Communications Document
61Morningstar Product Connectivity Manual
provides a comprehensive list of routers and instructions for forwarding ports. The forwarding
information for the TriStar MPPT is as follows:
To enable remote access to your TriStar MPPT using MSView or other 3rd party software
IP: Static IP assigned to the controller in Step 3f
port: 502 (some routers ask for a range of ports, in this case specify 502 to 502)
protocol: TCP
If you want to view TriStar Live View webpages from any computer on the internet, the fol-
lowing additional port must also be forwarded in addition to port 502.
IP: Static IP assigned to the controller in Step 3f
port: 80 (some routers ask for a range of ports, in this case specify 80 to 80)
protocol: TCP
Step 2 - Set up Dynamic DNS Service
Many ISPs allocate dynamic IP addresses to their customers. In plain English this means that the
publicaddressthatuniquelyidentiesyourhome/businessrouterontheinternetchanges.Thisis
equivalent to having your mailing address change randomly. The postal service can’t deliver your
mail if they don’t know your address!
Your ISP can tell you if you have a static IP or dynamic IP. If you have a static IP, your address
never changes and you can skip this section - go straight to Section IV - Testing Your Connec-
tion.IfyouhaveadynamicIPyou’llneedareliablewaytondyourrouter’saddresssothatyou
can always contact your TriStar MPPT controller.
The solution is to use Dynamic DNS Service (DDNS). DDNS maps a static internet address to
your home network’s dynamic IP. A client must be installed on a computer in your network which
will automatically update the DDNS when your router’s public IP has changed.
NOTE:
Many modern routers now support DDNS which eliminates the need to run a client on your home
computer. If your router supports DDNS, it can be congured to automatically update the DDNS servers
whenever the IP address changes. Check your router’s documentation or check the approved vendors
list at http://www.dyndns.com.