Sm@rtServer on Siemens Comfort Panels: View HMI Online in TIA

Overview: Sm@rtServer / Sm@rtClient Architecture

Siemens Comfort Panels (TP Comfort, KP Comfort, KTP Comfort series running WinCC Comfort / WinCC Advanced) embed an HTTP-based remote-view server called Sm@rtServer. The companion viewer is Sm@rtClient, distributed both as a standalone Microsoft Windows application (downloadable from Siemens support entry 109482434) and as an integrated view inside TIA Portal. Together they let an engineer or operator see the actual runtime screen of a panel anywhere a TCP/IP route exists, without interrupting the running process and without physically walking to the machine.

The flow is straightforward:

1. The HMI runtime on the panel hosts the Sm@rtServer, listening on TCP/80 (HTTP) or TCP/443 (HTTPS) by default.
2. The user opens Sm@rtClient on a Windows PC, enters the panel's IP address, the port configured in the project, and the access password.
3. The client negotiates a session, downloads the current screen bitmap plus the active screen-object list, and mirrors input events (touch, key) back to the panel in real time.

Prerequisites

Enabling the Sm@rtServer Option in the TIA Project

1. In the TIA Portal project tree, select the Comfort Panel device.
2. Open Runtime settings > Services.
3. Tick Sm@rtServer. A sub-node Sm@rtServer appears in the navigation pane.
4. Click the sub-node and configure the following fields:

5. Compile the HMI project (right-click panel > Compile > Software (rebuild all)) and transfer to the panel.

Configuring the Panel's Network Adapter

The panel must have a stable IP address. DHCP is acceptable in lab environments but discouraged on production cells because the address documented in the network register must match the address the service PC dials.

Configure from the panel's Control Panel: Control Panel > Network and Dial-Up Connections > [adapter] > Properties > IP address. Alternatively set it from TIA Portal under Device configuration > Ethernet addresses > Ethernet interface and transfer the configuration.

Starting the Sm@rtServer on the Panel

Two start paths exist, depending on the project setting:

• Automatic — if "Start Sm@rtServer with Runtime" is enabled in the TIA project, the server launches when the HMI runtime boots. No manual action is required after a reboot or a project transfer.
• Manual from Control Panel — on the panel itself, navigate to Control Panel > WinCC Internet Settings (IE) → Sm@rtServer. Press Start. The status field displays the current IP, port, and the number of connected clients.

The same page offers Stop to terminate the server without affecting the runtime, which is useful when granting remote access only during a service window.

Connecting with the TIA Portal Integrated Sm@rtClient

1. Open the TIA Portal project containing the Comfort Panel.
2. Select the panel device in the project tree.
3. From the menu bar, choose Online > Sm@rtClient > Start Sm@rtClient. Equivalent paths exist in the right-click context menu of the panel device and in the toolbar of the device editor. TIA Portal V17 and later place the entry under Online > HMI > Sm@rtClient.
4. The integrated Sm@rtClient view opens inside the TIA Portal editor area, side by side with the project tree.
5. Click Connect (or New connection) and enter:

• IP address of the panel
• Port matching the one configured in the project (default 80 or 443)
• Password
• HTTPS checkbox if the panel is configured for secure mode

6. Press Connect. The panel's current screen renders inside the Sm@rtClient view within a few seconds on a 100 Mbit LAN.
7. Click anywhere in the view to send a touch event to the panel. Keyboard input is forwarded automatically when the view has focus.
8. Use the toolbar to switch display orientation, force a refresh, or disconnect cleanly.

Connecting with the Standalone Sm@rtClient

For service technicians who do not have TIA Portal installed, or for plant-floor operators who only need remote viewing, install the standalone Sm@rtClient from Siemens support entry 109482434:

1. Download the self-extracting installer from the Siemens support entry.
2. Install on a Windows 10 / Windows 11 PC. The installer registers WinCC Sm@rtClient as a separate application.
3. Launch from the Start menu. The connection dialog opens.
4. Enter IP, port, password, and HTTPS flag exactly as in the TIA-integrated client.
5. Use File > Save connection to bookmark the panel for one-click recall next time.
6. Use View > Tile to arrange multiple saved connections in a grid for fleet monitoring.

The standalone client is the preferred option for:

• Multi-panel overview layouts (tile multiple connections in a 2 × 2 or 3 × 3 grid)
• Long-running operator monitoring sessions where TIA Portal licensing is not required
• Field service laptops provisioned with only the Sm@rtClient runtime

Remote Access over WAN / Internet

The basic Sm@rtServer is designed for local plant networks. To reach the panel across the WAN or Internet, extend the path in one of three ways:

Security Hardening Checklist

Treat the Sm@rtServer interface as an HMI control surface — anyone who can authenticate can operate the machine. Apply the following items before commissioning:

• Unique password per panel — do not reuse the same password across a fleet, and do not share it with the WinCC flexible / TIA project password.
• HTTPS mandatory — enable "Allow HTTPS only" in the Sm@rtServer runtime settings; load a server certificate signed by a trusted CA.
• Rotate the password at every major software revision, when a service contract ends, and whenever a technician leaves the organization.
• Restrict by IP where the panel OS supports it (recent Comfort firmware images accept a list of allowed source addresses in the WinCC Internet Settings).
• Audit — periodically check the panel's diagnostic buffer and the Sm@rtClient log for unexpected sessions. Each connection is logged with timestamp, client IP, and disconnect reason.
• Disable Sm@rtServer during long idle periods if remote access is not part of normal operation.

Performance and Bandwidth Tuning

Sm@rtClient refresh rate is dominated by the size of the screen region that changes between frames. To keep WAN sessions responsive:

• Use the panel's Refresh mode "Scope" rather than "Always" in screen properties — only the dirty rectangle is sent.
• Reduce the use of large animations on the start screen; an animated GIF refreshes on every frame and consumes WAN bandwidth.
• Set the Sm@rtClient refresh interval to 1 s for monitoring-only sessions and to "On event" for interactive sessions.
• On the PC side, disable hardware acceleration in the Sm@rtClient settings if you observe tearing on remote-desktop virtual machines.

Verification Procedure

1. From the client PC, open a command prompt and run ping <panel-IP>. Confirm reply.
2. If HTTPS is enabled, validate the certificate: openssl s_client -connect <panel-IP>:443 -showcerts on Linux, or inspect the certificate chain in the Sm@rtClient connection log.
3. Start Sm@rtClient and connect. The panel's current screen must appear within 5 seconds on a 100 Mbit LAN.
4. Trigger a screen change on the panel (touch button or PLC-driven tag). Confirm the change is visible in the Sm@rtClient view within one refresh cycle.
5. Send a touch event from Sm@rtClient and verify that the panel registers it (e.g. via a tag value change or a screen change).
6. Disconnect cleanly from Sm@rtClient. The panel should show "0 active connections" in WinCC Internet Settings.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Field Commissioning Notes

• Document the Sm@rtServer port in the plant network register; do not let it drift between rebuilds.
• For multi-vendor panels (Comfort + WinCC Unified), note that WinCC Unified panels use a different mechanism — Unified Collaboration / Web Client based on OPC UA, not the legacy Sm@rtServer protocol. This procedure applies to Comfort (WinCC Comfort/Advanced) panels only.
• If the panel is behind a managed industrial firewall (e.g. SCALANCE), open the configured Sm@rtServer port only for the engineering VLAN — do not allow it from the corporate VLAN.
• After every project transfer that touches the Sm@rtServer runtime settings, the runtime restarts and the server stops. Plan the transfer during a maintenance window, or schedule a follow-up touch on the panel to restart the server.
• Capture a screenshot of the WinCC Internet Settings status page after commissioning and attach it to the project's Commissioning Report for audit traceability.

FAQ