Remote access is the ability to access a controller or a network remotely through a network connection. Remote access enables users to access the systems they need when they are not physically able to connect directly; in other words, users access systems remotely by using a internet connection.
Automation companies make use of remote access to connect to their customer's production network/PLCs from remote locations to help them resolve issues with their production.
There are two main operations which Remote Access is used for
- First one is controlling remote I/O on Ethernet based protocols like EtherNet/IP, ProfiNet, or Modbus/TCP (UDP) and others.
- Second is to program and/or debug the internal program of the controller. With these features, and utilizing the Ethernet’s other services such as a web and ftp server, remote administration of a control process becomes possible.