Helmholz REX 300 User manual

Quick Start Guide REX300
www.helmholz.com
Version
11 en from FW 3.6

Quick Start Guide REX 3002
Before getting started:
The new CTM function is supported starting with device rmware v.3.4.1 and shDIALUP v.3 (for more information, please go to page 9).
We recommend using the myREX24 mediation server, as this will only require an outgoing connection from your control center and another one from the remote control network (end
customer). In addition, myREX24 will make it much easier to manage your remote servicing connections (please read page 3 for myREX24).
Content
1. Introduction 3
2. Preparing the REX 300 unit 3
3. Creating a REX 300 conguration in the myREX24 portal 3
4. Transfer options of the router conguration 7
5. Establishing a VPN connection to your REX 300 18
6. Setting up VCOM LAN for serial communications 20
7. Alternative conguration without myREX24 Portal with integrated assistants 21
8. Remote maintenance of an S7-MPI/PROFIBUS PLC 22
9. Remotely servicing an Ethernet PLC 24
10. Restoring the REX 300 router to its default settings 25
11. Firmware update using a USB ash drive 26
12. LED description 26
13. Technical specications 27

Quick Start Guide REX 300 3
2. Preparing the REX 300 unit
2.1 REX 300 with modem
Screw the antenna into place and insert the corresponding SIM card or connect the
modem to the right phone line (as applicable).
Connect a supply voltage of 10–30 V DC to the two-pole connector.
2.2 REX 300 WAN/LAN
Connect the REX 300 router's WAN port to the network or DSL modem being used
to establish an Internet connection.
Connect a supply voltage of 10–30 V DC to the two-pole connector.
1. Introduction
The REX 300 is an industrial router designed to be installed on mounting rails and
used for worldwide remote access to PLCs, HMIs, IP cameras, etc. This Quick Start
Guide goes over the basic settings in the myREX24 portal and shows how to use the
portal to create a conguration and transfer it to your REX 300 unit.
If you would like to operate your router without our VPN portal, you will nd further
information in Chapter 7 "Alternative conguration without myREX24 portal with
integrated assistants" on page 21.
Please note: Write down the serial number and MAC address of your REX 300 router
before installing the router in your system. You will need the serial number in order to
congure the device!
3. Creating a REX 300 conguration in the myREX24
portal
REX 300 routers can be fully congured using the myREX24 portal. Once the corre-
sponding conguration le is ready, it can be transferred to the actual REX 300 unit
in a variety of ways.

Quick Start Guide REX 3004
3.3 Creating a router con guration
The following information describes the con guration points required to establish
a VPN portal connection. For a more detailed description of the advanced functions
and con guration options available, please use the portal’s online help.
Note: You should always individualize your access data (user names/passwords). For
more information, make sure to consult the portal‘s online help
You should always individualize your access data (user names/passwords).
.
Once a connection to the myREX24 portal is successfully established, a new browser
window with your myREX24 online account will open. Create a new device in the
„Machines“ menu.
With the button you go to the next submenu.
Note: The device name must start with a letter. Umlauts, special characters, and spaces
are generally not permitted. In addition, every device name must be unique.
3.2 Log in to the myREX24 portal
Once you install and open the shDIALUP program, you can use your login data to
log in to the myREX24 portal.
Note: Your login name is composed of a user name preceding the @ character and the
name of your company.
Example: admin@helmholz
Other users can be created and administered after you log onto the myREX24 portal.
3.1 Registration
If you do not yet have a myREX24 account, you will  rst have to visit www.myREX24.
net and register under “Request access.” Make sure to  ll out all mandatory  elds.
Once you submit the form, you will receive an e-mail containing your login data.
You can download the software necessary for establishing a connection with my-
REX24-Portal (shDIALUP and shCHECK), as well as other documents with supplemen-
tary example applications anytime from the download area under
www.myREX24.net and www.helmholz.com.

Quick Start Guide REX 300 5
Enter the IP address and the appropriate subnet mask for your equipment network
into the LAN parameter elds. All REX 300 routers come with a default IP address of
192.168.0.100/24. If you don‘t have to/don‘t wish to change this address, it should
be noted that this address area on the REX 300 WAN side may not be used.
If you would like to connect additional TCP/IP components for purposes of remote
maintenance at the LAN interface of the REX 300, this IP address is also the standard
gateway for these devices (see page 24).
Open the „Internet“ tab without clicking on .
The description page for the device you just created will appear now. Please note
that the location and contact information data are optional.
A eld for entering a phone number for the SIM card will be shown for GSM devices
only. If you do enter a number, the myREX24 portal will be able to control the REX
300 router using SMS text messages.
The “Change VPN Password” eld requires no entry. The password is generated
automatically.
To make sure that the conguration is sent to the right device, you will need to enter
the REX 300 router‘s serial number. The purpose of the additional description eld is
to make it possible to distinguish between several remote servicing units internally.
Go to the „Network“ tab without .

Quick Start Guide REX 3006
Under „Connect to server on“, select the actions with which this device should con-
nect to your myREX24 account. Depending upon the device version, you must carry
out corresponding adjustments for establishing a connection:
1* In the case of devices with a radio modem, all entries concerning the access point
(Access Point Name) of the card provider must be made and the SIM PIN entered.
2* In the case of tethered devices and when using static IP addresses, the customer
speci cations for gateway, DNS server and VPN port must be used for the subse-
quent router location.
3* Before de ning a preselectable VPN port, check to make sure that this port is also
open on the system side at the customer location (also see the chapter “Tips and
tricks” on page 19).
You have now con gured the basic settings for the router and can click on to
proceed to transfer the con guration to the REX 300 unit using one of the options
available in the menu (see page 7).
In the event that the dialog for „Submit to Device“ appears automatically, you can
cancel this dialog and call it up later when needed.
Note: The myREX24 portal’s online help provides information on the function of the
advanced settings.
If you enable DHCP, make sure that the DHCP server does not assign the WAN port an IP
address that is already in use on the LAN side.
IP addresses from two different subnets must be assigned to every router‘s LAN and
WAN ports.
1*
2*
3*

Quick Start Guide REX 300 7
1*
2*
3*
4. Transfer options of the router conguration
Once you have created a conguration, you can click the oppy disk icon in order to
select one of three transfer methods described here.
1* Submit to Device:
The conguration is transferred to the router on the local LAN connection of the PC
on which shDIALUP is running.
You can use this option if the REX 300 router can be reached directly through the
local network (LAN).
2* Prepare for CTM:
Used to download the conguration from the myREX24 portal using the REX 300
router's Internet connection (CTM = Conguration Transfer Manager; see page 9).
This Internet transfer method will become the default conguration option as soon
as the REX 300 router has established a connection to the myREX24 portal. Once the
REX 300 router has established a connection to the myREX24 portal, the CTM can be
automatically used for all additional conguration changes.
3* Download to PC:
Save the conguration le and then use a USB stick to transfer it to the REX 300 unit
(see page 16).
Choose this option if the REX 300 router cannot be reached through the local net-
work (LAN) or through the Internet when it is rst being set up.

Quick Start Guide REX 3008
PC
4.1 Transferring the conguration using a local LAN connection
1. Login via shDIALUP
3. Search for the device on the LAN network
4. Transfer the configuration
LANLAN
2. Create/edit and store
the REX 300 configuration
LA
N
In order to transfer the conguration through the LAN network, it must be possible
to reach the REX 300 unit being congured on the same network on which the
computer with the shDIALUP software is active.
4.1.1
Connect your computer's LAN port (LAN adapter) to the REX 300 unit's LAN port.
Make sure to use the included standard Cat5 patch cable to establish this direct
connection between your computer and the router.
4.1.2
In the myREX24 portal (shDIALUP) under “Device Administration”, use the oppy
disk icon to select the “Submit to Device” option.

Quick Start Guide REX 300 9
4.1.3
After you have selected the corresponding PC-LAN network card in the Device Search
menu, the search for locally connected REX routers will be carried out independently
in the following dialog.
The transfer will start if a device with the right serial number is found. Once the
transfer is complete, the REX 300 router will start using the new conguration after
being restarted.
Note: In order to establish a VPN connection with the REX 300, please read Chapter 5 on
page 18.
4.2 Conguration Transfer Manager (CTM)
The Conguration Transfer Manager makes it possible to transfer the conguration
to the REX 300 router once the router has established an Internet connection to the
myREX24 portal.
If the REX 300 unit has a connection to the myREX24 portal, it will check whether
there is a new conguration available for its serial number. If there is one, it will load
it automatically.
This method is ideal for retroactive changes to the conguration.
Note: In order to be able to transfer the conguration, the Conguration Transfer Mana-
ger requires an Internet connection established using a WAN network or SIM card.
If you are using your REX 300 router for the rst time, you can set this connection directly
on the REX 300 via the "First Start" website.
1. Create/edit the REX 300
configuration and deposit it
in the CTM
Cyclic check whenever
there is an Internet
connection
2. The configuration
is downloaded
and activated

Quick Start Guide REX 30010
4.2.1 Establishing an Internet connection through the "First Start" website
If you have not yet congured your REX 300 router using one of the other congu-
ration methods (directly on the computer or using a USB ash drive), you can also
establish an Internet connection for the commissioning directly with the REX 300
router's web interface at the "First Start" website.
If the REX 300 unit is already able to establish an Internet connection, please skip
ahead to page 14, point 4.2.5 “Automatic conguration download.”
Commissioning via the "First Start" website presumes that the REX 300 can be ad-
dressed in the local network under its default IP address.
REX 300 routers come with a default IP address of 192.168.0.100 (subnet mask:
255.255.255.0).
In order to be able to reach the REX 300 router, the PC network adapter must also be
set to the IP address space and subnet of the router.
Start by opening the properties for your LAN connection.
-In Windows XP2:
Start -> Settings -> Control panel -> Network connections.
-In Windows2 7:
Start -> Control panel -> Network and sharing center -> Change adapter settings
Your IP address must lie within the address range "192.168.0.x". The subnet mask
must match the subnet mask used by the REX 300 unit (default: 255.255.255.0).
Note: Make sure that there are no address space conicts with any other network ports
(do not assign the same IP address more than once). If there are, you will not be able to
communicate with your REX 300 unit properly.
Open the Properties dialog box for the network connection that you want to use in
order to establish a connection to your REX 300 unit. To change your computer's IP
address, select "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" and click on the "Properties" button.

Quick Start Guide REX 300 11
If your computer network is already set up properly, open a browser (Firefox,
Chrome, Opera) and enter the router’s IP address into the address bar (URL) as
follows: http://192.168.0.100. Now enter the following standard login data for the
necessary login to the REX 300:
Username: helmholz
Password: router
Note: Please note that the login data must be changed for your security after the router
is set up. To change them, go to the conguration menu on the myREX24 portal.
The Internet connection path of the REX 300 via the cloudserver (or as a classic rou-
ter) only needs to be congured once on the First Start website. If the REX 300 router
is able to reach the myREX24 portal using the selected path, the CTM will automati-
cally download and enable the conguration stored for its serial number. In order to
use the CTM conguration method, click on the "Cloudserver" button.

Quick Start Guide REX 30012
4.2.2 Establishing an Internet connection on a REX 300 with an internal modem
via "First Start".
If you are using a REX 300 UMTS model, you will now need to provide the following
for the modem:
The login information for the carrier (APN) and the SIM card ID number (SIM PIN).
If you are using a REX router with an internal analog modem, you will need to store
the login information for a dial-up ISP on the device. The device will provide sugge-
sted login information for Internet access by default. It is, however, recommended
that you enter a provider of your choice here, as using this type of connection will
entail additional fees and the suggested provider is only guaranteed to be available
in Germany.
The default X3 AT command will initialize the internal modem in such a way that
when a number is dialed, the router will not wait for a dial tone (private branch
exchange mode). In most cases, this setting does not need to be changed or supple-
mented.

Quick Start Guide REX 300 13
If you select "DHCP," you do not have to congure any WAN settings.
Note: Please note that either the MAC address lter at the DSL modem or in the external
rewall is deactivated or the MAC address of the REX device has been activated there.
4.2.3 Establishing an Internet connection to REX 300 WAN routers using "First
Start"
Tethered access to the Internet must be established through the “external router”
on the system side. To do this, the WAN port needs to be connected to the customer
server/DSL modem.
The values for the statically set WAN interface are dened by the responsible network
administrator.
Settings for access via the proxy server are also stored in the WAN settings when
needed.

Quick Start Guide REX 30014
As soon as all settings have been transferred and saved in the REX 300 router, the
router will establish an Internet connection.
4.2.5 Automatic conguration download
If the REX 300 router is able to establish an Internet connection, it will connect to the
myREX24 portal and verify itself using its serial number.
Once a connection is successfully established, the "CON" LED on the router will start
ashing (see LED description on page 26).
If a conguration le is available on the portal server, it will be automatically loaded
onto the device and enabled.
4.2.4 Conclude "First Start" steps with REX 300
The cloudserver preset here doesn't need to be changed. The code for the session
key is optional and does not have to be entered when setting up the router.

Quick Start Guide REX 300 15
4.2.7 Change con guration with CTM (Con guration Transfer Manager)
If the REX 300 router has already been con gured, you will be able to transfer any
new con guration to the router using the CTM.
Following the  rst parameterization through the CTM, the dialogue "Prepare for
CTM" appears for each change to a con guration in the Device Administration when
"Save" is clicked.
Alternatively, the transfer of the con guration to the Device Administration of the
myREX24 portal can also be triggered manually via the  oppy disk icon.
4.2.6 REX 300 Quick Start status page
The status page on the REX 300 router's web interface will show the router's con-
nection status and active con guration data.
To get more information on each step of the router connection, click on the Info
icon in the various status  elds.
You can use the status page to trigger test functions or to manually make the router
obtain its con guration using the CTM.

Quick Start Guide REX 30016
If there is a con guration ready to be transferred using the CTM, the icon will be
shown on the “Device Administration” screen.
Note: In order to establish a VPN connection with the REX 300, please read Chapter 5 on
page 18.
4.3 Transferring the con guration using a USB  ash drive
1. Create/edit and download
the REX 300 configuration
2. Store the configuration file
Use the USB-based parameter con guration method if the REX 300 router cannot be
reached either through the local network (LAN) or through the Internet.
In the myREX24 portal, go to the "Device Administration" page and select the
"Download to PC" option.
Note: The con guration  le must be stored in the root directory of your USB  ash drive.
In addition, no valid  rmware  les may be found in the root directory when carrying out
this action. A disruption of the supply voltage during the transfer can switch the router
to an unde ned status.

Quick Start Guide REX 300 17
4.3.1
Copy the conguration le provided by the myREX24 portal to a standard FAT-for-
mated USB ash drive. When the device is started up for the rst time, the le is
called myREX24.mbn, and all subsequent les edited for this router are generated as
myREX24.mbnx automatically. Never rename this le!
4.3.4
After an additional 10 seconds, the router will restart automatically and log in at the
portal with the conguration which was just loaded. The USB ash drive can now be
removed from the device.
4.3.5
Once the conguration le has been successfully transferred, the le on the USB
ash drive will be renamed „XmyREX24.mbn(x)“, making it impossible to reuse it a
second time accidentally.
4.3.2
Switch the device on and wait until the boot process is completed (RDY & ON LEDs
are lit continuously green).
4.3.3
Plug the USB ash drive into the corresponding USB port on your REX 300 unit.
-After approx. 5 seconds, the TxD and RxD LEDs will ash red. The device has
detected the conguration le.
-Press the Dial Out button for approx. 1 second until the RxD LED ashes green. The
RxD LED will ash green while the conguration le is being transferred (approx.
20 seconds).

Quick Start Guide REX 30018
5. Establishing a VPN connection to your REX 300
Note: In order for the following steps to work, the REX router must have already been
con gured.
5.1 Establishing a VPN connection and transferring IP packages
After you log in successfully with shDIALUP, your online account will be opened.
Logged-in REX routers will be indicated with a green circle.
If you now want to connect to a REX router, you can click on the "QuickConnect"
button to establish a connection to your system.
The "Connect Status"  eld will show the REX "LAN IP" address on the equipment side
(important for the "PG/PC interface", for example; see page 22).
Once a connection to the REX 300 has been established, all the IP packets that are
valid for the LAN network in the  eld will be forwarded.
To terminate the remote access connection, click the “Disconnect” button.
The “Status Legend” provides more information on additional “status” options.

Quick Start Guide REX 300 19
5.2 Tips and tricks
-If the connection to the myREX24 portal does not work on the rst try, please
install our „shCHECK“ testing tool on a PC. This free program will check whether
the ports needed to successfully establish a connection to the myREX24 portal are
open. This test can be carried out both on the network from which a REX router is
to create a connection to the Internet and from a PC with Internet access on which
the shDIALUP dial-up software has been installed.
-In order to be able to establish a connection to myREX24, at least one of the TCP
ports (80, 1194, or 443) required for the VPN tunnel must be open.
-The required outbound TPC/IP address of the portal server is 5.39.123.5
-Alternatively, you can also view the status of your machines by calling it up directly
from your browser: https://vpn2.myrex24.net. Please use your shDIALUP access
data to log in. After successfully logging in, device congurations can be modied
if necessary and made available on the CTM, and existing WEB2go sessions can be
opened.
-In the event that the provider interrupts the connection of your REX 300 router
during GSM remote maintenance, this may have taken place for the following rea-
sons, among others: incorrect user name/password, ports blocked by the provider
or prepaid SIM cards have no credit left.
-If you would like to use the function for the automatic sending of e-mail of the REX,
the SMTP port 25 may not be blocked.

Quick Start Guide REX 30020
6. Setting up VCOM LAN for serial communications
Depending on the model, the REX 300 may feature an additional RJ45 port. This
port will be located at the top of the housing and can be converted to a 9-pin D-sub
connector using the appropriate adapter cables (available as accessories).
-Order No.: 700-879-1VK11 (RS-232)
-Order No.: 700-879-1VK21 (RS485)
6.1
In order to be able to use a remote connection to access serial stations, you will need
to start shDIALUP and congure the corresponding settings for the virtual COM port
on your computer. To do this, click the Tools button before logging in.
6.2
Disable the “inactive” check box in the “virtual COM port settings” tab. The system
will automatically suggest a network port and a COM port, neither of which need to
be changed. Close the window by clicking on "OK."
Once you are done, you will be able to use your login information to log in to the
portal server (see page 4) and establish a connection to an REX router that has alrea-
dy been congured (see page 18).