Fixing TIA Portal PLCSIM Advanced Error 0132:000002 Connection Failure
Problem Overview
Engineers commissioning SIMATIC S7-1500 projects on a virtualized PC encounter the TIA Portal online dialog error 0132:000002 Connection error – the selected online target could not be reached when attempting to download hardware configuration or program blocks to a PLCSIM Advanced instance. The instance is detected in the TIA project tree, but the download fails immediately after target selection. The same configuration that previously worked on a local Hyper-V VM also fails when migrated to a cloud-hosted VM (Microsoft Azure, VMware vSphere, on-prem Hyper-V clusters).
The error is independent of TIA Portal version. Field reports cover TIA Portal V15 through V17 paired with PLCSIM Advanced V2.0 SP1 through V4.0. The condition is most often observed when:
- The PLCSIM Advanced instance and TIA Portal run on the same Windows VM.
- The host VM uses a Microsoft Hyper-V virtual NIC or VMware network adapter.
- The S7-1500 CPU's
X1PROFINET interface is the configured online target. - The user requires OPC UA server simulation, which forces selection of the PLCSIM virtual Ethernet adapter rather than the legacy PLCSIM TCP channel.
Error Code Breakdown
| Field | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Error number | 0132 | TIA Portal online subsystem – connection establishment phase |
| Sub-code | 000002 | Target unreachable on selected network interface |
| Category | Online / PG-PC interface | PLC discovery succeeded but ISO-on-TCP / TCP handshake failed |
| Severity | Blocking | No download, no online block compare, no firmware update possible |
The error is raised by S7ONLINE when the PLC's expected IP address is not reachable on the PC interface selected in Online > Accessible nodes. It is not a compile-time error and not a project-consistency error – the project is sound.
Root Cause Analysis
The PLCSIM Advanced instance binds its simulated PROFINET X1 interface to a Windows virtual Ethernet adapter named PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter (driver: Siemens PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter, device instance path under ROOT\PLCSIM_ADV_VETH\0000). The adapter is installed by the PLCSIM Advanced setup and appears in Device Manager > Network Adapters.
Three layered faults combine to produce error 0132:000002:
- Adapter IP state: The PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter defaults to DHCP. In Hyper-V or cloud vSwitch environments the DHCP relay is often disabled, so the adapter receives an APIPA address in 169.254.0.0/16 and never receives a subnet route to the host network where TIA Portal expects to find the simulated PLC.
- Interface mismatch: TIA Portal's online interface selection defaults to the host's physical NIC. When the engineer explicitly chooses the PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter (required for OPC UA server simulation), TIA Portal attempts the S7 handshake on an interface with no valid IP and no route.
- Topology enforcement: When the TIA project has a Topology view defined, the S7-1500 enforces port-to-port neighbor discovery. The PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter does not advertise LLDP neighbor data, so the connection is refused even when IP routing is correct.
Prerequisites for Resolution
- Windows 10 64-bit version 1809 or later, or Windows Server 2019/2022 fully patched.
- PLCSIM Advanced V2.0 SP1 or later installed with administrator privileges (right-click setup > Run as administrator).
- TIA Portal V15, V15.1, V16, or V17 with matching PLCSIM Advanced version.
- Hyper-V or VMware vSwitch network configured to allow IP traffic between host and VM (Azure NSG rule allowing TCP port 102 and UDP port 34964 if multi-VM scenario).
- Local Administrator or equivalent rights on the VM to change network adapter settings and start/stop PLCSIM Advanced service.
Solution Procedure
The fix is sequential. Each step addresses one of the three layered faults identified in the root cause.
Step 1 – Assign a Static IP to the PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter
- Open Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections.
- Locate PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter. The description string reads Siemens PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter.
- Right-click > Properties > double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).
- Select Use the following IP address and enter:
- IP address:
192.168.0.150(any free address in the S7-1500 X1 subnet) - Subnet mask:
255.255.255.0 - Default gateway: leave blank (PLCSIM Advanced does not require routing off-subnet)
- IP address:
- Confirm with OK. Verify the adapter shows the static IP using
ipconfig /allin an elevated command prompt.
Step 2 – Match the PLC X1 IP Address
The S7-1500 X1 PROFINET interface in the TIA project must use an IP address inside the same /24 subnet as the PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter.
- In the TIA project tree, expand Devices & networks and select the S7-1500 CPU.
- Open Properties > PROFINET interface [X1] > Ethernet addresses.
- Set:
- IP address:
192.168.0.1 - Subnet mask:
255.255.255.0 - Router: Use router unchecked (PLCSIM Advanced ignores IP routing)
- IP address:
- Recompile the hardware configuration (Hardware > Compile) and verify no address conflict warnings.
192.168.0.0/24 if the host VM sits on the same subnet through its physical NIC – this causes Windows routing ambiguity. Use a dedicated subnet such as 192.168.50.0/24 when the VM has a routable corporate or cloud network on 192.168.0.0/24.Step 3 – Select the Correct Online Access Interface in TIA Portal
- Open Online > Accessible nodes.
- In the Type of the PG/PC interface dropdown, select PN/IE.
- In the PG/PC interface dropdown, select PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter (not the host's physical NIC, not Hyper-V vEthernet).
- Click Start search. The PLCSIM Advanced instance appears as the configured CPU with its X1 IP.
- Select the target CPU and click Go online.
Step 4 – Remove Topology Enforcement
- In the TIA project, navigate to Devices & networks.
- Open the Topology view tab (third tab beside Network view and Device view).
- If any port-to-port neighbor relationships are defined between the CPU X1 port and a switch/IO device, delete them.
- In the CPU Properties > PROFINET interface [X1] > Advanced options > Port statistics, uncheck Enable port interconnection check.
- Recompile and download.
Step 5 – Reinstall PLCSIM Advanced with Administrator Rights (if Steps 1–4 fail)
- Stop all PLCSIM instances and close TIA Portal.
- Control Panel > Programs and Features > uninstall Siemens PLCSIM Advanced.
- Reboot the VM to clear the virtual adapter driver.
- Run Windows Update and ensure the OS is fully patched (Hyper-V NDIS driver updates are prerequisites).
- Right-click the PLCSIM Advanced setup > Run as administrator > complete installation.
- Reboot again.
- Launch PLCSIM Advanced by right-clicking the icon > Run as administrator.
- Repeat Steps 1–4.
OPC UA Server Simulation Variant
When the requirement is to simulate an OPC UA server on the S7-1500 (for example, to test SCADA tags from WinCC Unified or a third-party OPC UA client), the legacy PLCSIM online channel is not sufficient. OPC UA binds to the IP stack of the simulated CPU and requires the PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter path.
After completing the five-step procedure above, verify OPC UA server availability:
- Open the PLCSIM Advanced instance, confirm the CPU is in RUN with the project loaded.
- In TIA Portal CPU Properties > OPC UA Server > General, confirm Activate OPC UA Server is enabled and a server certificate is generated.
- From the host VM or another VM on the routed subnet, open a UA client (e.g., Siemens OPC UA Scout) and connect to
opc.tcp://192.168.0.1:4840. - Browse the address space – the S7 namespace appears if the project compiled successfully.
ping -S <Hyper-V-NIC-IP> 192.168.0.1 to confirm Windows source routing is enabled for the adapter. If the ping fails, add a static route: route add 192.168.0.0 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.150 metric 1 from an elevated command prompt on the client VM.Verification Checklist
| # | Check | Command / Path | Expected Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter has static IP | ipconfig /all |
192.168.0.150 / 255.255.255.0 |
| 2 | CPU X1 in same subnet | TIA > Devices & networks > CPU > Properties | 192.168.0.1 / 255.255.255.0 |
| 3 | Topology disabled | TIA > Topology view | Empty topology |
| 4 | Loopback ping to PLC | ping 192.168.0.1 |
Reply from 192.168.0.1, <1 ms |
| 5 | TIA online node search | Online > Accessible nodes > Start search | PLC appears with X1 IP |
| 6 | Block download | Right-click Blocks > Download to device | No 0132 error, status RUN |
| 7 | OPC UA server (if applicable) | OPC UA Scout connect to opc.tcp://192.168.0.1:4840
|
Browse returns namespace |
| 8 | Cross-VM communication | Second VM: ping 192.168.0.1
|
Reply received (or static route added) |
Troubleshooting Matrix
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Remediation |
|---|---|---|
| 0132:000002 with legacy PLCSIM online type | PLCSIM (non-Advanced) is not installed; the channel stub returns unreachable | Switch online type to PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter |
| 0132:000002 but node search returns correct IP | Topology view port-interconnection check is enabled | Clear topology or disable port interconnection check on X1 |
| 0132:000002 immediately after first install | Virtual adapter driver not loaded because setup was not elevated | Uninstall, reboot, install as Administrator, reboot |
| Works locally but fails in cloud VM | Hyper-V/VMware vSwitch blocks APIPA subnet; DHCP relay missing | Apply static IP to virtual adapter (Step 1) |
| Works from host but not from second VM | Source routing missing on Hyper-V external NIC | Add static route route add 192.168.0.0 mask 255.255.255.0 <PLCSIM-IP> metric 1
|
| OPC UA server not visible in client | Project compiled before OPC UA activation | Activate OPC UA, recompile, download again |
| Adapter missing from Device Manager | PLCSIM Advanced service stopped or driver unregistered | Reinstall PLCSIM Advanced as Administrator (Step 5) |
Hypervisor and Platform Notes
| Platform | Virtual NIC | Behaviour | Required Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Azure (Gen 1 VM) | Hyper-V Network Adapter | DHCP provides only the Azure primary IP; virtual adapters receive no lease | Static IP on PLCSIM adapter; open NSG TCP 102, UDP 34964 |
| Microsoft Azure (Gen 2 VM) | Hyper-V Network Adapter (manuf. Microsoft) | Same as Gen 1; accelerated networking may add latency | Disable accelerated networking for the secondary NIC bound to PLCSIM |
| VMware vSphere 7.x | VMXNET3 | Promiscuous mode required if multiple VMs share the PLCSIM subnet | vSwitch > Edit settings > Security > Promiscuous mode = Accept |
| On-prem Hyper-V 2019/2022 | Internal switch works without configuration; external switch needs routing | Use Internal switch for isolated PLCSIM subnet | |
| Windows 10/11 client Hyper-V | vEthernet (Default Switch) | NAT by default; PLCSIM subnet hidden from physical network | Configure NAT port-forwarding or use Internal switch |
Safety and Commissioning Notes
- PLCSIM Advanced is a software simulator – it never drives real I/O. Do not bind simulated outputs to machine actuators.
- The S7-1500 firmware version simulated by PLCSIM Advanced V2.0 SP1 is V2.6; OPC UA server features requiring firmware V2.8 or later (e.g., Method calls on S7-1500 OPC UA Companion Specification) are not simulated and must be verified on real hardware.
- For SIL/PLT safety projects, PLCSIM Advanced is not certified for safety function validation. Confirm with the safety requirement specification whether hardware-in-the-loop simulation is permitted.
- Always back up the TIA project before changing topology or IP settings – recursive hardware recompilation can overwrite manually configured addresses.
Official Siemens References
- SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced V2.0 SP1 Function Manual – installation, configuration, OPC UA server simulation.
- SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced Release Notes and Compatibility – TIA Portal version matrix and supported hypervisors.
- SIMATIC S7-1500 OPC UA Server Programming and Configuration – server activation and security policy.
- TIA Portal Online and Diagnostics – Connection Error Catalog – error 0132 subsystem and resolution paths.
What does TIA Portal error 0132:000002 mean?
Error 0132:000002 indicates that the TIA Portal online subsystem could not establish a TCP/ISO-on-TCP handshake with the selected PLC target on the PG/PC interface chosen. For PLCSIM Advanced, this means the PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter has no routable IP in the same subnet as the simulated S7-1500 X1 interface, typically because the adapter is on APIPA (169.254.x.x) instead of a configured static IP.
Why does PLCSIM Advanced download work with "PLCSIM" online type but fail with "PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter"?
The legacy PLCSIM online type uses a local loopback channel that bypasses the IP stack entirely – it cannot simulate OPC UA server, PUT/GET across network segments, or distributed I/O. The PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter path uses the IP stack and therefore requires correct subnet, gateway, and topology configuration on both the adapter and the S7-1500 CPU.
Can PLCSIM and PLCSIM Advanced coexist on the same VM?
No. Siemens installation guidelines state that only one PLCSIM variant may be installed per system. Installing both corrupts the virtual Ethernet adapter registration and triggers error 0132:000002 even when the static IP is correct. Uninstall legacy PLCSIM before installing PLCSIM Advanced.
Which interface should I select for online access when using OPC UA server simulation?
Select PN/IE as the type and PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter as the PG/PC interface. OPC UA server simulation requires the IP stack path; the legacy PLCSIM loopback channel does not expose port 4840.
How do I make PLCSIM Advanced reachable from a second VM in the same Azure VNet?
After applying the static IP on the PLCSIM Virtual Ethernet Adapter (e.g., 192.168.0.150) and confirming the CPU X1 IP is on the same subnet (192.168.0.1), add a static route on the second VM: route add 192.168.0.0 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.150 metric 1 from an elevated command prompt. Also open the Azure Network Security Group for TCP port 102 and UDP port 34964.
Does disabling the topology view affect functional behavior of the simulated PLC?
No. Topology view is a configuration tool for PROFINET port-neighbor diagnostics. Disabling it in TIA Portal only prevents the CPU from enforcing port-interconnection checks during online connection – program execution, I/O simulation, and OPC UA server are unaffected.