On a manufacturing site, the network is part of production. Scanners, tablets, connected machines, cameras and production systems all depend on it, and when it drops out, work stops. Yet many factory networks have grown piece by piece over years, with little planning or documentation.
This guide sets out the practical steps to plan a factory network that is reliable, secure and ready for what comes next.
1. Start with a site survey
Every factory is different. Building materials, racking, machinery and the layout of the floor all affect how a network performs, especially wireless. A site survey measures what's actually happening: where coverage is weak, where interference comes from, and how devices move around the site.
Planning from a floor plan alone tends to miss the things that matter most on a factory floor, such as metal structures that block signals, or stock levels that change coverage from one week to the next.
2. Design wireless for the environment
Factory and warehouse Wi-Fi has different demands from office Wi-Fi. When designing it, consider:
- Mounting heights, and access points suited to high ceilings and open spaces
- Coverage between racking and around large machinery
- Roaming for devices that move, such as forklift terminals and handheld scanners
- Enclosures or equipment suited to dust, heat and moisture where needed
- Capacity for the number of devices you'll have in a few years, not just today
3. Use fibre for distance and between buildings
Standard copper network cabling is limited to around 100 metres per run, which is easily exceeded on a large site. Fibre optic cabling covers far greater distances and isn't affected by the electrical noise that motors, welders and drives create. It's usually the right choice for links between buildings and across large production areas.
Cabling should be installed by appropriately registered contractors, with routes planned to avoid sources of interference and physical damage.
4. Separate production from the office
In many factories, office computers, production machines, cameras and visitor devices all share one flat network. That makes problems hard to contain. A malware infection that starts with an email on an office laptop can reach equipment on the production line.
Dividing the network into zones, with firewalls controlling what can pass between them, keeps production systems (often called operational technology, or OT) separate from office IT. It also makes faults easier to diagnose, because each zone carries less traffic and fewer device types.
- Production equipment and control systems
- Office computers and business systems
- Cameras and building systems
- Guest and contractor devices
5. Control remote access for equipment vendors
Machine suppliers often need remote access to support their equipment. Too often this means an always-on connection that no one remembers setting up. Instead, give vendors a controlled, auditable way in, enabled only when it's needed and limited to the equipment they support.
6. Plan for resilience
Work out what network downtime would cost your business, then reduce the single points of failure in proportion to that cost. Practical measures include:
- A backup internet connection with automatic failover
- Uninterruptible power for core switches and firewalls
- Spare equipment for critical network components
- Backed-up switch and firewall configurations
7. Prepare for smart manufacturing
Sensors, connected machines and production data are becoming standard in manufacturing. Plan backbone capacity, switch ports and Power over Ethernet budgets for what you expect to add, so new equipment doesn't mean rebuilding the network.
8. Document everything
Network diagrams, cable records, configurations and a list of what's connected turn every future change from guesswork into a planned job. Documentation is also what lets someone other than the original installer support the network.
Factory network checklist
- Site survey completed, including wireless coverage and interference
- Wi-Fi designed for heights, racking, machinery and roaming devices
- Fibre used for long runs and links between buildings
- Production, office, camera and guest networks separated
- Vendor remote access controlled and auditable
- Backup internet and power for critical network equipment
- Capacity planned for new equipment and sensors
- Network fully documented
If your site has coverage problems, an ageing network or a project on the horizon, a site survey is the right place to start.