Video surveillance networks: A peek beyond the camera

David King

November 28, 2023

A holistic video surveillance system strategy is essential. Mapping equipment needs, to data needs, to functionality is key.

A video surveillance system is only as strong as its weakest link. It’s a bold statement to be sure. However, the reality is, the components you don’t see are critical for the system to operate seamlessly, reliably and efficiently. For the most part, when the network hums along in the background, no one really gives it much thought. However, when it fails, it's not an overstatement to say, ‘it could be the difference between life and death’. Maximising the effectiveness of a video surveillance network is key to ensuring a safe, secure environment, whether you’re in a casino, parking garage or government facility.

To shine a light on the importance of video surveillance systems, and in particular, the network behind the cameras, ALE recently commissioned industry expert Larry Anderson of SecurityInformed.com, with additional insights provided by integrator, Stone Security, to prepare a report focused on understanding video surveillance IT needs. Following is a synopsis of the findings. 

Experts build trust

Expertise is fundamental to design an IP-based video surveillance system. Training and certification provide system integrators with the tools to engage in conversations about IP ranges and domain name systems (DNS). As well, equipping installers with skills to identify and troubleshoot network issues instils end user confidence.

To deliver optimum support, it’s essential to focus on a select range of technologies and ensure employees are fully trained. An in-depth understanding of the breadth of the product ensures all features are optimised and the customer benefits from the full value of the system.

Aaron H. Simpson, President and CTO of Stone Security says, “We pick the best technologies the industry has to offer, and every employee is an expert in those products.”

Equipment manufactures can also provide insights on their products, such as addressable markets that might not otherwise be considered.

The network is critical

The video surveillance network should not be an afterthought. And while optimising a network can be challenging when designing within the confines of existing infrastructure, it’s important to select the best network components for the job. For example, today’s Power over Ethernet (PoE) cameras require more power than previous camera generations, so integrators need to know if a proposed switch has the power to operate all the cameras connected to the switch and allow for future growth.

Industrial hardened network switches that are ruggedised for extreme environments, with the required bandwidth capabilities and power budget, and are managed, can cost a little more upfront. However, these switches ultimately save integrators and customers time and money, and easily pay for themselves in the long run.

Understanding and managing traffic are differentiators in today’s switches. Managed switches offer an edge by providing information to detect and diagnose issues. The ability to customise and configure a managed switch delivers a range of data about performance and operation that enables easier troubleshooting and problem identification. And getting ahead of potential issues in mission-critical environments with a reliable network can ensure safety and impact revenues.

Bandwidth and PoE requirements are also important considerations, as well as the video server load. During a live feed the server processes all the data, even data that is not being recorded. Buffering is key to ensure there is an overlap of even a few seconds of video in the event of an alarm incident that could impact the recording. All of the data goes through the server, even though only a small portion of it may actually be stored.

Reliability, reliability, reliability

Lost data is never a good thing, but when it comes to video surveillance, even a few lost frames can have a big impact. Since most video surveillance systems are mission-critical and operate 24/7, there is no good time to shut down for troubleshooting, maintenance, or repairs. Issues must be addressed in real-time. It’s kind of like fixing the plane while you’re flying.

To ensure uninterrupted 24/7 operation, redundancy is required. While it would certainly be less expensive to design a non-redundant system, the cost, risks and benefits must be considered.

Other issues that can arise involve switching from unicast to multicast. Unicast provides one-to-one communication in which a single sender delivers data to a single receiver. Multicast is a one-to-many model in which a single sender provides data to several recipients. Video surveillance systems are typically unicast with a single video stream, where a camera is being monitored in real-time by an individual. That said, some video surveillance applications employ multicast, where a single video stream may be viewed by multiple users. Problems can pop up if parts of a system are set for unicast when they should be multicast, or the other way around. Ensuring the configuration is correct throughout the system is crucial. 

Smart network advisor capabilities can help identify what’s considered “normal” in terms of network performance as well as recognise “abnormal” activity. Abnormalities are automatically reported allowing human intervention to address the issue.

A video surveillance system for today and tomorrow

Key to designing an IP video surveillance system is understanding the equipment needs, based on data demands to address functionality requirements.

A comprehensive video surveillance system design includes, identifying the number of cameras, frame count, image quality, storage, applications and analytics. As well, network requirements need to be calculated including the power to run the system, server requirements, disk capacity, memory and storage, among others.

Today, video surveillance systems can be implemented in the cloud or on premises. Whatever the requirements, selecting a cloud versus on premises solution should be determined on a case-by-case basis based on customer needs.

Learn more about Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Video Surveillance Network solutions.