6. Internet connectivity
Connect the Venus GX to the internet to get all the advantages of the VRM Portal. The VGX sends data from all connected products to the VRM portal - from where you can monitor energy usage, view the current status of connected products, configure email alarms and download data in CSV and Excel formats.
To monitor this data from your smartphone or tablet download the iOS or Android VRM App.
In addition to remote monitoring, an active internet connection allows the VGX to regularly check for a new firmware versions - which (depending on the setting) will be automatically downloaded and installed.
There are several ways to connect a VGX to the internet:
Run a network cable between a router and the VGX Ethernet LAN port
Connect to the router wirelessly using WiFi
Via a mobile (cellular) network, using the GX LTE 4G - a cellular USB modem or, with a 3G or 4G router
USB Tethering via a mobile phone
This video explains how to connect LAN, WiFi and a GX GSM (also applies to GX LTE 4G):
6.1. Ethernet LAN port
When you connect an ethernet cable between a router and VGX, the Settings → Ethernet page of your VGX will confirm connection.
Caution
Before connecting the ethernet cable, be very careful not to confuse the GX device Ethernet port with the VE.Bus or VE.Can/BMS-Can ports!
6.2. WiFi
The Venus GX includes built-in WiFi. Using WiFi it is possible to connect to WEP, WPA and WPA2 secured networks. It is also possible to connect a supported external USB WiFi dongle (to increase wireless range outside of a cabinet for example).
There are several supported USB WiFi dongles. Two of them are also available from stock at Victron Energy:
Partno. BPP900100200 - CCGX WiFi module simple (Nano USB), small, low cost.
Partno. BPP900200300 - Asus USB-N14, slightly higher cost and also better reception than the Nano USB. Supported since software version 2.23.
Partno. BPP900200400 - WiFi module long range (Netgear AC1200) - higher cost and also better reception than the Nano USB. Wireless AC, Wireless G and Wireless N; 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz.
WiFi modules that are no longer available but still supported are:
Partno. BPP900200100 - Startech USB300WN2X2D
Partno. BPP900100100 - Zyxel NWD2105
Partno. BPP900200200 - Gembird WNP-UA-002, slightly higher cost and also better reception.
Partno. BPP900200400 - Netgear A6210-100PES.
Although other WiFi dongles may work, they have not been tested and we do not offer support for other dongles.
The WiFi menu shows the available networks. When a network is selected, it is possible to fill in the password (if the password is not already known) to connect to the network. Setting up via WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) is not supported.
When the VGX finds multiple WiFi networks of which the password is known, the strongest network is selected automatically. When the signal of the connected network becomes too weak, it will automatically switch to a stronger network - if it knows the password of that network.
Note
WiFi is an inherently less reliable connection than a hardwired ethernet cable. It should always be a preference to connect via ethernet when possible. Signal strength should always be at least 50%.
6.3. GX LTE 4G
The GX LTE 4G is a cellular modem for our GX range of monitoring products and provides a mobile internet connection for the system and a connection to the VRM Portal. It works on 2G, 3G and 4G networks.
Please see the GX LTE 4G Manual
6.4. Mobile (cellular) network using a 3G or 4G router
Note
The GX LTE 4G provides only an internet connection for the GX device. Sharing the internet with laptops, phones, or other devices is not possible.
For installations where more devices require internet, as is often the case on a yacht or RV, or where a reliable failover/backup solution is needed, consider installing a mobile router with this functionality instead.
A mobile router can share cellular data with multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and other devices via its Ethernet port or WiFi and is able to switch to a previously configured WiFi connection in the event of an Ethernet connection failure or vice versa.
To connect the VGX to a mobile (cellular) network, such as a 3G or 4G network, use a cellular router. Connect the VGX to that router with either a LAN cable or the router's WiFi network.
Make sure you use a router that is designed for unattended setups. Do not use low-cost consumer-grade routers intended for business or leisure travel. A more expensive professional router will quickly pay for itself, and you won't have wasted journeys simply to perform a reset. Examples of such professional routers are the H685 4G LTE from Proroute and the Industrial 4G router range from Pepwave.
More information is in this blog post.
Note that the VGX does not support USB 3G/4G dongles, other than the GX GSM and GX LTE 4G accessories available from Victron.
6.5. USB tethering using a mobile phone
This is a useful facility when it works - but don't rely on it because it has not proved very dependable. Consult the internet for instructions about tethering for your phone and its particular operating system. We have heard of it working on:
Samsung Galaxy S4
…but not on:
iPhone 5s with iOS 8.1.1
6.6. Manual IP configuration
Almost no installations will need the IP address configuration to be inserted manually as most systems support automatic IP configuration (DHCP) - and that is also the VGX default setting. If you do need to configure the address manually, select the following template:
Complete details of IP requirements, as well as used port numbers will be found in the VRM FAQ - ports and connections used by the VGX.
6.7. Multiple connections (failover)
It is possible to connect the VGX to multiple networks simultaneously, Ethernet, WiFi and LTE (via a GX LTE 4G). In this case, the GX device uses Ethernet or WiFi whenever available and falls back to LTE if the Ethernet connection is lost and WiFi access isn't available.
The priority of which connection the GX device uses is based on the following order:
Ethernet, regardless of whether there is a WiFi or LTE connection.
WiFi when there is no Ethernet connection and regardless of whether there is an LTE connection.
LTE when there is no Ethernet and WiFi connection.
Important
Please note that the GX device does not check whether any network devices mentioned have an active internet connection. This mechanism only considers the active network connection.
6.8. Minimise internet traffic
In situations where internet traffic is expensive, for example a satellite uplink or with roaming GSM/cellular charges, you may want to minimise the internet traffic. The steps to take are:
Disable auto firmware updates
Do not enable remote support
Reduce the Log interval (Settings → VRM online portal → Log interval) to a very low frequency. Note that state changes (charging → inverting, or bulk → float) and also alarms will cause extra messages to be sent
To find out how much data allowance you need to buy the best way is to let the system run for a couple of days and monitor the internet RX and TX counters in your 3G or 4G router. Or even better, some mobile companies will report the data used via a website.
The amount of data used is also very dependent on the system:
More products connected to the VGX will generate more data.
A state change (from inverter to charger for example) will trigger a data transmission, so a system with very frequent state changes will also tend to generate more data. This is especially true in certain Hub-1 and Hub-2 systems.
We recommend setting-up your data plan in such a way as to avoid costly 'excess' charges. Make sure you put a cap on your data usage; or use a pre-paid plan.
One customer - burdened with global costs of between twenty cents and several euros per mb of data - invented a clever solution: Using a VPN he modified the IP to route ALL traffic to and from the GX device via his VPN. Using a firewall at the VPN server allows him to control traffic according to time, connection type, place and destinations. Although this is beyond the scope of this manual, it works, and - with the help of a Linux and networking expert - it can work for you.