BlogInfrastructure & networking
Industrial networks in harsh environments
By Vicky Ogola, Senior ICT Consultant 1 min read
Dust, heat, vibration and electrical noise demand industrial-grade equipment, protected cabling and careful earthing.
Factories, processing plants and quarries are hard on network equipment. Office-grade gear often fails there.
Use industrial-grade equipment
Industrial switches tolerate wider temperature ranges, dust and vibration, and often mount on DIN rails in control panels.
Protect cabling
Use armoured or shielded cable where needed, protected pathways and fibre for long or electrically noisy runs.
Mind earthing and surges
Proper earthing and surge protection prevent damage from electrical disturbances.
Separate operational technology
Keep control systems on separate network segments from office IT, with tightly controlled connections.
Plan for maintenance
Label everything and keep spares on site for critical components.
Design for availability
Ring topologies with fast recovery keep production networks running when a single link is cut. Document which processes depend on which switches so maintenance can be planned without stopping the line.
See our industrial networking services.
About the author
Vicky Ogola
Senior ICT Consultant
Vicky Ogola writes about network design, connectivity, data centres and the infrastructure that business systems depend on.