In the past, technicians relied on having a complete toolbox of screwdrivers, wire strippers, meters and drills. When it came to troubleshooting tools, out came the toners, meters and maybe even an oscilloscope for tough video problems.
Today, the security technician needs a new set of software-based tools for troubleshooting advanced security devices, such as the Internet protocol (IP) cameras now being connected over network systems.
Preparing to sell, install and service networked devices — such as IP cameras, panels and intercoms — reminds me of when programmable panels first came on the market. Those dealers who prepared by knowing and programming the equipment before going out in the field had a better chance of doing the installation correct the first time and not looking like a novice in front of customers. The same rule holds true today with networked devices.
The first thing with these devices is to get some units in the shop. Setting up your first couple of devices might take you hours; but you will soon be able to configure and set up an IP camera in minutes and have connectivity everywhere. Then you are ready for a customer product demonstration.
A big customer complaint in applying IP cameras is that expectations exceed actual video performance. That is why it is very important to make sure a complete demonstration is performed for the customer and that they approve the results before the sale.
The following are some networking basics.
Learn Built-in Programs
Dealers should become familiar with the basic network concepts and terminology. If tech support asks for an MAC address, know that a Media Access Control (MAC) address is unique to every piece of hardware on any network in the world. Think of it as the social security number for networked hardware. If you have devices on the network and are not sure of their MAC addresses, one free software tool you can use is the system utility command called IPCONFIG from the DOS prompt as follows:
C:\IPCONFIG /ALL > MYPC_ IPCONFIG.TXT
This configuration is handy if you have many devices and want a report. It will look for all the networked devices and redirect the results; in this case to a text file I called MYPC_ICONFIG.TXT. You can call the file anything you want, just remember that it is a plain text (ASCII) file. If you want to see the results quickly on the screen, you can use the DOS command line:
C:\IPCONFIG /ALL | MORE
In this command, I used the MORE command filter. Without it, your displayed text will run off the screen. The MORE command will pause the DOS screen for you. The vertical bar before the MORE command is called a pipe command and is actually the double vertical bar line symbol on your keyboard.
Some may ask why I even mention commands like IPCONFIG when there are other small utility programs. The reason is they come with the operating system and are very handy. Yes, there are fancy utility programs and online analysis tools, but I guarantee that sometime soon, you will be on-site troubleshooting a customer’s system and only have these MSDOS network programs available. Learn how to use them now.
Addressing Network Addressing
Any device that connects to a network, such as the Internet, has to have an IP address. Think of it in the same way you have a home or business address. Because there is such a demand for millions and millions of IP addresses, many networks — including Internet service providers (ISPs) — use both dynamic and static IP addresses. Dynamic addresses are used by many systems and allow a device to get an address from a set of addresses assigned to those using a particular network domain.
One dynamic address method is known as dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP). This process automatically assigns a temporary dynamic address. Many Internet connection addresses are DHCP and may change if you are disconnected from the Internet for more than 24 hours.
IP cameras should have a static address. There is also technology that can keep track of a dynamic address if it changes. Service organizations such as Dynamic DNS can help you with the assignment of equipment Internet addresses.
Companies like Dynamic DNS also have some nice free services, such as WebHop, that will allow you to take one of those long and ugly Internet addresses and redirect it to something that is easier to remember. To see how it works, visit techtalk.webhop.org .
Use a Static Address, Simple Name
The bottom line when setting up an IP camera on the Internet is to make the address static and use a service to make the address name simple to remember. Something like “Bills_Bar_Camera_One” will make it easy to call up on the Internet.
Packet Internet groper (ping) is another handy system command that can test a network connection and give you an idea as to how fast (milliseconds) data travels on that connection. This is a quick way to confirm if you have the high-speed connection needed for an IP camera. I have also used it to confirm a new IP address that is not being used. Remember, you cannot use an IP address in two locations on the same network.
