Utilizing the Internet for remote commissioning provides convenience while saving time and money. Contemporary Controls' EIGR-VB Gigabit IP router can be configured as a wired bridge VPN server for single-site, remote access solutions. With this configuration, users set up and maintain their own secure remote access without subscription fees and without the need for a cloud-based VPN server.
A simple VPN can exist between two end points, called a VPN tunnel, between a client and a server. One end point (client) is you at your office, and the other (server) is at the remote job site. Communication is encrypted, and only authorized devices can communicate over the VPN.
Operating in OpenVPN server mode, the EIGR-VB supports bridge mode where up to 10 VPN clients (Windows/Linux PCs) are bridged to the router's LAN side and assigned an IP address from the LAN subnet. This provides the same application experience as if the client devices were part of the EIGR-VB's LAN and allows passage of multicast and broadcast messages through the VPN tunnel without the need for a BACnet/IP Broadcast Management Device (BBMD).
Although the EIGR-VB has many of the same features found in high-end routers, it is simpler to install and commission. A resident DHCP server on the LAN-side will provide IP addresses to LAN-side clients, while a DHCP client on the WAN-side will accept IP address assignments from the attached network. Static addressing is accommodated as well. Configuration is via a web browser using authentication.
Any Windows or Linux PC can run the open-source OpenVPN client software. Though OpenVPN client software is available from the Google Store for Android devices and App Store for iOS, it doesn't support TAP adapter required for bridge mode. For PCs, OpenVPN Version 2.x is required which corresponds to OpenVPN GUI on Windows. OpenVPN Connect (version 3.x) is not supported with BridgeVPN as it doesn't support the TAP adapter.
Model | Description | ||
EIGR-VB | Skorpion GigE IP Router with Bridge VPN 0 to 60°C | $549 |