PLC Connection Using Host Name instead of IP Address

Ignition
1

Hello. I have a CompactLogix PLC that is going to be on a portable test skid. It will be plugged into the network wherever it happens to be at any given time. The consequence of that is that it will bounce between subnets and have a dynamically assigned IP address. I have always used IP address when setting up a PLC connection in Ignition.

I tried connecting to a test PLC using its host name instead of IP address but didn’t have any success. Has anyone make a PLC connection like this before?

Thanks for the help!

2

I think that’s only for database connections, etc, not PLC drivers.

I’ve never used a NATR, but that or a router, upstream from the PLC, as part of the skid, with a static IP, handing out the DHCP to the PLC. Hit the static of the NATR/router and internally forward to the PLC.

3

Hostnames will only work if you have set them up in your on site DNS server, I don’t think I’ve ever seen mDNS on a Rockwell product. You would be better off setting up a static dhcp address instead.

4

Many DHCP server setups will report new hosts by name to local DNS. Your setup must do this.

(I highly recommend using host names for all connections in Ignition.)

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5

While using hostnames is ideal, many of us work in environments where we don't have access to the corporate IT network or DNS configuration. In those cases, a great workaround is to use the local hosts file on the Ignition Gateway server.

By mapping your PLCs to hostnames locally, you consolidate all your IP management into one file. If a PLC's IP address needs to change in the future, you only update it in that one file—Ignition never 'sees' the change because the hostname remains the same. This gives you the flexibility of hostnames without needing IT to modify the DNS server for every industrial device.

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