Remote service for machine builders

Remote access to the PLC, without your customer's network.

Almost every machine builder wants to offer remote service. The hard part is rarely the machine itself, but the route to it. Below we compare the common approaches.

See if LugBox fits Compare the approaches

Why remote access through the customer network often gets stuck

The obvious route is to connect the machine to the end customer's network and log in through their VPN. In practice, machine builders run into the same problems every time.

Every customer is different. One customer has a VPN client, the next a jump host or a remote desktop tool. Your engineers need different accounts, tokens and instructions for each customer.

IT decides, not you. For the IT department, a machine on the company network is a risk. Understandable. But it means waiting for approval, firewall rules and passwords that expire.

It does not work when it has to. Access that has not been used for months turns out to be broken when there is a fault. So an engineer drives out anyway.

That is why more and more machine builders choose their own connection to the machine: a 4G router or industrial 4G gateway in the control cabinet.

Three ways to reach your machine remotely

Every approach works. The question is who arranges it, and how much work it takes per machine.

Topic	Through your customer's network	Own 4G router, self-managed	LugBox
Approval from customer IT	Needed, per customer	Usually not needed	Not needed
Settings per customer	Different for every customer	Maintain yourself per router	The same for every machine
SIM, data and contracts	n/a	Arrange yourself	Arranged by us
Updates and security	Depends on the customer	Do it yourself, often doesn't happen	By us, remotely
VPN platform	The customer's	Set up and maintain yourself	Included
Costs	Many hours, unpredictable	Hardware plus your own hours	Fixed price per machine

Approval from customer IT

Through your customer's network: Needed, per customer
Own 4G router, self-managed: Usually not needed
LugBox: Not needed

Settings per customer

Through your customer's network: Different for every customer
Own 4G router, self-managed: Maintain yourself per router
LugBox: The same for every machine

SIM, data and contracts

Through your customer's network: n/a
Own 4G router, self-managed: Arrange yourself
LugBox: Arranged by us

Updates and security

Through your customer's network: Depends on the customer
Own 4G router, self-managed: Do it yourself, often doesn't happen
LugBox: By us, remotely

VPN platform

Through your customer's network: The customer's
Own 4G router, self-managed: Set up and maintain yourself
LugBox: Included

Costs

Through your customer's network: Many hours, unpredictable
Own 4G router, self-managed: Hardware plus your own hours
LugBox: Fixed price per machine

What to look for in an industrial 4G gateway

Going for your own connection? These are the questions we would ask a supplier ourselves.

Is the connection outbound only from the machine? Then no ports are open to the internet.
Can you grant and revoke access per engineer? One shared password for all machines is asking for trouble.
Who does the updates? A gateway that is never updated becomes the risk itself after a few years.
Who keeps track of the SIM and data usage? Separate subscriptions per machine quickly get out of hand.
Is the configuration the same on every machine? That saves your engineers searching and documenting.
Where is the management platform hosted? Where possible, we choose European suppliers and hosting.
What does it cost per machine, per month? A fixed price is easier to pass on in your service contract.

How it works with LugBox

Step 1: LugBox in the control cabinet

Delivered configured, on the DIN rail.
Step 2: Ethernet to the controller

PLC, HMI or IPC on the machine network.
Step 3: Connection over 4G

Own SIM, separate from the customer network.
Step 4: Connect securely

Your engineer works with their own software.

Questions about remote service

Can I read a PLC remotely over 4G?

Yes. With a 4G gateway in the control cabinet the machine has its own connection. You connect to the machine network through an encrypted tunnel and read the PLC with your usual engineering software.

What is the difference between a 4G router and LugBox?

You buy and manage a 4G router yourself: SIM, VPN, updates and passwords. LugBox is the same kind of hardware, but delivered as a service. We take care of the connection, management and updates.

Is remote access to a PLC secure?

That depends on the setup. What matters are outbound-only connections, encryption, per-person access and up-to-date software. A shared password and an open port are not.

Does this work with my controller?

LugBox carries IP traffic from your engineer to the machine network. Engineering software that talks to the controller over Ethernet therefore works as it does on site. Unsure about a specific brand or protocol? Ask us.

What does remote service cost per machine?

With LugBox you pay a one-off amount for hardware and setup, then a fixed monthly fee. No hourly rate. See the prices on the LugBox page.

See if LugBox fits your machine.

You don't have to convert your whole fleet. Start with the machine that causes the most hassle today.

Discuss your application View LugBox

1
We discuss your machine and controller. Half an hour, by phone or on site.
2
You receive a LugBox that is already configured for your machine.
3
Your own engineer installs it and connects Ethernet.
4
We test the first connection together. If you like it, you roll out further.