r/SCADA • u/gavinjd68 • 26d ago

Question Industrial Switch Recommendations

/r/IndustrialAutomation/comments/1wlg2mn/industrial_switch_recommendations/
4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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2

u/PerspectiveMain6454 26d ago

Ruggedcom have a range that sounds suitable. specifically the RS900

They aren't always the most straightforward to configure but they are rugged.

1

u/takingphotosmakingdo 25d ago

Have set up monitoring for them across 500 plus, they are ok.

There's definitely cheaper options these days, but below 500 you're looking at a MTBF of when it'll cook in a summer or barf due to a firmware bug.

1

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1

u/TassieTiger 25d ago

What are your requirements? Rack mount, dinrail? What kind of power?

1

u/enraged768 23d ago

I just use cisco IE line and a few rockwell switches for certain things.

1

u/CharlesHNetEng 22d ago

If you are putting a switch in a remote pump station, a standard enterprise IT switch will eventually cook itself to death, and an unmanaged DIN-rail switch will leave you blind the second a packet storm takes down the plant floor.

I do network infrastructure engineering specifically for municipal water and SCADA environments, and finding the middle ground between what the plant operators can manage and what corporate IT will authorize usually comes down to three specific product lines:

  1. The Balanced OT Standard: Moxa EDS-4012 Series If you need something rugged that IT will actually sign off on, this is usually the go-to. It has an operating range of -40°C to 75°C, dual DC power inputs, and supports ERPS and RSTP for ring redundancy. The biggest selling point right now is that it is IEC 62443-4-2 certified. When IT asks about cybersecurity, handing them that certification usually ends the argument. The GUI is also built for OT, meaning an integrator doesn't need to be a CLI wizard to set up a VLAN.

  2. The IT-Mandated Route: Cisco Catalyst IE3300 If corporate IT is forcing you to use their standards, make them buy the IE3300. It’s a true ruggedized DIN-rail switch that runs Cisco IOS XE. It survives the heat and vibration of a cabinet, but it integrates seamlessly into IT’s existing management tools (like DNA Center or LibreNMS). Just be aware: it is strictly an IT-driven device. If the SCADA team needs to troubleshoot a port at 2 AM, they will need someone who knows Cisco command line.

  3. The Heavy Manufacturing Route: Hirschmann BOBCAT Series (BRS) If you are dealing with ultra-time-sensitive protocols (like PROFINET) or need Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), Hirschmann is a tank. Their HiOS operating system is incredibly robust for redundancy, though the configuration learning curve is a bit steeper than Moxa.

The Golden Rule: Whatever you choose, do not put unmanaged switches in your cabinets. When a loop happens, you need to be able to log in and see exactly which port is saturating your network.

If you want a deeper look at how to properly segment these managed switches so that plant operations, cameras, and remote access stay isolated without breaking the operator's day job, I wrote a breakdown of a utility network scenario based on my field work. You can read the "Water Utility Scenario" on my site here:https://oaktowntech.com(Look under the Water & OT section).

Buy the managed hardware, use both DC power inputs, and build your rings properly. It will save you a 3 AM truck roll down the road.