A leading American industrial enterprise modernized its network to support 24/7 operations across a large-scale facility. Working with NETGEAR Enterprise and its trusted MSP, the organization deployed a high-availability switching and WiFi solution with centralized management. The result is a reliable, cost-effective network designed to perform in demanding industrial environments.
IN THIS ARTICLE
A leading American industrial processing organization operates a large-scale industrial processing facility where uptime, performance, and mobility are critical to daily operations. Spanning hundreds of thousands of square feet, the site relies on a resilient, high-performance network to support continuous operations and seamless wireless connectivity for a wide range of users and devices.
Working in close collaboration with NETGEAR Enterprise, managed service provider IS Technology designed and deployed a modern network infrastructure that delivers enterprise-grade reliability, simplified management, and measurable cost efficiency. Built on a combination of managed and smart-managed switches, high-performance wireless access points, and NETGEAR Insight, the solution demonstrates how strong MSP–vendor alignment can deliver robust outcomes under demanding operational and time constraints.
Located in a remote industrial location in the United States, the customer’s industrial campus comprises multiple interconnected warehouses that support a fast-moving operational environment. Employees, vehicles, and connected devices are in constant motion, including forklift trucks, handheld scanners, radios, and tablets.
To maintain productivity and meet strict shipping deadlines, every component of the operation must remain digitally connected in real time. Network downtime is not an option in an environment where operational continuity and on-time delivery are mission-critical.
Industrial environments place unique demands on network infrastructure. This organization required an enterprise-grade solution capable of supporting hundreds of concurrent endpoints and users while delivering seamless wireless coverage across the entire site. Built-in redundancy and resilience were essential to ensure uninterrupted operations.
In a recent modernization project, the organization engaged its long-term technology partner to modernize its existing switching and wireless infrastructure. Headquartered in Fletcher, North Carolina, IS Technology supports customers across the United States with managed IT services, cybersecurity, VoIP, and unified communications.
The project requirements included:
Strong price-to-performance value
High reliability and consistent performance
Network redundancy and business continuity
Simple deployment and ongoing management
Responsive, expert-level vendor support
Their technology partner proposed a solution based on NETGEAR Enterprise networking products. According to their Lead IT Systems Engineer:
“We’ve deployed NETGEAR business and enterprise-class products across dozens of customer environments, and the experience is consistently smooth. NETGEAR delivers the performance and feature set enterprises need, without the cost premium typically associated with traditional enterprise vendors.”
NETGEAR’s next-business-day replacement service and highly responsive technical support were also decisive factors.
“Support is one of the most important elements of any enterprise hardware partnership. NETGEAR’s support organization is excellent and extremely accessible when it matters most.”
Given the facility’s scale and complexity, a detailed wireless site survey was a critical step in the project. Industrial environments pose challenges, including metal structures, machinery, and large open spaces, all of which can degrade wireless performance.
“A site survey is essential in an environment like this. It allows us to accurately determine where additional coverage or signal strength is required and avoid surprises later.”
While NETGEAR provides comprehensive remote wireless site surveys as a standard service, this project evolved into a collaborative effort. IS Technology engineers performed on-site testing using temporary access point deployments powered by portable battery systems, while NETGEAR engineers conducted a parallel virtual survey. The results were closely aligned, enabling both teams to confidently finalize the optimal placement of access points.
The final solution combines managed NETGEAR M4300 and M4250 switches, MS510 smart-managed switches, and WAX630 wireless access points. NETGEAR Insight provides centralized management for the wireless network, supporting rapid deployment, monitoring, configuration, and troubleshooting.
“NETGEAR Insight gives us deep visibility into the wireless environment without unnecessary complexity. It’s intuitive and efficient for day-to-day management.”
Switch performance is monitored via SNMP, while Insight manages the wireless infrastructure, delivering real-time operational insights across the network.
Key design highlights include:
Migration from 1Gb to 10Gb connectivity using NETGEAR 10G and multi-gig switches
End-to-end switch redundancy, ensuring traffic is automatically rerouted in the event of a failure
Hardware designed to operate reliably in high-temperature conditions and within protective enclosures
Automated channel optimization to minimize wireless interference
Seamless roaming between access points to support highly mobile users and devices
Deployment began with the LAN infrastructure, replacing legacy switching hardware with modern NETGEAR platforms. The WiFi cutover was the most time-sensitive phase, requiring the complete replacement of the existing wireless environment within a 15-hour maintenance window.
“The deployment required overnight work, with NETGEAR engineers providing real-time support throughout the process. That level of engagement is something we don’t often see. When issues arose, NETGEAR’s team worked side-by-side with us to resolve them quickly.”
The upgraded network has delivered the performance, reliability, and resilience required for continuous industrial operations.
“The solution has performed exactly as designed. Both we and the customer are extremely satisfied with the results. And when support has been needed, NETGEAR’s responsiveness has been outstanding.”
NETGEAR Insight enables proactive management of the wireless environment, allowing IS Technology to identify and resolve issues in real time while continuously optimizing performance.
“For industrial organizations operating 24/7, network reliability is non-negotiable. This project delivered a high-performance, cost-effective, and easy-to-manage solution. And we know that NETGEAR stands behind both the technology and the partnership.”
Managed switches: NETGEAR M4300, M4250
Smart-managed switches: NETGEAR MS510
Wireless access points: NETGEAR WAX630
Centralized management: NETGEAR Insight
