6K Switches Chosen for City-Wide CCTV Surveillance Projects Throughout Turkey
One of the most important parts of any Mobese project is the networking equipment. Because the network switches were placed in field cabinets that are exposed to direct weather conditions with no special shelter or building for them, they needed to be hardened. Additionally, the switches needed to handle multicast traffic well. Live multicast video traffic would be coming into the switches from all corners of the city and required good management otherwise the traffic could flood the network in seconds.
The other requirement was network redundancy via redundant links with very rapid recovery.
With these requirements, very few vendors could even make the short list. Then field tests had to be performed with live video traffic. Because of the very high and continuous throughput requirement of the application, two of the switches from other vendors on the short list failed to transmit continuous live video traffic at the required frame rate and video quality. After the final tests, GarrettCom 6KQ switches were qualified and were recommended.
Downlaod the application note here: 6K Switches Chosen for City-Wide CCTV Surveillance Projects Throughout Turkey
GarrettCom Uses PS14P PoE Switch to Power Security Network at Its Corporate HQ
GarrettCom wanted to expand its corporate security network by adding a series of video cameras in different locations of its headquarters, typically one pointed at each outside door. The video records would be saved and would be viewable from outside over the Internet in case of a security incident. Like a lot of companies seeking to install surveillance cameras, GarrettCom did not have AC power outlets in some of the desired camera locations.
Traditionally, cameras would require AC power in order to operate. GarrettCom found that many of the cameras now available have have a built-in Power over Ethernet (PoE) port that would eliminate the AC power requirement. GarrettCom knew that some vendors in the market were offering products known as “midspan solutions” -- a patch-panel sort of device that could be added and used with a standard Ethernet switch to add PoE power for the cameras.
GarrettCom always believed this would be a cumbersome approach.
Download application note: GarrettCom Uses PS14P PoE Switch to Power Security Network at Its Corporate HQ [PDF]
Connexion Uses 6K32T's for Video Security & Communication Services in Condo Complexes
Connexion turned to its network integrator, CSC Communication Supply Corporation in Raleigh. Connexion wanted CSC to provide a hardened managed switch to deliver high speed Internet and Video Security to its residential communities.
The switch needed to have a high port count and be hardened enough to be mounted in an uncontrolled closet where temperatures can reach 130°F.
CSC called in GarrettCom.
Download Application Note: Connexion Uses 6K32T's for Video Security & Communication Services in Condo Complexes [PDF]
Computer Data Networks Builds Security Network for Palm Island, Dubai
Computer Data Networks was awarded a contract to design, supply and implement a large Security Network consisting of over one hundred hardened outdoor Ethernet switches and high-availability core switches for use in critical security applications around the unique, man-made Jumeirah Palm Island in Dubai.
Jumeirah Palm Island was constructed as a mixed-use development of commercial, retail, residential and hospitality suites, providing all the facilities that would be expected in one of the world’s most costly and exclusive resorts. Included in the state-of-the-art security network are access control, parking management, video security systems . . . all networked over Ethernet and requiring robust hardware to ensure maximum network reliability.
Download application note: Computer Data Networks Builds Security Network for Palm Island, Dubai [PDF]
Switches Deliver Redundant City-Wide CCTV Surveillance Network in Turkey
GarrettCom Europe Ethernet Switches Deliver Redundant City-Wide CCTV Surveillance Network in Turkey
Hardened Ethernet switches handle high quality video traffic and withstand high temperatures an humidity in demanding outdoor installation
GarrettCom Europe has provided large quantities of hardened Ethernet switches as part of the latest expansion of Turkey’s city-wide CCTV surveillance scheme. The switches were selected for their ability to deliver robust and reliable networks, to handle the demanding high-bandwidth traffic of multiple video cameras, and to withstand Turkey’s typically arduous environmental conditions without special protection. The switches had to cope with extremes of temperature, resist the effects of humidity and be immune to corrosion.
Turkey has been rapidly expanding its programme of city-wide surveillance systems, with the aim of providing video-based security in every major city in each of the country’s 81 provinces. Each installation of its so-called Mobese Urban Information and Security Systems provides all of the electronics and software needed to ensure urban security. Cameras are mounted high on poles in critical areas, with the live video monitored and recorded at local police stations and 911 centres.
Many installations have been carried out by Turkish system integrator Vitel. Founded in 1993, Vitel is regarded as one of the most highly qualified integrators for complex country-wide projects. With its team of experience network engineers and technicians, Vitel provides turnkey network and network security solutions, backed up by 24/7 support services.
For its Mobese installation, Vitel specified Pelco analogue cameras, which would feed the video to IP encoders. GarrettCom are one of Pelco’s PartnerFirst members. From the encoder, the video data is fed via Fast Ethernet UTP to an Ethernet switch. Video traffic from all of the field switches around the city is then fed over a Gigabit Ethernet fibre-optic connection to a central layer 3 switch, which in turn routes the data to a master monitoring and recording station, and to several local viewing stations. The master viewing station can monitor the whole city, while the local viewing stations each monitor specific areas of the city.
The choice of field switch for Vitel was critical. The field cabinets that house the network switches – along with video encoders, UPSs and various sensors – are exposed to direct weather conditions, with no special shelters or buildings for protection. This meant the switches had to be hardened to withstand extreme ambient temperature variations as well as the characteristically high humidity. They also has to deliver the requisite performance to handle the high data rate of a live video feed – as high as 5Mbps – and the multi-cast traffic from clusters of CCTV cameras – traffic which can, if not managed, quickly exceed the available bandwidth of the network. It was also important that a degree of redundancy could be built into the network, with fast link recovery in the event of a problem.
When switches from two other vendors fell at the first hurdle in field tests by failing even transmit the live video traffic at the required frame rate and video quality, Vitel turned to GarrettCom Europe. To meet the demanding application requirements, Vitel specified GarrettCom ES42 6-port Ethernet switches to take feeds from clusters of up to three cameras, and 6KQ 12-port Ethernet switches to take feeds from clusters of up to six cameras.
Both switches offer flexible, user-definable configurations of ports. The ES42 provides six ports, four of which are 10/100 copper ports, with the remaining two available for configuration as 10/100 copper or 100Mb fibre. The 6KQ is a heavy duty field switch with up to 16 ports. The base unit has four 10/100 copper ports, and the remaining ports can be configured with flexible combinations of 10/100/1000 fibre and copper ports, including a maximum of two gigabit ports.
For the Mobese application, both switch types have high IP ratings and hardened for outdoor use, rated for temperatures between -40°C and +75°C, and conformally coated to resist humidity and corrosion. In addition, the 6KQ provides an advanced thermal design which eliminates the need for vulnerable internal fans by using a heavy-duty aluminium case with a ribbed surface for heat dissipation.
Importantly for Vitel, the switches are available as standard with IGMP snooping software, providing the required management of the multi-cast video traffic. The IGMP prototol is a standard defined in RFC1112 and RFC2236, and specifies how a host can register a router to receive specific multicast traffic. A further benefit of IGMP is that it provides a means to combine the video-over-Ethernet traffic stream from cameras with other typical LAN data traffic, enabling a single, common LAN system to be used for both types of traffic.
Traditionally, IGMP support has meant specifying costly layer 3 routers and switches, but with GarrettCom’s latest software development the company’s layer 2 Ethernet switches support IGMP as standard. Instead of broadcasting multicast traffic across all its ports, a GarrettCom layer 2 Ethernet switch with IGMP support provides tighter control of multicast traffic. The need for multiple layer 3 products is eliminated and costs are dramatically reduced.
To meet Vitel’s requirements for network redundancy, the switches were provided with GarrettCom’s MNS-6K management software, including Link-Loss-Learn (LLL) functionality. This provides self-healing, fast recovery functions for redundant LAN structures. There is a choice of redundancy options, including STP, RSTP, and GarrettCom’s own standards-based S-Ring recovery technology.
About GarrettCom GarrettCom is the leading manufacturer of industrial and carrier-class Ethernet LAN products. GarrettCom offers a comprehensive line of ETSI and NEBS-certified switches and hubs for use in telecommunications, industrial, and automated environments. Software applications, embedded in the company's MNS-6K Ethernet management software, support redundant rings and secure web-based access to local and remote networks. GarrettCom markets its products through a network of resellers, OEMs, system integrators, and distributors worldwide. For more information on GarrettCom and its products, visit www.garrettcom.co.uk
