The document discusses the implementation and advantages of industrial WLAN networks, focusing on enhancing security, stability, and availability through various topologies, including meshed networks. It highlights current threats and challenges in industrial environments, proposing solutions such as redundancy and advanced routing protocols to improve performance. Additionally, it provides an overview of the features of the BAT54-rail access point, which supports complex network functionalities without requiring new hardware.

1. 1/27Wireless LAN
Network Topologies
Geert Bracke
Acc. Manager BeLux

2. 2/27
Markets
Automation – Production, Service
Energy – Data Transfer, Management
Transportation – Data Transfer, Traffic Monitoring
Industrial Wireless LAN

3. 3/27
Applications
Interconnection to Mobile Devices
Enlighting of Halls and Production Environments
Adding WLAN as Redundant Connection to Cable Installations
Replacement of Cabling
BAT54-Rail - Industrial Wireless LAN

4. 4/27
Focussed on Security
There are three Types of Security :
> Safety of Operation using Redundancy
> Transmission Stability by optimzed WLAN Quality
> Network Security by Authentication, Encryption and Firewall
Industrial Wireless LAN

5. 5/27
 Possible topologies of networks
 Advantages of the available possibilities
 Disadvantages
 Goals for improvement of WLAN availability
 Threats to solve
 possible solutions
Today’s possibilities with WLAN in industrial environments

6. 6/27
Extension of existing LAN
Clients can be: Notebooks, PCs or
BAT54-Rail in Client Mode
Frequency ranges: 5GHz or 2,4 GHz
Clients move in between Access-
Points
Local Area Network
WLAN Infrastructures
Client
Access-Point

7. 7/27
BAT54-Rail at
Client or „Client
Bridge“ Mode
LAN-LAN coupling via WLAN
LAN 1
LAN 2
SNR signalization by LED
for Clients and Point-to-
Point-Connections

8. 8/27
Enhanced Stability for WLAN
 Two Radio Interfaces in access point and client
 Redundant connection using Rapid Spanning Tree
 Transparent to Industrial Ethernet Protocols (Layer 4)
 Two Frequency Ranges simultaneously
Network
2,4GHz
Redundant Wireless LAN
5GHz

9. 9/27
5 GHz
Backbone
2,4 GHz
with Client
interconnection
WLAN Distribution

10. 10/27
Relay functionality
to interconnect
between radio cells
Illumination of areas
(campus, hot spots)
Wireless Distribution

11. 11/27Possible WLAN Topologies
LAN connection
Max. 6x P2P/Interface
AP1
AP 1
Local Network
Point-to-Point-Connection
AP 2 AP 3 AP 4
AC1/AP2 AC2/AP3
AP n

12. 12/27Map of
customer site
Laboratory
Hall 9
Hall 6

13. 13/27WLAN Topology at Customer
Laboratory Hall 9
Hall 6
Hall 9-1
Hall 6-1
Hall 9-3
Hall 9-4
Hall 9-5
Lab 1 Hall 9-2
Local Network
Point-to-Point-Connection
4th floor
2nd floor
Ground
floor

14. 14/27Threats for industrial WLAN networks
There are still some threats for WLAN in industrial environment:
- the connections are not stable enough
- rough environmental conditions
- Industrial Ethernet Protocols are very sensitive to packet latency and
interruptions (Profinet, Ethernet/IP)
- Safety applications need very high availability (failover < 99,999%)
- Usability should be as easy as plugging cables

15. 15/27
Field level
Control level
TRANSMITTER
PLC
VALVESENSOR
HMI / IPC
TRANSMITTER
PENDENT
BUTTONS
DRIVES &
MOTORS
Enterprise Resource
Planning
WLAN
Bluetooth/Zigbee/Wise
/UWB/Varan etc.
Industrial network layer

16. 16/27Utilizing Rapid Spanning tree for fixed network redundancy

17. 17/27Utilizing Rapid Spanning tree for fixed network redundancy
Advantages:
- Available today
- standardized protocol (802.1w)
- also used for ethernet networks
Missing:
- No automatic configuration of the topology
- fixed installation needed
- still high handover times

18. 18/27Goals for improvement of industrial WLAN networks
Goals:
- rise the availability
- no more single points of failure
- easy-to-setup and to use
- reduce packet latency and handover times
Achieve by:
- create redundancy (which is basically controversial to 802.11 MAC functionality)
 using other topology: meshed networks

19. 19/27Meshed network topology
History:
- Mid 1990ies created by DARPA for military applications on battlefields
- Improved by R&D companies like SRT International
- Wikipedia offers today more than 50 possible routing protocols for meshing
Features:
- Better scalability: network power increases by each hop added to it
- Automatic configuration and scalability
- very fast or even no handover times
- increase of availability of WLAN network
- quick and easy setup
- reduction of cables needed

20. 20/27
Gateway to Sensor networks
 search for the best itinerary
 self healing network
 no cabling
WAN/LAN-Gateway
Meshed networks

21. 21/27
 fast handover
 allways more than one connection avilable
 Increase of availability
WAN/LAN-Gateway
Meshed networks

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 search for the best itinerary
 Addition of bandwidth
 Increase of availability
WAN/LAN-Gateway
Meshed networks

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Gateway to Sensor networks
 more CPU power needed
 routing capabilities are not part of basic access points
 at least two WLAN interfaces needed
WAN/LAN-Gateway
Meshed networks
Access Points need to
-Route
-Negotiate
-encrypt

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The way to keep the overview - Management System
 A meshed network is basically self-configuring
 How to keep the overview?
 Over the current topology
 Over possible vulnerabilities
 Over possible attacs
 Management Systems today base on SNMP protocol (polling)
 Mesh APs need to declare themselves  LLDP
 Meshed networks have higher demands to management than current WLAN!
Wireless management

25. 25/27
Network Security is still a must!
 A meshed network is very flexible
 Authentication mechanisms are very static today
 802.1x needs external servers
 How to know which device may connect?
 How about Rogue APs?
 802.1x can be part of the AP already (BAT54-Rail Version 7.10)
 Meshed networks have higher demands to security functionality WLAN!
Wireless security

26. 26/27
Hirschmann BAT54-Rail
The operating system offers many capabilities today
 IP routing is already implemented
 802.1x internal server and supplicant is available
 Equipped with two WLAN interfaces
 Equipped with powerful Intel CPU and sufficient memory
 It’s more than just a basic access point
 Meshing will be available by software update. No new hardware needed.
Roadmap:
 Find out which protocol is best (IEEE 802.11s is in discussion but maybe not
suitable for industrial applications): Q1/2008
 Implement and test: Q3/2008
The roadmap to Meshing

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Thank you for your attention!