This article helps you troubleshoot when you have trouble connecting to your machine. If you are unable to establish a VPN connection, please consult the following article instead: Troubleshooting - unable to establish a VPN connection.
To narrow down the possible causes, you'll first need to test if you can ping the machine.
If you already tested this, select the outcome of your test:
Can you ping the machine?
To narrow down the possible causes, you'll first need to test if you can ping the machine.
- Establish a VPN connection to your device.
- Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac, Linux).
- Ping the machine by executing: (replace <ip address> with your machine's IP address)
ping <ip address>
You can receive one of 2 responses.
If you get the following response:
Request timed out
Then you can not ping your machine. Proceed to: I can not ping the machine.
If instead you get the following response:
Reply from <ip address>
Then you can ping your machine. Proceed to: I can ping the machine.
I can not ping the machine
The StrideLinx router's LAN IP range needs to be different from your computer's
Make sure that the StrideLinx router's LAN IP range (e.g. 192.168.140) is different from that of your computer. You can ask your IT administrator for your computer's IP range or check this yourself by following these steps:
- Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac, Linux).
- View all your network configuration values by executing the following command line
- Windows:
ipconfig
- MacOS:
ifconfig
- Linux:
ip addr
- Windows:
If there is a conflict, you can choose to connect your computer to a different network (e.g. your mobile phone's Wi-Fi hotspot) or you can change the StrideLinx router's LAN IP range from within the StrideLinx Cloud (details here). Note that if you choose to change the StrideLinx router's LAN IP range, you also have to change the IP range of all connected devices.
The machine's IP range needs to be the same as the StrideLinx router's
Make sure that the machine's IP range (e.g. 192.168.140) is the same as the StrideLinx router's LAN IP range. You can change the StrideLinx router's LAN from within the StrideLinx Cloud Fleet Manager.
The machine's subnet mask needs to be the same as the StrideLinx router's
Make sure that the machine's subnet mask (e.g. 255.255.255.0) is the same as the StrideLinx router's LAN subnet mask. You can change the StrideLinx router's LAN from within the StrideLinx Cloud Fleet Manager.
The machine's full IP address needs to be unique
Make sure that the machine's full IP address (e.g. 192.168.140.10) is different from the StrideLinx router's LAN IP address and all other connected devices. You can change the StrideLinx router's LAN from within the StrideLinx Cloud Fleet Manager.
Source NAT needs to be on or the machine's default gateway needs to be set
Source NAT is on by default in the StrideLinx router, but can be turned off. Check whether it's turned on or off in the StrideLinx Cloud Fleet Manager, by selecting your device, and viewing its LAN network settings. If it's turned off, you can either turn it back on or you can configure your machine's default gateway and set it to the StrideLinx router's LAN IP address.
Problem solved?
Problem solved? Good! If not, please contact us.I can ping the machine
The StrideLinx router's LAN IP range needs to be different from your computer's
Make sure that the StrideLinx router's LAN IP range (e.g. 192.168.140) is different from that of your computer. You can ask your IT administrator for your computer's IP range or check this yourself by following these steps:
- Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac, Linux).
- View all your network configuration values by executing the following command line
- Windows:
ipconfig
- MacOS:
ifconfig
- Linux:
ip addr
- Windows:
If there is a conflict, you can choose to connect your computer to a different network (e.g. your mobile phone's Wi-Fi hotspot) or you can change the StrideLinx router's LAN IP range from within the StrideLinx Cloud (details here). Note that if you choose to change the StrideLinx router's LAN IP range, you also have to change the IP range of all connected devices.
Check the machine's IP address
Make sure that the IP address, that you are trying to connect with, is indeed that of the machine and not that of another device in the machine network.
Consult our connection guides
CODESYS
If you're able to ping your machine and you're sure that the IP address is correct, If CODESYS is unable to find your device: but you are still unable to connect to your machine, then please consult our connection guides in the left menu as specific steps may be necessary in the software that you are using.
- Try the steps in the CODESYS guide.
- Check the steps listed in the beginning of this chapter.
- Make sure you are using CODESYS V3.5 SP12 or higher. This version contains a bug fix related to remote connectivity, like over a VPN connection.
- If you cannot update your CODESYS, update the CODESYS Gateway instead. This will contain the same bug fix.
- Make sure that software on your computer (firewall or antivirus) is not blocking any communication. You can verify this by temporarily disabling this software and trying to connect again.
Allen-Bradley - RSLinx Classic / FactoryTalk Linx
If RSLinx Classic or FactoryTalk Linx is unable to find your device:
- Try the steps in the Allen-Bradley guide.
- Check the steps listed in the beginning of this chapter.
- Make sure that the machine's subnet mask (e.g. 255.255.255.0) is the same as the StrideLinx router's LAN subnet mask, visible at Fleet Manager > Devices > Your device > Network > LAN.
- Make sure that firewall software on your computer, like Windows Firewall, is not blocking the PLC's response.
- Windows considers the VPN connection to be an unknown network and therefore treats it like a public network. The automated firewall rule by RSLinx Classic and FactoryTalk Linx does not apply to public networks. Therefore the PLC's response gets blocked by Windows Firewall. Solution: add Public in the RSLinx.exe UDP protocol firewall rules.
- Windows considers the VPN connection to be an unknown network and therefore treats it like a public network. The automated firewall rule by RSLinx Classic and FactoryTalk Linx does not apply to public networks. Therefore the PLC's response gets blocked by Windows Firewall. Solution: add Public in the RSLinx.exe UDP protocol firewall rules.
Mitsubishi - GX Works
If you can't connect using GX Works2 or GX Works3:
- Try the steps in the Mitsubishi guide.
- Check the steps listed in the beginning of this chapter.
- In GX Works, make sure that you have a Melsoft Connection Module for each Mitsubishi device (e.g. 1x HMI and 1x PLC = 2x Melsoft Connection Module).
Omron - CX-Designer
If CX-Designer is unable to find your device:
- Try the steps in the Omron guide.
- Check the steps listed in the beginning of this chapter.
- If in CX-Designer you get error "Failed to process CX Server (05) , (0018)", restart CX-Designer or restart your computer entirely and try again.
Siemens - TIA Portal
If TIA Portal is unable to find your device:
- Try the steps in the Siemens guide.
- Check the steps listed in the beginning of this chapter.
- Make sure your StrideLinx router is running firmware version 2.9 or higher (StrideLinx router2) or version 3.4 or higher (StrideLinx router3).
- Make sure that the machine's subnet mask (e.g. 255.255.255.0) is the same as the StrideLinx router's LAN subnet mask, visible at Fleet Manager > Devices > Your device > Network > LAN.
- Disable and re-enable the "TAP-Windows adapter"-network adapter and try again.
Problem solved?
Problem solved? Good! If not, please contact us.