PoE switches – NVR IPCAMERA SECURITY

How to Extend WiFi for the Outdoor Wireless Security Camera

M.Salih ASLAN — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 10:55:32 +0000

How to Extend WiFi for the Outdoor Wireless Security Camera, You’re looking to boost the Wi-Fi signal for your outdoor security camera. Here’s a breakdown of effective methods. Extending WiFi coverage to support an outdoor wireless security camera requires ensuring a strong and stable signal in the camera’s location. Here are practical methods to achieve this:

1. Wi-Fi Range Extender:

• How it works: A Wi-Fi extender rebroadcasts your existing Wi-Fi signal, effectively increasing its range. Place it midway between your router and the camera.

• Pros: Relatively inexpensive and easy to set up.

• Cons: Can sometimes reduce overall network speed. Choose an outdoor-rated extender for weather protection.

2. Mesh Wi-Fi System:

• How it works: Uses multiple units (nodes) placed around your home to create a seamless Wi-Fi network with wider coverage.

• Pros: Provides strong, consistent signal throughout your property, ideal for larger areas.

• Cons: More expensive than a range extender.

3. Powerline Adapters:

• How it works: Uses your home’s electrical wiring to transmit data. Connect one adapter to your router and another near the camera, then connect the camera to the second adapter via Ethernet. Some powerline adapters also have a Wi-Fi access point built-in.

• Pros: Can bypass Wi-Fi dead zones and provide a stable connection.

• Cons: Performance can vary depending on your home’s wiring.

4. Reposition Your Router:

• How it works: Moving your router to a more central location can improve signal strength throughout your home, including outdoors.

• Pros: Free and simple to try.

• Cons: May not be feasible depending on your home’s layout.

5. Upgrade Your Router’s Antenna:

• How it works: Some routers allow you to replace the antennas with higher-gain ones that transmit a stronger signal.

• Pros: Can significantly improve range.

• Cons: Not all routers have detachable antennas.

6. Consider a Wired Connection:

• How it works: If possible, connecting your camera directly to your router with an Ethernet cable provides the most reliable connection.

• Pros: Eliminates Wi-Fi interference and provides the best performance.

• Cons: Requires running a cable, which may not be practical in all situations.

Important Tips:

• Reduce Interference: Keep your router away from objects that can interfere with Wi-Fi signals, such as microwaves and metal objects.

• Update Firmware: Ensure your router and camera have the latest firmware updates for optimal performance.

• Check Camera Placement: Avoid placing the camera behind walls or other obstructions that can weaken the signal.

Alternative

Extending WiFi coverage to support an outdoor wireless security camera requires ensuring a strong and stable signal in the camera’s location. Here are practical methods to achieve this:

1. Position the Router Strategically

• Centralize Location: Place the router near a window or wall closest to the camera’s location.

• Elevate the Router: Position the router on a high shelf or wall mount to reduce interference.

2. Use a WiFi Extender or Repeater

• Install Near the Camera: Place the extender halfway between the router and the camera for the best signal boost.

• Match Frequency Bands: Ensure the extender supports the same frequency bands (e.g., 2.4GHz or 5GHz) as the camera.

3. Install a Powerline Adapter with WiFi

• Leverage Electrical Wiring: Powerline adapters use your home’s electrical wiring to transmit internet signals.

• Place One Unit Near the Router: Connect the first adapter to your router and plug it into a power outlet.

• Place the Second Unit Outdoors: Position the second adapter with WiFi capability near the camera.

4. Upgrade to a Mesh WiFi System

• Multiple Nodes: Install a mesh node near the outdoor camera to ensure coverage.

• Seamless Connectivity: Mesh networks automatically connect devices to the nearest node.

5. Use a Dedicated Outdoor Access Point

• Weatherproof Design: Opt for outdoor-rated access points to withstand the elements.

• Directional Coverage: Point the antenna toward the camera for focused signal delivery.

• PoE Option: Use Power over Ethernet (PoE) to provide power and internet through a single cable.

6. Upgrade the Camera’s WiFi Antenna (If Removable)

• High-Gain Antenna: Replace the built-in antenna with a higher-gain one for better signal reception.

• Omnidirectional vs. Directional: Choose an omnidirectional antenna for general coverage or a directional one for focused signal strength.

7. Check for Interference

• Avoid Obstacles: Minimize walls, trees, or metal objects between the router and the camera.

• Change WiFi Channel: Use a less congested channel to improve signal clarity.

8. Switch to a Wired Connection

• If WiFi fails, consider running an Ethernet cable to the camera or using PoE for both data and power. Outdoor-rated Ethernet cables are available to withstand harsh conditions.

9. Test Signal Strength

• Use an App: Tools like NetSpot or WiFi Analyzer can help measure signal strength and identify dead zones.

• Adjust Placement: Based on the results, reposition devices for optimal coverage.

Would you like guidance on selecting specific equipment or troubleshooting signal issues?

By considering these options, you can effectively extend your Wi-Fi range and ensure a reliable connection for your outdoor security camera.

Deploying outdoor WiFi is always necessary for deploying outdoor wireless security cameras. There are many options for extending WiFi. The optimal choice depends on the places and environments in that outdoor wireless cameras are installed.

There are two advisable solutions to extend the WiFi just around your house’s outdoor perimeter within 100 meters (300 feet). A network extension to the remote location farther than 300 feet will need a point-to-point wireless bridge.

1. Near Site WiFi Extension to the Outdoor Wireless Security Cameras (up to 100 meters or 300 feet)

It’s hard for WiFi signals to penetrate wire-filled stucco walls or stone walls. To provide strong WiFi outside for the outdoor cameras, one WiFi extender installed outdoors would avoid the stifling impact of walls on WiFi signals. There are two kinds of products—Powerline WiFi extenders and outdoor WiFi access points—to provide WiFi outside the home.

1.1 Near Site Outdoor WiFi for Cameras: Powerline WiFi Extenders

If you install your outdoor wireless camera under your eaves or in the backyard, plugging in a powerline WiFi extender around is an excellent way to solve the outdoor WiFi issues. As the powerline adapters are rated as indoor devices, a covered patio or waterproof electric box is needed to stand the harsh outdoor environments.

TP-Link TL-WPAxx series powerline wireless adapter kit is the easiest solution, providing two powerline adapters. One adapter installed indoors relays the data from the network cable to the power line. The second adapter broadcasts the WiFi signal to your cameras. Refer to the Outdoor Solution Guide for the installation tutorial and examples. The complete introduction of Powerline adapters will help you understand whether this solution is suitable for you.

1.2 Near Site Outdoor WiFi for Cameras: Outdoor WiFi Access Points

If your patio is not enclosed or the outdoor wireless cameras are installed further from your home, you may need an outdoor access point. TP-Link offers Omada EAP series omnidirectional outdoor access points for outdoor WiFi. They come with IP67 or IP65 waterproof and dustproof housing and a -30–70°C (-22–158°F) operating temperature range. They are designed to protect the outdoor access points against harsh outdoor conditions.

According to the areas of deploying outdoor cameras, there are two deployment methods. The basics are listed below. Refer to Get Outdoor WiFi with Outdoor WiFi Access Points for more details. Go to the Outdoor Solution Guide for the installation tutorial and examples.

1.2.1 WiFi Outside for Relatively Small Areas

One or two outdoor WiFi access points are deployed to connect the outdoor wireless cameras in relatively small areas. With the included passive PoE adapter, connect the Omada outdoor access points with your existing router to simultaneously provide data and power using a single Ethernet cable.

1.2.2 WiFi Outside for Relatively Large Areas

Several outdoor WiFi access points are deployed to connect outdoor wireless cameras across relatively large areas. The PoE switches or passive PoE adapters connect the Omada access points with a single Ethernet cable. Omada Mesh technology can wirelessly connect to the outdoor access points without additional cable if some access points cannot link to LAN ports. With Mesh technology, the maximum distance of extending outdoor WiFi can be multiple hundreds of meters.

2. Remote Site Network Expansion (More than 100 m and up to 30 km)

You can use the Pharos CPE series directional outdoor wireless antennas to build a wireless bridge to expand the network for miles. It is perfect for remote surveillance systems covering vast areas. You can also broadcast the wireless signals with an additional wireless access point on the remote site when necessary.

Refer to Pharos Solution to discover what Pharos products can bring. Go to the Outdoor Solution Guide for the installation tutorial and examples of Pharos wireless products. Refer to How to Connect Your Cameras from a Long Distance for using fibers to connect remote cameras.

3. Summary of Extending WiFi to Outdoor Wireless Security Cameras

Product Types	TP-Link Powerline WiFi Extenders	TP-Link Omada Outdoor Access Points	TP-Link Pharos Outdoor Wireless Antennas
Places of Deploying Cameras	Near Site	Near Site	Remote Site
Recommended Distance	Up to 100 meters (300 feet)	• Up to 100 meters (300 feet) using a single access point • Up to multiple dozens of meters with Omada Mesh	More than 100 meters (300 feet) to up to 30 km (18 miles)
Essential Requirements	A covered patio or waterproof electric box to prevent the powerline products	Keep the Omada SDN Controller running when using Omada Mesh	–
Recommended Product Models	TL-WPA8630 KIT TL-WPA8631P KIT TL-WPA7510 KIT	EAP610-Outdoor EAP225-Outdoor EAP110-Outdoor	CPE710 CPE510 CPE210
More Details	The Complete Introduction of Powerline Adapters	Get Outdoor WiFi with Outdoor WiFi Access Points	Pharos Solution
Installation Tutorial and Examples	Outdoor Solution Guide

So, ready to install your outdoor wireless cameras and choose the best outdoor WiFi solution. Let us know your idea about the outdoor WiFi on social media with #tplinkoutdoor!

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The post How to Extend WiFi for the Outdoor Wireless Security Camera first appeared on NVR IPCAMERA SECURITY.

Security Camera Installation Guides v2

M.Salih ASLAN — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 18:44:51 +0000

Security Camera Installation Guides Although we now offer installation, locally, we started as a DIY-only company, and we primarily serve those adventurous types who want to run the cable for themselves.

Intro

You’re Not Alone

Installation can be hard. We’re happy to talk it over with you or take over a DIY project that you’ve realized needs professional installation. Our support hours are from 9AM-7PM Monday – Friday (EST) and we are available via chat, email, phones, and remote PC screen-sharing, if you need any help. You can reach us at 866-414-2553.

Disclaimer: The laws governing cable and wire installation can vary from state to state and sometimes even counties and cities pass specific, unique laws regarding cabling; these state, county and city laws are too complex for us to explain. This page is not a how-to installation guide, as we cannot keep up with local laws.

Although we now offer installation, locally, we started as a DIY-only company, and we primarily serve those adventurous types who want to run the cable for themselves. Even so, we get asked about do-it-yourself installation all the time…. We wanted to post a few of our standard answers here.

Part 1

Don’t Start a Fire or Shock Yourself

Electricity Can Kill You; Avoid Electrical Lines!

Never strap, staple or otherwise run networking cable to conduit or raceways carrying electrical current. Never run any cable within 2 inches of Class I electrical lines, lighting, fire alarm, or power lines or devices.

Give a Wide Berth to High Voltage Devices or Lines

Never run any cable within 6 feet of a conductor or fuse box. A minimum 5-inch distance is required from any fluorescent lighting fixture or power line over 2 kVA and up to 24 inches from any power line over 5 kVA. If unsure about the a device or line, consult an electrician. Route cable away as far as you can from large motors, generators, induction heaters, arc welders, x-ray equipment, and radio frequency, microwave or radar sources. NEC/NFPA 70, Article 800-52

Protect it from Future Physical Damage

You might want to put a nail or screw in later and don’t want to puncture your cables, so when a cable, raceway, or soft conduit (anything you can puncture) is installed parallel to framing members (joists, rafters, or studs), furring strips, or crown molding, keep the cable at least 32 mm (1.26 inches) from the edge. NEC 300.4(D)

Don’t Leave it Dangling – Secure Your Cables

You can connect cable directly to a surface with straps, staples, cable ties, hangers, or similar fittings, but you have to secure it somehow. NEC 800.24; 300.11

Use Plenum rated cable in Areas with Airflow

If you are going to run cables through an area which is used by your heating, air circulation, or air conditioner systems (such as above a drop ceiling in an office), you must use Plenum rated cables, which have a special insulation that has low smoke and low flame characteristics. When securing cable in Plenum required areas, make sure your straps, cable ties, and similar fittings also are plenum rated. NEC 830; NFPA 90A

National Rules – Consult your local laws

These guides are meant to familiarize our clients with the national requirements as expressed in the National Fire and Alarm Signaling Code and the National Electrical Code. Your state or local laws may differ. If you live outside the USA, consult your governmental laws. Don’t consider this your only resource.

Turn the Breaker Power OFF

Any time that you will be drilling or cutting into your wall, you want to turn the power off. You don’t want to drill into a hidden electrical line. You probably already know this, but our lawyers insisted.

Wear Safety Goggles

Any time that you are drilling, you want to wear safety goggles and hearing protection, like ear plugs.

Security Camera Installation Guides v2

Part 2

Drilling through Different Materials

Sheetrock (most interior walls)

A list of tools necessary, step-by-step instructions for installing SCW cameras, and how to close up the hole when drilling into a surface made of sheetrock.

Wood

A list of tools necessary, step-by-step instructions for installing SCW cameras, and how to close up the hole when drilling into a surface made of wood.

Stucco

A list of tools necessary, step-by-step instructions for installing SCW cameras, and how to close up the hole when drilling into a surface made of stucco.

Brick and Masonry

A list of tools necessary, step-by-step instructions for installing SCW cameras, and how to close up the hole when drilling into a surface made of brick.

Concrete

A list of tools necessary, step-by-step instructions for installing SCW cameras, and how to close up the hole when drilling into a surface made of concrete.

Metal Siding

A list of tools necessary, step-by-step instructions for installing SCW cameras, and how to close up the hole when drilling into a surface made of metal siding

Part 3

Running the Cable

Basic Cabling

Terminating Cable (Putting the ends on)

Instructions for putting the RJ45 ends on to ethernet (for example, Cat5 / Cat6 / Cat5e) cable.

Using Our Waterproof Connectors

When installing a camera outdoors, it is imperative that you put our waterproof RJ45 Connector on the ethernet (for example, Cat5 / Cat6 / Cat5e) cable.

No Protection – Just Running the Wire

You can connect cable directly to a surface with straps, staples, cable ties, hangers, or similar fittings, but the cable could get damaged and someone might be able to cut it.

24 Volt Wiring: PTZ

The Spotlight PTZ cameras uses 24 volt power rather than POE because it requires more power than is capable of Power-Over-Ethernet for its natural white light spotlight. The Laser can also be powered via 24 volt power and can be powered the same way, although it is not required to do so. This guide shows you how to wire these PTZs.

24 Volt Wiring: Sharpshooter

The Sharpshooter IP Bullet cameras uses 24 volt power rather than POE because it requires more power than is capable of Power-Over-Ethernet for its long range infrared. This guide shows you how to wire the Sharpshooter.

Protecting your Cabling

Liquidtight Plastic Tubing

Liquidtight plastic tubing is easier to work with than flexible metal tubing, but is less secure. It is also great for areas with lots of expected moisture as it won’t rust.

Flexible Metal Conduit (FMC)

Flexible metal conduit is difficult to cut (watch out for sharp edges), but easier than solid conduit to install.

Electric Metal Tubing (EMT)

Solid metal conduit is the most secure form of installation. It requires a specialty conduit bending tool.

Conduit Fill

This chart will let you know how many cable runs you can fit in one conduit pipe, depending on the size of the conduit.

Raceway (Outdoors) – Coming Soon

Raceways are most popular indoors to make the space look clean and professional. There are also outdoor rated raceways; this guide covers using raceways outdoors.

Clean and Professional Interiors

Raceway (Indoors)

Raceways are most popular indoors to make the space look clean and professional. There are also outdoor rated raceways. This guide covers using raceways indoors.

Ethernet Wall Plates

Not recommended. It can be difficult to find a wall plate that passes POE power and provides grounding. These devices also provide a secondary point of failure, and take up far more room than a cable pass through plate for larger systems.

Dealing with Long Distance

Using POE switches to reduce cabling

You can run one cable to a POE switch and then run several cameras to that switch, however, POE switches are not plug-n-play. POE switches do require you to know a decent amount about computer networking.

Cables run over 300 feet

Cat5e and Cat6 cable data has a limit of 300 feet, but if you need to go further than that you can use a POE extender, POE injector, or POE switch to hear and repeat the signal. This article discusses when you would use each of these tools.

Long Distance Wireless

Part 4

Mounting Cameras and Recorders

Basic Camera Installation

Bullet Cameras on Walls

In this guide, we will be installing a bullet camera on a wall.

Bullet Cameras on Ceilings

In this guide, we will be installing a bullet camera on a ceiling.

Bullet Cameras on Soffits

In this guide, we will be installing a bullet camera on a soffit.

Dome Cameras on Ceilings

In this guide, we will be installing a dome camera in a ceiling tile.

Dome Cameras on Walls

In this guide, we will be installing a dome camera on a wall.

Positioning the Lens in our Dome Cameras

In this video guide, we demonstrate how to adjust the lens positioning on our Marshall, Guardian, Warden, and Mosquito Dome Cameras.

Audio and Alarm Inputs FAQ and Sample Wiring Guide

Here’s a guide on Line-Level Audio Inputs and Analog Wired Alarm Integration.

Attaching Our Camera Mounting Accessories

Electrical Mounting Boxes

Our electrical box mounts are used to give easy access to your connections, hide them inside the junction box, and allow you to drill a smaller hole in your wall. If you want to run conduit they are necessary to run conduit straight to the camera.

PTZ Wall Mount Bracket

This guide will show you how to mount your PTZ camera to the wall mount bracket.

Pole Mounts

In this guide, we will be installing a Hornet Pro bullet camera on a pole.

Pendant Mounts

In this guide, we will be installing a Radius panoramic dome camera on a pendant mount. You can install all our PTZ and a few of our dome cameras via Pendant mounts.

Screw Size Chart

Lose a screw? No problem. Here’s all our 2018 product line screw sizes in one convenient place.

NVR Mounting Options and Hard Drive Installation

Shelf / Desk Mounting NVRs

This is what most people do: just put it on a shelf or desk. This makes it easy to connect to a TV/monitor and use the mouse (included) to control the NVR.

Rack Mounting NVRs

Companies often want to put the NVR in their server rack room. People who do this often to control the NVR only through our apps or web browser. Only our larger NVRs (16 channels and up) are wide enough to be rack mounted (and they come with ears). Our smaller NVRs can use our Rack Mount Shelf.

Wall Mounting NVRs

Many people choose to mount their NVR on a wall near a TV. To do this, you will want to purchase a vertical rack, like this one that matches the height of your NVR. The 16, 32, and 64 channels units have a height of 2U and the 128 channel is 3U. NVRs are heavy and you will want to make sure your wall can support the weight.

Mounting NVRs behind a Wall / in an Attic

People who are afraid of the theft of an NVR often place it behind a false wall or in an attic. People who do this control the NVR only through our apps or web browser. Be aware: Not all attics are insulated well enough to be within the temperature requirements of the NVR. Temperature range is listed on each NVR’s technical specs tab.

“NVR” Lock Boxes

There’s a few companies advertising “NVR Lock Boxes,” but any Server Rack or Computer Rack will do. Most Server Racks or Mounts have locks on them already. This picture is of a Tripp Lite Server Rack with Lock It houses a 32 channel NVR, two of our POE Switches, and a router, but there are tons of companies selling small server racks online.

NVR hard drive installation

If you purchase both a hard drive(s) and recorder from us, we will happily install the hard drive for you. but here’s a handy guide if you want to do it yourself.

Part 5: Specialized Work

When to NOT DIY – Get an Expert

Long Distance Wireless

Military-Grade Long-Range Wifi Solution are used when attempting to send wireless IP Camera video data more than 100 feet (and up to 3 Miles). These products will require a professional wireless network technician on location. We can’t offer support on this product remotely, as once we can see it remotely, that means that it is already working.

Aerial Cable

Aerial cable clearance varies based on location (cable over a road needs more clearance than over a sidewalk, for example), needs to be enclosed within 8 feet of finished grade, and requires a on-site structural analysis to make sure the cable won’t break. Hire an expert.

Burial of Cable

Number one, call 811 before you ever dig: know where your power company has buried its power cables! The required cable burying depth also can vary based on your local zoning laws and your certificate of occupancy; you should get an expert.

Elevators

Don’t even try to install any cable in one without a licensed elevator technician’s help as the cable needs to be inside the cable traveler. An error in securing the cable can result in damage to the elevator’s operation – and potentially the people inside it. Don’t mess with it; get a licensed elevator technician to run the cable.

The post Security Camera Installation Guides v2 first appeared on NVR IPCAMERA SECURITY.

Troubleshooting Physical Cameras in 3 steps

M.Salih ASLAN — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 14:26:17 +0000

Troubleshooting Physical Cameras in 3 steps

How camera disconnect alert works?

How do we detect if a camera is offline and reflect on dashboard ?

Every camera sends a heartbeat every 10s.
If the camera has not sent a heartbeat in 5min or more, the camera is considered offline
If a customer does not see the camera go offline after 5min, it is because we do not push updates to the dashboard. It will require them to refresh the page.

How do camera offline alerts work?

Every minute, we scan cameras and look at the timestamp of their last heartbeat. if the time elapsed since the last successful heartbeat is greater than the threshold, we send a camera disconnect alert. In theory, the maximum time a camera could be off before a disconnect alert is 11 minutes.

Physical Cameras We hope this article was useful to you, please leave us a comment or feedback as it will help us improve our customer support center.

Load More : Troubleshooting Guide for Mechanical Pan and Tilt

Troubleshooting Cameras going offline

This guide will help you troubleshoot in the event your cameras go offline.

Regardless of whether these steps resolve the problem, we’d like you to open a ticket with Support so that we can perform a root cause analysis.

Check the status of your Spot appliance. Navigate to your dashboard and verify that the Spot appliance is indeed still connected. Also, verify if all your cameras are offline or certain ones.
1a. In the event the appliance is not connected. Please double-check your connections and reboot the appliance.
If the appliance is connected, then power cycle the POE network switch. It should look something like this:

Unplug the switch for 20 seconds, then plug it back in again. It will usually take the camera about 5 minutes to show as connected.
If the above steps haven’t resolved the issue, check:

If the camera’s connection to the switch is properly connected
Are all the the connections on the switch showing as off (no flashing lights) or just some
Verify the lights flashing on the switch

4. As a last ditch effort, factory reset the camera

In the event the cameras still show offline, please reach out to our Spot AI support team

Essential information to provide in the ticket:

A detailed problem statement. e.g.:
“8 cameras offline at Holmes Car Wash at the Baker Street location”

Optional useful information (Providing as many details as you can will speed up the solution):

The make & model number of your non-Spot equipment (include cameras and networking equipment like your switch).
The IP address of one of the offline cameras.
Are the cameras connected to a DHCP server (e.g. on the same subnet as the router)?
The login credentials for the cameras. If you don’t know the login credentials, check whether they are stored on the existing NVR.
The DHCP range from your router.
Provide a diagram of your network to show how the appliance, cameras, switch, and router are connected to each other.
Example 1 (flat network):

Example 2 (segmented/hierarchical network):

We hope this article was useful to you, please leave us a comment or feedback as it will help us improve our customer support center.

Common Camera Problems and Solutions

This document is most helpful for IT staff and on-site installation personnel.

A typical class of problems is encountered when connecting and operating video camera systems. Below we have outlined a few of them and how to troubleshoot the issue.

Problems and Troubleshooting Solutions

How are you connected to the camera?

The camera may be on a different IP address range compared to what their actual computer may have for an IP address.
Connection is essential because if they are directly connected to the camera, we will want to know if they have their firewall enabled and if their wireless adapter is enabled on their computer. This is an issue because if the wireless adapter is enabled in Windows Vista or higher, it places priority on the wireless adapter. Therefore a wired connection could be overlooked.
The camera could be connected to a managed switch with VLANs, and thus, you would want to know if their computer is connected to the same VLAN.
The camera could be mounted on a pole and not terminated correctly.
The camera could be at a remote site and not local to the user. ACM cannot find cameras on the internet.

Can you ping the IP address of the camera? What IP address are you pinging to? What is the IP address of your computer?

Knowing the IP address of the customer’s computer is vital in determining if they are on the same logical network/subnet as the camera(s).
Receiving a reply from the IP address means we have a connection to the camera. The next step should be accessing this IP address within a web browser (preferably Firefox).
Receive Request Timed Out; you cannot communicate to the camera’s IP address, and more troubleshooting is needed.
Receive Destination Host Unreachable. Microsoft Windows does not know where to route the ping or traffic to the camera(s) IP address. Thus a check of the IP settings on Windows and a reboot is necessary to resolve the issue. If it does not, the customer will need to speak to their IT networking staff to resolve the issue with their computer.

How is the camera powered?

Make sure the camera can accept PoE or DC. Make sure only one power source is being used and not both. Using both can cause issues with connectivity and power failures.
The camera may not be powered, or it might be receiving too little power. Make sure to use the correct PoE type or power source recommended by the manufacturers. Please see the PoE types chart below.
If a switch provides power, ensure the peak wattage has not been exceeded.
For some IUP camera manufacturers. Cisco PoE switches with CDP enabled may cause camera discovery to fail. CDP will need to be disabled. In some cases, as a solution, LLDP will need to be enabled on some Cisco switches.

Were you able to connect to the camera beforehand?

If you could connect to a camera before an incident, determine if any changes had occurred to a network or local computer settings.
New updates to Windows, Firewalls, or Anti-virus programs may interfere with the communication to IP cameras (such as no live video or camera discovery).
Local versus Remote. Differences between the two are vastly different, as remote access relies on Port Forwarding, Internet Access, and Bandwidth. To verify ports are open, we suggest using websites such as ping.eu for external port check testing.

Is this a new installation or an existing installation?

New versus existing installation will determine if the camera is either factory default or has an existing IP address and a custom password.
A camera factory default will be necessary if a camera password is unknown. (Please check with the camera manufacturer for details).
New installations require questions on the distance from the switch. Ethernet cables cannot exceed 100 meters or 326 feet; otherwise, PoE and data transfer will be heavily affected.

New installations also require asking if a DHCP server exists on the network. If DHCP is available, each camera will automatically acquire an IP address. Otherwise, a manual IP configuration will be needed.
For all existing installations where cameras can not be discovered or are no longer connecting, please ask yourself the following questions and have all the answers ready when creating a support ticket.
1. Was there a power surge?
2. Was there a lightning strike?
3. Was there a rainstorm?
4. Is the camera indoors or outdoors?

(Note: Lightning surge damage is a prevalent issue that most outdoor cameras face when poorly performed installations. Please follow all outdoor camera manufacturer’s recommendations and use surge protectors as indicated.

Is your anti-virus/firewall software disabled?

Anti-virus and firewalls have been known to cause issues with finding the cameras or blocking users.
Specific versions of Kaspersky/NOD32/ McAfee software have been known to interfere with software products and network discovery; therefore, exceptions should be made so that SpotAi Dashboard can find all cameras.

We hope this article was useful to you, please leave us a comment or feedback as it will help us improve our customer support center.

Common Video Feed Issues and Fixes

This document is most helpful for the IT staff and on-site installation personnel.

Pink or purplish hue image

The left image has a defective IR-cut filter, while the right image has a functioning IR-cut filter.

This is due to the IR cut-filter being out of place which can happen due to shipping. The mechanical IR cut-filter can move back and forth by a small metal hook and that hook can jump out of the eyelet during transportation. You can try enabling/disabling the IR cut-filter a few times under Camera Settings. Typically the only resolution would be to open an RMA for the camera.

When the IR cut filter is in the wrong position it produces a pink hue image. This is the reason why we switch to Black & White when the filter in the off position.

Purple Fringing

The blue frames in the image are called purple fringing also known as a chromatic aberration which we can describe as “an out of focus purple ghost image around parts of a digital picture with high contrast”. This is mainly due to the optics, but also due to the sensor and processing.

You could try to set the minimum shutter to a higher value e.g. 1/100 (or try different values). This is done in Camera settings > Exposure priority > choose Motion or Low noise (it doesn’t matter in this case) and change the Shutter min value. This should force the iris to step down. The use of P-iris reduces this phenomenon but it does not eliminate it.

Please note that the priority we give when choosing the appropriate lens is in:

Minimizing the image artifacts that affect the video surveillance
Sharpness
Good light sensitivity
Object detection and recognition

This purple fringing does not affect the scene in a way that makes it more difficult to identify persons or objects.

Motion Blur (Ghosting)

IR light from the camera would reflect off the dome and into the lens. This causes a less than the desired image for our customers.

Firstly, don’t choose the camera with the low-cost sensor. Even the low-cost sensor can perform pretty well during the day. The difference is the night vision capability. Pick a camera with at least a 1/3 inch sensor. The bigger the size is, the better the night vision will be. Like human eyes, one person can see clearly if he or she has better vision capability.

Disable the slow shutter. This can tell how well your camera performs at night. Once the slow shutter setting has been disabled, the image will become darker at higher frames per second (fps).

Add extra illuminators. It could be an Infrared or visible lamp. The infrared can project further distance than visible light, however, you have to scarify the image’s color details, because the infrared always affects the color reproduction of the camera, making the image look purple. Most of the cameras will eliminate the color when it sees Infrared. The PIR lamp is another option especially when you have some existed street lights. It can pop up unexpectedly and generates deterrence when criminals approach.

Network camera latency issues

In the video world, latency is the amount of time between the instant a frame is captured and the instant that frame is displayed. Low latency is a design goal for any system where there is real-time interaction with the video content, such as video live view or casting.

But the meaning of “low latency” can vary, and the methods for achieving low latency aren’t always obvious. Latency (a measure of the time delay experienced by a system) depends on several factors, both on the network environment and used applications. Basically, the system takes a long time to process the data and it could be caused by a system overload, network congestion, or weak/old components on the decoding client.

Characterizing Video System Latency

There are several stages of processing required to make the pixels captured by a camera visible on a video display. The delays contributed by each of these processing steps—as well as the time required for transmitting the compressed video stream—together produce the total delay, which is sometimes called end-to-end latency.

Measuring Video Latency

Latency is colloquially expressed in time units, e.g., seconds or milliseconds (ms). The biggest contributors to video latency are the processing stages that require temporal storage of data, i.e., short-term buffering in some form of memory. Because of this, video system engineers tend to measure latency in terms of the buffered video data, for example, a latency of two frames or eight horizontal lines.

Converting from frames to time depends on the video’s frame rate. For example, a delay of one frame in 30 frames-per-second (fps) video corresponds to 1/30th of a second (33.3ms) of latency.

Figure 1: Representing latency in a 1080p / 30 FPS video stream.

Converting from video lines to time requires both the frame rate and the frame size or resolution. A 720p HD video frame has 720 horizontal lines, so a latency of one line at 30fps is 1/(30*720) = 0.046ms of latency. In 1080p @ 30fps, that same one-line latency takes a much briefer 0.030ms.

Defining “Low Latency”

There is no universal absolute value that defines low latency. Instead, what has considered acceptable low latency varies by application.

When humans interact with video in a live video conference or when playing a game, latency lower than 100ms is considered to be low, because most humans don’t perceive a delay that small. But in an application where a machine interacts with video—as is common in many automotive, industrial, and medical systems—then latency requirements can be much lower: 30ms, 10ms, or even under a millisecond, depending on the requirements of the system.

You will also see the term ultra-low latency applied to video processing functions and IP cores. This is a marketing description, not a technical definition, and yes, it just means “really, really low latency” for the given application.

Designing for Low Latency In A Video Streaming Application

Because it is commonplace in today’s connected, visual world, let’s examine latency in systems that stream video from a camera (or server) to a display over a network.

As with most system design goals, achieving suitably low latency for a streaming system requires tradeoffs, and success comes in achieving the optimum balance of hardware, processing speed, transmission speed, and video quality. As previously mentioned, any temporary storage of video data (uncompressed or compressed) increases latency, so reducing buffering is a good primary goal.

Video data buffering is imposed whenever processing must wait until some specific amount of data is available. The amount of data buffering required can vary from a few pixels, to several video lines, or even to a number of whole frames. With a target maximum acceptable latency in mind, we can easily calculate the amount of data buffering the system can tolerate, and hence to what level—pixel, line, or frame—one should focus on when budgeting and optimizing for latency.

For example, with our human viewer’s requirement of 100ms maximum latency for a streaming system using 1080p/ 30 FPS video, we can calculate the maximum allowable buffering through the processing pipeline as follows:

100ms/(33.3ms per frame) = 3 frames, or

1080 lines per frame x 3 frames =3240 lines, or

1920 pixels per line x 3240 lines = 6.2 million pixels

Therefore, if you have a low bandwidth network and you wish to set all your cameras to 1080P and 30 FPS you will need the following requirements times the number of cameras.

One camera set at 1080p/ 30 FPS consumes 4.2 Mbs of bandwidth as shown below.

In conclusion, when designing a system to meet low-latency goals, keep these points in mind:

Achieving low latency will require some trade-off of decreased video quality or a higher transmission bit rate (or both).
Identify your latency contributors throughout the system, and eliminate any unnecessary buffering. Focus on the granularity level (frame, level, pixel) that matters most in your system.

We hope this article was useful to you, please leave us a comment or feedback as it will help us improve our customer support center.

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How to Connect Fiber Optic Cable to a CCTV Camera

M.Salih ASLAN — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 09:15:08 +0000

The security and surveillance sector is centuries old; however, before the advent of technology, closed circuit television units, and so on, places were guarded manually, mostly with some basic arms. While security guards are still there and have their own significance, installing a CCTV video system kit adds a lot of value. Whether in an industrial unit, campus, or a gated community, installing a proper surveillance system is crucial considering the situation today, and this it globally applicable. Nowadays, surveillance systems have become complex and may be connected to a network mesh with an Ethernet cable. With fiber optics gaining momentum, legacy networks are either replaced or blended with this new and evolving technology. In fiber optic or blended networks, you can opt for a fiber optic cable for CCTV connectivity with the network. This post discusses some pointers on using fiber optic cable for CCTV applications and more.

Pointers on How to Connect CCTV Camera with Fiber Optic Cable

In a general copper cable network which has a CCTV camera connected to it, the camera signals are converted from analog to digital and then again to analog during display. It is a bit different when it comes to fiber optic or blended networks. Here are some pointers on how to connect CCTV camera with fiber optic cables in a blended network.

In a blended network, the analog signals from the camera are converted to light or optical signals which are transmitted over a fiber optic cable.
You require a device which converts these signals again to analog for a normal display of video footages or even live transmissions. Digital video optical converters do this job.
Ensure the device is compatible with the other network devices and the camera. Also, make sure the converter has a simple plug-and-play design which makes both installation and use easy.
Using a fiber optic cable for transmission is beneficial as it eliminates issues such as EMI and other environmental disruptions. Also, it supports long geographical distances.
All you need here is a fiber optic cable and connector along with digital converter.
You simply need to place the cable between the display or computer and the CCTV camera. Usually, a multimode, double stranded cable would be good.
Ensure there are no splices in the camera and display links.
Use the right connector for both ends of the cable to connect it and ensure to leave enough space for other network devices if any.
Place the transmitter at the camera end of the cable and a receiver at the computer or display end. Ensure the transmitters and receivers are enclosed and protected. Power both of these through available power supplies or PoE Switches.
Connect the transmitter to the camera with any normal Ethernet cable and the receiver with the computer display in the same way. Make sure the transmitter gets the power supply and switch it on.
Now, check if this network is working and if the footage collected by the camera can be displayed on the screen with the required clarity.
Do note that this is a simple version of such connectivity. As most networks are now complex, more cabling and devices may be required based on the network design.

What is a Digital Video Optical Converter?

While you know most devices such as cables, transmitters and receivers, it is important to know the role of digital video converters in a CCTV network. Basically, these are optical transmitters and receivers for fiber optic and blended networks which offer a great video quality over a single fiber optic cable. They also monitor the overall operating status apart from signal conversion. For this purpose, they come with LED indicators to issue alerts and messages to the system as required. These are compatible with most types and brands of cameras, and can be used as standalone devices or as a part of an entire network. Primarily, this device, at the transmission end, converts the analog camera signals to optical ones and transmits them over a fiber optic cable toward the display or computer. The converter at the receiver end reverses these optical signals to analog for video display.

If you plan to expand your network and also install a security system in your office or industrial campus, you need to source the right network devices from a reliable manufacturer and supplier. Aside from a fiber optic cable for CCTV cameras, you would require a fiber media converter, digital video optical converters, switches, connectors, and so on. VERSITRON is a well-established manufacturer and supplier of all such network devices aside from CCTV converter installation kits. which are compatible with copper as well as fiber networks.

The post How to Connect Fiber Optic Cable to a CCTV Camera first appeared on NVR IPCAMERA SECURITY.

NVR Setup – Modems, Routers, Switches Options

M.Salih ASLAN — Sat, 08 May 2021 21:16:30 +0000

In the following article I will show a few of the configuration options that are available when setting up your NVR on your network. These options include using modems, routers, and switches.

It is important to remember that there is more than one way to setup your system. The configuration that you choose will depend on the specific hardware you have and the physical environment where the system will be installed.

First, here is a brief overview on each of the components you might use in any one of the following situations.

Modem
The modem is basically the link between you and your ISP (Internet Service Provider). The type of modem you have will depend on your ISP and the services they provide. In some cases you may have a DSL modem or if you get your internet over coax cable, the same as cable television, you would have a cable modem. In the following examples I will refer to cable modems.

The cable modem below is pretty simple. First you have the power in the green area. The blue area is the coax connection for the internet service and in the purple area you have the connection to a device such as a computer or your NVR.

This is all good unless you have more than one device in your home that you want to have access to the Internet. These days most people have multiple devices in the home that need to be online such as computers, NVRs, tablets, phones and game consoles just to mention a few. That’s where the ROUTER comes into play.

Wireless Router
A router like the one shown below is basically like a splitter for the internet. Instead of plugging one device into the modem, you plug the router into the modem, then plug your devices into the router. Most routers also have some built-in configuration options for things like a security or port forwarding.

Using a wireless router like the one above will now allow you to wire 4 devices directly to it via the RJ45 ports in blue and it will also transmit a wireless signal so that any device with wireless capabilities within range of the signal can also connect to the internet.

Modem / Router Combo
Today it is also very common to find a Modem / Router (All-In-One) combo similar to the one show below. This simply eliminates the need for both a stand alone modem and a separate router. Many internet service providers will give or rent you on of these devices as part of your internet access package.

You will notice in the above photo, the yellow RJ45 ports that allow you to connect up to 4 devices. But what if you want more then 4 devices hard-wired into your network? That’s where you could add a Switch or HUB to give you more ports.

Switch (Hub)
Below we have a Switch or sometimes referred to as a Hub. It looks pretty similar to a router or even a modem. The difference is a hub is just that, a “HUB”. It does not connect to the internet or distribute a wireless signal. It has no settings or configuration options. It simply adds more physical connections for devices on your network.

The example below shows that by adding an 8 port HUB to the existing cable modem/router we can now hardwire up to 10 devices to our network.

This becomes especially important when working with IP Network security systems due to the large number of devices (NVR & cameras) that need to be connected to the local network.

POE Switch
POE stands for “Power over Ethernet”. This type of switch will act as a HUB but can also supply power to POE compatible devices such as IP security cameras, without the need for an external power source or extra power wires. This makes for a much cleaner installation as your power and video will all run over a single CAT5 cable.

Now that you are familiar with some of the most commonly used components we will go over some typical NVR / IP camera network setup options. Although it is possible to power your IP cameras with traditional 12v DC power, most people choose to use a POE switch as mentioned above. The following scenarios will use a cable modem/router combo and a POE switches.

Basic NVR and IP Camera Setup

The image below shows a typical setup using an NVR, 8 IP Cameras, an 8 port POE switch, and a modem/router combo.

First you will run a CAT5 cable (shown in red) from each of your cameras to a port on the POE switch. The POE switch will supply power to the camera and act as a HUB to connect them to the local network.

Then connect your POE switch to an open port on your router.

Next you plug your NVR into an open port on your router. Now your cameras and your NVR are all on the same network. Also with some minor configuration (port forwarding) the NVR can be accessed from remote locations because it is plugged into your modem/router. Remember your modem/router is the connection between your internal devices and the outside (Internet).

In the example above we used all of the available ports. We are using 2 ports on the modem/router for 2 computers, 1 port for the NVR and 1 port for the POE Switch. But what if we already had 4 devices hooked up to our modem/router, leaving us without any available ports? Where would we get the extra ports needed for the POE switch and NVR?

This is where we could use a simple HUB to add more ports to our network.

The image above shows that by adding an 8 port hub (shown in yellow) we are able to connect our 4 computers, the NVR and POE switch. You will also notice that there are also 5 extra ports to add more devices or for future expansion.

The post NVR Setup – Modems, Routers, Switches Options first appeared on NVR IPCAMERA SECURITY.

PoE vs PoE+ vs PoE++ Switch: How to Choose?

M.Salih ASLAN — Sun, 02 May 2021 11:48:14 +0000

PoE, or Power over Ethernet, is a proven time-saving and money-saving technology that delivers both data and power safely over the same Ethernet cable for the local area networks (LANs). In the current market, if you take notice of Power over Ethernet switch types, you will find that there are PoE switches, PoE+ switches, and PoE++ switches. But how much do you know about these three PoE switch types? What are their distinctions? And how to make a proper selection among them?

What Is PoE and PoE Switch?

What is PoE? PoE technology was defined by the IEEE 802.3af standard in 2003. Under this standard, the PoE allows a PD (powered device) like VoIP phones to receive up to 12.95W PoE wattage, utilizing just two out of the available four twisted pairs in Ethernet cabling.

Then what is a PoE switch? PoE switch refers to an application of PoE technology. Functioning as a kind of PSE (power sourcing equipment), a PoE switch can supply power to PDs via Ethernet cables to realize network connectivity. Generally, an 802.3af switch supports max power consumption up to 15.4W per PoE port with a voltage range between 44V and 57V. And the voltage range of PDs, connected with the PoE switch, is from 37V to 57V.

What Is PoE+ and PoE+ Switch?

PoE+ technology (IEEE 802.3at standard) is an upgrade of PoE technology, which was published in 2009. PDs in the market tend to require more wattages, like wireless access points that require PoE wattage more than 12.95W to work normally. To solve that, here comes the PoE plus technology, which can support high power consumption.

Similar to a PoE network switch, the PoE plus switch also supplies power over two pairs, but it adds an additional power class that is able to deliver power up to 25.5W for a PD with a voltage range from 42.5V to 57V. The max power delivered by each port of a PoE+ switch is 30W, along with a voltage range from 50V to 57V.

What Is PoE++ and PoE++ Switch?

In the pursuit of adding more power to broader device applications, the IEEE 802.3 standard once again is required to upgrade its PoE+ technology to PoE++ (IEEE 802.3bt standard) in 2018. PoE++ can be classified into two types: Type 3 and Type 4. Type 3 enables two or all four twisted pairs in a copper cable to deliver power at a PD up to 51W. Type 4 is up to 71W at a PD over four twisted pairs in an Ethernet cable. By the way, Cisco’s proprietary technology UPoE (universal Power over Ethernet) works similarly to the PoE++ Type 3, which extends the IEEE PoE+ standard to double the power to a PD to 51 watts. In some cases, UPoE is also called as PoE++.

As an upgrade to Power over Ethernet switch and PoE plus switch, PoE++ switch can deliver up to 60W on each PoE port under the Type 3 and up to 100W under the Type 4.

PoE vs. PoE+ vs. PoE++ Switch: Which to Choose?

Based on the above mentioned introduction, a reference chart that summarizes detailed specifications among PoE vs PoE+ vs PoE++ is presented below, which may be helpful when choosing the PoE switch depends on different requirements.

	PoE	PoE+	PoE++
IEEE Standard	IEEE 802.3af	IEEE 802.3at	IEEE 802.3bt
PoE Type	Type 1	Type 2	Type 3	Type 4
Switch Port Power
Max. Power Per Port	15.4W	30W	60W	100W
Port Voltage Range	44–57V	50-57V	50-57V	52-57V
Powered Device Power
Max. Power to Device	12.95W	25.5W	51W	71W
Voltage Range to Device	37-57V	42.5-57V	42.5-57V	41.1-57V
Cables
Twisted Pairs Used	2-pair	2-pair	2-pair; 4-pair	4-pair
Supported Cables	Cat3 or better	Cat5 or better	Cat5 or better	Cat5 or better

Note that the presented figures are just valuable in theory. In fact, PoE series switches often oversubscribe the total power capacity of a switch with more ports. That is because many devices will use less than maximum power. For instance, if you have a switch with all PoE++ Type 4 ports, it does not mean you will use all of them at maximum load 24×7. Consequently, you need to calculate the power requirements for all the powered devices that you plan to connect to switch and select corresponding patch cables for your PoE design.

Evidently, the major differences among PoE vs. PoE+ vs. PoE++ switches lie in their working mode and power supply, which reflect on their applications. An 802.3af switch is usually used to support devices that require the power delivery less than 15.4W, such as VoIP phones, sensors, meters, wireless access points with two antennas, and simple, static surveillance cameras that can’t pan, tilt or zoom. As for the PoE+ switch, it supports devices such as more complex surveillance cameras that pan, tilt, or zoom, as well as wireless access points with six antennas, and video IP phones. With a higher power wattage, the PoE++ Type 3 switch can support devices such as video conferencing system components and building management devices. And the PoE++ Type 3 switch can support devices such as laptops and TVs.

Assumed that your data center only requires low standard power levels, you may stick to PoE switches. However, if you’d like to build a more robust and high-performance network with multiple varied devices, plus, don’t want to bother to consider the port limitations, then picking PoE+ or PoE++ switches will be the right choice. When starting to build infrastructures of higher requirements or plan for upgrades, take a look at PoE+ or PoE++ technologies may be wiser. However, not everyone needs a full upgrade. If your current PoE solution is adequate and fits your demands, it might be reasonable to remain your existing PoE network design.

Conclusion

Due to growing power requirements, the Power over Ethernet technology has been evolving with the trend. Along with that, the PoE based switch has also upgraded from PoE network switch to PoE + switch, and PoE++ switch. This article sheds light on the differences between PoE vs. PoE+ vs. PoE++ switch as well as their applications. Hope this post will give you some inspiration on choosing a suitable PoE network switch.

The post PoE vs PoE+ vs PoE++ Switch: How to Choose? first appeared on NVR IPCAMERA SECURITY.