With the Network Connection, the signotec signature pad is not operated on the client, but directly on the network via IP. The application on the terminal server addresses the pad over the network; a client with a connected 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 performance and stability.
How It Works
A network-capable pad obtains an IP address (static or via DHCP) and waits for incoming connections from a signotec-compatible application. On the terminal server, instead of a COM port or USB device, the application is configured with the pad's IP address or hostname. The application and pad then communicate directly via TCP/IP, without involving a client machine.
This results in two properties that none of the client-mediated variants offer:
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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.
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Shared Use — a pad can be addressed sequentially from different workstations, for example at a central counter or as a shared resource in a consulting room.
Hardware Options
For the Network Connection, signotec offers two approaches:
signotec USB-Ethernet Adapter
Pads with a USB connection (item number ending in U100) can be connected to the network via the signotec USB-Ethernet adapter. The adapter is compatible with devices in HID or WinUSB mode. Devices in virtual-serial mode (FT100) and the signotec Delta are not compatible.
signotec Delta with Integrated Network Port
The signotec Delta can optionally be ordered with an integrated network port (RJ45). No additional adapter is required with this configuration. The port cannot be retrofitted — if a network connection is required, the device must be ordered directly in this variant.
For more information on order variants and hardware details of the Delta, see the manual.
Requirements
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Network-capable signotec signature pad (
U100-variant with USB-Ethernet adapter or signotec Delta with RJ45) -
IP connectivity between the terminal server and the pad (Layer 3 reachability, firewall rules if applicable)
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A signing application on the terminal server that supports the network connection of signotec pads
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An IP address for the pad (static or via DHCP)
The network connection is supported by signoSign/2, signoSign/Universal, and applications based on a compatible version of the signoPAD API. For specific version requirements, refer to the documentation of the respective application.
Configuring the Pad
The network configuration (connection type, static IP address or DHCP, other parameters) is set directly on the pad in the service menu and can be changed there at any time. The exact steps vary by device; device-specific instructions can be found in the respective pad manual.
There are two ways to assign the IP address:
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Static IP address — recommended for stable production use. The application is configured with a fixed, unchanging address.
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DHCP — possible if the application addresses the pad by hostname or via a reserved DHCP address. Notes on DHCP operation can be found in the pad manuals.
Configuring the Application
Instead of a COM port or USB device, the pad's network address is entered in the signing application on the terminal server. The specific configuration is application-specific; refer to the documentation of the respective application for details.
If a pad is to be used from multiple workstations, the same pad address is entered in the different application instances. It must be ensured on the application side that two sessions do not access the same pad at the same time.
Network Requirements
The Network Connection requires an uninterrupted 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:
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the terminal server can reach the pad at the IP level
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the TCP port configured on the pad is not blocked by firewalls between the server and the pad
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the round-trip latency between the server and the pad remains low — typically unproblematic on a LAN, but should be checked in WAN scenarios
The same TCP port must then be entered in the signing application on the terminal server.
Verification
After configuring the pad and the application, 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 checked from the terminal server using ping against the pad's IP address — provided ICMP is not blocked by a firewall. If the pad does not respond to the application's connection attempt initiated from the server, check in this order: network configuration on the pad (IP address, gateway, connection type), reachability at the IP level, firewall rule for the application's TCP port, and configuration of the application.