A method, comprising: receiving a request to set a new parameter value of at least a communication timeout parameter or both of a scan rate parameter and the communication timeout parameter stored on a device on an EtherNet/Industrial protocol, Ethernet/IP, based network, wherein the device is operating according to a previous parameter value, wherein the request to set the new parameter value is generated by a programmable logic controller in response to an update implicit message received from the device; comparing, by a communications controller associated with the programmable logic controller and the device, a new communication timeout value to an existing communication timeout parameter value, wherein a temporary communication timeout value corresponds to a new communication timeout value comprising the larger of the new communication timeout value and the existing communication timeout parameter value to be temporarily used as the communication timeout parameter; establishing, by the communications controller, a temporary timeout period in response to the request to set the new parameter value stored on the device, wherein the temporary timeout period corresponds to the temporary communication timeout value which has been set to the larger of the new communication timeout value and the existing communication timeout value based on the comparing; transmitting a message over the EtherNet/IP-based network to the device, wherein the message requests a change to the new parameter value; applying, by the communications controller, the new parameter value of at least the communication timeout parameter or both of the scan rate parameter and the communication timeout parameter upon a response from the device confirming acceptance of the new parameter; and reverting, when the temporary communication timeout value had been set to the new communication timeout value, from the temporary communication timeout value to the previously existing communication timeout parameter value when either a rejection response is received from the device or no response is received from the device within the temporary timeout period. receiving a request to set a new parameter value of at least a communication timeout parameter or both of a scan rate parameter and the communication timeout parameter stored on a device on an EtherNet/Industrial protocol, Ethernet/IP, based network, wherein the device is operating according to a previous parameter value, wherein the request to set the new parameter value is generated by a programmable logic controller in response to an update implicit message received from the device; comparing, by a communications controller associated with the programmable logic controller and the device, a new communication timeout value to an existing communication timeout parameter value, wherein a temporary communication timeout value corresponds to a new communication timeout value comprising the larger of the new communication timeout value and the existing communication timeout parameter value to be temporarily used as the communication timeout parameter; establishing, by the communications controller, a temporary timeout period in response to the request to set the new parameter value stored on the device, wherein the temporary timeout period corresponds to the temporary communication timeout value which has been set to the larger of the new communication timeout value and the existing communication timeout value based on the comparing; transmitting a message over the EtherNet/IP-based network to the device, wherein the message requests a change to the new parameter value; applying, by the communications controller, the new parameter value of at least the communication timeout parameter or both of the scan rate parameter and the communication timeout parameter upon a response from the device confirming acceptance of the new parameter; and reverting, when the temporary communication timeout value had been set to the new communication timeout value, from the temporary communication timeout value to the previously existing communication timeout parameter value when either a rejection response is received from the device or no response is received from the device within the temporary timeout period.