Send data logs From siemens HMI to Windows based Computer using a shared folder

Ewon Support eWON Cosy
, , , ,
#1

Hello,
I don’t know if this question has been asked previously if so please redirect me to the solution.
For a client we have to setup a form of data logging. We are using a WINCE based panel (TPComfort siemens) so far I have managed to acces a shared windows 10 folder on the comfort panel by adding a WINS address to the comfort panel that’s the same as the PC’s IP4 address. This way I can save my log files from the panel directly to that folder.

The issue is that our client is a company divided in two location one in Latvia and one in the Netherlands. To enable remote assistance we choose to go for an EwOn. the problem i face now is E-catcher gives us an IP4 adress in the range of 10.219.12.xxx while the machine network is in the range of 172.19.41.xx.

Now i tried wan IP forwarding in the cosy by adding an address in the range of the machine network that has not been used lets call this 172.19.41.66 and adding an wan address for the IP4 of my pc 10.219.12.107 but this didn’t work i could not ping 172.19.41.66 from the command line while my pc was connected also the shared folder did not show up which makes sense if you can’t ping the PC on which it is on.

So my question is as followes:
Is it possible to ensure a connection between the machine network and the Lan network on the PC and share files through a shared folder in explorer while the IP adresses are not in the same range?

#2

The 10.219.12.xxx is the VPN address. When you connect to the VPN using eCatcher (the VPN client), it will add a route on your PC to the Ewon’s LAN (machine network).

This should be possible, but I’m not sure I understand what you mean by “the LAN network on the PC”. Is this the same network that the PC uses for internet access? If so, the answer is yes. If this is another network that the PC is connected to than it’s more complicated. Can you clarify, possibly provide a network diagram for reference? I’m not sure if you are referring to the PC with eCatcher installed on it, or another PC.

#4

Hello Kyle,
First I want tot thank you for the quick response. Second I hope the network diagram provided is sufficient.

Network diagram
Network diagram1573×991 138 KB

#5

OK, thank you for this clarification. Since eCatcher is installed on the PC in question, my statement above is correct:

Therefore you do not need to do any IP forwarding. Just use the IP address of the panel on the machine network.

#6

Kyle,

The problem is that I have to communicate from the machine network to the PC not the other way around I have to be able to ping the PC from the machine network and also access a shared folder on my PC from my panel.

Greetings,

Roel

#7

Gotcha – in that case you need to enable NAT on VPN and you’ll be able to ping the PC’s VPN address.

Go to Setup > System > Storage > Edit COM cfg and change ‘NATitf’ to 1. You will have to reboot the Ewon and disconnect and reconnect the PC through eCatcher.

#8

Good morning Kyle,

So I changed the NATitf to 1 rebooted the ewon through the web interface. disconnected via ecatcher and waited for the ewon to reboot. after rebooting i was unable to ping the PC from the comfort panel. the strange thing was i also wasnt able to ping the panel from the pc which was possible before. Did i do something wrong?

Greetings,
Roel

#9

Is the default gateway on the Windows PC set to the Ewon’s LAN address?

#10

I tried setting the default gateway of the IP4connection to the Lan IP address of the ewon
image

image
image965×100 3.02 KB

I still wasn’t able to ping the panel from the PC.

#11

Something else must be wrong in the settings. Can you please use eBuddy to maek a backup of the Ewon. Make sure to check the box for “Include Support Files”. Thank you.

#12

Kyle,
In the attachement you will find the .TAR file.

MOVED TO STAFF NOTE (69.5 KB)

Kind regards,

Roel van Laar

#14

I don’t see anything wrong with the settings so far, but something that I have observed is that if my PC on the Ewon’s LAN (like your panel) has more than one network adapter, it will not always know the route to 10.219.12.xxx (the VPN IP of the PC using eCatcher). If I disable the other adapter it will work. If you need to use both adapters, you will need to create a static route, for example:

route -p add 10.219.12.0 mask 255.255.255.0 172.19.41.71

Where 10.219.12.0 is the VPN subnet and 172.19.41.71 is the PC’s LAN address (in your case the Comfort panel).

Also, keep in mind you need to use the other PC’s VPN address (it’s eCatcher address).

I would recommend adding the static route whether or not you have another network adapter on the Comfort panel.

#15

Kyle,

We figured it out. For some reason in our normal programs even the ones that are connected through an EwOn we do not configure a Gateway in our panels. While using your expertise I got a connection to the panel with the adjustments we made in the EwOn.
After this success I had to replicate all the steps to make a document for the rest of our engineers. Whilst making the document I resetted the EwOn complete data wipe. After configuring the EwOn as we do standard so without using the NATITF setting, and adding the EwOn Lan IP address to the gateway settings of the Panel and PLC I could ping both PC->Panel and Panel->PC. I could even use the TAP VPN Subnet address in the panel to ping the PC.

So in the end we don’t have to make a route or stray from our standard settings in the EwOn all we had to do is configure the Panel in a way it used the EwOn as a Gateway.

Thanks for all your help!

Kind regards,

Roel van Laar

#16

Great! Thanks for the update!

#17

Hi,

Might sound strange but can I get the document which you’ve prepared.

I too have a similar case here but I need just to create shared folder of PC in Comfort Panel for data sharing and also to configure it as an NTP slave.

Thanks in advance.

Br,
Manohar Kumar

#18

Mr Kumar,

I have no problem with sharing this information. Ill have to ask my superiors if I can share this document. And the document is in Dutch so you’ll have to translate it to English yourself.

Gr,

Ing. Roel van Laar