Since 2006, the unique Talk2M service has been meeting the expectations of machine builders, system integrators and OEMs who want to access their machines remotely in an easy, secure way. Over the years, the Talk2M has become more than a cloud solution for remote access to machines. It has evolved into a fundamental link in the Industrial IoT value chain. Software teams also take advantage of the Talk2M platform to securely retrieve data from the field, developing applications which add value to the data. With well-defined operational services to manage accounts and devices, the Talk2M is the best choice for your remote solution.
Convenient Preparation
Before a machine is shipped to the factory for the end customer, there are many unknowns. By using the Remote Access FAQ, factory owners understand what is necessary to ensure a successful installation. Furthermore, for on-site testing, you can utilise the Talk2M Connection Checker to get live diagnostics of your connectivity potential with the Talk2M. Possible firewall issues or proxy requirements are immediately identified as action points.
Easy Configuration
When it comes to setting up your Ewon router, the free-of-charge VPN client, the eCatcher, allows you to configure the router without ever making a local connection. By using the USB wizard, you can get your router registered into your Ewon account in less than 5 minutes.
Successful Installation
Once your machine has been installed in the factory, you want to ensure that you can reliably make remote connections at the request of your customer. There is usually some additional integration work to be done in order to meet customer deadlines. Thanks to the Talk2M and the free-of-charge VPN client, concerns of network overlap issues and IP conflicts are a thing of the past. You can now simply log in to your account and connect to your device!
To remotely access their PLCs and other industrial devices, machine builders and system integrators used to use dial-up connection via a modem. If they were lucky, their customer's network administrator would provide them with a public IP address, meaning that they could remotely monitor their machines via the Internet. Today customers are putting more and more pressure on suppliers to start troubleshooting as soon as a machine breakdown occurs and take immediate action by travelling to the customer's shop floor to solve the problem. These situations often require unexpected, costly interventions.
The Internet provides exciting opportunities for all kinds of users. You can call a friend who lives in the US or control a colleague's mouse on their computer screen in Australia – without paying a cent. Likewise, the Talk2M service offers the same benefits. It enables you to monitor a PLC controller on the other side of the world, remotely debug a PLC program, perform maintenance or add a new function to your project.
The Talk2M is an internet service that runs on a web server abroad. This server establishes and maintains connection between a remote Ewon on the shop floor and the computer that you use to connect to this Ewon. The connection is secure, bidirectional VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection.
Simply put, you install an Ewon modem on your customer's shop floor and set it so that is can connect to the Talk2M server. Then the Ewon connects to the Talk2M server. We are talking about outbound communication here, using HTTPS and frequently used (open) ports. You then log in to the Talk2M (as a user), choose the Ewon that you want to connect to and connect to it. At that moment, a secure connection is established between you and the Ewon modem.
For you to be able to start using the Talk2M service, you have to install the free eCatcher client software on any PC with the Windows operating system. This takes about 5 minutes. Then you need another 5 minutes to run the configuration wizard for connecting your Ewon to the Talk2M. When your Ewon has been set and the connection tested, you can connect to the remote device(s) behind the Ewon in the same way as you would via dial-up connection.
Currently, there are over 30 Talk2M servers that users and Ewons connect to. European users connect to their Ewons via the server in Europe.
The Talk2M and Ewon represent a simple, affordable solution for monitoring and maintaining industrial assets across the globe. To install the client software, obtain certificates and keys and launch the Ewon configuration wizard, you need only 5 minutes.
Your computer communicates with your remote Ewon modem via secure VPN connection. The Talk2M relies on a layered security approach. The VPN security model uses SSL/TLS for session authentication and the IPSec ESP protocol for secure tunnel transport over UDP. It supports the X509 public key infrastructure (PKI) for session authentication, the TLS protocol for key exchange, the cipher-independent EVP interface (DES, 3DES, AES, BF) for encrypting tunnelled data, and the HMAC-SHA1 algorithm for authenticating tunnelled data.
The Talk2M Free+ enables one user to connect to one Ewon modem – free of charge. If you have several engineers in your company who need to remotely connect to Ewon modems, the engineer who is connected to the Talk2M first has to disconnect before another engineer can connect to this service. There is no limit to the number of Ewon modems on your Talk2M account. If you would like multiple engineers to be able to simultaneously connect to a PLC (e.g. one engineer in your office and another one abroad), you need the paid Talk2M version, the Talk2M Pro. The Talk2M Pro allows multiple users to connect to multiple Ewon modems at the same time.
Talk2M – Setting Ports
|