Industrial networks · Free

PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet

The network under most Siemens plants: industrial networks and the automation pyramid, what PROFINET is, RT and IRT, GSD files, device names, addressing, installation and network design, PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET, AS-i and other devices through gateways, and advanced protocol training.

8 modules 9h 18m of video English · self-paced

PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course cover

Inside the course

PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet: Syllabus at a glance

PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet: What you will be able to do

PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet: Tools and credits

From the lessons

Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid
Eaton
What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices
ProfiTelevision
RT, IRT, Update Times and PROFIdrive
MinutePROFINET
Configuration, Installation and Network Design
MinutePROFINET
PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET
ProfiTelevision
Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices
Pepperl+Fuchs USA

Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.

What you will learn

Explain where PROFINET sits in the automation pyramid, describe RT and IRT, configure devices with GSD files, names and addresses, install and design PROFINET networks, add PROFIsafe and OPC UA, integrate AS-i and third-party devices through gateways, and compare industrial protocols.

Place networks in the automation pyramid and the OSI model
Explain PROFINET IO, RT and IRT
Configure devices with GSDML, names and addresses
Install and design networks with switches and redundancy
Add PROFIsafe and OPC UA
Integrate AS-i, ABB, drives and EtherNet/IP through gateways

For you

Taking PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet from the United States

Free in the United States, as everywhere, and self-paced: lessons, notes and the final assessment are open at any hour, so your time zone and shift pattern do not matter.
The optional certificate for learners in the United States is a one-off US$23.99. What you get for it
Plants across the Americas most often run Allen-Bradley, Siemens and Inductive Automation; each has its own free course to take next.
See automation and engineering jobs in the United States, and what the industry looks like in Houston, Detroit and Chicago.
EDWartens also has a regional site for the United States, for classroom training and local support: edwartens.com/us.

The course project · about 12 hours

A 24-device PROFINET line with an MRP ring: design, name, commission and hand over at a brewery

Design and document the PROFINET network for a bottling line: an S7-1500, six ET 200SP stations, eight G120 drives and three panels on a SCALANCE ring with MRP, with the topology, line depth, cable lengths and load calculation the PI design guideline asks for. You deliver your own network design, device and IP list, TIA Portal project with topology and MRP, a commissioning report with a measured ring failover, and the replacement procedure. The sample pack shows what the integrator hands the brewery.

Sample document pack, 7 documents, filled in for the scenario

Network designPROFINET Network Design: Bottling Line 2
IP planDevice and IP List: Bottling Line 2 PROFINET
RegisterSwitch Configuration Sheet: SCALANCE XC216, XC208 and S615
Network architectureNetwork Architecture: Bottling Line 2 and Plant Boundary
BOMBill of Materials: Network Hardware, Cables and Connectors, Line 2
Test reportNetwork Commissioning Report: Bottling Line 2 PROFINET
ProcedureProcedure: Replacing a PROFINET Device on Line 2 Without a Programming Device

Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.

Course content

8 modules · 37 lessons · 9h 18m

In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.

01Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid5 lessons1h 53m
02What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices8 lessons39m
03RT, IRT, Update Times and PROFIdrive4 lessons24m
04Configuration, Installation and Network Design5 lessons2h 34m
05PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET4 lessons18m
06Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices6 lessons1h 5m
07Diagnostics, Security and Protocol Comparison4 lessons2h 25m
08Final Assessment1 lesson4m

Requirements

Who it is for: Beginner to intermediate. The free industrial communication course is the ideal preparation.
Software: TIA Portal (trial) for the configuration demos What to download, and how
Hardware: None required.

Software you need

What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.

Required

01
SIMATIC STEP 7 Professional and WinCC (TIA Portal) V21 Trial
Siemens
Free trial: 21 days
Runs on
Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise 64-bit (24H2), Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 LTSC, or Windows Server 2022/2025. Windows 11 Home is supported only for the Basic editions.
Account
A free Siemens account registered for Industry Online Support (SiePortal)
Size
about 8.1 GB for the main ISO, plus an optional 3.1 GB DVD 2 with hardware support packages
Siemens lets registered users download the V21 trial of STEP 7 (Basic and Professional), STEP 7 Safety and WinCC and test it for 21 days. The same package is used for the full product; after 21 days you need a purchased licence to keep working.
Show the 6 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.Open the Siemens trial page (entry 109989774) and sign in with your Siemens Industry Online Support account.
2. 2.Download TIA_Portal_STEP7_Safety_WinCC_V21.iso (8.1 GB).
3. 3.Download S7-PLCSIM_V21.iso (2.5 GB) from the same page: PLCSIM is a separate download.
4. 4.Right-click each ISO, choose Mount, and run Start.exe as administrator. Install STEP 7 and WinCC first, then PLCSIM.
5. 5.Follow the setup, accept the licence terms and restart the PC when asked.
6. 6.Open TIA Portal V21 and create a new project to confirm it runs.
- Install from a local drive with plenty of free space; Siemens lists 20 GB free as the minimum and the ISOs alone are over 10 GB.
- You only need DVD 2 if you want extra hardware support packages.
- If you cannot install locally, Siemens also offers a 21-day TIA Portal Cloud trial in the browser (one-hour sessions, not in every country).
Official download pagesupport.industry.siemens.com
Alternatives
- TIA Portal Cloud trial: 21 days free in a cloud virtual machine, no install. Sessions are limited to one hour and it is not available in every country.

Optional

Useful, not needed to finish the course.

02
Wireshark
Wireshark Foundation
Free
Runs on
Windows 11 or 10 64-bit (x64 or Arm64), Windows Server 2016 or later, macOS (Universal disk image), Linux
Account
None needed
Free, open source software. No licence fee for any use.
Show the 4 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.Open wireshark.org/download.html.
2. 2.Download the Windows x64 Installer (or Arm64, or the macOS Universal Disk Image).
3. 3.Run the installer and keep the Npcap option ticked on Windows.
4. 4.Open Wireshark, pick your network interface and click the blue fin to start capturing.
- Npcap is needed for live capture on Windows. The Windows installer includes it.
- Only capture traffic on networks you own or have written permission to monitor.
Official download pagewireshark.org

Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.

PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet at a glance

PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation. It has 8 modules and 9h 18m of video lessons by M TG, Taskcoaz, Eaton and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.

All course facts

Price: Free, for good. No trial, no card. The only paid item is the optional certificate, a small one-off fee.
Who it is for: Engineering students, ITI and diploma holders, and working engineers in automation
Format: 8 self-paced modules, 9h 18m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
Level: Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. The free industrial communication course is the ideal preparation.
Brand: Vendor-neutral
Software: TIA Portal (trial) for the configuration demos
Hardware: None required.
Certificate: Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
Video lessons by: M TG, Taskcoaz, Eaton, RealPars, Eli the Computer Guy, RSP Supply, ProfiTelevision, MinutePROFINET, Indu-Sol GmbH, Siemens Knowledge Hub, C&E Advanced Technologies, PROCENTEC®, AMCI : Advanced Micro Controls Inc., Pepperl+Fuchs USA, Pepperl+Fuchs Group, ABB PLC, ProSoft, a Belden brand, RealTimeAutomation, Dr. Arslan Ahmed Amin (E&I Control Specialist), ICP DAS USA, Inc. (independent creators, credited below)
Language: English
Last updated: 27 September 2026

A shareable EDWartens certificate

Finish every module and pass the final assessment, and the optional EDWartens certificate is yours. It carries a unique verification code on a public page anyone can check, so it stands up when a recruiter looks it up. See it below.

Add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
Link it from a CV or portfolio, the URL is permanent
Publicly verifiable by code, not a PDF anyone can edit
Issued by EDWartens itself, not a third party

The course itself stays free whether or not you ever buy one.

Stuck? Ask a practising engineer

A free course usually means a comment section and hope. This one does not. Every module has an Ask-your-trainer panel that reaches the same engineers who teach our paid programme: people who commission panels for a living, not moderators.

Questions answered in the context of the module you are on
The same engineers who teach the AEP programme
Career tools, CV help and public job listings included
Your progress and notes stay in your account for good

Pairs well with

PLC programming · FreeSiemens TIA PortalFrom zero electrical knowledge to a working, simulated S7-1200 program, for nothing.

Siemens TIA Portal in Three Hours free course cover

PLC programming · FreeSiemens TIA Portal in Three HoursThe first three hours of the Siemens TIA Portal course, cut to end on a win: what a PLC is, how it is wired, a project configured in TIA Portal, and your first ladder program running in simulation. Finish it in an evening or two, earn a certificate, and carry straight on into the full course.

TIA Portal: Build a Machine free course cover

PLC programming · FreeTIA Portal: Build a MachineOne machine, start to finish. Take a bottle filling line from a written specification and an I/O list to a structured S7-1200 program with a fill station, a capper, a reject sorter and an operator screen with alarms, then test it against a written record and archive it for hand-over. The lessons are the reference; the machine is yours, and it is what you submit.

Instrumentation for PLC Engineers free course cover

Instrumentation · FreeInstrumentation for PLC EngineersThe half of the loop that is not code. Follow one measurement from the transmitter in the field, down the 4-20 mA loop, into the analog card, through NORM_X and SCALE_X into engineering units, out again to a valve, and back to the control room when the reading is wrong.

More free courses: Free industrial networking courses

Learner reviews

No reviews yet

Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.

Common questions

How is this different from the industrial communication course?

That course surveys every network; this one goes deep on PROFINET configuration, installation, design and safety.

Do I need hardware?

No. The configuration demos run in TIA Portal; the design exercises are on paper.

Does it cover EtherNet/IP?

For comparison and gateways, yes; the Rockwell networks have their own coverage in the Studio 5000 courses.

Is the PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course really free?

Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.

What certificate do I get, and is it a vendor qualification?

An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a vendor credential and is never described as one.

Who made the video lessons in the PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course?

The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.

How long does the PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course take?

Plan on about 13 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the eight modules at your own speed.

What you walk away with

Your certificate for PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet

Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.

Sample EDWartens Certificate of Completion for PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet — Sample. The issued certificate carries your name, admission number, a unique certificate number and its own QR code.

Verifiable by anyone
A unique certificate number and a public verification page. A recruiter checks it in ten seconds.
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
Issuer, credential ID and URL prefilled, with 5 matching skills to pin to your profile.
QR code on the certificate
Scans straight to the verification page, so a printed copy proves itself.
Names what you can do
Lists the topics covered, from industrial networks, the automation pyramid and the osi model to gateways, as-i, ethernet/ip and protocol comparison.
A permanent link
Put it on a CV, a portfolio or an application. The URL never changes.
Earned, not attended
Issued only after every module and a final assessment at 60%, with 3 attempts. That is why it stands up.

Learning is free. The certificate is optional.

Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$23.99, with a receipt.

Issued by EDWartens, the training division of Wartens, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales). It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.

Credits

Who made the video lessons

The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.

M TGthe PROFINET playlist collecting PI, vendor and training videos
Taskcoazthe TIA Portal training series
Eatona lesson in "Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid"
RealPars3 lessons in "Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid", "What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices" and "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"
Eli the Computer Guya lesson in "Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid"
RSP Supply2 lessons in "Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid"
ProfiTelevision9 lessons in "What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices", "RT, IRT, Update Times and PROFIdrive", "Configuration, Installation and Network Design", "PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET" and "Final Assessment"
MinutePROFINET6 lessons in "What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices", "RT, IRT, Update Times and PROFIdrive", "Configuration, Installation and Network Design" and "PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET"
Indu-Sol GmbHa lesson in "What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices"
Siemens Knowledge Hub4 lessons in "RT, IRT, Update Times and PROFIdrive", "PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET" and "Diagnostics, Security and Protocol Comparison"
C&E Advanced Technologiesa lesson in "Configuration, Installation and Network Design"
PROCENTEC®a lesson in "Configuration, Installation and Network Design"
AMCI : Advanced Micro Controls Inc.a lesson in "Configuration, Installation and Network Design"
Pepperl+Fuchs USAa lesson in "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"
Pepperl+Fuchs Groupa lesson in "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"
ABB PLCa lesson in "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"
ProSoft, a Belden branda lesson in "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"
RealTimeAutomationa lesson in "Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices"
Dr. Arslan Ahmed Amin (E&I Control Specialist)a lesson in "Diagnostics, Security and Protocol Comparison"
ICP DAS USA, Inc.a lesson in "Diagnostics, Security and Protocol Comparison"

If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.