IP Camera Systems and Surveillance Blog

Technical Jokes and Cartoons – 57

Posted on November 15, 2019May 5, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

A butterfly gets pulled over by the cops for speeding. He hands the cop his driver’s license with a photo of a caterpillar on it. “Sorry, it’s an old picture.”

It is not clear where the concept of Murphy’s Law originated. Some say that the original Murphy’s Law was “If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it.”

The story goes that in 1947, Murphy was involved in a rocket-sled experiment in which all 16 accelerator instruments were installed in the wrong way, resulting in Murphy’s observation. Murphy’s Law is sometimes expressed as “Anything that can go wrong, will — at the worst possible moment.”

PoE for Network-Attached Devices

Posted on November 13, 2019October 20, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Door Access Control, IP Camera Systems, IP PA Systems use PoE

Power over Ethernet (PoE) is the easiest way to provide power to many network-attached devices such as IP cameras, door access control systems, and IP paging and Intercom systems.

The network cable transfers both data and power to the device, making installation very simple. The network cable includes up to eight wires. The data uses one set of wires, while the power uses another set of wires in the network cable.

This article describes how access control systems, IP Camera Systems, and IP paging systems utilize power over Ethernet (PoE)

Network-Attached Devices Ilustration — Network-Attached Devices Illustration

What is the Best Access Control System?

Posted on November 12, 2019May 4, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

The best access control is defined by your objectives

What is the best access control? It depends on your requirements. To determine your requirements, you should answer the following questions:

Are your doors inside or outside?
Do you want to control the floor an elevator goes to?
Do you want to integrate access control with an IP camera system?
What type of electric locks do you need?
What type of access control credentials do you want?

The following article describes the way each access control system handles the answers to these questions.

The Best Camera Video Recording System

Posted on October 11, 2019October 16, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

Comparison of Video Recording Systems — Video Recording System Comparison

The IP recording and management system is a crucial part of your IP camera system. If you select the wrong solution, you could find yourself without the critical video evidence you need when an incident occurs, or worse still, your security could be breached, and safety threatened because your surveillance system didn’t provide an alarm.

We compared several video recording solutions. The best video recording and management system depends on your objectives. There are two types of recording systems for IP camera systems to consider. Each one provides some unique capability.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons – 56

Posted on September 13, 2019March 18, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

An old man read in the paper one of his friends had been arrested for tax evasion and decided to write him a letter. He wrote that it was planting season again, but he didn’t have enough help to sow his fields this year.

The following morning a dozen law enforcement officers completely tilled the old man’s garden without an explanation. Later the mail arrived with a letter from his jailed friend which said “DO NOT DIG UP THE GARDEN WHERE I HID ALL THE CASH. It’s the best I can do from here.”

Comparison of PTZ Cameras

Posted on September 13, 2019April 19, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

What is the Best PTZ Camera

Pan tilt zoom (PTZ) IP cameras connect to the network and provide the ability to view extensive areas. A PTZ camera can move back and forth (pan), up and down (tilt), and zoom in and out. When it is combined with intelligent video management software (VMS), it provides an effective surveillance system.

This article compares several PTZ cameras. We considered several characteristics, such as the zoom lens, camera resolution, low light sensitivity, pan, tilt ability, and nighttime viewing capability. This comparison should help you select the right PTZ camera. Remember that the most critical question is to determine if the PTZ camera meets your objectives.

Access Control: What is it

Posted on August 27, 2019June 25, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

What is Access Control?

Access control is anything that is used to prevent the wrong people from gaining access to your secure area. A door lock and key control access. If you have a dog in your yard, with a big sign that says, “Beware of Dog!” You have access control. Access control always includes a key to allow entry. The dog only lets in the people it knows, so that’s the key.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons – 55

Posted on August 14, 2019May 5, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Some quotes from Scientists:

An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes, which can be made, in a very narrow field. – Niels Henrik David Bohr (1885-1962)

If a man will begin with certainties, he will end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he will end in certainties.

–Francis Bacon (1561-1626),_Advancement of Learning_

Comparison of Door Access Credentials

Posted on August 8, 2019July 4, 2022 by Bob Mesnik

How Door Access Credentials Work

Door access control systems use various credentials to unlock the door. Credentials can include physical cards that we carry, a PIN number we enter, or even the physical aspect of a person (biometrics such as fingerprint or facial recognition). This article compares the credentials that we carry. They are sometimes called keycards, prox cards, or smartcards.

PA System Configurations

Posted on August 1, 2019May 5, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Comparison of PA Systems

What is the best IP paging system? There are several configurations and implementations that can be used depending on your requirements. In general, the PA over IP system is much easier to install than the older central paging amplifier systems.

Instead of running wires from a central amplifier location, the IP paging systems use the network infrastructure that’s already in place. There is a choice of PoE powered speakers that attach to your network or small network-attached amplifiers that drive multiple speakers.

This article compares two types of implementation: the powered IP speakers, and the IP amplifiers with multiple attached speakers.