# Controller Firewall Opening **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [9 March 2022 12:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/controller-firewall-opening/59587 "2022-03-09T12:04:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jpmaloney2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@jpmaloney2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jpmaloney2)\ **Post date:** [9 March 2022 12:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/controller-firewall-opening/59587/1 "2022-03-09T12:04:39Z")
Apologies if my question is not thoroughly written enough I am very new to this software. I have a Sturtevant Richmont torque wrench controller that I need to get approval through my company's IT department to use with Node Red. The controller has an IP address which has been set by the IT department and I know which port it transmits TCP data on I need to send a firewall change request to my company asking them to open up the connection between my computer running Node Red and the controller. I simply had them open up the connection between controllerIP:port and the IP address I find when I type ipconfig into my command prompt. This seems to not be working. Do I need to use a different IP address for myself in order to connect with TCP using Node Red? ---
**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\ **Post date:** [9 March 2022 12:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/controller-firewall-opening/59587/2 "2022-03-09T12:31:34Z")
Are there specific requirements for connecting to the device? Does it have a published API? Also bear in mind that, depending on the network, your PC may change IP addresses regularly. ---
**Author:** ![jpmaloney2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@jpmaloney2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jpmaloney2)\ **Post date:** [9 March 2022 13:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/controller-firewall-opening/59587/3 "2022-03-09T13:19:55Z")
In the past, another colleague managed to look at the controller's value via TCP by opening up the IP address they were using and the IP address:port of the controller but they were not using Node-Red. As far as I'm aware I don't need any other requirements to connect. Is the firewall setting I requested enough to be able to use TCP in Node Red as far as you know? ---
**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\ **Post date:** [9 March 2022 13:33 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/controller-firewall-opening/59587/4 "2022-03-09T13:33:18Z")
How have you configured the TCP node? > [@jpmaloney2](#): > > The controller has an IP address which has been set by the IT department and I know which port it transmits TCP data on Do you mean the device sends TCP data or does node-red have to request it (using that port), so the device is listening on that port, not sending? ---
**Author:** ![jpmaloney2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@jpmaloney2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jpmaloney2)\ **Post date:** [9 March 2022 13:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/controller-firewall-opening/59587/5 "2022-03-09T13:45:49Z")
The device sends TCP data. I'm trying to open the controllers TCP port to a more general network IP address across the site to see if that solves the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\ **Post date:** [9 March 2022 14:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/controller-firewall-opening/59587/6 "2022-03-09T14:05:13Z")
> [@jpmaloney2](#): > > The device sends TCP data. You mean it just sends it, the client doesn't need to request it? If so then did the IT department realise that they had to allow the device to send and the PC must be allowed to listen on that port, to receive data from the device. When you said that > [@jpmaloney2](#): > > simply had them open up the connection between controllerIP:port and the IP address they might have assumed that the controller is listening on that port rather than sending. Whereas what you now describe is your PC listening on that port. You have not shown us how you have configured the TCP node. ---
**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\ **Post date:** [9 March 2022 15:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/controller-firewall-opening/59587/7 "2022-03-09T15:45:57Z")
> [@jpmaloney2](#): > > opening up the IP address How did they do that? Using a browser or using something like TELNET to the port? ---
**Author:** ![jpmaloney2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@jpmaloney2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jpmaloney2)\ **Post date:** [9 March 2022 16:07 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/controller-firewall-opening/59587/8 "2022-03-09T16:07:49Z")
Sorry I used bad language. I meant opening up the firewall between the IP address of the controller and the IP address of the computer they were using. I found out my IT department hasn't actually opened up the TCP firewall, I was told it was opened but it's not, so this might all be crying wolf. Once the firewall TCP connection is officially opened I will get back to you. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [8 May 2022 16:08 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/controller-firewall-opening/59587/9 "2022-05-08T16:08:08Z")
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