How you should connect to PLC devices

PLC devices are very useful to be able to connect to the Internet from other places when there is not good coverage. Some models allow us to connect both wirelessly and through an Ethernet cable. Each of your options has its advantages and disadvantages. Now, when to connect to PLCs by cable and when by Wi-Fi ? In this article we are going to talk about it, so you know what suits you best.

When to use wired PLC

How you should connect to PLC devices

One of the options that you will have is to connect devices by cable to the PLC. This may be the best first, since you are going to gain stability and, in principle, you will have better speed. However, this is not always going to be the case, so you should know well when to connect PLCs via Ethernet .

One reason for this is when you are going to use compatible devices , such as a computer or television. In these cases you will be able to connect via Ethernet and you will be able to take advantage of this possibility offered by PLCs to improve stability and speed. But for this you will have to be close to the devices or, failing that, have an installation made to be able to use cables.

It is also a good idea when you want maximum speed and those PLCs are Gigabit Ethernet. In that case you can reach up to 1 Gbps and you will not be limited to the 100 Mbps of Fast Ethernet. It does not mean that you will receive that speed, since there will always be a loss, but it does mean that you can have more speed than if you connect wirelessly.

Another reason to connect by cable to PLCs is for security . If you want to avoid the minimum risk, the ideal is to connect in a wired way. In this way an attacker could not break the wireless connection and put your privacy at risk.

Cantidad de dispositivos PLC

When to connect via Wi-Fi

But you will also have the option to connect to the PLCs via Wi-Fi . When should it be done? One obvious reason is when you are using devices that do not support Ethernet ports. For example, mobile phones, tablets, many televisions or even small laptops, which in some cases no longer have an integrated port.

Also, it’s a good idea to use Wi-Fi instead of cable when you’re having trouble running an Ethernet cable. For example, if you are going to connect something far from the PLC and you cannot install cables or the process is complicated and simply connecting wirelessly you can have similar results.

Also for performance . There are models that will allow us to connect by cable, but they are limited to Fast Ethernet and the speed will not exceed 100 Mbps. On the other hand, if you connect by Wi-Fi you may have a higher speed and it is in those cases that which is better for you to connect wirelessly.

Therefore, as you can see there are reasons to connect both by cable and by Wi-Fi to the PLCs. The interesting thing is that you can correctly choose which one to use depending on the situation and thus always obtain the best possible speed. Now, you should always choose well which PLC to buy.