Wooing Customers With Wireless
Whether used in access control, intrusion or CCTV systems, wireless solutions offer numerous advantages for installers and end users alike. To name a few, faster installation times, material and labor cost savings, and the ability to extend an application to difficult-to-reach areas. But beware; there is more than one wireless.
Sandhills Regional Medical Center in Hamlet, N.C., uses wireless proximity card readers that seamlessly integrate into the access control panel, eliminating the need for drilling or pulling wire. Photos courtesy Ingersoll Rand
[IMAGE]12268[/IMAGE]More Than One Wireless for Video
There are several types of video wireless modes that will help extend camera connections over great distances, including 900MHz, wireless mesh and cellular networks.
Like the 900MHz wireless used in access control and intrusion systems, this is a point-to-point solution, which if there is a direct line of site to the camera, can transmit the signal up to 40 miles. Distance falls dramatically without a line of sight. Be aware, too, that the distance between nodes will impact the bandwidth and frame rates. Nonetheless, this is a good alternative for applications in which only a few cameras are used, such as covering a large parking lot.
If the area that needs covering is large and requires many cameras, wireless mesh networks are often suggested. The nodes cover a broad area and provide overlapping and backup coverage through multiple transmission paths. These systems typically operate at 4.9GHz and can include hundreds of nodes, making them the perfect selection for city surveillance systems that cover several square miles. Unfortunately, they are not very economical for small systems.
With the increasing use of smart phones, data pipes for mobile networks continue to improve and expand. These cellular networks have a bandwidth that can be used for video surveillance. Distances are practically unlimited, provided the video system is within the network of the cell phone operator (i.e. no dark spots). With a wireless 3G modem, cellular networks are a great solution as it is easy to install a network camera efficiently even in extremely remote locations, such as at a ranger station deep in the forest. Of course, your customer will need to subscribe to a service provider.
The upshot in all this is wireless makes jobs easier and provides installing security contractors a viable alternative when hardwiring is impractical or not possible. The greater the number of monitored points, the larger the cost savings are when implementing a wireless solution.
Sean Leonard is Portfolio Marketing Director for Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies. He can be contacted at [email protected].
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