Configuring KTP700 Basic PN HTML Browser for Ethernet Access

The SIMATIC KTP700 Basic PN (catalog number 6AV2 123-2GB03-0AX0) is a 7" widescreen panel from the Basic Panels 2nd Generation family. It is commonly used to display process graphics created in TIA Portal, but the integrated HTML browser control is also widely deployed to show documentation, intranet dashboards, or live web content next to the HMI screens. Engineers frequently encounter the same failure mode: the page opens in the TIA simulation, but on the physical panel the runtime reports "The requested page (https://google.com/) could not be found. Error code: 3" while the panel simultaneously logs system event 140001 - Connection disconnected. This guide explains the root cause, the network prerequisites, and the configuration changes required to make the HTML browser work on the real device.

1. Problem Details

The visible error message is generated by the WinCC Runtime Advanced HTML browser when the URL cannot be retrieved. Error code 3 in this context is the WebKit ERROR_INVALID_URL / ERR_FAILED family and almost always indicates a transport-layer failure: DNS timeout, TCP RST from the gateway, or no route to the host. It is not a malformed-URL problem when the same address opens in the TIA simulation.

2. Root Cause Analysis

Three independent defects usually combine to produce the symptom:

1. The PROFINET interface is connected to a PLC subnet, not to a routed network. The default IP of a PROFINET CPU is 192.168.0.1 and the project topology uses this as the HMI's PLC partner. When you physically swap the cable from the engineering PC (which is on the SOHO router's 192.168.1.x segment) to the panel, the panel is still trying to talk to 192.168.0.1. The system event 140001 is the panel reporting that the configured S7 connection to that CPU has dropped. The HMI then has no upstream gateway and the browser cannot resolve external names.
2. Sm@rtServer does not provide internet access. Sm@rtServer is a remote-access service that lets a PC client (Sm@rtClient, web client) view and operate the HMI over TCP port 102 (HMI-RT) or HTTP/HTTPS. It is an inbound service on the panel, not a routing or proxy feature. Enabling it has no effect on the panel's ability to reach external HTTP servers.
3. The simulation uses the engineering PC's browser, not the panel's WebKit. When you run the project with the TIA simulator (RT-Start), the HTML browser control is hosted inside WinCC Runtime Advanced on your PC and inherits the PC's network stack, the PC's DNS resolver, and (in modern TIA versions) the system Chromium / WebView2 engine. Pages that work in simulation can fail on the panel simply because the PC has internet and the panel does not.

3. Hardware and Firmware Reference

Before any software change, confirm the exact part number and the firmware you are running. The part number is printed on the rear label and is also returned by the panel's "About" / "System" screen on the device.

The PROFINET port supports auto-crossover (Auto-MDI/MDIX), so a 1:1 patch cable is sufficient whether you connect to a PC, a switch, or directly to a CPU. A crossover cable is no longer required and should not be used.

The current firmware for this article number is delivered as a .fwf file (for example KTP700_Basic_PN_V15.01.00.00_28.01.00.01.fwf). Firmware updates are applied with ProSave or with TIA Portal via the menu Online → HMI Device Maintenance → Update Firmware. Updating the firmware does not change any of the network settings below; it is only required if Siemens Support publishes a release note that specifically addresses the HTML browser.

4. Prerequisites

• TIA Portal V15.1 with WinCC Professional / Advanced installed (HMI engineering component).
• SIMATIC KTP700 Basic PN 6AV2 123-2GB03-0AX0 with image V15.01.00.00_28.01.00.01 (or later V15.1 image).
• A managed or unmanaged Ethernet switch with a free port. Do not connect the HMI directly to the router if the PC is also on that router — the panel needs its own IP range or you must coordinate DHCP scopes.
• A static IP plan. The Basic panel's PROFINET interface only supports one IPv4 address, and that address is used simultaneously for the S7 connection to the PLC and for the browser traffic.
• Outbound TCP/80 (HTTP) and TCP/443 (HTTPS) to the destination web server must be permitted by the corporate firewall.

5. Network Configuration Procedure

The PROFINET parameters of the panel are set in two places: in the device configuration (offline, in the project) and on the panel itself (online, in the Control Panel → Network and Dial-up Connections). When you transfer the project, the offline values overwrite the on-device values. Make sure both agree.

5.1 Define the IP plan

Pick a subnet that contains all three devices you will use during commissioning:

The gateway and DNS values are the most often missed entries. Without a gateway the panel can only reach its own subnet; without a DNS server it cannot resolve www.google.com and the browser returns the error code 3 immediately.

5.2 Configure the panel offline in TIA Portal

1. Open the project and select the KTP700 in the project tree.
2. Open Device View → Properties → PROFINET interface [X1] → Ethernet addresses.
3. Set IP address to 192.168.1.20.
4. Set Subnet mask to 255.255.255.0.
5. Tick Use router and enter 192.168.1.1.
6. Tick Use DNS server and enter 192.168.1.1 (or a public resolver such as 8.8.8.8 if the SOHO router does not forward DNS).
7. Compile the HMI station (Right-click → Compile → Software (rebuild all)) and download to the panel.

5.3 Connect the cable and verify the link

Plug a 1:1 patch cable from the HMI's PROFINET port into the switch that is also connected to the SOHO router. The PROFINET port LEDs on the panel should light green within a few seconds. On the panel, open Control Panel → Network and Dial-up Connections → PN-INET → Properties → IP address and confirm the values match the project.

5.4 Interconnect the panel to the engineering network

When the panel is in the same project as a PROFINET CPU, you can declare the interconnection in the Network view of TIA Portal. This is the same procedure used to bind a CPU and an HMI on a PROFINET subnet and is documented in the Siemens function manual Settings for interconnecting Ethernet devices - STEP 7. The minimum entries are:

• Source port: Port 1 of the CPU PROFINET interface.
• Destination port: Port 1 of the HMI PROFINET interface.
• Cable type: 1:1 copper patch (no crossover, no fiber).

Even when the panel is used purely for the HTML browser (no PLC traffic), declaring the interconnection in the project guarantees that the offline IP settings are downloaded correctly.

6. HTML Browser Control Configuration

1. In the project tree, expand Screens → [your screen].
2. From the Toolbox → Controls palette, drag HTML browser onto the screen.
3. In the Properties → General tab, set the URL property to https://www.google.com/ (test URL) or to your production URL.
4. Set the Refresh interval as required. Setting it to 0 disables automatic refresh.
5. Optionally enable the navigation toolbar (Properties → Display → Show navigation bar) for diagnostics during commissioning. Disable it for the production screen so operators cannot navigate to arbitrary sites.
6. If your production URL uses HTTPS with a self-signed certificate, install the CA on the panel. The runtime trusts the system certificate store on the panel. Self-signed certs must be imported via the Control Panel → Security → Certificates applet before the page will load.

7. Sm@rtServer vs. HTML Browser

Sm@rtServer is unrelated to outbound web browsing. It is an inbound service that exposes the HMI's screens, alarms, and tags to remote clients. Toggling Sm@rtServer does not add a route, a DNS server, or a proxy to the panel. The two features can coexist on the same Ethernet port, but they are configured in different places:

Enabling Sm@rtServer is appropriate for remote maintenance scenarios, but it does not change the network reach of the HTML browser.

8. Common Error Codes and Diagnostics

9. On-Device Verification Steps

1. Link state. Control Panel → Network → Adapter status shows cable disconnected → cable is bad, switch port down, or wrong port on the panel.
2. IP state. Control Panel → Network → PN-INET shows the correct address, mask, gateway, DNS. The values must match the project; if they differ, the project has not been downloaded yet.
3. Default gateway reachable. Open Control Panel → Start → Command Prompt (if exposed) and run ping 192.168.1.1. If it fails, the panel cannot leave its subnet.
4. DNS resolves. Run ping www.google.com. If "unknown host" is returned, the DNS server address is wrong or the corporate DNS is blocking external lookups.
5. TCP 443 reachable. From the engineering PC, run Test-NetConnection www.google.com -Port 443 (PowerShell) or openssl s_client -connect www.google.com:443 to confirm the destination is reachable from the same network. If the PC fails, the panel will fail too.
6. Browser URL. Re-open the HMI screen with the HTML browser and confirm the URL is exactly the same string that works on the PC (no typos, no trailing spaces).
7. Cert chain. For HTTPS, capture the certificate on the PC and import the root into the panel certificate store.

10. Simulation vs. Runtime

The TIA simulation (Start Runtime) runs WinCC Runtime Advanced on the engineering PC. The HTML browser control inside the simulator is rendered by the PC's browser engine (Internet Explorer / WebView2 / Chromium depending on the TIA version) and uses the PC's network stack. This is why the simulation opens https://www.google.com with no configuration: the PC has full internet access. On the real panel, the same control is rendered by the integrated WebKit instance and uses the panel's PROFINET stack. Any difference between the two networks is exposed as soon as you download to the device.

11. Field-Proven Configuration Checklist

• PROFINET interface of the KTP700 has an IPv4 address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS server set.
• The HMI can ping its default gateway from the Control Panel.
• The HMI can ping 8.8.8.8 (proves IP routing works) and www.google.com (proves DNS works).
• The same patch cable works on the PC and gets the same web page.
• The HTML browser control's URL is set in the screen properties, not just in a script that never runs.
• For HTTPS, the certificate chain is trusted on the panel.
• System event 140001 is no longer logged in Diagnostics → System Events after the PLC is reachable.

12. Frequently Asked Questions