Control Network Newsletter
BridgeVPN Facilitates Secure Remote Communications for Single-Site Access
Contemporary Controls' BridgeVPN solution provides secure remote access using the Internet to communicate with the client at a single location without subscription fees or cloud service requirements. Systems integrators can access remote equipment as if they were physically onsite without having to learn the complexities of setting up a VPN.
BridgeVPN utilizes Contemporary Controls' wired EIGR-VB or cellular EIGR-C3 IP routers set to OpenVPN server mode and connected to the Internet. The routers support up to 10 VPN clients on Windows and Linux PCs which can run the free, open-source OpenVPN client software.
These clients provide easy access to BMS equipment at the job site over the Internet for programming, maintenance, or troubleshooting without having to go to the job site.
VPNs typically involve routing over different subnets, but BridgeVPN simplifies setup by using bridge mode with the same subnet. Then, VPN clients are bridged to the router's local-area network (LAN) side and assigned an IP address from the LAN subnet which provides the same application experience as if the client devices were part of the router's LAN.
BridgeVPN allows passage of multicast and broadcast messages through the secure VPN tunnel which mitigates the need for a BACnet/IP Broadcast Management Device (BBMD) for access to BACnet systems. The PC can easily run BACnet client applications to discover and communicate with BACnet devices at the remote site.
Although the Skorpion routers have many of the same features found in high-end routers, they are simpler to install and commission. A resident DHCP server on the LAN side, a DHCP client on the wide-area network (WAN) side, and Static IP addressing is supported. Configuration is performed from a web browser using the router's built-in webpage interface.
For more information, visit our BridgeVPN product page.