Remote HMI Programming: Siemens Smart 700 IE via Serial-to-WiFi

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⚡ Remote HMI Setup at a Glance

The Problem with Remote HMI Programming

The Siemens Smart 700 IE is a solid touch panel for local use. It has a good screen, runs WinCC Flexible, and connects via Ethernet. But there’s a catch: Siemens didn’t design it for remote programming. WinCC expects the HMI to be on the same local network. So if you need to update a program on a Smart 700 IE that’s in another city, you have two options: drive there, or wrestle with a VPN that may or may not work.

For engineers managing multiple sites, this is a real headache. A simple HMI tweak can turn into a half-day trip. That’s time you don’t have.

How N2N Technology Fixes This

N2N (Network-to-Network) is an industrial peer-to-peer protocol that completely bypasses IT firewalls. You don’t need a static public IP, and you don’t need to beg your IT department to open port forwarding rules. It simply creates an encrypted point-to-point tunnel between your engineering laptop (WinCC) and the remote serial to WiFi converter. It’s a virtual ethernet cable over the internet and it is plug and play.

The Valtoris RS232/485/422 to WiFi/ETH converter has this cool feature called N2N support built right in. So what does it do? It basically acts like a bridge. You just connect the Valtoris RS232/485/422 to WiFi/ETH converter to the network that your HMI is on. Then you enable the N2N feature. The Valtoris RS232/485/422 to WiFi/ETH converter generates an unique device ID.

On your PC you need to run this small utility program. The utility program uses the device ID, from the Valtoris RS232/485/422 to WiFi/ETH converter to create a virtual connection. This is pretty neat. To the WinCC program, it seems like the HMI is actually sitting there on your desk with the Valtoris RS232/485/422 to WiFi/ETH converter doing all the work.

🗺️ The 10-Minute Remote HMI Setup Roadmap

Step-by-Step Implementation Guide

■ Set Up the Converter

To get started you need to plug in the Valtoris converter. Then connect the Valtoris converter to the switch that your Smart 700 IE is connected to.

Next you have to open the web interface of the Valtoris converter. You can find the default IP address of the Valtoris converter in the manual that comes with it.

When you are on the web interface of the Valtoris converter look for the N2N settings of the Valtoris converter. You have to enable the N2N settings of the Valtoris converter.

The Valtoris converter will then generate a device ID, for the Valtoris converter. Make sure you write down the device ID of the Valtoris converter because you will need the device ID of the Valtoris converter later.

■ Configure Your Remote PC

On the computer that you will use for programming you need to download the Vircom_p2p_pc.exe utility that comes with the converter. You should run this utility. Then enter the device ID that you found in step 1. Now you have to set a simulation port. The number 2308 is a good choice. The utility will ask you for the IP address of the HMI for example something, like 192.168.1.100. You should enter this IP address of the HMI.

That’s it. The utility now tunnels traffic between your PC and the remote HMI.

Key settings to remember:

• Device ID: The unique ID from the converter
• Local port: What your PC will use (e.g., 2308)
• Remote IP: The actual IP of the HMI
• Remote port: Usually the same as local port

■ Download the HMI Program

Open WinCC flexible SMART on your remote PC. Load the project you want to transfer.

• Click Download, choose Ethernet.
• In the IP address field, type 127.0.0.1 (this tells WinCC to talk to your local machine, and the Vircom utility handles the rest).

• Click Transfer. If it asks about overwriting user management, say Yes.
• Start the download. Watch the progress—it should complete just like a local transfer.

■ Verify It Worked

After the download finishes, check the HMI screen. Does it show the new program? Good. You can also run a communication test from WinCC to confirm everything is stable.

What Can Go Wrong (and How to Fix It)

We’ve used this setup in real projects. Here are the most common issues:

• Firewall blocking the port: The N2N utility uses port 2308 by default. Some corporate firewalls block it. Try changing to a different port (like 8080) in both the converter and the utility.
• Converter loses power: If the converter reboots, it keeps the same device ID—so your remote PC will reconnect automatically. But if you replace the unit, you’ll need to update the ID in Vircom.
• Slow transfers: N2N adds minimal latency (usually under 50ms), but if your internet connection is poor, downloads may take longer. For large programs, consider compressing the project file.

Why N2N Beats a Traditional VPN

You might wonder, why not just use a Virtual Private Network. Virtual Private Networks do work. They usually need someone from the information technology team to help a static internet protocol address and complicated router settings. The Network to Network system is made for remote access. It is really simple to use works even when you are behind a Network Address Translation and does not expose your entire network. According to a 2023 industry survey by ISA, over 60% of automation professionals prefer device‑level remote access for its simplicity.

⚖️ Common Myths & Honest Trade-Offs in Remote HMI Updates

• The VPN Myth: Many integrators believe you must have a corporate VPN and a static IP to update a panel. Reality: N2N bypasses inbound firewall rules entirely by initiating an outbound tunnel, rendering complex IT negotiations unnecessary.
• The Trade-Off: While N2N is infinitely easier to deploy, it does require specific hardware at the edge. You cannot run an N2N client natively inside the Siemens Smart 700 IE operating system; it requires our external converter to handle the cryptographic load.
• The Speed Factor: Over-the-air (OTA) compiling is transparent but slightly slower than a direct copper connection. A standard WinCC project might take 45 seconds to download locally, but 90 seconds over a cellular N2N link. For most engineers, saving a 4-hour drive makes this 45-second delay entirely acceptable.

Stop Driving to Remote Sites. Upgrade Your Connectivity Today.

A half-day trip to fix a 5-minute HMI typo is a massive waste of your engineering resources. By deploying an industrial converter with built-in N2N support, you regain total control over your remote panels.

• [Explore Our Serial-to-WiFi Converters with Built-in N2N]
• [Download the Vircom Configuration Utility]
• [Contact Support] for help testing your specific Siemens PLC/HMI topology.

📐 Engineering Note: Siemens Smart Line Network Requirements

To ensure a stable OTA download to a Smart 700 IE without bricking the device, the underlying wireless link must maintain a packet loss rate of < 1% and an average latency spike of < 150ms. The N2N protocol handles automatic packet retransmission, but we strongly advise configuring the HMI’s static IP outside of the factory router’s primary DHCP pool to prevent IP conflict drops during a live transfer.

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