Product data

59Morningstar Product Connectivity Manual
III. Congure Remote Access
CongureremoteaccesstoallowcommunicationwithyourTriStarMPPTfromanycomputeror
device on the internet. Use MSView or a web browser to view your solar system’s real-time oper-
ating information.
NOTE:
Before proceeding, make sure the TriStar MPPT is correctly congured and connected to your home/
business network per the directions in Section II.
NOTE:
Because there are many different types and manufacturers of network routers, the exact steps required
cannot be fully documented here. However, details are provided on where to get further information.
!
CAUTION:
All incoming requests addressed to controllers and devices that are connected (bridged) to the EIA-485
port on the TriStar MPPT will be passed both READ and WRITE modbus requests without exception.
Setting switch #8 on the TriStar MPPT only prevents WRITE requests to the local controller. For this
reason, we do not recommend enabling remote access to systems with bridged EIA-485 networks unless
extra network security measures are implemented.
Is this secure?
Thevastmajorityofviruses,malware,scripts,etcaredesignedtoexploitsecurityawsinma-
jor operating systems and their software. Malicious attackers wishing to do harm will only have
access to the TriStar MPPT. The TriStar does not have an operating system or web browser to
exploit. It only accepts and responds to properly structured MODBUS TCP requests. If setting
switch #8 is in the OFF position, the controller will only allow requests to read information and will
notallowrequeststowritedata.Whileanythingispossible,itisunlikelythatthisconguration
posesasignicantsecurityrisk.
It is also worth noting that the networking and charge controller functions of the TriStar MPPT
are separate and executed by two (2) separate processors. If the network processor crashes for
any reason, the charge controller functionality will continue unaffected.
Congure the Network Router and TriStar MPPT
A router provides a gateway between the internet and your private local network. A router is usu-
allyprovidedtoDSL,cable,ber,andsatellitecustomersbytheirinternetserviceprovider(ISP).
Therouterconnectstotheincomingphoneline,cablecoax,orberlineandprovidesone(1)or
more Ethernet ports for your home/business computers.
Mostnetworkroutershaveawebinterfaceforconguration.Thisinterfaceisusuallyprotected
by password. If your router was supplied by your ISP (Cable, DSL, satellite company), they can
provideyouwiththelogin/passwordneededtoaccesstherouterconguration.Ifyoupurchased
and installed your own router, the factory default password should be provided in the router docu-
mentation.
Step 1 - Retrieve the Current TriStar MPPT Network Settings
Open a web browser on any computer on your local networka.