This whitepaper was authored by Todd Harpel and published by Leviton Network Solutions in October 2022. Smart building growth is occurring as many companies have shifted to work-from-home or hybrid work policies over the past several years, leading to fewer occupants in commercial real estate buildings. Increasingly, building owners are evaluating smart building features to improve comfort in the workplace, reduce sick days, improve productivity to attract tenants, and remain competitive. Planning for the creation of a smart building must include a clear definition of the goals and desired outcomes of making the building intelligent. The stress and strain on the network caused by connecting so many new utility devices (IoT) can cause the network to become sluggish and adversely affect the user experience. To simplify management, improve security, and alleviate network stress in smart buildings, Leviton recommends that the network infrastructure connecting core LAN applications and utility applications become physically separated in telecommunications rooms or closets. This creates a utility LAN, or what Leviton calls the uLAN™.

Keywords: Building Retrofits, Computer/Network Hardware, Construction/New Buildings, Employee Productivity, Energy Efficiency/Management, Healthy Buildings, Intelligent Building, Internet of Things (IoT), Post-COVID-19, uLAN™, MSI, IT