The evolution of data networks has really been a lot of fun to watch, hasn’t it? It really seems like yesterday that we were having discussions about the homes and businesses of the future with the automation of appliances, entertainment devices, and security. TCP/IP has been the driving force in the changes we’ve seen over the last 10 years, and lately things have really been moving along!

This week I’m visiting the CEDIA Expo in Atlanta, Georgia where I’ll be presenting D-Link technology in the ADI learning labs. Nowhere is the evolution of data and the proliferation of IP more obvious than here. The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) is a group of integrators focused on the collective integration of technologies focused on information, entertainment, and security. The Expo, running the week of September 9-13, offers manufacturers and distributors an opportunity to display the latest in these technologies to the members of CEDIA.

For those of you that haven’t been to a CEDIA show…it is huge. Not huge in a 747 kind of way, huge in an airport kind of way. This week it quite literally spans the entirety of the Georgia World Congress Center near Olympic Park. The exhibit hall is wall to wall electronics dedicated to the convergence of audio, video, and data.

D-Link has a legacy of strong products in data networking, and a focus on a converged future with solutions geared toward giving integrators not only a broad scale of technologies to offer their customers, but excellent quality and support as well. So what in the world would the members of CEDIA get out of talking to me this week? Keep reading!

A Total Solution
One of the pillars of the D-Link product line is Video Surveillance. Surveillance has long been an industry unto itself with complex networks of coaxial cable coupled with video recorders, cumbersome tapes to manage, and expensive installations. By leveraging the flexibility and speed afforded by an IP data network, integrators that didn’t previously offer Video Surveillance as a solution can now provide, install, and manage surveillance networks. IP Video Surveillance networks have three main parts:

Cameras
IP Video Surveillance cameras function much like the surveillance cameras we’re all used to seeing scattered about the country. They offer traditional features like removable/upgradable lenses for altering the field of view, PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) functionality for monitored areas, and indoor/outdoor mounting options. They also offer additional benefits, including low cost, remote access, motion detection, and PoE (Power over Ethernet) capabilities.

Switches
Since we’re dealing with IP, we need something to connect it all together, right? The good news is that most of our customers already have a data network of some kind. With fully managed switches supporting VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) technology a separate, dedicated IP video network doesn’t need to be truly “separate.” D-Link offers a multitude of switches that get the job done, again including PoE to power those new cameras.

Video Recording
When a video camera captures an event, where does it go? How do you access the data? These functions and many, many more are easy to learn and execute with the free software provided with our cameras. Commonly known as an NVR, (Network Video Recorder) a computer running this software (or software supporting our cameras from one of many partners) can record, view, retrieve, and store captured video. It requires no tape, just hard drive space!
Customers may opt for a separate storage device to record video, creating a fourth piece to the solution. Determining factors include the size of the surveillance network, the duration for which video is to be stored, and the general security of the video itself is also a concern. Consider this…”If someone breaks in to steal things of value, aren’t your computers of value?” D-Link took those things into consideration and is introducing a new product geared toward making Video Surveillance solutions an integral part of solution providers arsenal.

That all seems like a little much…
For some customers (and even some integrators) a video surveillance solution can still be a daunting exercise. What does a customer that needs four or less cameras do to protect their assets and still run a profitable business? Where can I install the software that isn’t a machine on my customer’s network?
The answer is the DNS-726-4 from D-Link. It’s a 2-bay Network Video Recorder. While supporting up to 4 cameras, the 726 functions as a standalone device for viewing, recording, and storing your surveillance video. This means no more computers, just a web browser that you can access from inside or outside the network! The small black enclosure can be placed in a corner away from your IT gear as well, discouraging potential thieves since they generally won’t even notice it!

The D-Link solution utilizing the DNS-726 looks like this:
DNS-726-4
2 Hard drives from your favorite vendor
DES-3010PA (10/100 PoE switch for connecting and powering cameras
DCS-3410 Camera x4 (We have several other models to choose from)

For customers needing slightly larger systems, D-View Cam 2 supports up to 32 cameras and can be installed on any virtually any 32 bit Windows platform. D-Link offers a range of storage options to support this solution as well.

Threats to property and personal safety are just part of living in this day and age. D-Link is working to bring affordable solutions for protecting those people and their property within their grasp. If those threats are bearing down upon you or your customer’s door, I have but one question for you:

Can you see them?

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