TALK2M Free, Light or Pro? Which service should you choose for Ewon devices, and why?

Remote access to Ewon routers via Talk2M Free, Light or Pro?

Let’s start from the beginning: what is Talk2M? Talk2M is a cloud service provided by Ewon that allows you to connect remotely via the Internet to EWON routers. You can have EWON routers located in many places within your plant, or the machine manufacturer may have them installed in machines all over the world. On a remote machine, you can edit the PLC programme, back it up, view the machine via an IP camera, connect to the computer’s remote desktop, download logs from PC programmes and much more. To connect to the Talk2M service, you need to have the eCatcher programme installed on your computer; this is a VPN client application that allows you to connect to the Talk2M VPN server.

Every EWON router user has access to the Talk2M Free service for 12 months from the first registration of their EWON with the Talk2M service; this service is provided free of charge and is always included with your purchased EWON router. The best way to connect to Talk2M is to download the eCatcher.exe programme, run it and register 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, such as Talk2M Light or Talk2M Pro, via your account settings in the eCatcher programme.

How do the Talk2M Free, Talk2M Light and Talk2M Pro services differ?

• In terms of the number of users connected simultaneously to multiple Ewon routers within a single Talk2M account,
• in terms of monthly data usage and stored tags,
• in the management of users and their rights,
• in the security and LAN access settings for Ewon devices.

Let’s take a closer look at each item:

Number of concurrent connections

For the account Talk2M Free Only one remote connection can be established at any one time from a computer (via the eCatcher programme) to a remote Ewon router. If you are the sole user of a Talk2M Free account, this is not a problem, as you can connect to other Ewon routers by disconnecting from the first Ewon and connecting to the second one. If you have other users registered under the same account (e.g. your fellow programmers), only one user can connect to the Ewon routers at any one time. Other users can launch the eCatcher programme; they will see a list of available Ewon routers and be able to see whether any of their colleagues are already connected to a particular router.  However, they cannot connect to another Ewon until the colleague on the first Ewon router has disconnected. This type of account is available for 12 months from the date you register your EWON with the Talk2M system; after that, you will need to choose one of the paid accounts listed below, or upgrade your existing free Register another new EWON to your account.

Account Talk2M Light allows you to run 2 simultaneous remote connections from a single Talk2M account. For many users, this number is sufficient, as they can connect to a machine at the same time as, for example, a colleague from another country or branch and work together or in parallel.

With an account Talk2M pro You can now run multiple concurrent remote connections from a single Talk2M account at the same time. This benefit will be appreciated by all companies and users of Ewon routers who have their machines in many countries around the world and where several of their programmers often connect to these machines (Ewon routers) at the same time. Furthermore, a company may have a technician employed in many countries who also needs access to an Ewon router. The number of concurrent connections by multiple users to multiple Ewon routers (within a single Talk2M account) starts at 5 and the maximum is 50.

To connect to Ewon routers, you can use the M2Web internet platform as well as the eCatcher programme. The M2Web platform does not require installation, and you can enter your Talk2M login details via the website from a computer, mobile phone or tablet. With the M2Web service, you can connect to LAN devices behind the Ewon router that have their own web server. You can also connect to IP cameras, computers via remote desktop, and so on. You cannot connect to PLCs via programmes such as TIA Portal, STEP7, etc. Portal M2Web It is accessible via a web browser; as a user, you simply enter the address into the browser m2web.talk2m.com, enter your login details and select the Ewon router you wish to connect to. With your account free a light You will receive 5 concurrent connections via the portal M2Web. Talk2M pro will provide you with an unlimited number of connections to the M2Web portal. 

Monthly data usage volume: User <-> Ewon router

Data refers to the total volume of data transferred between you, as a remote technician, and the EWON router. This includes data from PLC programmes, data for connecting to a computer’s remote desktop, and so on. Among the biggest consumers of data volume are, most commonly, transmissions from IP cameras that you have connected to the EWON router.

• Talk2M Free provides 3 GB of data per month. If you exceed this maximum monthly data allowance, the Talk2M service will be deactivated for the remainder of the month.
• Talk2M Light provides 5 GB of data per month. If you exceed this maximum monthly data allowance, the Talk2M service will be deactivated for the remainder of the month.
• Talk2M pro It provides 20 GB of data per month, and if you exceed this limit, you can purchase additional Talk2M credit to pay for further data.

Advanced user and device management in your Talk2M account

This is one of the most important factors that often determines customers’ choice between Talk2M Free, Light and Talk2M Pro accounts. With the free version Talk2M Free a light If you set up all your Ewon devices under a single account, all users will be able to see these Ewon devices and connect to them. This is ideal for a small business with one or two technicians and a few Ewon routers. With a larger number of users and Ewon routers, you will need to start organising them into groups.

For the paid version Talk2M pro A Talk2M account administrator can create groups and sub-groups for Ewon devices. This allows you to easily organise 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 machines in the Czech Republic will not see the machines (Ewons) in Germany, as these are the responsibility of a different programmer. With Talk2M Pro, you can:

1. Organise Ewon routers into groups (User group)
2. Assign access rights to Ewon routers for programmers within groups (Ewon pools)
3. Grant programmers access to all or selected LAN devices behind the Ewon router

Security and access settings for Talk2M and LAN devices behind Ewon

The Talk2M Free and Talk2M Light services 

• The password for your Talk2M account must be at least 8 characters long and include at least one uppercase letter, one number or one special character
• Two-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 required password length
• The administrator can set the required password expiry date
• Two-factor authentication via SMS
• The administrator can configure access to LAN devices behind the Ewon router 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 the Talk2M Free version and upgrade to Talk2M Light or Talk2M Pro if I decide it’s necessary?
  • Yes, of course. A Talk2M account administrator can request an upgrade for accounts in the eCatcher programme, under the ‘Account, Credit and payments’ section.
• What about security - for example, two-factor authentication?
  • Security is guaranteed for everyone. Which version free, light, so the version pro offers two-factor authentication. Administrator version pro However, some security settings may be even more stringent.
• What is the Talk2M Free service?
  • Talk2M free is an excellent and reliable service with a network of Talk2M servers worldwide, which has facilitated 9 million VPN connections over more than 10 years and continues to grow rapidly. However, as the ever-increasing number of free accounts became too demanding for the operator in terms of administration and maintenance, the operator has restricted availability free A 12-month version from the first registration of the router with the Talk2M service. After that, you must choose one of the two paid account options.
• What happens if my data usage exceeds the limit?
  • Accounts that have exceeded their allocated monthly data allowance (3 GB free / 5 GB light / 20 GB pro) will either be blocked from data transfer until the end of the month (free/light) or will be charged additional fees (pro).
• Can I add more concurrent users or more data for Talk2M Pro?
  • The Talk2M Pro service configuration meets the needs of the most common applications for machine manufacturers, system integrators, OEMs, etc. However, if for any reason you require additional concurrent connections, data transfer or SMS messages, you must top up your Talk2M account credit by ordering the product TM50042. You can then select further data or another concurrent user in the eCatcher app.
• How can I view my usage statistics and, if necessary, top up my Talk2M Pro account?
  • Talk2M Service Administrator pro You will receive your account balance by email every month. This information can also be viewed in real time in your eCatcher account. If your credit is running low, you will need to top it up by ordering the item with order no.: TM50041 or No.: TM50042.
• I have several Talk2M Free accounts; can I merge them all into a single Talk2M Pro account?
  • Yes, you can merge all your Talk2M Free accounts into a single Talk2M Pro account via eCatcher.