Firewall Communications

As the purpose of any firewall is to restrict port usage, a firewall should always be located at the entry/exit point of a network. This will prevent outside access to the network, while allowing unimpeded internal network communications. If it is required to access a FactoryTalk system through a firewall, it is recommended to use Remote Desktop Services (RDS.) RDS will require only one open port in the firewall, whereas FactoryTalk communications will require many more, including the entire dynamic range of DCOM ports. See the “Remote Desktop Services” section of this document for more information on implementing RDS, or see Knowledgebase Document ID: BF7490 - TCP/UDP Ports Used by Rockwell Automation Products for a list of ports used by FactoryTalk.