TALK2M Free+ or PRO version? which service to choose for Ewon and why?

22. 02. 2024

Remote access to Ewon routers via Talk2M Free+ or Talk2M PRO?

Let's start from the beginning: what is Talk2M? Talk2M is a cloud-based service provided by Ewon that allows you to connect remotely over the Internet to eWON routers. You may have Ewon routers located in many locations in your plant, or a machine manufacturer may have them installed in machines around the world. On a remote machine you can edit the PLC program, back it up, view the machine via IP camera, connect to a remote desktop PC, download records from PC programs and much more. To connect to the Talk2M service, you need to have eCatcher installed on your computer, which is a VPN client application that connects you to the Talk2M VPN server.

Every Ewon router user has the Talk2M Free+ service, which is provided free of charge and is always included with your eWON router purchase.  Ideally, you connect to Talk2M by downloading the eCatcher.exe program, running it and registering as a new user. You can then set up new user accounts for your colleagues as well.  You can request a higher version of Talk2M Pro within your eCatcher account settings.

What is the difference between Talk2M Free+ and Talk2M PRO?

• In the number of simultaneous users connected to multiple Ewon routers within one Talk2M account
• In volume of monthly data usage
• In the management of users and their rights
• In security settings and access to LAN devices behind Ewon

Let's look at each item in more detail:

Number of simultaneous connections

For the Talk2M Free+ account, only one remote connection from the computer (via eCatcher) to the remote Ewon router can be established at a time. If you are the only Talk2M Free+ user, this is not a problem, because you can connect to other Ewon routers by disconnecting from the first Ewon and connecting to the second Ewon. If you have other users registered under the same account (e.g. your fellow programmers), then only one user will connect to the Ewon routers at a time. The other users can run the eCatcher program, see a list of available eWon routers, and see if any of their colleagues are already connected to a router.  However, they cannot connect to another Ewon until a colleague disconnects from the first Ewon router.

With Talk2M PRO, you can already run multiple simultaneous remote connections from one Talk2M account at the same time. This advantage will be appreciated by all companies and users of Ewon routers who have machines in many countries around the world and often have several programmers connecting to these machines (Ewon routers) at the same time. In addition, a company may have a technician in many countries who also needs access to an Ewon router. The number of simultaneous connections of multiple users to multiple Ewon routers (within a single Talk2M account) starts at 5 and the maximum number is 50.

In addition to eCatcher, you can also use the M2Web Internet platform to connect to Ewon routers. The M2Web platform does not require installation and you can enter your Talk2M login details via a web page from your computer, mobile or tablet. With M2Web, you connect to LAN devices behind Ewon that have their own web server. You can also connect to IP cameras, computers via remote desktop, etc. You do not connect to PLCs via programs such as TIA portal, STEP7, etc. The M2Web portal can be accessed via a web browser by entering m2web.talk2m.com as a user, entering your login details and selecting the Ewon router you want to connect to. With a Free+ account you get 3 simultaneous connections through the M2Web portal. Talk2M Pro gives you unlimited connections to the M2Web portal.

Monthly data usage volume User <-> Ewon router

By data we mean all data transmitted between you as a remote technician and the eWON router. This includes data of transmitted PLC programs, data for connection to the remote desktop, etc. Among the biggest consumers of data volume are most often transmissions from IP cameras that you have connected to the ewon router.

• Talk2M Free+ provides 3GB of data per month. If you exceed this maximum amount of data for three consecutive months, Talk2M will be deactivated for the following month.
• Talk2M PRO provides 20GB of data per month, and if you should exceed this amount too, then you can buy Talk2M credit, which will pay for the additional data.

Advanced user and device management in your Talk2M account

This is one of the most important things that often decides customers between Talk2M Free+ and Talk2M PRO accounts.  With Talk2M Free+, you set up all Ewons in one account, all users can see and connect to these Ewons. For a smaller company with one or two technicians and several Ewon routers, this is ideal.  With more users and Ewon routers, you need to start sorting both groups.

In the paid version of Talk2M Pro, the Talk2M account administrator can create groups and subgroups for the Ewon device. You can easily group Ewon routers (machines) by region, country, machine type, PLC type, etc.  You can then assign a specific programmer to specific machines, so that the programmer responsible for the machines in the Czech Republic will not see the machines (Ewons) in Germany, because they are the responsibility of another programmer.  With Talk2M Pro you can:

1. Sort Ewon routers into groups (User group)
2. Assign programmers access to Ewon routers within groups (Ewon pools)
3. Assign programmers access to all or selected LAN devices behind an Ewon router

Setting up security and access to Talk2M and LAN devices behind Ewon

Talk2M Free+ 

• The password for your Talk2M account must be at least 8 characters long, including a capital letter, number or special character
• 2-factor authentication via SMS
• 2 levels of Firewall rules for access to LAN devices behind Ewon: Standard, High

Talk2M Pro paid service

• the administrator can set the desired password length
• administrator can set the desired password expiration
• 2-factor authentication via SMS
• administrator can set accesses to LAN devices behind Ewon for specific users
• 4 levels of Firewall rules for access to LAN devices behind Ewon: Standard, High, Enforced, Ultra

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I start with Talk2M Free+ and upgrade to Talk2M PRO if I decide it is no longer needed?
  
  • Yes, of course. The Talk2M account administrator can request an account upgrade in eCatche, Account, Credit and payments section..
• What about security - for example, two-factor authentication?
  
  • Safety is guaranteed for everyone. Both the Free+ and Pro versions benefit from two-factor authentication. However, the administrator of the Pro version can make some of the security settings even stronger.
• What is Talk2M Free+?
  
  • Talk2M Free+ is an excellent and reliable service with a number of Talk2M servers around the world that has enabled 9 million VPN connections in over 10 years and continues to grow rapidly.
• What happens if my data transfer exceeds the limit?
  
  • Accounts that exceed their monthly data allotment (3 GB Free / 20 GB Pro) will have their data transfer slowed down (Free) or will be charged additional fees (Pro).
• Can I order additional concurrent users or more data for Talk2M PRO ?
  
  • The Talk2M PRO service setup covers the needs of the most typical applications for machine builders, system integrators, OEMs, etc., but if for any reason you need additional concurrent connections, data transfer or SMS messaging, you must increase your Talk2M account credit by ordering the TM50042 product. You can then select additional data or an additional concurrent user in the eCatcher app.
• How can I view my usage statistics and possibly top up my Talk2M PRO account?
  
  • The Talk2M PRO administrator will receive a monthly email with the account balance. This information can also be obtained in real time in the eCatcher account. If the credit is running low, it must be replenished by ordering the item with order no.: TM50041 or no.: TM50042.
• I have several Talk2M Free+ accounts, can I merge them all into one TalK2M PRO account?
  
  • Yes, you can merge all your Talk2M Free accounts into one TalK2M Pro account via eCatcher.