Question How to control Siemens LOGO PLC through mobile network (4G, 5G...)?

[p247]

Hello everyone

I’m currently working on a project to control a Siemens PLC using my smartphone, connected to a mobile network. The PLC is a Siemens LOGO. For those who don't know it, it can be controlled using a website that’s created in a program called ‘LOGO web editor’. You can then connect the PLC to your computer using an ethernet cable, such that the PLC has access to the same wireless network as your PC (so that's wifi). If you then enter the PLC’s IP address into your browser search bar, you can go to the website you created and control the PLC.

So basically, the manufacturer’s idea is for you to control the PLC from your web browser using a wireless network, so just your home- or company wifi. But as I said, what I need to do is control it through a mobile network (4G, perhaps 5G…).

I’ve only just gotten into exploring the basic concepts of networking (gates, switches, IP-addresses, subnetting, port-forwarding, etc). I’m looking for someone to help me on my way to explore this solution. So, could someone point out what I’d need to know or try to get something like this to work? Because honestly, I don’t even know where to begin.


Note: I know Siemens itself has a module to control the PLC through a mobile network, but that's not what I'm looking for!!

 

[In2Photos]

The web browser is only available if you are on the local network (LAN via WiFi). When you use the mobile network you are no longer on the local network (LAN), but instead you are on the wide area network (WAN). So your PLC is not accessible outside of the LAN. In order to access it you would need to have a device that is connected to the WAN (i.e. router) and would forward your requests to the PLC. You would access the web browser using the public IP address of the router instead of the PLC. In my line of work we use cellular modems to connect to IEDs in the field this way.

Alternatively you could install something like Team Viewer (remote desktop software) on a PC on the same network as the PLC and remote into that PC and use a web browser to access the PLC.