Network Diagrams for Ships & Vessels

The problem with maritime network documentation

Vessels — from commercial cargo ships to luxury yachts — rely on increasingly complex Ethernet networks. Bridge navigation systems, engine monitoring, CCTV cameras, crew Wi-Fi, and VSAT links all converge on a handful of managed switches in tight technical spaces. Yet most maritime IT documentation consists of a basic Visio diagram and a separate Excel spreadsheet listing port assignments. When a technician boards during a port call, they waste precious time tracing cables because the diagram never shows which physical switch port connects to which device.

How DrawNet.ai solves this

DrawNet.ai displays every physical port on each switch. When you connect Camera-Bridge port 1 to Switch-Wheelhouse port 12, that exact mapping lives on the diagram itself. No more cross-referencing an Excel file. The diagram is the patching documentation.

• Industrial switch support: Moxa EDS series, Volktek, and standard managed switches with 8, 12, 24, or 48 ports.
• VLAN visualization: Color-code connections by VLAN — separate bridge, engine, CCTV, and crew networks visually.
• CSV import: Already have a port patching spreadsheet? Import your CSV and auto-generate the diagram in seconds.
• Offline-ready: Drawing, editing, saving and exporting all work in the browser with no connection — the point when you are at sea. Tidy Links is the exception: it runs on our server, so lay out cables while you have a link, or route them by hand once you do not.

Typical maritime network scenarios

Bridge network

ECDIS, radar, AIS, autopilot, and gyrocompass all connected to a dedicated bridge switch. Each instrument maps to a specific port with its own VLAN for safety-critical traffic separation.

Engine room monitoring

PLCs, temperature sensors, and alarm panels connected through industrial Moxa switches. DrawNet.ai lets you document the exact port for each sensor, making troubleshooting during a voyage straightforward.

CCTV and security

PoE cameras across multiple decks, each patched to specific PoE switch ports. With port-level diagrams, security teams know instantly which camera is on which port — critical for maintenance and upgrades.

Crew and passenger Wi-Fi

Access points distributed across cabins and public areas, connected through trunk links between deck switches. DrawNet.ai shows the uplink ports and VLAN assignments clearly.

Why maritime teams choose DrawNet.ai

Classification societies and flag states increasingly require detailed network documentation. A diagram that shows exact port mappings satisfies auditors and helps crew during emergencies. DrawNet.ai produces export-ready PNG, SVG, PDF, or Visio files — one document that replaces both your topology drawing and your port spreadsheet.