Industrial manufacturing networks carry the instructions between machines: the command that tells a motor to start, a valve to open, a robot to move, and the readings that tell a human operator what is happening. Before any of it can be upgraded or secured, someone has to map what is actually there.
Global Process Automation (GPA) starts its industrial network assessments at the cabinet. There, the LinkRunner® AT 4000 confirms the link, identifies the switch and port, reads the VLAN, and tests whether traffic gets through, on any vendor’s equipment. Throughput tests run the same way every time, with the results automatically documented.
On the plant floor, the CyberScope® identifies the Wi-Fi networks, access points, channels, and security settings, then records signal and coverage as GPA’s engineers walk the plant. Where they suspect interference from a machine or another radio, a spectrum check shows what is actually on those frequencies.
“NetAlly provides our engineering team with a reliable and consistent way to discover, assess, troubleshoot, and validate industrial networks while turning the collected information into meaningful documentation that supports better engineering decisions,” says Scott McNeil, GPA’s Industrial Network and Security Architect II.
Read the full Global Process Automation case study to learn more about how GPA uses NetAlly to assess and validate industrial networks.
