The VPN connection enables you to access your PLC, HMI, and other devices as if you are on-site. The VPN connection between your computer and the x500 IoT gateway can be seen as two seperate VPN connections:
- Computer to X4 remote
- x500 IoT gateway to X4 remote
The x500 IoT gateway’s VPN connection (x500 IoT gateway to X4 remote) is, by default, always enabled. However, you can disable it for moments you don’t need it and then enable it again for moments you do need it.
Disabling the VPN connection reduces the x500 IoT gateway’s data consumption. By default the x500 IoT gateway consumes little under 200 MB over a month to maintain a secure VPN connection. When you turn off this VPN connection, its data consumption is reduced to around 15 MB.
You can toggle the VPN connection in two different ways:
Online, via X4 remote
You can easily disable and enable an x500 IoT gateway’s VPN connection via X4 remote.
- Go to [Devices]
in the main menu, select the concerning device
, press […]
in the VPN section, and select [Edit VPN access]
.
- Toggle [Use VPN] and press [Confirm].
Offline, via digital input
It may be desirable for the end user to have local control over the VPN connection. This is possible with using the digital input (DI) on the x500 IoT gateway, which enables you to locally disable/enable the VPN connection with the use of a switch (giving a high/low signal to the DI).
Electrical details
The GND from the power supply is used as common ground.
| Type | Optocoupler |
|---|---|
| DI voltage range | 0-29 VDC |
| DI OFF state voltage range | 0-3 VDC |
| DI ON state voltage range | 7-29 VDC |
| DI ON state current range | 2-5 mA (typically) |
Configuration
The digital input is a configurable feature when you are creating a WAN configuration file, accessible via the [Tools] page. If you haven’t created a WAN configuration file before, view our getting started guide and apply the intermediate steps explained below.
- Press [Show more]
in the top right of the WAN page, as is depicted below.
- At the “digital input” setting you have the option to disable the VPN connection when the digital input is either high or low.
- Press [Next], proceed through the steps and download the configuration file at the final step. Place the file in the root directory of the USB flash drive, not in a folder, and insert the USB flash drive in the x500 IoT gateway.