Network Connection

With the Network Connection, the signotec signature pad is not operated on the client but directly via IP on the network. The application on the terminal server addresses the pad over the network; a client with an attached pad is not involved.

This variant is independent of the remote protocol used and therefore works equally well with Citrix, Microsoft RDP, and other remote solutions. Based on signotec's experience, it is the most robust option in Citrix environments without a Virtual Channel as well as in pure RDP environments, and it outperforms USB Redirection — and in many cases also the Virtual Serial Connection — in terms of performance and stability.

How it works

A network-capable pad obtains an IP address (statically or via DHCP) and waits for incoming connections from a signotec-compatible application. On the terminal server, the IP address or hostname of the pad is configured in the application instead of a COM port or USB device. The application and pad then communicate directly via TCP/IP, without any involvement of a client machine.

This gives rise to two properties that none of the client-mediated variants offers:

• Client independence — the connection is not tied to a specific workstation. The user needs neither a physical pad connection nor a driver installation at the workstation.

• Shared use — a pad can be addressed consecutively from different workstations, for example at a central counter or as a shared resource in a consultation room.

Hardware options

For the Network Connection, signotec offers two paths:

signotec USB-to-Ethernet adapter

Pads with a USB connection (article number ending in U100) can be integrated into the network via the signotec USB-to-Ethernet adapter. The adapter is compatible with devices in HID or WinUSB mode. Devices in virtual serial mode (FT100) as well as the signotec Delta are not supported.

signotec Delta with integrated network port

The signotec Delta can optionally be ordered with an integrated network port (RJ45). In this form factor no additional adapter is required. The port cannot be retrofitted — if a network connection is required, the device must be procured directly in this variant.

Further information on order variants and hardware details of the Delta is available in the manual.

Prerequisites

• Network-capable signotec signature pad (U100 variant with USB-to-Ethernet adapter or signotec Delta with RJ45)

• IP connectivity between the terminal server and the pad (layer-3 reachability, firewall clearance where applicable)

• A signing application on the terminal server that supports the Network Connection for signotec pads

• IP address for the pad (static or via DHCP)

The Network Connection is supported by signoSign/2, signoSign/Universal, and applications based on the signoPAD-API in a compatible version. Please refer to the documentation of the respective application for specific version requirements.

Pad configuration

The network configuration (connection type, static IP address or DHCP, further parameters) is performed directly on the pad in the service menu and can be changed there at any time. The exact steps differ depending on the device; the device-specific instructions are available in the respective pad manual.

There are two ways to assign the IP address:

• Static IP address — recommended for stable production use. The application is configured with a fixed, permanent address.

• DHCP — possible, provided the application addresses the pad by hostname or via a reserved DHCP address. Notes on DHCP operation are available in the pad manuals.

Application configuration

Instead of a COM port or USB device, the network address of the pad is entered in the signing application on the terminal server. The specific configuration is application-specific; please refer to the documentation of the respective application for details.

If a pad is to be used from multiple workstations, the same pad IP address is entered in the different application instances.

Network requirements

The Network Connection requires an end-to-end TCP connection between the terminal server and the pad. The pad's IP address and TCP port are freely configurable and are set on the pad or adapter. In segmented networks (VLANs, site interconnection), it must be ensured that:

• the terminal server can reach the pad at the IP level

• the TCP port configured on the pad is not blocked between the server and the pad by firewalls

• the round-trip latency between the server and the pad remains low — typically unproblematic on the LAN, to be verified in WAN scenarios

The same TCP port must then be entered in the signing application on the terminal server.

Verification

After the pad and the application have been configured, the connection can be tested by triggering a signature in the application on the terminal server. The pad must respond to the input.

Basic reachability can be verified from the terminal server by using ping against the pad's IP address — provided ICMP is not blocked by a firewall. If the pad does not respond to the connection attempt initiated by the server, check in the following order: network configuration on the pad (IP address, gateway, connection type), reachability at the IP level, firewall clearance for the application's TCP port, application configuration.