IP Video Network

EX4U IP VIDEO NETWORK

Access to live video at anytime, from anywhere
EX4U network video products are designed with built-in computers so they do not require a direct connection to a PC or any additional software to stream live video and audio over networks. Simply connect the network video products to an IP network (such as a LAN, Intranet or Internet) and view live images from any local or remote, networked computer with a standard Web browser.

Endless possibilities
EX4U network video products can be used to remotely and cost-effectively monitor and protect people, places, and assets; secure sites with the help of alarm information and video motion detection; provide remote product demonstrations or consultations from anywhere in the world; or broadcast live images on Web sites for promotion purposes.

What is EX4U IP-Surveillance?
IP is an abbreviation for Internet Protocol, the most common protocol for communication over computer networks and the Internet. An IP-Surveillance application creates digitized video streams that are transferred via a wired or wireless IP network, enabling monitoring and video recording as far away as the network reaches, as well as enabling integration with other types of systems such as access control.

Network cameras are connected directly to the EX4U IP-based network and integrate to applications on the network, enabling users to have cameras at remote locations and view, store and analyze live video at another location, or multiple locations, over the network/Internet.

Whether it's network cameras or analog cameras connected to the EX4U video servers, or an installation that employs both camera types, IP-Surveillance is proving to be attractive in nearly all vertical markets. In numerous applications this revolutionary technology is replacing traditional systems to reduce costs and increase safety. While in other applications, it is being used for the first time to create and stimulate new, exciting markets.
Because of its scalability, among other advantages, IP-Surveillance is an established, attractive technology not only for enhancing or revitalizing existing surveillance and remote monitoring applications, but also for a vast number of new applications in vertical markets as well including:

Education: security and remote monitoring of school playground areas, corridors, halls and classrooms, as well as security of the buildings themselves.
Transportation: remote monitoring of railway stations and tracks, highways and airports
Banking: traditional security applications in high street banks, branch offices and anywhere ATMs are located
Government: within security surveillance applications, often integrated into existing and new access control systems
Retail: for security and remote monitoring purposes to making store management easier and more efficient
Industry: monitoring manufacturing processes, logistic systems, warehouse and stock control systems

Existing networks

Local Area Networks

Using existing LAN or wireless LAN with little upgrade to capacity
When there is enough capacity on the network, when your application requires little security, simply add network video equipment onto the existing network. You can further optimize your network using technologies such as VLAN or Quality of Service.

Good technologies to use in a LAN

VLAN or virtual local area network is a "logical" way to separate the surveillance network from the general-purpose network. The router/switch can be configured to provide a range of IP addresses with assigned features. In the example above, the router/switch manages the IP addresses, bandwidth and security allocated to those on VLAN A (with access to video) and VLAN B (general purpose traffic). No matter where users might be physically located, all those in VLAN A will have access to the video while those on VLAN B will not.

Quality of Service (QoS) ensures available bandwidth for surveillance equipment on the general-purpose network. You can set the level of priority for specific ports on a switch. Connections to network cameras and storage servers should be set at high priority while desktops can be set for low priority to ensure that bandwidth is always available for critical surveillance video when needed.

Using existing Wide Area Networks

Use VPNs or virtual private networks, which enable data to be sent in encrypted form. They are ideal for surveillance systems.

Distributed storage: You can set local storage sites to record at higher frame rates, while the monitoring center at headquarters need only record at lower frame rates.

Nightly transfers of recorded material is possible.

Dedicated IP-Surveillance network, together with the general purpose network

In some cases, it might make sense to implement a new, dedicated IP-Surveillance network in conjunction with a general purpose network.

In this example, a dedicated IP-Surveillance network may be needed at the head office for reasons of bandwidth and security. In this case, all video from the four cameras are recorded locally and video traffic is isolated to that particular network, except when a viewer on the general purpose network wants access to video from the cameras or when an event is triggered to send video over to a user on the general purpose network. Since access to video using the general purpose network (and the extra load it causes) is temporary, it makes sense to have the two networks work in combination.
When building a new network or adding capacity to an existing network, calculate 30% to 40% more capacity or Mbps. It's better to have extra capacity, which gives you the flexibility to increase usage in the future.

Dedicated IP-Surveillance network

For professional surveillance applications, avoid, as much as possible, cross-use of a network for general purposes; i.e. it's an advantage if the IP-Surveillance network has its own dedicated switches that are connected to a high capacity (backbone) that can handle the video traffic.

How to connect an EX4U network camera to a local area network

Scenario: You run a home office or a small retail shop and would like to install an EX4U network camera, for instance, pointing towards the entrance so that you can monitor activities locally from your PC--not via the Internet.

Home office or small retail shop

The following outlines the simplest set up involving the following components:
PC, switch, network camera and Ethernet cables.

Identify your network video needs

Do you want a camera for use indoors only or for both indoor and outdoor use?
Do you want a camera with a fixed angle and focus or one that you can remotely pan, tilt or zoom?
Do you require any features such as motion detection, alarm notification, power over Ethernet, audio...?
Do you want to simply view remotely or also view and record? Consider a video management software for recording purposes.
Do you require protective housing for the camera?
Determine how many cameras are required to provide adequate coverage for your needs.

System requirements

If your building isn't already wired with access to a local area network, which allows you to simply plug the network camera into a network outlet, then you will require the following equipment:
a switch which will act as a the central connection point between your network camera and your local PC
at least two Ethernet cables: one to connect your network camera to the switch and another to connect the local PC to the switch

How to gain access to the EX4U network camera via the Internet

Scenario A: Now that you can access the EX4U network camera from your local computer, you decide that you would like to be able to access the camera wherever you may be via the Internet. For example, as a store owner, you may want the ability to monitor activities at the store from the comfort of your home instead of having to be at the shop.

System requirements
If your building (where the camera is to be located) is already wired with Ethernet cabling to an Internet Service Provider (ISP), simply sign up for an account, plug the network camera into a switch, which connects to the network outlet, and you will commonly receive a dynamically assigned public IP address for the network camera.
As the assigned IP address may be changed by your ISP (due to a limited supply of IP addresses being shared among its customers), ask EX4U how you can still maintain one address to reach the network camera.

Scenario B:
If your building isn't wired with Ethernet access, then you will in many cases require the following devices:

a broadband modem, such as for an ADSL hook up (usually supplied by your ISP) or TV-cable modem
a broadband router, which may be referred to as a NAT-Router, Internet Gateway, Broadband sharing device or Home firewall
(A broadband router allows users on a small network to share a single connection to the Internet. It also acts as the interface between the Internet/ISP and the private local area network.)
a switch (which allows different devices on a network to communicate directly with one another and enables devices on the local area network to have separate IP addresses) - NOTE: Most broadband routers have built-in switch function, so a separate equipment is not required
the network camera
a local PC
a PC at a distant location for remote viewing

How to build a fully digital video system with multiple sites

Scenario: You run several offices or have a small number of shops and would like to install EX4U network cameras at multiple locations and be able to monitor them from virtually any location. You require the use of a firewall, video application server and Virtual Private Network.

In the illustration above, video from the two different locations are sent via the Internet for viewing and storage at a computer in a distant building. (Video can also be stored at a EX4U host server.) Storing images at remote locations eliminates the risk that the intruder will destroy the evidence.
Video from the network cameras can be automatically sent to the host computer when an event occurs, or the host computer can retrieve video from the cameras. The program can display real-time images as well as old images. When the images are of a specified age, for example two weeks old, they could be automatically erased.

EX4U IP Network Camera System Overview

What you need:

A regular straight Category 5 or 6 Ethernet cable
An available port on your hub, switch or router

Installation methods:
The Network Camera is designed for installation on an Ethernet network. This involves assigning it an IP address, automatically or manually.

NETWORK VIDEO SERVER FOR ANALOG CAMERAS

Analog cameras of all types, such as fixed, dome, indoor, outdoor, fixed dome, pan/tilt/zoom, as well as specialty cameras, can all be integrated in a network video system using video servers. The coax cable from the analog camera is simply connected to the analog input on the video server, which then digitizes, compresses, and sends the video over a local network or across the Internet. Once the video is on the network, it is identical to a video stream coming from a network camera, and ready to be integrated into network video systems. Simply put – a video server turns an analog camera into a network camera. Depending on the configuration, number of cameras, camera type, and whether or not coax cabling is installed, different types of video servers can be used.

In some installations, there is a need to monitor the network video and audio streams on existing analog monitoring equipment. By using a network video decoder, the network video and audio streams are converted back to analog signals that can then be used by regular TV sets, analog monitors and video switches.
Using an encoder/decoder is also a very cost-effective way to transport analog video over long distances (analog – digital – analog). With a network video decoder, existing analog monitors can be used to receive video and audio from distant analog cameras or systems as though they were placed locally with the operator - even though they might be located in a different city.

NETWORK VIDEO DECODER

The A292 Network Video Decoder is a one-port network video decoder that allows real-time decoding of MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and Motion JPEG video streams received from a video encoder over a TCP/IP network (LAN). The encoder can be an EX4U Video Server or a Network Camera. The A292 also allows real-time audio decoding.

The decoder can be connected to various analog video devices, such as monitors, video switches and standard TV-sets, ensuring full flexibility in terms of image quality and bandwidth usage. The video and audio streams are converted into high resolution, superior image quality analog video in both composite and Y/C (S-Video) video format, at full frame rate (30/25 fps).

The A292 includes all of the required networking connectivity for receiving and decoding content over the network. It has a built-in web server that provides full management access through the use of a standard web browser. It supports all EX4U Motion JPEG, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 based products.