Holyoke Gas & Electric (HG&E; Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S.) is successfully blending the past with modern-day networking technology as the needs and uses of its facilities change. Industrial-hardened Ethernet switches help HG&E not only with the management of operations, but also with modern-day challenges such as physical and cyber security, and management of some of the secondary businesses that have grown around the original operation.

HG&E selected GarrettCom's Magnum 6K-Series managed switches for deploying Ethernet into substations and remote facilities. Of particular importance was the ability to choose among ac power, 125-Vdc power and dualsource dc. Many of the older and acquired buildings do not have ac power. The modular Magnum line allows HG&E to deploy the same switches, but with ac and 125-Vdc power as required. In addition, GarrettCom offers products in three levels of hardening, including premium grade for power-utility infrastructure. This allows Magnum switches to be flexibly placed in the locations where they are needed.

The Magnum 6K switches are used in substations and other remote areas, because they are able to operate in environments that range from high heat in summer months to below freezing in winter. The 6K's system modularity allows HG&E to specify multimode fiber-optic cable for some sites and single mode at others.

The Magnum switches support HG&E's full range of security and surveillance equipment, including VoIP, video surveillance, access card readers and entry key controls. MNS- 6K functionality also supports both the ISP and NERC CIP security requirements, such as secure cyber perimeters for critical infrastructure and system reliability through features such as VLANs, system logging and redundancy.