Remote Internet connection to PicoCOMA9X WEC2013, located by the customer

    Dear support Team,


    We use PicoCOMA9X with WEC2013.


    We already know the "Cerhost" / "Cerdisp" applications, we have already tested them previously on site and they work within our local network.

    But we must NOT use it in our local network, but we must access a machine that is already with the customer, using a PC from our office.


    In summary:

    • how can we connect using Cerhost / Cerdisp to a machine that is already at the customer with a PC from our network/Internet?

    • how to manage the PicoCOMA9X network connection to make sure that from the customer is recognized in our network?


    We currently have an ethernet socket on the device.


    Eventually, we can also consider other proposed solutions.


    Thanks.

    Hello,

    following idea:

    1. Connect PCA9X to the Default Gateway (Router) via VPN
    2. Configure Default Gateway for port forwarding to TCPIP port 987 (cerdisp) to the device IP

    Which kernel you are using at the time. Think you need kernel with VPN.


    EDIT: sorry think first step is not required - so it should work with your current Image.

    See post below router forwards the port thats enough.


    EDIT again: and sorry again, think to skip first step is not a good solution (for many reasons). We should use a kernel with VPN and setup a VPN connection to your companys Default Gateway. So which kernel you are using currently?

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

    Edited 3 times, last by fs-support_ZU ().

    Hallo again,

    >> We currently have an ethernet socket on the device. Eventually, we can also consider other proposed solutions.

    << Hm, when i connected with my PC from home via VPN to our company i can use e.g. Telnet to a WCE device without problems.

    So i assume applications port you use must be forwarded by the router, then it works.

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

    Good morning,


    Thanks for the info. Our kernel is v.1.30- Build Dec 18 2018.


    We have a question, if there are two or more devices on the same LAN, what happens?


    Furthermore, we need NOT to configure the router and to find some alternative solution.

    Available for any questions and clarifications.


    Thanks.

    Hello,


    >> We have a question, if there are two or more devices on the same LAN, what happens?

    << This should be no problem each device should have a unique IP in this LAN


    >> Furthermore, we need NOT to configure the router ...

    << But CERDisp uses port 987! Sorry if have no experience with Networks but i assume it is required - we should test it.

    So I suggest to provide you a kernel with VNP? Then you can connect the device from another LAN to your VPN server ... .


    >> ... to find some alternative solution

    << What's your purpose? Do you really need the UI? By default a web server is running on the device or you can use an "open" tcpip port for configuration purposes via VPN.

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

    Thanks for the answers.

    Meanwhile, it would be useful for us to be able to test the kernel with an integrated VPN connection.


    What interests us is to implement Internet of Things (IoT) in our devices and enter industry 4.0 (to provide remote support to customers).


    A remote access to the device such as CERDISP / CERHOST would be perfect for checking the "live" status of the device.

    In addition, also the ability to make updates to our applications on devices remotely.


    Is it possible using VPN?


    I hope it is useful and clear to you.

    Hello,


    all required features should be included into kernel XIPiMX6SX_C8E_V140_BETA_200902. Maybe already in your kernel you may easily check it.


    For VPN refer:

    Virtual Private Networking (Compact 2013)


    Maybe also a dial-up connection may be interessting for you? You can connect from the device via moden to your Service Provider:

    Dial-up Networking Reference (Compact 2013) this feature is inactive if key HKLM\extmodems does not exists!

    Sample refer GPRSTest.


    You are welcome back for any questions/issues - but please keep in mind that i also have to dig in the documentation.


    PS: there is an UI under Control Panel -> Dial-Up and Network Connections -> Make New Connection ...

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

    Edited once, last by fs-support_ZU ().

    Thanks for the info, we were able to connect using VPN.


    Further question about the vpn connection, how do you automatically connect the vpn at power on?

    Is there any documentation about it? (because I haven't found it)


    Thanks.

    Hello,


    according this article "Automatically connect to VPN on startup" you can use "RasDial" API.

    So for example RasEnumConnections should list you all your VPNs you created before ... and RasDial should do the connect.


    And according this article "How do I make a VPN connection automatically start" you can also use the Connection Manager API.


    Sounds not straightforward and it seems to be a bit of work but hope this helps you.


    PS: think first link is only useful if you are connected via a modem!

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

    Edited 4 times, last by fs-support_ZU ().

    Good morning team.


    I was able to connect the PicoCOMA9X to my VPN network when turned on.

    I used something different from what you indicated: the executable "rnaapp.exe".


    from the command line I use the following command:

    Code
    1. rnaapp -m -e"My Connection"


    and the device connects to the VPN (attempts to connect).

    The -m parameter is used to hide the connection prompt so that the user does not see it.

    the -e"Connection Name" parameter is used to indicate to the application which connection to start.


    Through a small application or a Batch, at power on you can start this command and connect to the VPN.


    One more question: How do I create my VPN connection using registers? (by entering the data of IP, DHCP, Connection Name, etc.)

    because until now I have worked on a connection created via the picoCOM using the display and keyboard on the device; we would like to automate its creation via a txt file to pass to ndcucfg.exe.

    Which registers need to be set up?


    Thanks.

    Hello,


    thank you for this information. Sounds very good and it seems you are almost finished!


    Unfortunately for the last step i can give you also only a hint but this may work faster as study the whole MS docs concering this issue. You can export the the registry you created "via the picoCOM using the display and keyboard" using the Remote Registry Editior. Afterwards you set the Registry to default and export it again. Now you can compare the two Registy using a tool like Winmerge or similar tool. By this procedure you can extract very fast the relvant VPN settings. If you doubt that a setting is relevant or not please come back i will check it.


    Thanks.

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

    Hi team,


    I will export the log and possibly report here on the forum which are the logs concerning the VPN settings.

    To supervise the status of your connections you indicated to implement Connection Manager.

    Unfortunately I noticed that this feature is based on a dll which is not present in my PicoCOMA9X, "CellCore.dll".


    Is it a resource you can implement? I have not found any reference to Connection Manager (ConnMgr.exe) or CellCore.dll related to WEC2013 on the internet.


    PS. I also tried to recompile the OpenNETCF dlls which should implement everything we need, but those libraries also rely on CellCore.dll.

    I found the solution to recompile OpenNetCF at this link .



    I'll briefly explain what we need to do about connections:

    We have 2 active connections, an ethernet LAN and a VPN; by code I have to check if the LAN is connected, then I have to check if the VPN is connected.


    I hope I have been clear in explaining the matter.


    Thanks for your help.

    Hello,


    SYSGEN_CONNMGR2 is included into your kernel. So I am quite sure you don't need "cellcore.dll". Include cmnet.h and link against cmnet.lib in your project (cmnet.dll is included into the image). Both files are part of SDK.


    I think i understand what you need, please check if the following link and sublinks include what you need (i did not check it in detail):

    Connection Manager (Compact 2013)


    PS:

    if any requirements force use of cellcore please come back i will provide you a beta image with cellcore than.


    PPS:

    Sorry i did not saw this "I also tried to recompile the OpenNETCF dlls which should implement everything we need, but those libraries also rely on CellCore.dll" while first read. I will provide you an image with cellcore for test today. But maybe you can also remove the cellcore stuff from the project?

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

    Edited 2 times, last by fs-support_ZU ().

    Hello,


    you can download "XIPiMX6SX_C8E_V140_SYSGEN_CELLCORE_TEST_BETA_210113" for test now (please refer also my previous post).

    I would try to remove cellcore stuff from the opennetcf project because run-time license tool says "Multiple license options depending on Cellcore usage. If you are enabling Voice then a General Run-time License is required"!

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.