VPN Access to ControlLogix Processors

[ASF]

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.

Remind me to keep my knuckles away from you although I'd probably be safe, I've found the networking to be a breeze so you wouldn't likely find me complaining about it

I run the exact same setup and had one of the CLX's on the remote network randomly stop talking via VPN recently. Turns out the refrigeration guys had decided to spend thousands of dollars putting in a wireless modem so they could remotely access their plant, and had changed the gateway address to their router. I rang them up and explained that they'd wasted all that money, gave them the VPN details, they changed the gateway back and all good again!

 

[The Plc Kid]

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.

That's because the Ethernet / IP Driver uses broadcast to discover nodes and most firewalls will not allow broadcast traffic to traverse the VPN without a lot of extra work if at all depending on the firewall and or VPN Method ( Hardware or Software)so the Ethernet /IP driver never discovers the nodes.

When you use the Ethernet Devices driver there is no need for Node discovery as you have to pu them into the node list when configuring the driver.

 

[JonAW]

most firewalls will not allow broadcast traffic to traverse the VPN without a lot of extra work

I recently setup a computer inside a network use Teamviewer to service the plc. I found I had to add teamviewer to the firewall exceptions as I could establish a connection to the computer but I couldn't ping any other items on the network. Allowing a firewall exception enables RSlinx to establish a connection.

 

[Geospark]

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?...

BCS,

Better late than never...

562990 - RSLinx Classic Ethernet/IP vs. CSPv4
Access Level: TechConnect

Regards
George