The information provided is for help with Commtest Instruments products:
QUESTION
I want to connect to a vbOnline device at a remote site. What connection options do I have?
ANSWER
There are currently several options for remote monitoring of vbOnline devices with more under development.
Off-the-shelf WiFi devices can be used to create short-haul wireless links (generally up to a few hundred metres or so, depending on equipment used and obstacles in the path of the link). The wireless link can be between two LANs, or the operator PC and/or vbOnline device can be connected directly to their respective bridges with crossover cables.
If your company has a dedicated WAN with a static IP addressing scheme that spans the operator and remote sites this may be used to link the operator PC with the vbOnline devices. A dedicated WAN will typically use media such as Frame Relay, ISDN or a permanent satellite circuit. Care should be taken to ensure each vbOnline device is configured with a valid IP address and the correct subnet for the network.
If the vbOnline device communicates with the operator PC through the Internet, the IP address of the gateway through which the data must pass will almost certainly be dynamically assigned and therefore will be subject to change without warning. Since the operator PC must have an address to talk to the vbOnline device the device LAN gateway must make use of a Dynamic DNS service (such as NoIP or EasyDNS). This in turn means that such a gateway needs to be either a PC configured as a router running a DDNS client, or a DDNS-capable router such as the D-Link DI-604. The operator will then have a fixed, fully qualified domain name to use to communicate with the vbOnline device.
Note: This configuration makes use of port forwarding, a technique whereby traffic delivered to the router WAN interface on a particular port is forwarded to an internal IP address (in this case the vbOnline device). This functionality is built into the router but can only provide service for a single online device.
If there are multiple vbOnline devices at the remote site, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) must be used. A VPN server provides a secure traffic 'tunnel' from the Ascent PC to the internal router network, effectively making the Ascent PC part of the internal network. This allows the vbOnline devices to be addressed by their internal IP addresses, which are normally 'hidden' by the router. The router must support VPN Passthrough to allow the VPN traffic to reach the VPN server.
We encourage customers to indicate their interest in alternative connection technologies. Additional connection options, such as GPRS and CDMA modems, will be supported based on customer demand. To register your interest please contact Commtest Support.
FAQ ID: 13817 Last Reviewed: 20/09/2005