IP Camera Systems and Surveillance Blog

How IP Intercoms Communicate with Smartphones

Posted on January 21, 2017June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

IP Intercoms for Mobile Applications

By Bob Mesnik

Smart IP intercom devices are making it easier to control access to your home, business, school, or any other organization. They use your smartphone to see the person at the door, talk to them, and allow entry (or not).

There are single-button intercoms and multi-tenant intercoms. Both versions have built-in IP cameras. The IP intercom systems can use local intercom servers as well as remote cloud servers to provide the communication path between the intercom and the smartphone. These systems utilize various protocols such as VoIP SIP protocol, audio over IP, IP video, or other protocols to establish the connection between all the devices.

Here’s how the latest IP intercoms work.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons-24

Posted on December 16, 2016March 24, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

Things that Started the Fight:

I took my wife to a restaurant.

The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.

“I’ll have the rump steak, rare, please.”

He said, “Aren’t you worried about the mad cow?”

“Nah, she can order for herself.”

And that’s when the fight started….

My wife sat down next to me as I was flipping channels.

She asked, “What’s on TV?”

I said, “Dust.”

And then the fight started…

One year, I decided to buy my mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift.

The next year, I didn’t buy her a gift.

When she asked me why, I replied,

“Well, you still haven’t used the gift I bought you last year!”

And that’s how the fight started….

IP Security Year in Review – 2016

Posted on December 15, 2016June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

New Security Systems for 2016

By Bob Mesnik

2016 will probably be known as the year of the 4K IP cameras. A number of manufacturers introduced these very high-resolution cameras.

Besides the increased camera resolution, new compression schemes were introduced that reduced bandwidth and storage requirements. The latest network-attached door readers are now controlled through the cloud.

The readers also include Bluetooth connections that allow your smartphone to be used as the credential. Video management software was integrated with other devices like door access control and digital cash registers, increasing total security. Here’s a review of the technology introduced in 2016.

How Fingerprint Readers Work

Posted on December 14, 2016June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

What is the Most Reliable Fingerprint Reader?

By Bob Mesnik

Fingerprint readers scan the features of a person’s finger and create a digital code that can be used as a unique digital template. That’s the concept, but how do fingerprint readers actually work?

There are a number of different technologies used to scan the features of a fingerprint. The engineering challenge is to reliably read the ridges and valleys on the fingerprint so that it can be converted to a digital image.

This article reviews the most popular technologies that use Optical, Ultrasonic and Capacitive sensors.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons – 23

Posted on November 23, 2016June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Here are some things to think about:

There are so many different kinds of apples, that if you ate a new one every day, it would take over 20 years to try them all.

Our brain uses the same amount of power as a 10-watt light bulb.

Sometimes I pretend to be normal, but it gets boring… so I go back to being me.

Reliable IP Paging Systems

Posted on November 23, 2016May 10, 2022 by Bob Mesnik

What is the Most Reliable Paging System?

By Bob Mesnik

How important is your paging system? Is it critical that it continues to work reliably? Well, if your answer is yes, then paging over IP is a good choice for you.

What does IP Paging do that the older analog paging systems can’t do? It provides increased reliability and redundancy.

What happens if your analog amplifier stops working? Well, your paging system is down and out. There’s no easy recovery except to replace the amplifier. With a network attached IP paging system, all the amplifiers are decentralized, and the paging console station can be redundant, providing a much more reliable system. Here’s why IP paging systems are more reliable.

Why Can’t I Recognize a Person With My IP Camera?

Posted on November 22, 2016June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

What Type of Camera Do I Need?

By Bob Mesnik

There was a break-in at your warehouse, but, you were prepared. Last month you installed a complete IP camera system. Now you have evidence you can share with the police.

Uh oh! You can’t identify their faces. There are two people in the warehouse, but you can’t tell who they are. Ugh! What did you do wrong? You have just discovered that having a surveillance camera, is not enough. You have to have the right resolution camera and the right lens.

This article reviews what you need to assure you meet your security objective.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons – 22

Posted on October 19, 2016April 1, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

Observations from Children

On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, ‘The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents’.

A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the bottle. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. ‘Mommy can’t come to the phone to talk to you right now. She’s hitting the bottle.’

A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women’s locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, ‘What’s the matter, haven’t you ever seen a little boy before?’

How to Integrate Door Control With Other IP Systems

Posted on October 19, 2016June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Door Control is much more than just a door reader

By Bob Mesnik

Door access control systems have become much more sophisticated, and easier to integrate with other security systems. These new IP door readers integrate with IP video systems, and IP intercoms, providing a much more secure environment.

The door access systems changed over 10 years ago with the introduction of IP door readers from Isonas. These new readers dramatically lowered installation costs and made it much easier to self-install these systems. This was a dramatic improvement over the older systems that used complex wiring harnesses to a central control panel.

There are new IP door readers that use cloud-based access control software. Now you can manage your door access from your mobile device. The latest door readers not only read the RFID card credentials, but they also recognize your fingerprint or face. They include multiple types of biometric keys that make them more reliable and secure. All these door access control systems can easily be integrated with IP camera systems and IP intercoms.

Here is a summary of the latest developments in door access control and how it integrates with other systems.

4K IP Camera Review and Comparison

Posted on September 28, 2016June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Resolution, Low Light, and Wide Dynamic Range Test and Shoot-out of 4K IP Cameras

By Francisco Gutierrez-Guerra

We tested and compared 4K IP cameras from Axis, Hikvision, Samsung, and Sony.

We tested the Axis P1428-E, the Hikvision DS-2CD4A85F-IZH, the Samsung PNO-9080R, and the Sony SNC-VM772R. We tested the resolution, low light capability, signal-to-noise, and wide dynamic range.

We also looked at the latest Sony SNC-VB770, which if you can afford it, is the best 4K IP camera we have seen. Here are the results of our testing.