I am attempting to connect a Siemens PLC from a different state to my ignition server so that it will display its data in my project. To my knowledge I need to have the PLC connected to a network, and I would need my ignition server to read both of those IP addresses. What do I need to make this work. I have not done this before. Will I need port forwarding? VPN's? Everything I read about remote connection seems to be related to pulling up the client on a laptop that is remote, but for this case I need to pull PLC data from another state into my local ignition server. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Use a VPN. With a VPN, your PLC and Ignition can talk to each other similar to the behavior when in the same plant, but with more latency.
It isn't safe to expose PLCs to the internet.
That reminds me...time to do my periodic Shodan export of exposed AB PLCs. I actually found a customer of ours on it once, and they were happy I found it and closed it down pretty quickly. (Turns out it was a firewall misconfiguration - not sure how it even got put in a rule list in the first place, but suspect it was a 3rd party doing it for convenience).
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Thank you! Would that mean I would need an offsite PC connected to the offsite PLC, with the offsite PC having a VPN that is connected to my local IP address? Then would I have to ensure the offsite PLC's IP address is not one I am already using at my local site? Is there anything else I should consider? I appreciate the assistance.
The other site's VPN endpoint doesn't have to be a PC. Many small devices are available that can provide VPN functionality. (PhoenixContact MGuard, EWon, among others.)