Manufacturing A.B.C. is an international, mid-sized company specializing in producing industrial equipment. They have been in the market for over two decades and have established themselves as a…

Manufacturing A.B.C. is an international, mid-sized company specializing in producing industrial equipment. They have been in the market for over two decades and have established themselves as a reputable player in their industry. However, due to rapid technological advancements, their current network infrastructure is outdated and struggling to keep up with the demands of modern manufacturing processes. Manufacturing A.B.C.'s network is a mix of multi-vendor legacy wired and wireless components, causing frequent downtime and hampering their production efficiency. The aging equipment leads to slow data transfer rates, unreliable connectivity, and increased vulnerability to cyber threats. Fiber Cabling should be also upgraded as mostly OM2 is being used. Compounding the network issues, the recent departure of the CTO has left the company without a clear direction for the network refresh project. There is a lack of consensus among the management team regarding the scope, budget, and timeline for the upgrade. The primary objectives of the manufacturing customer are as follows:

• Improve network performance and reliability to enhance production processes and minimize

downtime

• Enhance network security to protect sensitive data and intellectual property
• Streamline communication and collaboration among different departments within the

organization

• Ensure scalability to accommodate future growth and technology advancements

Manufacturing A.B.C. seeks a comprehensive network refresh that includes the following components:

• Upgrading the wired infrastructure to high-speed Ethernet switches to support increased data

transfer rates and reduce latency

• Implementing a robust wireless solution with enterprise-grade access points to provide

seamless connectivity across the manufacturing facility

• Centralized network management tools to simplify administration and monitoring of the network

Expectations:

The customer expects the network refresh project to be handled efficiently, with minimal disruption to their ongoing operations. They are looking for a reliable and experienced network solutions provider who can understand their unique manufacturing requirements and deliver a customized solution that aligns with their budget constraints. The manufacturing customer is keen on receiving clear project proposals and support in decision-making, given the recent change of the CTO. Your role as a network solutions provider is to address their concerns, offer expert guidance, and present a well-defined plan to meet their objectives effectively. You assume that the current network infrastructure does not have any wireless shadow IT equipment operated on the various floors/production sites, but you want to verify this. How could you find out if wireless shadow IT equipment is currently operational?