Configuring the RV50X

Prior to using the communication modules, you have a data plan with a service provider (see Arranging a data plan).

Note: Sometimes networked cellular devices take a few minutes to finish booting and to establish communications. If the devices seem unresponsive, wait a few minutes and try again before you give up.

Connect the RV50X Ethernet cable to the switch

At this point in the setup, everything should be powered on. Connect the RV50X Ethernet cable to the network switch then proceed through the steps in this section.

Logging in to ACEmanager™

If you have trouble connecting to ACEmanager™, refresh the window (press F5) or try a different web browser. Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge all seem to work well.

  1. Open an internet browser and enter http://192.168.13.31:9191 in the address bar.
  2. Note: If you cannot connect using http and port 9191, use https and port 9443 (type https://192.168.13.31:9443 in the address bar). The browser may warn you about the page being not secure, but you can bypass this warning and proceed to access the modem.
  3. This will connect to the RV50X with the ACEmanager™ interface.
  4. Enter the default user name and password. The user name is user.

For devices that support unique passwords, the default password is printed on the device label. For other devices, the default password is 12345.

IMPORTANT: To protect your data and system from digital security threats, it is important to change the password. See Changing the RV50X password. In addition, check the Sierra Wireless website for product information. Update the embedded software any time updates are available.

Configuring the access point name

Your service provider will provide you with an Access Point Name (APN) when you sign up for cellular service. If not, you may need to contact the provider and request the APN associated with your wireless account. The APN will either be configured automatically or it must be entered manually. To check and configure the APN:

  1. Log into ACEmanager (see Logging in to ACEmanager™).
  2. Check the IP address.
  3. Under Status > Cellular, the IP Address field will show the IP address. If it is 0.0.0.0 or anything other than your assigned IP address, follow these steps to set the APN.
  4. Click the WAN/Cellular tab.
  5. If you installed the card in slot 1 (see Installing the SIM card), select SIM Slot 1. The APN assigned by the service provider may already be shown beside APN In Use. If it is not, enter your assigned APN beside User Entered APN.
  6. If the service provider also requires network authentication, on the same page, under Advanced, enter information for Network Authentication Mode, Network user ID, and Network Password.
  7. Click Apply.
  8. When prompted, Restart the device and log in again.
  9. Repeat step 2 above and check the IP Address.
  10. Look for your assigned IP address. It will be a numeric string of four octets (groups of three-digit numbers >0 and <255 like 192.168.13.100). It will take several minutes for the RV50X to collect all the needed information and establish a connection with the network—patience is a virtue in all things, and especially when configuring the RV50X.
  11. Verify the connection.
  12. If your IP address, APN, and phone number are displayed, the connection is configured properly.

Viewing the RV50X IP address

You must know the RV50X IP address in order to connect with the system and any connected device. The RV50X will have either a public Static IP address (recommended) or a public Dynamic IP address (see One-way or two-way communication with the RV50X for more information).

When your computer is connected to the RV50X and you are logged in, you can view the RV50X IP Address under Status > Home > Active WAN IP Address.

Reserving an IP address range

It is useful to have an IP address range reserved so do not have to alter your computer's network settings when connecting. In doing so, you will be able to connect a computer that is configured for a dynamic IP address (assumed to be the common default setting) to the RV50X. It will be assigned an IP address by the RV50X when connecting.

The IP address range should not encompass the IP addresses assigned to instruments.

Configuring port filtering

Inbound Port Filtering can protect the instruments at the site from nefarious hacking attempts over the network. For this reason we recommend blocking port 22, as described below.

  1. In ACEmanager, click Security > Port Filtering - Inbound.
  2. For Inbound Port Filtering Mode, choose Blocked Ports.
  3. Click Add More and set Start Port to 22 and End Port to 22.

Enabling port forwarding

Port forwarding allows remote computers and devices to connect to a specific device within a Local Area Network. Port forwarding must be enabled in the RV50X software to allow you to communicate with the devices that are connected to it (such as an LI-7500DS or other instrument).

  1. In ACEmanager, click Security > Port Forwarding.
  2. Set Port Forwarding to Enable.
  3. Click Apply or wait until you've finished configuring port forwarding for instruments.
  4. You do not need to click apply and reboot immediately; you have additional changes to make. But port forwarding does not take effect until the device is rebooted. Wait to restart until you've finished the remaining configuration.

Configuring IP addresses and ports

This procedure opens ports to enable instruments to communicate with each other.

In ACEmanager™, under Security > Port Forwarding, click Add More and enter the information.

Table 4‑1. Suggested IP addresses for instruments in an eddy covariance system.
Device IP Address
SmartFlux 2 System1 192.168.13.200
LI-7550 / SmartFlux 3 System 192.168.13.201
LI-7700 192.168.13.202
LI-8100A or LI-8250 192.168.13.203
Biomet System (Sutron Datalogger) 192.168.13.204
PhenoCam 192.168.13.205

Ports for a system with an LI-7550

Ports to open and IP addresses to configure in systems that use an LI-7550 (LI-7200/RS and LI-7500A/RS).

Table 4‑2. Example of a system with LI-7550 (an LI-7500A/RS or LI-7200/RS), SmartFlux 2 System, LI-7700, DAQM, LI-8250 and Phenocam.
Device Public Start Port Public End Port Protocol Host IP Private Start Port
LI-7550 7200 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 7200
LI-7550 7222 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 22
SmartFlux 2 5050 0 TCP 192.168.13.200 5050
SmartFlux 2 5222 0 TCP 192.168.13.200 22
SmartFlux 2 50111 0 TCP 192.168.13.200 50111
SmartFlux 2 50112 0 TCP 192.168.13.200 50112
SmartFlux 2 50311 0 TCP 192.168.13.200 50311
LI-7700 7700 0 TCP 192.168.13.202 7700
LI-8250 8200 0 TCP 192.168.13.204 80
LI-8250 8201 0 TCP 192.168.13.204 8080
Phenocam 7980 0 TCP 192.168.13.205 80

Ports for a system with an LI-7500DS

Ports to open and IP addresses to configure in systems that use an LI-7500DS.

Table 4‑3. Example of a system with an LI-7500DS, SmartFlux 3 System, LI-7700, DAQM, LI-8250, and Phenocam.
Device Public Start Port Public End Port Protocol Host IP Private Start Port
SmartFlux 3 7200 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 7200
SmartFlux 3 7222 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 22
SmartFlux 3 5050 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 5050
SmartFlux 3 50111 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 50111
SmartFlux 3 50112 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 50112
SmartFlux 3 50311 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 50311
LI-7700 7700 0 TCP 192.168.13.202 7700
LI-8250 8200 0 TCP 192.168.13.204 80
LI-8250 8201 0 TCP 192.168.13.204 8080
Phenocam 7980 0 TCP 192.168.13.205 80

Ports for a system with an LI-7500DS and Sutron or Campbell logger

Table 4‑4. Example of a System with an LI-7500DS, SmartFlux 3 System, LI-7700, Sutron or Campbell logger, LI-8100, and Phenocam.
Device Public Start Port Public End Port Protocol Host IP Private Start Port
SmartFlux 3 7200 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 7200
SmartFlux 3 7222 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 22
SmartFlux 3 5050 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 5050
Sutron /Campbell 2300/6785 0 TCP 192.168.13.203 23/6785
LI-7700 7700 0 TCP 192.168.13.202 7700
LI-8100 1526 0 TCP 192.168.13.204 1526
Phenocam 7980 0 TCP 192.168.13.205 80

Ports for a system with an LI-7550 and Sutron or Campbell Logger

Ports to open and IP addresses to configure in systems that use an LI-7550 (LI-7500A/RS and LI-7200/RS).

Table 4‑5. Example of a System with a LI-7550 (LI-7500A/RS or LI-7200/RS), SmartFlux 2 System, LI-7700, Sutron or Campbell logger, LI-8100 and Phenocam.
Device Public Start Port Public End Port Protocol Host IP Private Start Port
LI-7550 7200 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 7200
LI-7550 7222 0 TCP 192.168.13.201 22
SmartFlux 2 5050 0 TCP 192.168.13.200 5050
SmartFlux 2 5222 0 TCP 192.168.13.200 5222
Sutron /Campbell 2300/6785 0 TCP 192.168.13.203 23/6785
LI-7700 7700 0 TCP 192.168.13.202 7700
LI-8100 1526 0 TCP 192.168.13.204 1526
Phenocam 7980 0 TCP 192.168.13.205 80

Setting the SmartFlux 2 System IP address via the RV50X

To enable two-way communication with the Biomet Data Acquisition System (to update the configuration remotely, for example) or to use the SmartFlux 2 System as an NTP server, the RV50X must be configured to set the SmartFlux 2 System IP address (see About the SmartFlux 2 System IP address for more details). This is accomplished by entering the MAC address of the device you want to reserve an IP address for (the SmartFlux 2 System in this case) and the desired IP address for the device. To apply the setting:

  1. Click the LAN > DHCP Addressing tab and expand the DHCP Reservation List.
  2. Click Add More and enter the following:
    • MAC Address: Enter the SmartFlux 2 System MAC address. See Identifying the SmartFlux 2 System MAC address.
    • IP Address: Enter the IP address you want to reserve for the SmartFlux 2 System. Use 192.168.13.200 if following suggestions in this manual.
  4. Click Apply.
  5. Reboot the modem.
  6. You can configure the remaining settings before restarting the RV50X. The SmartFlux System will switch addresses automatically, but it may take up to 24 hours for the setting to be applied. Restart it to apply the setting immediately.

Important: The Telnet port (23) used by the 9210B datalogger is unsecured. Information transferred over this port is unencrypted and can be intercepted. If you leave this port open, your system may be vulnerable to hackers. Therefore, we recommend that you only open port 23 if and when you need direct access to the 9210B datalogger, and that you close the port after you have finished. To close the port, click the Close button button to remove it from the list. Then apply the settings and restart the RV50X.

Enabling remote access to the RV50X

If you need to access the RV50X software remotely (for example, to open another port), the RV50X must be configured to allow over-the-air access. In ACEmanager™, under Services > ACEmanager, set Remote Access to Enable and set Local Access to Both HTTP and HTTPS.

Applying settings and restarting the RV50X

After changing port forwarding settings, restart the RV50X. To restart the RV50X click Reboot in the software (upper right System > Files > Reboot) or cycle the power supply. It will take a few minutes to reboot.