Secure remote access to PXI

[LVD]

Hello everyone,

I have a PXI8101 controller that is connected to our company network so I can remotely access it from different locations. The PXI has a fixed IP-address in our network. Will anyone inside our network (with MAX) be able to see the device, and perhaps change its properties (IP-address, date, use custom VI's) ?

If so, is there a way to protect the PXI so that I am the only one capable of running VI's on it?

Thanks in advance,

Best regards,
Dries

[LVD]

Just to make sure, it is a PXI8101 Real Time controller that I am using.

[ThiCop]

Hello Dries,

Other people on the network with an IP-address in the range of the RT PXI will be able to see the PXI.

However, you can quite easily password-protect it:

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/54E551E21E7CBF2486256B6F00535AC8

Can you let me know if this is what you are looking for?

[LVD]

There is no 'Lock' tab in the MAX for my PXI. Instead of 'Lock', there is a tab called 'Set Permissions'. This tab opens a web browser with the 'NI Web-based Configuration & Monitoring'. There you can set a password for the administrator, and set permissions like FSDelete, GetDB, .... I don't know the meaning of these settings (the help button does not seem to work here), but it doesn't change the fact that I can easily access the PXI from an other computer on the network and run other VI's on it.

Is it possible to access, reboot, or download and run VI's on the PXI with only one PC on the network (with password protection or IP-address restriction)? 

[ThiCop]

Hello Dries,

It might be that I have been a bit too fast with my post. (I was thinking about cRIO configurations I did in the past)

You're indeed correct that you can change the admin settings this way (http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/A12F8A3971D9A52D862577EE005BD848).

Did you follow these steps?

This will allow you to define permissions for the RT Target, but it will not necessarily hide the RT Target.

Do you have the possibility/permissions to choose any IP-address on the network and/or freely change IP-addresses/subnet masks?

Is it possible to put your PXI on a local private network?

Is it your goal to hide the RT target from other people on the network or to leave it visible but password protected?

[LVD]

Yes I followed these steps to change the admin password. The PXI has a fixed IP-address in the network. I will ask our IT team to restrict access to this IP-address in our network. 

Thanks for the help.

[ThiCop]

One thing you could also do is play around with the subnet masks of the PXI.

This would also allow you to implement some "security" for the PXI.