GE Industrial Solutions WattStation Pedestal EVSE Charger Operation and Maintenance - Manual (Page 35)

WattStation™ EV Charger User Manual
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5 Networking
5.1 Overview
The GE WattStation utilizes network LAN and Internet technologies to connect charging units to
GE’s dedicated EVSE environment. This environment allows for monitoring, billing, and other
future services from a central location. This service does require a dedicated connection to the
Internet. Depending on how your WattStation was configured at the factory the following
connectivity options are available.
• Dedicated Cellular router – Utilizing cellular technology this option offers a dedicated
connection to the Internet. The router will be housed in the WattStation unit and is not
user serviceable. The router connects to an internally housed Ethernet switch.
• Ethernet Port – This option allows for the use of an existing Internet connection. The LAN
interface on the WattStation supports speeds of 10/100 megabit capability.
• WiFi – WiFi is also an option for connecting the WattStation to an existing wireless
environment. The WiFi interface is compatible with 802.11 b/g 2.4Ghz WiFi networks.
5.2 Terms & Definitions
It is important to understand terms used throughout this section.
LAN – Local Area Network – A local area network (LAN) is a group of computers and associated
devices that share a common communications line or wireless link.
Ethernet – The most common LAN connectivity method. This is a physical wired technology that
consists of the use of twisted pair wiring.
WiFi or WLAN – This is a mechanism that allows an electronic device to exchange data wirelessly
over a computer network.
Cellular router – This is a device that uses wireless cell technology to connect to a network
instead of to the telephone system.
Firewall – A firewall is a device or set of devices designed to permit or deny network
transmissions based upon a set of rules and is frequently used to protect networks from
unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communications to pass.
Proxy Server – In computer networks, a proxy server is a server (a computer system or an
application) that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other
servers.
LAN Switch – A network device that cross-connects clients, servers and network devices.
LAN Router – This is a network device that forwards packets from one network to another.
LAN Speeds – The most common Ethernet speeds are 100 megabit (Fast Ethernet) and 1000
megabit (Gigabit Ethernet). This is how fast information moves across a LAN.
LAN Port – This can be either a wall jack or a physical port on a LAN switch.