Seeing your OT network clearly: From firefighting to preventive maintenance

22 Sep 2025
Industrial Ethernet networks are at the heart of modern production, but keeping them running smoothly is not always straightforward. Let’s take a closer look at the key challenges and how to gain visibility and monitor networks more effectively.

For many OT teams, network management feels like a race against time: issues pop up without warning, production slows or stops, and valuable hours are lost hunting for the root cause.

The reality on the factory floor

Here are some of the biggest challenges OT engineers face every day:

1. Limited visibility into network health

Most teams have little insight into what's happening inside their industrial Ethernet network until something goes wrong. Troubleshooting is slow, stressful, and expensive.

2. Reactive maintenance as the norm

Without a way to monitor network conditions proactively, teams are stuck in "firefighting mode", reacting to problems only after they disrupt production.

The result? Unplanned downtime, frustrated operators, and lost revenue.

3. Growing complexity of industrial networks

Modern plants aren't uniform. They mix multiple protocols, devices, and vendors — creating multi-protocol environments that are increasingly difficult to manage without deep expertise.

4. Lack of skilled personnel

A shrinking pool of qualified OT experts leaves many plants struggling to find the right skills to manage and secure their networks. As a result, existing teams are often overstretched, increasing the risk of errors and downtime.

Turning network traffic data into actionable insights

Fortunately, Industrial IoT (IIoT) technologies now make it possible to monitor network health continuously — just like you would monitor critical machine parameters.

Instead of waiting for problems to surface, you can:

  • Detect abnormal behavior early
  • Pinpoint weak spots in the network
  • Resolve issues before they cause downtime

This shift from reactive troubleshooting to predictive maintenance is a game changer for productivity and peace of mind.

Meet Atlas2 Plus: Your always-on OT network monitoring solution

That's why HMS Networks developed Atlas2 Plus — a next-generation network monitoring solution built specifically for OT teams who need clarity, control, and confidence.

Powered by the intuitive Osiris monitoring software, Atlas2 Plus gives you:

  • Always-on visibility: Monitor your network health 24/7 from a single, easy-to-read dashboard.
  • Proactive alerts & diagnostics: Get notified of potential issues before they disrupt production.
  • Fast root-cause analysis: Quickly see what happened, where, and how to fix it.
  • Support for complex networks: Simplify multi-protocol environments with one interface that speaks the language of your entire OT network.

With Atlas2 Plus, your team can finally move from firefighting to prevention — keeping production running smoothly.

The benefits: Why OT teams love Atlas2 Plus

With Atlas2 Plus, your team can:

  • Prevent costly downtime by spotting issues before they escalate
  • Troubleshoot faster with guided diagnostics and alerts
  • Standardize monitoring across multiple sites and vendors
  • Focus on optimization instead of constant firefighting

Want to build even deeper expertise? HMS Networks offers certified OT network training to help your team master diagnostics and ensure long-term network health.

From chaos to control

Moving from reactive to predictive maintenance isn't just a technical upgrade — it's a mindset shift.

Atlas2 Plus puts you back in control of your operations, giving you the visibility and confidence to act before problems impact production.

Discover Atlas2 Plus specs & features

Talk to an Expert about OT network monitoring