
VPN Devices

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates encrypted connections between user devices and servers over the internet. VPNs can securely connect users to the internet or to a company’s internal network. Companies generally use a VPN to give employees remote access to internal data and applications while preventing proprietary data from being exposed to the open internet. Remote access VPNs utilize a Network Access Server (NAS), which is a software application that is connected to the company’s internal network and a VPN Client, which is software installed on an employee’s computer. Employee’s activate their VPN Client when they want to access the company’s network. This will establish an encrypted pathway to the NAS, protecting all traffic from being exposed.
Advanced Process Control & Optimization (APCO) Inc. specializes in implementing state-of-the-art control systems for industrial applications, including refining, oil and gas, water and wastewater, power and manufacturing, as well as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) strategies for a variety of industries. Their engineers have designed a Secure Remote Connection Unit for remotely accessing company networks. It is compatible with all industrial automation manufacturers and has a secure, two-factor authentication with the latest encryption technology. Simply plug in the power cord to a 120 Vac outlet, connect the WAN and LAN ports and the device is ready to go. With up to 50 concurrent VPN connections and 15 Mbps throughput, technicians and engineers can easily monitor, control and troubleshoot devices remotely, anytime from anywhere. The extra secure connections are established using a lock and key system, with each key associated with a specific machine. Remote connections can be fully controlled by either automatically closing connections after a set time or physically disabling the connection.
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Serial communication sends data sequentially over a computer bus or communication cable one bit at a time. Parallel communication sends data simultaneously over multiple communication lines in a single bus or cable multiple bits at a time. While it may seem that parallel communication would be the preferred method, this is not always the case. Because of the increased complexity of data transmission in parallel communication, serial communication can provide faster speeds. The speed of serial communication can be altered by adjusting the BOD rate, which increases the number of the bits transmitted per second.
Two of the most common standards that have been created to take advantage of serial based communication in the industrial space are RS 232 and RS 485. RS 232 standard used to be very common, however it had lower transmission speeds, short maximum cable lengths and large voltage swings, making it useful only in certain situations. RS 485 is an improved standard that is still found in many applications today. It fixed many of the issues the RS 232 standard had by providing higher transmission speeds, longer cable lengths and other improvements that increased its usability and performance.