Optimizing your factory network goes beyond simply selecting the best industrial networking equipment. Of course, the choice of networking equipment is essential, but it\u2019s only a starting point, and you also must consider the often-neglected aspects and hidden gotchas that may hinder your ability to get the most out of the network.<\/p>\n

For example, while good networking equipment will enable seamless connectivity and integration of various industrial devices and systems, you must consider how well it can facilitate collection of real-time data for analysis, provide visibility to connected industrial assets and traffic flows, and facilitate advanced services such as secure remote access.<\/p>\n

Well-designed industrial networks are scalable and flexible to accommodate the evolving needs of industrial environments. They can support the addition of new devices, equipment, and systems without disrupting operations. They also ensure high performance for deterministic operations as well as reliability and resiliency to minimize downtime.<\/p>\n

Industrial networks must also assess security vulnerabilities as well as provide granular visibility into connected assets and traffic flows. This insight can help define segmentation policies to limit the movement of threats \u2013 policies that the network can enforce. The network can also continuously monitor these assets for any abnormal behavior that might indicate presence of malware, which can be quickly identified and removed. Moreover, capable networking equipment can accomplish all this without additional servers.<\/p>\n

Modern industrial networks provide advanced services such as remote monitoring and maintenance, especially useful for large or distributed operations that can avoid the need for physical access to each machine, increasing flexibility and reducing costs.<\/p>\n