Setting a Static IP Address on a CompactRIO Controller

Updated Sep 7, 2026

Environment

Hardware

  • CompactRIO Controller

Software

  • Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX)

This article describes two methods for assigning a static IP address to a CompactRIO (cRIO) controller. You can configure the network settings using either NI Measurement & Automation Explorer (NI MAX) or NI Hardware Manager, depending on your software environment and preferences. A static IP address can help provide reliable access to the controller and simplify network configuration.

Configure Static IP Address Using NI MAX

  1. Connect the cRIO controller to the host computer through ethernet or USB (if supported by your device).
  2. Launch NI MAX.
  3. Expand Remote Systems and select your cRIO target. 
  4. On the right side of the window, click on the Network Settings tab.

This image shows where the network settings tab is located in NI MAX for a cRIO controller 

 

  1. For the Ethernet Adapter eth0 (Primary) change the Configure IPv4 Address option to Static. Enter the desired IP Address (e.g., 192.168.2.1), Subnet Mask, Gateway, and DNS server (if required). 

This image shows how to configure a static IP address on a cRIO controller

 

  1. Click Save to store the network configuration. 

This image shows the save button in NI MAX that must be clicked on after configuring the static IP address

 

Configure a Static IP Address Using NI Hardware Manager

  1. Connect the cRIO controller to the host computer through ethernet or USB (if supported by your device).
  2. Launch the NI Hardware Manager.
  3. Select the cRIO for which you want to change the IP address. 

This image shows how to select the cRIO controller in the NI Hardware Manager Software

 

  1. On the right side of the window, locate the Identity section and click the edit button next to the IP address. 

This image shows where the edit button is to configure the IP address of the controller

 

  1. Click Configure network settings... to access the controller's network configuration. 
  2. Select Ethernet adapter eht0 from the list and change the IPv4 request mode option to Static. Enter the desired IP Address (e.g., 192.168.2.1), Subnet Mask, Gateway, and DNS server (if required). 

This image shows how to set up a static IP address on a cRIO controller

 

  1. Click OK to store the new network configuration. 

 

If the controller becomes unreachable after changing the IP settings, verify that the host computer is configured on the same subnet as the new cRIO address. To verify this information, refer to the steps below:
 
  1. Navigate to Control Panel >> Network and Internet >> Network and Sharing Center >> Change adapter settings.
  2. Right-click the ethernet adapter that communicates with the cRIO controller and select Properties.

This image shows how to access the properties of the PC's Ethernet Adapter that communicates with the cRIO controller 

 

  1. Select the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) option from the list and click Properties.
The image shows how to access the properties of the network adapter to change or configure the IP address
 
  1. Select the Use the following IP address option and update the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway (if required), so that the host PC is on the same subnet as the cRIO controller. For example, if the cRIO has an IP address of 192.168.2.1 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, you can configure the host PC with an IP address of 192.168.2.2 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.

This image shows the Use the following IP address option to configure the IP address of the host PC so that it is on the same subnet as the cRIO

 

  1. Click OK to update the network configuration. 
 
 

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