Manufacturing network overhaul — the typical project shape.
What a Telexico manufacturing network overhaul actually involves — production VLAN separation, office network, leased line, dual failover, CCTV integration. Illustrative of the kind of project we run for UK manufacturers.
The network problems UK manufacturers typically hit
Manufacturers share specific network challenges that retail or office deployments don't: production line systems (PLCs, MES, IoT sensors, vision systems) running on shared network with office traffic; CCTV bandwidth competing with operations; legacy hardware in factory environments (steel structures, EMI, harsh conditions) requiring industrial-grade kit; SLA-critical uptime where line stops cost significant money; multiple-shift operations needing 24/7 reliable connectivity; CCTV systems often unintegrated with the network architecture; and regulatory or customer-audit requirements around network security and data protection.
Production traffic mixed with office traffic
Manufacturing systems (PLCs, MES, machine vision, IoT sensors) on the same network as office WiFi, guest access, CCTV. Performance contention; security risk; difficult to isolate issues when something goes wrong.
Line stops cost serious money
Manufacturing downtime measured in pounds per minute. Network outage that stops the line costs significantly more than any conceivable network upgrade. Resilience requirements much higher than office operations.
CCTV bandwidth competing with operations
Modern CCTV systems (high-resolution, multi-camera) consume serious bandwidth. Without proper VLAN segregation and bandwidth shaping, CCTV can slow production traffic. Common cause of intermittent factory network issues.
Factory environment challenges
Steel structures, EMI from machinery, dust, temperature, harsh conditions. Consumer or office-grade network kit doesn't survive long. Industrial-grade hardware essential but requires specific design expertise.
How Telexico designs the manufacturing network
The standard manufacturing network overhaul we deploy: leased line as primary connectivity (uncontended bandwidth, SLA-backed uptime, typically 100-1000Mbps depending on operation scale); Starlink or second carrier as failover (genuinely diverse from leased line carrier — critical for production resilience); managed firewall with industrial-grade security; multiple VLAN segregation — production VLAN (PLCs, MES, IoT sensors, machine vision), office VLAN (staff devices, guest access), CCTV VLAN (cameras, NVR, archive storage), IoT VLAN (building management, HVAC), administrative VLAN (engineering workstations, file servers); industrial-grade switches and APs designed for factory conditions; CCTV via Telexico Security integrated natively with the network; 24/7 monitoring with SLA-backed UK engineer response.
How the deployment ran.
Typical project shape: 8-16 weeks elapsed from initial scoping to cutover. Manufacturing deployments take longer than office deployments due to complexity, careful timing around production schedules, and infrastructure changes that need coordination with operations.
Weeks 1-3 — Discovery, design, network architecture
Detailed site visit; document existing network architecture; production system mapping (PLCs, MES, machine vision, IoT); compliance and security scoping; VLAN architecture designed; leased line ordered (long-lead 6-12 weeks).
Weeks 4-12 — Infrastructure deployment
Leased line install (Openreach or competitive carrier, 6-12 weeks); industrial switches and APs deployed; VLAN configuration; managed firewall configured; CCTV integration where included; parallel running on existing infrastructure throughout the migration period.
Weeks 13-16 — Cutover and stabilisation
Phased cutover scheduled around production shifts (typically weekends or planned maintenance windows); production VLAN migrated first with careful testing; CCTV and other VLANs migrated subsequent windows; 4-6 weeks of close post-cutover monitoring and tuning.
What changes operationally
The observable shifts across manufacturing network overhauls follow a consistent pattern — though specific resilience configurations vary by production criticality and shift patterns.
Production network properly isolated
Production traffic on dedicated VLAN with appropriate QoS and security policies. No contention with office, CCTV, or guest traffic. Production system performance becomes consistent; troubleshooting becomes faster when issues do occur.
Resilience matches operational risk
Leased line plus diverse failover (Starlink or second carrier) catches typical UK connectivity failure modes. Production line stays operating through outage events that previously caused line stops. Resilience investment paid back by avoided downtime.
Visibility across the whole network
Single Telexico monitoring dashboard shows production network, office, CCTV, IoT health from one place. Issues detected before they affect operations. Capacity and performance trends visible across all VLANs.
The technical configuration
Standard manufacturing network overhaul stack: leased line as primary (typically 100-1000Mbps, SLA 99.95%+ depending on tier); Starlink or second carrier as failover for genuine path diversity; managed firewall with industrial-grade security configuration; industrial-grade switches with managed VLAN configuration; industrial-grade APs (Ubiquiti Industrial or Cisco Meraki MR-series) for factory floor coverage where wireless is needed; multiple VLAN segregation — production (highest priority QoS, strict security policy), office (standard QoS, standard security), CCTV (bandwidth-shaped, isolated security), IoT (locked-down security), guest (heavily restricted); CCTV via Telexico Security with NVR and archive storage on dedicated VLAN; 24/7 monitoring with SLA-backed UK engineer response (typically 4-hour response standard tier, 2-hour premium). UK data residency throughout.
What you actually get from Telexico.
Honest about scope. No aggressive sales tactics, no surprise renewal jumps, no tier-1 call-centre triage. Real UK engineers, transparent pricing, one provider relationship across the stack.
UK-based provider
Wolverhampton-headquartered. Engineers cover the West Midlands daily; UK-wide install via our partner network. Real UK engineer support, UK data residency, UK contractual relationship — not US-routed SaaS.
Real engineer support
When you call Telexico, you reach someone who can actually fix things. Response SLA backed by real engineering capacity rather than call-centre headcount. Named account manager for ongoing customers.
Free infrastructure review
Every engagement starts with a no-obligation audit of your current setup. Honest recommendation — sometimes that's "stay with your current provider after negotiation." We'd rather be honest than oversell.
Transparent pricing
What you sign for is what you pay — including renewal. No teaser pricing that jumps 30-100% at year two. No mid-contract CPI shock. Predictable multi-year cost from day one.
One provider, one platform
Broadband, hosted VoIP, business WiFi, AI Receptionist, 4G/5G failover, CCTV consolidated onto one Telexico relationship. Single bill, single support number, single engineer when something needs attention.
Migration project-managed
Switching to Telexico isn't DIY. We handle contract audit, notice timing, ordering, parallel running, cutover, old-provider close-out. Customer-visible disruption typically measured in minutes.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does a manufacturing network overhaul typically take?
8-16 weeks elapsed from initial scoping to full cutover. Leased line install is the main long-lead item (6-12 weeks for new installations); production cutover scheduled around manufacturing shift patterns and planned maintenance windows. Slower than office deployments but appropriately paced for operational risk.
Will production be disrupted during the migration?
Disruption minimised by careful project management. Parallel running keeps existing network operational throughout migration; cutover phases scheduled around production shifts (typically weekend windows or planned maintenance); production VLAN migration done first with extensive testing before subsequent VLAN cutovers. Most overhauls complete with zero production-stopping events.
Why leased line rather than business FTTP?
Manufacturing typically justifies leased line for two reasons: uncontended bandwidth (FTTP shares wholesale capacity at the cabinet level; leased line is dedicated); SLA-backed uptime (FTTP has standard ISP SLA, leased line has 99.95%+ with service credits). Production downtime cost typically justifies the premium. Some smaller manufacturers run on premium FTTP plus failover instead — we're honest during scoping about which fits.
Can you integrate with our existing CCTV?
Yes — either taking over management of existing CCTV (where compatible) or replacing with Telexico Security Hikvision systems integrated natively with the network. CCTV VLAN segregation, bandwidth shaping, and archive storage all handled as part of the network design. Specific integration scoped during discovery.
What about our production systems — PLCs, MES, machine vision?
Production systems sit on the dedicated production VLAN with strict QoS and security policies. Telexico doesn't touch the production systems themselves (that's your operations team or system integrator); we provide the network infrastructure they run on. The network architecture is designed around production system requirements after discovery.
What does a manufacturing network overhaul cost?
Highly variable by facility size and complexity. Indicative ranges: project fee £5,000-25,000+; leased line monthly £400-1,500+ depending on bandwidth and SLA tier; failover monthly £150-500; managed firewall £50-200/month; industrial switches and APs scaled to facility (£3,000-15,000+ initial); CCTV optional. Total monthly often £700-2,500 depending on scope. Real quotes against specific facility scope.
Can you handle multi-site manufacturing operations?
Yes — standard pattern for manufacturers with multiple facilities. Per-site infrastructure sized to that facility's production criticality; central monitoring across the portfolio; consolidated billing; single account manager. Site-to-site connectivity options (MPLS, VPN, dedicated Ethernet) sized to operational requirements.
Want a similar review for your business?
This is the typical project shape Telexico runs. Send us your current setup and what's frustrating you — we'll review what you have today and tailor a project that fits. No hard sell, no fixed-package pressure.