Revision 1.1
WebSwitch™ Users Manual
Appendix C: Accessing WebSwitch™ Remotely Over the Internet
WebSwitch™ can be monitored and/or controlled from a remote location over the Internet. If access over
the Internet is required, WebSwitch™ must be set up properly, and the router on the network where
WebSwitch™ is installed must be configured for this. Note that once WebSwitch™ can be accessed on
the local network, almost all of the settings required to provide remote access are in the router and not in
WebSwitch™. This guide is not meant to be a tutorial in router setup, but rather to provide a basic
overview of remote access. For specific details, the user should refer to the instruction manual for the
router on his/her network. Users not familiar with basic IP networking should study one or more basic IP
networking tutorials before proceeding (many tutorials are available on the Internet).
IP Addresses
Every device on the Internet is identified by a unique address called an IP (Internet Protocol) address. IP
addresses are somewhat similar to mailing addresses in that they identify the precise logical location of
the device on the Internet. The IP address identifies the global region down to the network and then the
specific device on that network. IP addresses are globally maintained and assigned by an entity called
the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). IP addresses consist of four numbers that range from 0
to 255 and are separated by a decimal. For example, 192.168.200.167 is an IP address.
Every device that is “directly” connected to the Internet uses a “public” IP address. Public IP addresses
are addresses described in the paragraph above that identify a specific device on the Internet.
WebSwitch™ can be assigned a public IP address for direct connection to the Internet. Typically, those
who are reading this section of the manual would only assign a public IP address to WebSwitch™ when
WebSwitch™ is the only device on the local network. The IP address would be obtained from the
Internet Service Provider (ISP).
Due to the limited number of public IP addresses, private networks can be set up with “private” IP
addresses. Private IP addresses are blocks of IP addresses that have been set aside for private use by
anyone. These addresses have no global designation and are not routed on the Internet. The following
address blocks are designated for private networks (where x represents decimal numbers from 0 to
255): 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, and 172.16.x.x.
A Simple Local Area Network
A small Local Area Network (LAN), can be made up of two or more computers or other devices
connected to an Ethernet switch. Each device on the network is assigned a unique private IP address.
For example, consider a simple network that consists of a computer, a WebSwitch™, and a
WebRelay™. In this example, the computer is assigned an IP address of 192.168.1.10, WebSwitch™
has the IP address of 192.168.1.25 and a WebRelay™ has and IP address of 192.168.1.26. A person
using the computer can access WebSwitch™ by entering its IP address in the URL line in the browser
(http://192.168.1.25). The WebRelay™ can be accessed by entering its IP address in the URL line in the
browser (http://192.168.1.26).
Xytronix Research & Design, Inc.
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