Satellite network requirements

Connection requirements for the Penny Black satellite - connection types, firewalls and ports.

Connection requirements

If you haven't already, see our guide on Understanding the Penny Black Hardware to decide how the Satellite(s) can be connected inside your warehouse.

Connecting to printers on your network

Usually, the printer will be connected directly to the Satellite via its own network ports.  However, if this is not the case and it is connected via your network then:

  1. The Satellite and printer must be on the same network
  2. Network policies must allow the Satellite to communicate with the printer on TCP port 631

External communication & firewalls

General recommendations

In a default setup, where the printer is connected directly to the Penny Black Satellite we recommend the following:

  1. Apply network policies outlined below only
  2. OPTIONAL: Allocate the Satellite to its own subnet
  3. OPTIONAL: Ensure that the Satellite cannot communicate with any other devices on your network

Penny Black API access

The Satellite must communicate with the Penny Black platform’s API to receive print data and report the status of print jobs.

The following access is needed:

  1. Outbound network access on TCP port 8883 to iot.pennyblack.io .
    This allows the Satellite to exchange print information with the Penny Black platform API

Software updates

  1. Outbound network access on TCP port 443 to [api.pennyblack.io](<http://api.pennyblack.io>)
    This allows the fetching of release information for a Satellite software update

Logging & health checks

We track the health of the Satellite and printer so we can be alerted of any issues.

  1. Outbound allow vector.observatory.pennyblack.io on TCP port 443

Firmware updates & remote management

This is to allow updating the satellite and remote management by engineers.

  1. Outbound allow fw.gl-inet.com on TCP ports 443 & 80
  2. Outbound allow gslb-eu.goodcloud.xyz on TCP port 28883

Firewall Rules

A condensed list of firewall rules summarising the above requirements:

**ALLOW**
TCP 443 [api.pennyblack.io](<http://api.pennyblack.io/>)
TCP 443 [loki.observatory.pennyblack.io](<http://loki.observatory.pennyblack.io/>)
TCP 8883 [iot.pennyblack.io](<http://iot.pennyblack.io/>)
TCP 80 fw.gl-inet.com
TCP 443 fw.gl-inet.com
TCP 28883 gslb-eu.goodcloud.xyz