Optigo Networks Blog
How to find and solve duplicate networks
Controllers are offline. You try resetting your BACnet router to get them back on. It works, and the controllers come online… But then the controllers off of a different router go offline, and you have to solve the problem all over again.
If you feel like you’re juggling to keep all your BACnet devices online, a duplicate network might be the culprit. We’re here to help you figure out how it happens and what you can do to fix it.
How to filter for BACnet traffic
Is your IT department super security-conscious? Maybe they’ve asked you to start filtering and scrubbing all your packet captures (pcaps), and you don’t know where to begin?
Addressing Cybersecurity Concerns in Building Automation Systems
Forget the common wisdom about cybersecurity
Security is not about making the network 100 percent impenetrable. In fact, it is unlikely that any system in the world is completely secure. Hacking is an attack of opportunity, and if criminals see a way into a building, they will take advantage. But if sufficient obstacles are in place to deter them, they will likely look elsewhere for an easier mark.
Secure your packet captures
Your OT network’s acting funny, and you have no idea why. You need to get a packet capture (pcap) and upload it into Visual BACnet, but the IT department’s dead-set against it: they won’t let you upload unless you scrub the files of confidential information, so they can’t be traced back to the building.
If your IT department doesn’t like you pulling pcaps to analyze BACnet health, your best bet is to anonymize the files. Changing the IP and MAC addresses will get rid of any identifying information. Then, you can dig into pcaps, troubleshoot, and solve problems with ease.
Do you know your BACnet network?
BACnet networks are pretty predictable. Apart from new device additions, the network activity is normally very regular and regimented: lighting and HVAC go on and off according to tenants’ needs, while surveillance and security systems remain on. Problems like devices dropping offline, breakers restarting, and a slow network don’t just suddenly erupt out of nowhere… Or at least, they shouldn’t. The reality is, without a solid knowledge of your BACnet network, you could be in for a lot of bad surprises.
Report on network health with Visual BACnet
Maybe you’re on a site for maintenance, a service call, or to install a new device. You’re making a bunch of big changes that will affect the BACnet network. You need to show the client that the changes you made have helped — or at least, haven’t hurt — the network. But how do you give concrete proof? Where do you even get this proof?
Five tips to successfully sell service contracts
Image via http://informedmag.com/
As a salesperson, your relationship with your customer should never end at the installation.
The true value of a sale doesn’t come until long after the first purchase order has come through. The real value comes from the service contract.
What should be in a service contract (that you haven’t thought of)
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” There’s truth to that bit of wisdom, but it’s easy to forget in some cases. Take service contracts, for example. Lots of people don’t think they need them. Worse, they worry their investment won’t see returns. They think they’ll just get an occasional visit to tighten screws and tap on controllers.
Power over Ethernet: The power’s in the cord
The building owners at 25 National Circuit wanted to improve their building’s quality and energy efficiency, but had to be very careful about how they did it. By retrofitting the building, they could increase their Australian Green Star rating to a least 4.5 stars to achieve Australian Excellence. This would also make the space more tenant-friendly, attracting high-profile tenants and allowing them to charge more for rent.