Industrial networks
PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet
Understand PROFINET, the network under most Siemens plants: RT and IRT, GSD files, device names, network design and safety.
PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation. It has 8 modules and takes about 12.6 hours, with written notes, a practice task per module, a practical project and a final assessment of 15 questions (pass mark 60%). Learning costs nothing and needs only a free account. The optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code, is a one-off US$23.99 for you; it is not a vendor credential. Updated 1 November 2026.
- Free
- Beginner
- 12.6 hours
- Self-paced
- Certificate optional
- Lab practice in your browser
No card, no trial. The course is free for good. Certificate US$23.99, optional.
- Who it is for
- Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation
- Jobs
- Roles that use this skill: network engineer, industrial network technician, systems integrator and IT and OT support engineer. No course guarantees a job.
- Tools
- TIA Portal (trial) for the configuration demos. Hardware: none required.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Explain where PROFINET sits in the automation pyramid
- Describe RT and IRT
- Configure devices with GSD files, names and addresses
- Install and design a PROFINET network
- Add PROFIsafe and OPC UA and connect devices through gateways
Who it is for, and what you need first
Who it is for
Engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation.
Level: Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. The free industrial communication course is the ideal preparation.
What you need
Software: TIA Portal (trial) for the configuration demos.
Hardware: None required.. What to download, and how.
How this course works
Watch the lessons
Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.
Read the notes
Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.
Practise in the 3D labOptional
Try the module in the free 3D lab, in your browser.
Check yourself
Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.
Final assessment
Pass the final once you have been through the modules.
Certificate, if you want oneOptional
Optional, with a page anyone can use to verify it.
What you learn
8 modules in order, at your own pace. 12.6 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid, with lab practice: 1h 53m
- 2What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices26m
- 3RT, IRT, Update Times and PROFIdrive18m
- 4Configuration, Installation and Network Design2h 34m
- 5PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET18m
- 6Gateways and Other Networks: AS-i, EtherNet/IP and Third-Party Devices1h 5m
- 7Diagnostics, Security and Protocol Comparison, with lab practice: 28m
- 8Final Assessment
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.
Show what to download (2 tools)
Required
- 01Free trial: 21 days
SIMATIC STEP 7 Professional and WinCC (TIA Portal) V21 Trial
Siemens
- 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.
Steps
- 1.Open the Siemens trial page (entry 109989774) and sign in with your Siemens Industry Online Support account.
- 2.Download TIA_Portal_STEP7_Safety_WinCC_V21.iso (8.1 GB).
- 3.Download S7-PLCSIM_V21.iso (2.5 GB) from the same page: PLCSIM is a separate download.
- 4.Right-click each ISO, choose Mount, and run Start.exe as administrator. Install STEP 7 and WinCC first, then PLCSIM.
- 5.Follow the setup, accept the licence terms and restart the PC when asked.
- 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.comAlternatives
- 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.
- 02Free
Wireshark
Wireshark Foundation
- 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.
Steps
- 1.Open wireshark.org/download.html.
- 2.Download the Windows x64 Installer (or Arm64, or the macOS Universal Disk Image).
- 3.Run the installer and keep the Npcap option ticked on Windows.
- 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.
Practise in the 3D lab
Practise placing devices on the automation levels and splitting a flat plant network into zones, the network thinking that sits behind a PROFINET design.
- Map the plant network: put every device on its levelOT security labOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Map the plant network: put every device on its level
- Zones and conduits: split a flat networkOT security labOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Zones and conduits: split a flat network
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
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 with an S7-1500, six ET 200SP stations, eight G120 drives and three panels on a SCALANCE ring with MRP. You deliver the network design, the device and IP list, a TIA Portal project with topology and MRP, a commissioning report and a device-replacement procedure. The sample pack shows what the integrator hands the brewery.
- 7documents in the pack
- 8steps to follow
- 6things to hand in
- 12 hof work, at your pace
- 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
The project is optional practice. The certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
After the course, your next step
Show what you can do, then keep going in the same field.
A certificate you can verify
Finish the modules and pass the final assessment (15 questions, pass mark 60%) and you can add a certificate with a public verification page. One-off, US$23.99 for you. It is not a vendor credential.
Want a free certificate? Do the matching Free internship: 4 weeks, nothing to buy, with a free certificate of completion.
SCADA and HMI
Eight short weeks of tags, screens, alarms and trends: notes, diagrams, a few videos and practice in LADX Mini and free web SCADA tools. Finish weeks 1 to 4 and the final, then claim a free Internship Completion Certificate with your real dates and study hours, and a QR code anyone can scan to verify it. Training, not employment.
See the internshipMore free courses
Roles that use this skill
- Network engineer
- Industrial network technician
- Systems integrator
- IT and OT support engineer
These are the kinds of roles where the skill is used. We make no promise of a job or an interview.
Plain notes
- Free: the whole course, the notes, the practice tasks, the final assessment and support from practising engineers.
- Paid, and optional: the course certificate, and the Engineer-verified internship (the Free internship costs nothing).
- No job promise: the course teaches a skill. It does not place you in a job.
- Lessons by: 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, ICP DAS USA, Inc.. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
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 · ICP DAS USA, Inc.. If you are one of these creators and want a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@edwartens.com.
Practise what you learn in the free 3D lab
Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.
- Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
- The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
- Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.
Why learn with EDWartens
What you get with this course, and what comes after it.
- Free from the first lesson to the final assessment.
- Practice in a free 3D lab in your browser, with nothing to install.
- Video lessons with written notes and a project.
- An optional certificate that anyone can verify online.
- Free internships to keep practising afterwards.
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.
Do I have to use the lab?
No. The lab is optional practice. You can skip it whenever you like, and it never blocks your progress, the final assessment or your certificate.
Is the lab free?
Yes. Every lab level for this course opens in your browser, free, with nothing to install.
What topics does the PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course cover, module by module?
The PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course has 8 modules. It opens with "Industrial Networks and the Automation Pyramid", goes through "What PROFINET Is: Roles, Channels and Devices", "Configuration, Installation and Network Design", "PROFIsafe and OPC UA on PROFINET" and "Diagnostics, Security and Protocol Comparison" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course?
After the PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course: Place networks in the automation pyramid and the OSI model; Explain PROFINET IO, RT and IRT; Configure devices with GSDML, names and addresses. These are the practical outcomes the course is written around, and the final assessment of 15 questions checks them.
What software and hardware do I need for the PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course, and does it cost anything?
For the PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course, software: TIA Portal (trial) for the configuration demos. Hardware: none required. The course itself is free.
Is the PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course suitable for me, and what level is it?
PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet is rated beginner. Beginner to intermediate. The free industrial communication course is the ideal preparation. It is written for engineering students, apprentices, technicians and working engineers in automation, and takes about 12.6 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course?
Skills from the PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet course (for example: place networks in the automation pyramid and the OSI model) are used in roles such as network engineer, industrial network technician, systems integrator and IT and OT support engineer, and in automation engineer work. The course gives you practical evidence of the skill; it does not promise a job, and employers decide on experience and interview.
Start free today
PROFINET and Industrial Ethernet, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.