A method of operating a process control system, PCS, comprising: providing the PCS comprising: a communication network comprising a first node comprising a process controller and a second node comprising an input/output (I/O) access device, wherein the process controller and the I/O access device are communicatively connected by a cable connection, wherein the cable connection comprises: a plurality of physical cables including a first cable between the process controller and the I/O access device and a second cable independent from the first cable connected between the process controller and the second node comprising the I/O access device; wherein at least one I/O module in the communication network is coupled to receive an output of the I/O access device, the at least one I/O module is coupled to a field device which is coupled to processing equipment; wherein the process controller and the I/O access device each comprise a processor and a memory that implement send and receive logic for communicating using any of multiple redundancy protocols including a first redundant protocol and a second redundant protocol, and simultaneously communicating using the cable connection between the process controller and the second node utilizing both the first redundant protocol and the second redundant protocol, and wherein the first redundant protocol is implemented for critical communication and the second redundant protocol is implemented for normal communication for the simultaneous communication by utilizing the first cable and the second cable, and the process controller, the I/0 access device, and plurality of switches, each implement two separate virtual local area networks, VLANs, as a first VLAN and a second VLAN, wherein the first VLAN is used for the critical communication and the second VLAN is used for the normal communication simultaneously, wherein the two separate VLANs implemented to segregate data communications for different data flows across the two separate VLANs. a communication network comprising a first node comprising a process controller and a second node comprising an input/output (I/O) access device, wherein the process controller and the I/O access device are communicatively connected by a cable connection, wherein the cable connection comprises: a plurality of physical cables including a first cable between the process controller and the I/O access device and a second cable independent from the first cable connected between the process controller and the second node comprising the I/O access device; wherein at least one I/O module in the communication network is coupled to receive an output of the I/O access device, the at least one I/O module is coupled to a field device which is coupled to processing equipment; wherein the process controller and the I/O access device each comprise a processor and a memory that implement send and receive logic for communicating using any of multiple redundancy protocols including a first redundant protocol and a second redundant protocol, and simultaneously communicating using the cable connection between the process controller and the second node utilizing both the first redundant protocol and the second redundant protocol, and wherein the first redundant protocol is implemented for critical communication and the second redundant protocol is implemented for normal communication for the simultaneous communication by utilizing the first cable and the second cable, and the process controller, the I/0 access device, and plurality of switches, each implement two separate virtual local area networks, VLANs, as a first VLAN and a second VLAN, wherein the first VLAN is used for the critical communication and the second VLAN is used for the normal communication simultaneously, wherein the two separate VLANs implemented to segregate data communications for different data flows across the two separate VLANs. a plurality of physical cables including a first cable between the process controller and the I/O access device and a second cable independent from the first cable connected between the process controller and the second node comprising the I/O access device; wherein at least one I/O module in the communication network is coupled to receive an output of the I/O access device, the at least one I/O module is coupled to a field device which is coupled to processing equipment; wherein the process controller and the I/O access device each comprise a processor and a memory that implement send and receive logic for communicating using any of multiple redundancy protocols including a first redundant protocol and a second redundant protocol, and simultaneously communicating using the cable connection between the process controller and the second node utilizing both the first redundant protocol and the second redundant protocol, and wherein the first redundant protocol is implemented for critical communication and the second redundant protocol is implemented for normal communication for the simultaneous communication by utilizing the first cable and the second cable, and the process controller, the I/0 access device, and plurality of switches, each implement two separate virtual local area networks, VLANs, as a first VLAN and a second VLAN, wherein the first VLAN is used for the critical communication and the second VLAN is used for the normal communication simultaneously, wherein the two separate VLANs implemented to segregate data communications for different data flows across the two separate VLANs.