Netedit not seeing my ecoms

[PLCGuy]

In DirectSoft I can setup links to see ECOMS at another facility. In Netedit I can only see the ecoms on the network the program is installed on. I can not look at ecoms at our other facility.  DirectSoft can look over the network into another network and I can do my programming. So what I am asking is, can you have NetEdit look for ecoms on other networks?

[BobO]

Yes and no.

NetEdit queries for installed devices using a UDP/IP broadcast and broadcasts don't cross routers. DirectSoft also does when looking for unknown devices, but creates programming sessions using point-to-point addressing.

For NetEdit to configure an unconfigured device, it must use a broadcast. More specifically, we use a proprietary mechanism we refer to as an "addressed broadcast". The bottom line is that NetEdit and DirectSoft have different functions and behave differently by design.

That said, it would be possible to create a point-to-point connection from NetEdit...but doing so would make it possible to de-configure your device remotely, and leave you unable to reconnect. While most folks needing a remote tweek of ECOM settings would be willing to risk it, I am quite sure that Host's and AutomationDirect's technical support folks would frown upon giving such a nice length of rope to the customer base.

Alternately, the ECOM100 has a web interface that allows you to do many of the same things that NetEdit can do, and I'm pretty sure it will work just fine remotely.

[PLCGuy]

I used the onboad web page built into the ECOM100 using a browser, but I can not do any firmware or booter updates. It only has the basics on it like IP address, description, etc.

[BobO]

Yep...you can do many things via the web interface, but not all. The web interface is simply not stable enough to do things like firmware update, and there are a variety of other technical reasons that I won't go into. That would be equally true from NetEdit.

Remote access really needs to be limited to checking device health and minor settings changes. It's just safer that way.

[jsatkanpak]

Keep an inexpensive PC set up at the remote site with NetEdit and/or DirectSoft loaded on it.  Then use something like VNC to remote control that PC over the Internet through a VPN connection.  We do it ALL the time.  I've been able to troubleshoot and/or make changes using either my Pocket PC cell phone or laptop from halfway around the world this way and it's a life SAVER.  GoToMyPC would work as well, if your IT staff would allow it.

Until/unless a change is made by Host, this will always be a problem for those of us who have multiple sites to manage, but there are good reasons for Host's reluctance.  At least there are solutions.

[watertech2]

It looks like it has been a while since anybody has posted anything, but we also have the same problem with not seeing past switches.  Could somebody point me toward the instructions on how to set up the ECOM-100 web page?

[PLCGuy]

This maybe along the same lines. Why does Netedit3 work differently on a wireless network, and a wired network? I run netedit3 on a wired network and I see the ecoms. If i run it on my wireless, I can not see the ecom card. What is going on?

[BobO]

A guess would be that the wireless switch is also acting as a router and not passing broadcast packets. NetEdit uses broadcasts as an integral part of setting up otherwise unconfigured ethernet devices...otherwise you could never see a device with no IP address unless you were running a DHCP server and the devices supported DHCP address assignment.

But that's just a guess...