The IXagent is a software-only solution that can be installed directly on your machine’s hardware. This offers an alternative to the IXrouter to connect a computer or PLC to IXON Cloud.
The IXagent is available for these devices and operating systems:
| Operating systems | Devices |
|---|---|
| Windows | WAGO |
| Debian | PLCnext |
| Ubuntu | Berghof |
| Raspberry Pi OS |
Although the IXagent is a cost-friendly solution, the IXrouter has several benefits compared to the IXagent.
| Benefits that the IXrouter has over using the IXagent |
|---|
| The IXrouter is user-friendly and more robust. Because it is a separate device and is easier to diagnose by using the LEDs, internal system logs, or the local web interface. |
| The IXrouter can route traffic and contains a firewall. This allows separating the company network from the machine network. In many scenarios, this makes the IXrouter a safer solution. |
| Multiple devices, like PLC, HMI, and robot, can be connected behind one IXrouter. |
| The firmware of the IXrouter can be upgraded remotely. |
| The IXrouter supports more protocols for data logging and alarming. The IXagent only supports select protocols. See each IXagent’s support article for a list of supported protocols. |
| The IXrouter can use stealth mode to connect to VPN from networks on which VPN traffic is filtered or blocked by default. Regarding the IXagent, only the Windows IXagent supports stealth mode. |
| The IXrouter has a built-in NTP server, that devices behind the IXrouter can use to sync their time. This prevents time drift. |