The idea
Your network topology isn’t just a technical detail — it’s the foundation for energy-aware decisions. When switches are grouped by logical or physical zones (e.g., floor, department, function), it becomes easier to identify idle areas, apply schedules, and define relevant policies.
Why it matters
Without zoning, most organizations apply uniform power policies across the entire network. That means switches in high-use zones (like main offices or labs) get the same treatment as those in low-traffic areas (like storage rooms or vacant floors). The result? Energy is wasted maintaining uptime for devices that aren’t being used — and this waste often goes completely unnoticed in traditional monitoring systems.
Worse yet, when inefficiencies arise, the lack of segmentation makes it harder to pinpoint where they’re happening. Zoning brings clarity and context to your energy data, so you’re not flying blind.
What you can do
- Review your current switch inventory and map each device to a logical or physical zone.
- Start with simple zones like “Meeting Rooms”, “Reception”, “1st Floor – Admin” or “2nd Floor – Tech Team”.
- Use your management console to tag or label switches accordingly.
- Define power policies (e.g., scheduled shutdowns or anomaly alerts) by zone instead of globally.
- Monitor energy behavior at the zone level to detect inefficiencies and optimize over time.
Bonus tip
If your network already uses VLANs, subnets, or port groups that align with functional areas, those can be repurposed as your zoning structure. You don’t always need to reinvent the wheel — just reframe how you use existing configurations.
How ZeroNet helps
ZeroNet automatically analyzes real network behavior to discover logical zones based on usage — not just static labels. It groups switches by patterns in uptime, traffic, and activity, making it easy to apply differentiated policies at scale. This means you can go from “everything is always on” to smart, segmented energy management, without restructuring your infrastructure.