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OT Networking Fundamentals
426 students
OT Networking Fundamentals
Learn OT networking basics through practical labs covering IP setup, switches, MAC addresses, and OSI layers.
Created byJoltek LLC, Vladimir Romanov
Last updated 11/2025
English
What you'll learn
- Understand how routers, switches, and devices communicate to form reliable industrial and home networks.
- Learn the key differences between IT and OT networks used in manufacturing environments.
- Configure and troubleshoot basic OT networks, including IP setup, MAC identification, and connectivity tests.
- Grasp how data flows through OSI layers and supports control, safety, and SCADA systems on the plant floor.
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Course content
4 sections • 15 lectures • 2h 12m total length
Requirements
- No prior networking or automation experience is required, this course is designed for complete beginners.
- A basic understanding of how computers or industrial devices connect is helpful but not mandatory.
- Access to a laptop or PC for following along with examples and optional hands-on labs.
- Curiosity about how manufacturing systems, PLCs, and HMIs communicate within a network environment.
Description
Understanding how industrial networks work is one of the most valuable skills for engineers and technicians in today’s manufacturing environment. This course introduces you to the foundations of Operational Technology (OT) networking and gives you the practical knowledge to build, connect, and troubleshoot real systems on the plant floor.
You will start from the very beginning, learning what makes a network function, how industrial devices exchange information, and how plant-floor systems differ from traditional IT networks. Each lesson builds on the last, combining clear explanations, whiteboard visuals, and guided hands-on labs that bring every concept to life.
By the end of this course, you will understand how to connect your laptop to an industrial device, interpret IP and MAC addresses, and diagnose the most common communication problems found in OT environments.
What You Will Learn
The fundamentals of how routers, switches, and devices communicate in a network
The key differences between IT and OT networking in manufacturing systems
The structure and purpose of the OSI model with a focus on Layers 1 to 3
How to identify devices using MAC addresses and configure IP addresses for industrial equipment
The importance of network reliability, data flow, and safety signals in control systems
How to connect to PLCs, HMIs, and other OT devices using your laptop
Practical troubleshooting methods for resolving basic network and communication issues
Why This Course Matters
Learn from real industrial experience, not theory
Follow along with labs and demonstrations that mirror real factory systems
Build confidence to design and maintain small OT networks
Prepare yourself for more advanced topics such as VLANs, NAT, and managed switch configuration
This course is perfect for technicians, engineers, and students who want to understand the communication backbone of modern industrial automation. No previous networking experience is required — only curiosity and a desire to learn how real plants connect and operate.
Who this course is for:
- Engineers, technicians, managers, supervisors and maintenance professionals in the manufacturing space who want to understand how OT networks function on the plant floor. Students and beginners entering the fields of industrial automation, controls, or systems integration. IT professionals looking to learn how operational networks differ from traditional corporate environments. Anyone curious about how PLCs, HMIs, and industrial devices communicate in real-world manufacturing systems.