If you are remoting in from the internet or another site you could be going through double or triple NAT to get there which will slow things down also.

I would need more detail about you setup from point to point to add anything more.

 

[emroy]

Thank you for the help I will have to check the duplex settings. I am quite sure that the duplex settings on the 9300-ENA and PLC are set to auto negotiate but I will verify. And I am not remoting in, just on the local plant network, I expected a little slow down but it took a few minutes to upload a small program from the plc.

 

[The Plc Kid]

May I ask why you are using that device on your palnt network? is it a OEM machine where you can't change the IP address?

Also what plc are you using? That can make a difference in the way it's setup.

All port settings need to be the same from you laptop to the plc. That means every switch or routing device you go through from point to point.

If this is perhaps a 5/05 plc then there are settings that you can modify in RSLinx to make comms faster with this setup.

 

[emroy]

May I ask why you are using that device on your palnt network? is it a OEM machine where you can't change the IP address?

Also what plc are you using? That can make a difference in the way it's setup.

All port settings need to be the same from you laptop to the plc. That means every switch or routing device you go through from point to point.

If this is perhaps a 5/05 plc then there are settings that you can modify in RSLinx to make comms faster with this setup.

I am using this device to keep I/O off the plant network. And because we are using a CompactLogix L30ER controller we are unable to have two networks (plant and I/O) connected to the plc. So we use the 9300-ENA to only allow the plc to connect to the plant network.

I checked and the plc and point I/O are all set to full duplex and to auto negotiate. The 9300-ENA does not have any duplex or auto negotiate settings. IT is checking their switch to make sure it is set up correctly.

 

[Dzane2013]

I see that you posted originally in Sept 2012. Are you still having problems with upload speed?
When you connected direct to the ENA uplink port directly, you said that upload speed was good. But when you connected to your ENA via a network, an upload was slower. This tells me that the network was a factor.
I am using an ENA and uploads/downloads are fast and I am doing this over a network.

 

[emroy]

I think you are reading my join date, not the date this was posted.

Yes I am still having the same issues. The network switch appears to be set up properly and works with other plcs and computers. All I can think of is that there are some port settings or something along those lines that are not set up correctly.

If anyone has any ideas that would be great. I will continue to look for a solution and I will post an update if I fine anything.

Thanks again

 

[Helliana]

We just got one of these devices in ourselves to play with. They seem to be one of the only options now since the L4x series of CompactLogix doesn't support V21+. We have been playing with ours and noticed several odd behaviors. Best we can tell, the thing is magical.

Keep us posted on how things work out for you on this device.

 

[The Plc Kid]

We just got one of these devices in ourselves to play with. They seem to be one of the only options now since the L4x series of CompactLogix doesn't support V21+. We have been playing with ours and noticed several odd behaviors. Best we can tell, the thing is magical.

Keep us posted on how things work out for you on this device.

What does firmware rev have to do with IP Address? You are confusing this device with something else.

Install all the older revs when you install logix? Problem solved.

 

[Helliana]

What does firmware rev have to do with IP Address? You are confusing this device with something else.

Install all the older revs when you install logix? Problem solved.

We have been using L4x series of CompactLogix processors when we installed new controls so that we could have dual networks. Rockwell is now phasing out those models and none of the new models have dual network support, therefore you need to use the 9300-ENA if you want to have separate networks and use the new processors.

 

[The Plc Kid]

To be correct if you really need dual networks then you really should be using a control logix not compact. Compact is for small applications that don't need segregated networks.

The new compactlogix support unicast and won't allow the running out of connections issue if you follow the sizing guide based on nodes. With unicast on that small amout of nodes you don't need IO and drive separation. It's a waste of money in that case.

 

[The Plc Kid]

Also you really don't have dual networks if you are NAT translating back to the single subnet the compact logix is on. You still have a single network as far as packet traffic which is why you want dual networks in the first place.