This paper presents the development of a knowledge-based control system operating via the Internet. With the synergy provided by the Internet, the central expert controller with its knowledge-base has the potential to serve a multitude of front-end clients located anywhere in the world provided they have Internet access. In this way, the operational span of the knowledge-based control system can be expanded to virtually anyplace within the reach of the Internet. This configuration has positive implications in improving the efficiency of distributed operations, thereby enabling plantwide optimization and costs savings. Datasocket technology is adopted to facilitate a more efficient data exchange between the knowledge-based central server and the front-end clients. A specific application in the remote monitoring and fault diagnosis of machines using the proposed control configuration is presented in the paper.