VLANS

VLANS – short for Virtual Local Area Network. When used in operational technology network design, VLANs allow network engineers the ability to group networks together or split them off, without having to physically connect or disconnect the devices. According to a technical document in “The Extension,” VLANs are “ideal for separating automation systems from information technology systems.” In their “Security Best Practices Checklists for Building Automation Systems,” Automated Logic recommends user and BACnet networks should be “separated either physically or with a VLAN.”

VLANs help networks scale quickly as more devices are added. They also enhance network security because they filter messages.