Industrial Networking

Reliable Devices to Extend Your Network

When connecting pieces of your network, an Ethernet switch, media converter, serial adapter, repeater, USB hub, or extender is an easy and affordable way to solve the problem. Our industrial connectivity devices are designed to meet every need, seamlessly integrating copper and fiber networks in almost any imaginable configuration. They also cover all major connection types, including Ethernet, RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, USB, VDSL, WDM, as well as single- and multi-mode fiber. They are designed for easy deployment, management, and upkeep, allowing you to extend your network capacity with minimal labor investment. They are also designed for easy mounting, ranging from DIN-rail, 19” rack mount, wall-mount, to stand-alone devices. Additionally, they offer many features and options that enable you to tailor your setup to meet your exact needs. These include a choice of protocols, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), power redundancy, network monitoring, and network redundancy.

Rugged Ethernet Switches Get the Job Done

Designed to withstand the harsh conditions of factories, substations, oil and gas fields, and outdoor environments, managed and unmanaged industrial-grade Ethernet switches can operate for years.

These switches feature Fast, Gigabit, or 10 Gb Ethernet ports, DIN rail or wall mounting options, a variety of port configurations, copper or fiber optic connections, Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports, and optional extended temperature from -40 to 75 degrees C. Managed Ethernet switches feature functions like Rapid Spanning Tree, SNMP, VLAN, port mirroring, a console port, quality of service, IP security, IGMP, and more. Unmanaged Ethernet switches are economical and easy to install. Essentially plug-and-play, there are no features to configure or set up.

Serial Communication Devices

Serial communication equipment is widely used in many different industries and is still prevalent in applications such as building access, data acquisition, process control, and automation. Serial media converters adapt RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485 with a DB9, DB25, or terminal block connector to various interfaces, including Ethernet, fiber, or wireless. Serial extenders expand the transmission distance far beyond the standard serial interface, going up to 4,000 feet.

The STM-602C, for example, offers two configurable serial ports and two Ethernet ports to connect Modbus TCP and RTU/ASCII networks. For high-density applications, a more extensive 19” rack mount system, like the FCU-RACK16, accommodates plug-in media converter cards. It’s ideal for high port counts. Easy to install and configure, our selection of managed media converters offers a solution for nearly every serial conversion need.

Media Converters

When you need to connect two networking protocols, adapt a physical connector to another type, or interconnect a fiber-optic network to an existing copper one, an industrial media converter is the solution. They convert Fast, Gigabit, and 10 Gb Ethernet to fiber optics or Power over Ethernet. They are simple to configure, and some offer management features. A managed converter offers meticulous network management through the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and can be configured and monitored by a network administrator. This type of media converter includes web management, port configuration, traffic statistics, Q-in-Q double tagging, jumbo frames, flow control, trap management, alarms, VLAN support, remote login, and more.

Black Box’s LGC340A-R2 is an excellent example of a compact SNMP fiber converter. It converts two RJ45 Ethernet ports to SFP. Flow control, link alarm, loopback test, bandwidth control, DHCP client, and several other features provide a comprehensive range of network control and reliability, making it a fit for most fiber networks.

The LMC5204A is a media converter system offering six media converter modules in a slim 1U 19” rackmount package. It is designed for industrial environments, featuring an extended operating temperature range, ESD protection, and rack-mounting capabilities. It’s packed with network reliability and redundancy tools.

USB Converters and Extenders

When you don’t need network management on your converters and prefer faster deployment, we offer several USB converters that cover the same spectrum of data types and connectors. Our industrial USB devices are available in hubs, converters, and extenders with various port counts and form factors. The IC400A-R2 converts four USB devices to Ethernet connections. It’s essentially plug-and-play with Windows systems. To extend USB peripherals beyond the 16-foot (5-meter) limitation, the IC400A-R2 is an excellent choice. It extends one USB line to 328 feet (110 meters) and is compatible with USB devices operating at speeds up to 480 Mbps.

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Backed by leading manufacturers such as Antaira and Black Box, our professional-grade converters provide the network reliability and durability you need for data-intensive or harsh working environments.

Industrial networking devices are available for every job, regardless of its specialization or generality. Contact us today. At Westward Sales, we take pride in the expertise of our representatives, and you’ll be impressed with their knowledge. They can help you analyze just what your system needs and assist you in selecting the perfect set of devices to optimize performance and cost.