BACnet Diagnostics Made Easy with Optigo Visual Networks
Whether you’re at the doctor’s office, in the classroom, or the mechanic’s, test results aren’t very helpful if you don’t understand the results. It’s the same with monitoring network traffic—the results are here to help you, but knowing how to act on them is just as important. With over 25 out-of-the-box BACnet diagnostics (and more […]
Circular Networks in BACnet Systems: How to Detect and Fix Them
What Does a Circular Network Look Like? A circular network occurs when multiple routes to the same controller exist and communicate at the same time. This happens when two or more communication protocols are active. For instance, if you have a network with both BACnet/IP and BACnet/Ethernet routes communicating with the same controller, this creates […]
What You Need to Know About KNX in Smart Building Systems
BACnet gets compared to a lot of other protocols on the market, including LonWorks, Modbus, and KNX. We’re explaining how each of these protocols are different, and how they stack up against each other. In this article, learn about KNX. In a world where smart buildings are increasingly prevalent, the need for a reliable, efficient, […]
What’s In a BACnet Packet Capture?
There comes a time in every OT technician’s life (probably more often than they’d like) when they just can’t figure out what the heck is going on. After all, BACnet issues have a habit of masking their root cause behind common symptoms: Duplicate devices can throw up strange errors that look like physical connection issues, […]
The Argument for IT/OT Network Separation
OT Networks Overview Operational Technology (OT) networks in smart buildings consist of elevators, lighting, HVAC, surveillance, or anything attached to the building. With these devices becoming more connected and networked, it’s possible to consolidate IT and OT networks. However, there are many benefits to IT/OT network separation. Separation helps optimize the IT and OT devices […]
THE 3 MOST COMMON BACNET/IP ISSUES (AND FIXES)
While MS/TP problems tend to be centered around bad wiring, common BACnet/IP issues are usually the result of a misconfiguration. BACnet over IP, or BACnet/IP, has gradually become the new standard in OT networks for years. Compared to much older MS/TP networks, BACnet/IP is faster, has more bandwidth, scales more easily, and is generally less […]
Separate OT Networks: The Future of Smart Building Security?
With the proliferation of smart devices in buildings around the world, cybersecurity is the concern of the day. There are many potent examples of smart buildings’ triumphs and follies: Target and Home Depot shocked the world with breaches a few years ago; universities, hotels, and others have followed suit. Growth in IoT can only mean […]
Should BACnet Matter To Building Owners?
Yes. If you’re a building owner, you don’t think you should need to care about the nuts and bolts of your network. Your focus is that your building is comfortable, safe, and secure for your tenants and that the technology you invest in to make that happen won’t be obsolete in five years. As the […]
BACnet Network Health: What IT Professionals Need to Know
The Internet of Things (IoT) has brought millions of commercial buildings into the networked era. There’s never been more connected devices in our buildings than there are today, and those numbers keep climbing. The rise of IoT also marks a convergence of sorts between systems that have traditionally been siloed: IT and OT networking. Ultimately […]
How to Solve Duplicate Conflicts in BACnet
Troubleshooting a BACnet network is like being a detective. To quote the great TV detective Columbo, “There’s a reasonable explanation for everything if you just put your mind to it.” So, when things start acting “weird” on your BACnet system, there’s almost always a “reasonable” explanation for what’s happening. In our experience, duplicate BACnet addressing […]
