Industrial Network Planning
Design and deployment of industrial ethernet networks, managed switch architectures, and network redundancy for substations, control centers, and generation facilities. We build networks that meet both operational reliability and cybersecurity requirements, because in critical infrastructure, uptime is not negotiable.
How we engineer industrial networks
Every network design follows a structured methodology that starts with operational requirements and ends with a commissioned, documented, and maintainable system.
Operational Requirements
We work with your protection engineers, SCADA team, and IT staff to document every device, protocol, and traffic flow that the network must support. Relay traffic, SCADA polling, time synchronization, video, every requirement is captured before a single cable is planned.
Network Design
Our engineers design the complete network topology, ring architectures for redundancy, VLAN segmentation for traffic isolation, and spanning tree or PRP/HSR configurations for zero-loss switching. Every design is tailored to your substation and control center layout.
Equipment Specification
We specify every switch, router, media converter, and patch panel, selecting ruggedized industrial hardware rated for the temperature extremes, vibration, and electromagnetic interference found in substations and generating facilities.
Deployment
SkyHelm handles the full installation, rack mounting, fiber and copper termination, switch configuration, and VLAN provisioning. We coordinate with relay technicians and SCADA engineers to ensure zero disruption to protection and control systems during cutover.
Commissioning & Testing
Every port is tested. Every VLAN is verified. Redundancy failover is proven under controlled conditions. We validate time synchronization accuracy, measure network latency, and confirm that protection relay traffic meets IEEE performance requirements.
Documentation
Your team receives complete network documentation, topology diagrams, VLAN tables, IP addressing schemes, switch configurations, and cable schedules. Every document is built for the technician who will maintain this network five years from now.
What we deliver
Industrial Ethernet Design
Complete substation and control center ethernet architecture using managed industrial switches with proper segmentation, QoS, and traffic prioritization for protection and control.
Managed Switch Architectures
Layer 2 and Layer 3 managed switch deployments with SNMP monitoring, port security, access control lists, and centralized configuration management across all sites.
Ring Topology & Redundancy
RSTP, ERPS, and proprietary ring protocols configured for sub-50ms failover, ensuring that a single fiber cut never takes down communication to a substation.
PRP/HSR Zero-Loss Switching
Parallel Redundancy Protocol and High-availability Seamless Redundancy for mission-critical protection relay networks where even milliseconds of packet loss are unacceptable.
Time Synchronization (PTP)
IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol deployment for microsecond-accurate time synchronization across protection relays, fault recorders, and phasor measurement units.
VLAN Segmentation
Purpose-built VLAN designs that isolate protection relay traffic, SCADA polling, corporate IT, physical security cameras, and management access into separate security zones.
Environmental Hardening
Ruggedized equipment selection and installation rated for extended temperature ranges, high humidity, EMI, and vibration, built for the conditions inside real substations.
Fiber & Copper Plant Design
Complete structured cabling design including single-mode and multimode fiber, Cat6A copper, patch panel layouts, and cable pathway routing for new and retrofit installations.
The right team for your industrial network
OT Network Specialists
We design networks for substations and control centers every day, not office buildings. We understand protection relay protocols, SCADA traffic patterns, and the zero-tolerance reliability requirements of operational technology environments.
Standards-Driven Design
Every network we design meets IEEE 61850, IEC 62439 (PRP/HSR), and NERC CIP requirements. We don't adapt IT best practices to OT, we engineer for the standards that govern utility operations.
We Build What We Design
Our engineers don't hand you a design and leave. We install the switches, terminate the fiber, configure the VLANs, and commission the network. You get a working, tested system, not a stack of drawings.
Designed for Maintainability
Every network we build comes with complete documentation, clear labeling, and logical organization. When your relay technician needs to troubleshoot a communication issue at 2 AM, the network will make sense.
Ready to modernize your substation networks?
Whether you need a new substation LAN, a ring topology upgrade, or PRP/HSR deployment for critical protection systems, our engineers are ready. Let's design a network built for your operations.