VPN Access to ControlLogix Processors

[jkerekes]

I've been given VPN access to a customers network. On this network there are several L71 Processors and SE HMI computers. I can see the SE files on the computer and using VNC, I can see what the SE HMI is showing. But I can't get online with the processors. Linx doesn't connect. Network is Ethernet and the CLXs are using EN2Ts. I'm using a Windows 7 VM 32 bit on Fusion. I understand that there may be easier ways to do this, but this is what I have. What settings could there be that I might not have set correctly? Thanks.

 

[dcooper33]

Try checking which network adapter your Linx driver is using. Normally it's just set to 'Windows Default" and that's fine, but I've found with VM's that I sometimes manually have to point it at the adapter that is accessing the network be that NAT or bridged connection.

 

[jkerekes]

Yes, I made sure which adapter the driver was looking at. I tried both the Ethernet/IP and Ethernet drivers.

 

[bjh]

Can you ping the EN2T's after VPNing in? Sometimes the gateway address on them needs to be set to the correct router for the VPN to work correctly. Also, if you're lucky enough for the HMI computer to have RSLinx Gateway installed (long shot) you would be able to connect to the PLCs that way since that computer can obviously see everything.

 

[Paullys50]

My guess is that the PLC's don't have a gateway address configured.

 

[jkerekes]

Thanks. I'll need to check if its been configured.

 

[Ken Roach]

When I find users running VMWare on a Mac and complaining that the networking is hard to figure out, I grab their laptop and pound it on their knuckles.

Which never really hurts, because the damn things are so light.

 

[Ken Roach]

That being said:

It's possible that this is a problem with the default gateway on the 1756-EN2T modules. Maybe the VPN gives you an IP address that isn't on the same subnet as the -EN2T modules, so they need to be configured to talk via a router to your network.

The EtherNet/IP driver in RSLinx Classic uses a broadcast packet to browse. In general it does not work through a VPN, so use the Ethernet Devices driver and append ":EIP" to the IP address of the 1756-EN2T so that RSLinx Classic doesn't have to probe to figure out the protocol and device type.

When troubleshooting this sort of connectivity, my tools are, in order:

1. PING from the command line.
2. TCPing from the command line, using TCP Port 44818.
3. HTTP from a web browser, entering the IP address of the 1756-ENxT module.
4. Ethernet Devices driver in RSLinx Classic.

I've recently been using remote desktop services via GoToMyPC and TeamViewer, and I admit I'm very spoiled to have all the software tools and project files local to the control system. The onsite operators and I end up collaborating just by opening up a Notepad session and writing notes to one another.

 

[jkerekes]

Actually the Mac works quite well running VMWare better than the old Dell running Win 7. Networking works well too. VM is Win 7 running all the Rockwell software well. I don't believe Fusion is the issue.

 

[jkerekes]

OK. Last night I tried connecting again to the EN2T. No luck. I can connect tom the VersaView hosting SE fine and VNC works. The EN2T and the VersaView are both on the same network and are just one IP address different. will have some
One today ensure the gateway address is set. I can ping the VesaView but noth the EN2T.

 

[jkerekes]

Update. Adding the gateway address with the :EIP, did the trick. Thanks everyone. So much for a Mac running Fusion.

 

[Ken Roach]

Your knuckles are safe.... for now.

 

[Bering C Sparky]

Update. Adding the gateway address with the :EIP, did the trick. Thanks everyone. So much for a Mac running Fusion.

For those of us less experienced can you please elaborate more on the :EIP appended at the end of the address.

What is it?
Whats it do exactly?
Why does it do that?
Is there some referance material or book that can be aquired to pick up these tricks?

(perhaps tricks is not the right word, its not magic. Although when you are stuck the answer to the problem can often seem like it is)

Thanks in advance.
BCS

 

[RichMar]

Hello Everyone,

I've come across some difficulties in establishing a connection with RSLinx Classic to a 1769-L35E through a TeamViewer VPN.

I'm testing it with my company's 2 networks. I'm on the company's WLAN (which is the plan for future connections with clientes), and I have a pc on another one of the company's public wifi networks. The pc is connected directly to the plc on a LAN.

So I got the VPN going and I can ping both the remote pc and the plc using the LAN ip's, but can't get RSLinx to connect using the "Ethernet Drivers" with :EIP, which I learned from this forum (wouldn't ever have gotten there myself), but still didn't get it working?!

I've tried so many different ip addresses on the pc's LAN, I've dropped the firewalls on both pc's, I've tried from another public wifi network to my company's wifi network, in case the IT dept. has tcp ports blocked, but still I'm on a VPN so that wouldn't make much sense would it? I've reached the plc port 80 but can't reach port 44818 through a telnet connection. Does that mean anything? I can browse the plc on the pc connected to it but can't from mine.

Here are the network configs:

- My pc:
- WLAN ip: 192.168.6.127 (255.255.255.0)
- WLAN gateway: 192.168.6.20
- opened a route to the remote pc's entire LAN
(also tried a route directly to the plc)

- Remote pc:
- wifi ip: 192.168.2.6 (255.255.255.244)
- wifi gateway: 192.168.2.1
- LAN ip: 192.168.1.1 (255.255.255.0)
- ip routing enabled

- Remote plc:
- ip: 192.168.1.5 (255.255.255.0)
- default gateway: 192.168.1.1

Sorry for all the info guys, thought it could help...
Can anyone help me out please?
Thanks

 

[Plastic]

Use a different Linx Driver

When you are Local (in the same building) as the PLC, the RSLinx Ethernet /IP driver works great, it is a auto-browsing driver to discover nodes, and allows connection.

We have used VPN to connect to many remote customers PLCs. The easiest way to success for us, was to shutdown the Ethernet /IP driver.

When using VPN to talk to the PLCs remotely, we added, and ran a "ETHERNET DEVICES" driver (where you enter the TARGET NODE IP address). This works every time.