[BC] Circuitwerkes Sicon-8 opinion sought

[Kyle Magrill]

Just to clear up a couple of points from Mike's post:

When I spoke to the installer yesterday, I explained that generally,  Webservers installed on the LAN side of a router/firewall have to be ported from the LAN side of the router to the WAN side.  This is done by configuring something commonly called "pinholes" or "Virtual servers" in the router's configuration.  This is required for any Web server that is inside (LAN side) of the router, regardless of if it is a dedicated hardware Web server like the Sicon-8 or even if it is a PC hosting your personal blog site.     In this case, the installer wasn't up on networking and just didn't know what to do and he happened to be working on Saturday, so our office wasn't open to provide live phone support.  Once they port the local IP address to the outside world, they'll have access to the Webserver and everything will come together for them.

The second thing that I suggested was spurred by the revelation that the site is 5 hours away from the engineer that is maintaining it.  I suggested that they might want to find an old PC in a closet somewhere that can be left out at the site.  Then, install something like LogMeIn on the PC so that the PC can be reliably remote controlled.  The PC serves two functions:

1.  It can be serially connected to the Sicon-8, giving an alternate method to control and also to program the unit.

2.  Being on the LAN side of the network, it can be used to configure the router by remote access even if remote router management is disabled.   

I never said that it was absolutely necessary to have a PC running at the site to use the Sicon-8, merely that it's a wonderful tool to have and it adds some enhanced capabilities if you do use a local PC.  And as a follow-up, I would hook one of the Sicon-8's relays up to the PC's reset or power button to remotely reboot the PC using the Sicon-8, if needed. 

Finally, I noted in the original conversation with the installer, that the router that was being used is a Linksys.   We discuss in the Sicon-8 manual, (which is available for download in the techical support section of our website) some known issues with Linksys routers.  Many Linksys routers have a serious defect in pinholes setup that will prevent you from outside accessing any/all Web servers that use port 80.  Linksys likes to use port 80 for their router’s own Web server that is used for configuration.    Further, they do not provide any option for redirecting port numbers from the LAN side of the router to the WAN side of the router.  The result is that you cannot use port 80 to access any LAN side Web server, nor can you change the port number to access that device.  As far as we know, Linksys is the ONLY company that has this defect, but there could always be others, especially if Linksys made the router under contract.    If you use a Linksys router with this defect, you will not be able to access the Sicon-8, nor any other device with a Web server on port 80, from the public side of the network.     So, I made sure to mention that the Linksys router might need to be replaced with something else, IF the problem still exists on the newer Linksys  routers.   I did not say that "a fancy new router" was required.  Any $25 router will do unless its name happens to be Linksys.

Interestingly, the story gets subtly altered in the telling as it goes from person to person.  In this case, from me, to the installer to the client and finally to Mike.   Those little changes can affect the entire meaning of the discussion.  When I was a kid, we played a game called "Telegraph" in school designed to demonstrate that exact process.  A bunch of kids are lined up and a phrase is whispered quickly from person to person down the line.  What comes out on the end of the line typically is unrecognizable from the original.

As always, those who have issues with our gear know that we support the products and will at least try to find solutions for you.  We do recognize that there are limitations to any product, but I would not say that we have tried to hide ours from anyone.  My thinking is that it's best to make your limitations known up front rather than have people buy something that doesn't fit their needs.

Kyle

  

  

################### You Wrote ##########

....An associate of mine did the physical installation. The AM went just 
fine, and can be called over the phone with no problem.  However, 
neither unit can be accessed over the internet yet, and I'm told that 
the C-W folks are telling the client he needs either a fancy router or a 
"cheap PC" to run the Sicon and then use some type of VNC software, as 
it was explained to me) at both sites in order for internet connectivity 
to work.

The client is angry and claiming that we did him wrong by not telling 
him he would have to spend money on the fancy router/PC, and I'm trying 
to learn all I can and to calm him down.  He can be a bit volatile, but 
that's another story.

Nothing like this was stated or implied in C-W's website blurb, nor had 
I heard of any such requirement from any other engineer, and I've heard 
a lot of good things about the Sicon unit, both here and on other chat 
boards, and very few bad ones.