Tag: ip paging

IP Paging and Automated Emergency Announcements

Automated Network Attached Paging Provides Emergency Announcements

IP Paging System Emergency Response Diagram

Network attached paging systems are replacing the older analog paging systems. They are not only easier to install; they provide increased functionality. One of the most helpful features of this system is its ability to make automated announcements. You can push a button and make a pre-recorded page, or automatically notify everyone about a weather emergency received from the national weather service.  The automation feature can even convert text messages to audio announcements.

Digital Acoustics was the first company to provide IP paging systems. Their PA over IP product was introduced in 2004 and included small audio amplifiers that were attached to the network. Today there are a number of companies that provide IP type paging systems, but Digital Acoustics continues to provide the most flexible and economic systems. Here’s how to use automated Paging.

Continue reading “IP Paging and Automated Emergency Announcements”

How to Increase Security in an Apartment Building

Apartment Building Technology for Security

wall protection apartment homes illustration

Network attached security devices can provide walls of defense that increase safety in apartment buildings. Security can be provided by a number of different IP technologies such as door access control, IP camera systems, and IP intercoms and paging systems. Much like the walls of a castle, they provide increased safety and security.

Here is a summary of the lines of defense established by security technology:

Continue reading “How to Increase Security in an Apartment Building”

IP Paging Systems for Schools

How to select the speakers and the number required in your school

IP Paging System Concept in school

IP paging speaker placement and sound volume settings are key to providing clear sound in the school. Whether there is a general announcement or an emergency message, it’s important that the instructions can be heard and understood by everyone.

Network attached IP speakers are easy to install, but they must be placed in the right location, and the sound volume must be correct so that all locations are covered with clear sound.

This article provides guidelines for selecting the right IP paging speakers for your school. The article also helps you determine the number of speakers you need, and the amplification required.

Continue reading “IP Paging Systems for Schools”

How to Connect Audio to Networks and IP Cameras

dog surveillance audio cartoon

Did you ever want to yell at someone you see on your video surveillance display? Maybe you want to tell them to get away from your parking lot or to yell at an intruder that the police are coming.  Perhaps you would like to talk to someone at your door? Then you could let the delivery man enter the back door at your office.

IP audio interface systems provide connections to speakers for paging or intercom devices. This article describes how audio can be added to your network or IP camera system.

Continue reading “How to Connect Audio to Networks and IP Cameras”

Security Provided by Access Control Systems

What You Can Do to Improve Security

With all the gun-related tragedies at schools and other facilities, what can we do to increase our security? Securing your facility, school, sporting events, or concerts have become more complicated.

Door Access Control Concept
Door Access Control Concept

IP camera systems used to be enough to monitor the facility, but today we want to do a lot more.  We want to prevent unauthorized access to our buildings, prevent people from bringing in weapons, and we want to provide campus-wide paging systems that keep everyone informed of any emergency.  

Access control systems include more than just a door reader. They can include intercoms, cameras and even walk-through metal detectors. Each of these security systems adds another level of safety. The different components play unique roles in your overall security. This article reviews the various parts and when to use them. It provides guidance about what technology to use and an overview of how they work.

Continue reading “Security Provided by Access Control Systems”

How to Design Your IP Paging System

The secret to designing your sound system is to start at the ears.

The design of an IP paging system starts with the sound level required for people to hear an announcement. Once we know the right sound level, we can define everything else.

Speaker illustration on drawing board

The sound level we hear is affected by the background noise, the distance from the IP speaker, and if we are indoors or outdoors.

We require different paging equipment if the system is used in an office building, or a noisy manufacturing plant. We select different IP speakers and amplifiers when we are inside a classroom, or when we are in the hallways of the school. This article describes how to calculate the speaker, the power required at each speaker, and the best place to mount the speakers.

Continue reading “How to Design Your IP Paging System”

Comparison of the Classic Analog Paging System to the PA over IP Systems

Paging over IP Diagram

This article compares central analog amplifiers to distributed digital network attached amplifiers.

The latest IP paging systems utilize the Ethernet network to distribute sound over your organization.  This is quite different than the classic systems that used a large central amplifier with wires to all the speakers. How good is this new approach to paging?

The following article compares the traditional approach that utilizes one large amplifier to the latest PA over IP systems.

The classic method of providing a paging system was to connect many speakers to a central very large amplifier.  The latest IP amplifier method is much more flexible.  It connects a few speakers to many small network attached amplifiers that are distributed around the organization.  You can attach several speakers to one small IP amplifier or attach one CAT5 ready IP speaker directly to the network.  Here’s a comparison the two types of systems.

Continue reading “Comparison of the Classic Analog Paging System to the PA over IP Systems”

Selecting the Right Speakers for Your IP Paging System

Speakers for school classroom

One of the most important components in a paging system is the speakers.  So before we define any paging system, we start by determining the amount of sound required at each location.

Once we know the type of sound required, we can select the right speaker. After we have defined the speakers, we can determine the right amplifier to use.

What’s the best speaker for you?  Well it depends on a number of things. 

For example, do you want to hear music or just voice paging? The type of speaker also depends on how large an area you want to cover with sound. The background noise and where you want to place the speaker is also important.  It may be necessary to select a different speaker for each location.  This article reviews how to select the right speaker for the job.  We will review the sound output which is measured in decibels (dB), the sound quality (or frequency range), and the power required at the speaker.

Continue reading “Selecting the Right Speakers for Your IP Paging System”

How Technology Can Help in Active Shooter Situations

This article was updated on 2/18/2018

We have seen more and more incidences on school campuses that involve active shooters.  In the wake of this violence many colleges, universities, and elementary schools are searching for ways to respond to this threat.

Police line and school

There has been a lot of discussion about how to react. With the latest tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the discussion continues.  Emma Gonzalez, a senior at the high school, provided excellent perspective on the situation when she said, “Since the time of the Founding Fathers and since they added the Second Amendment to the Constitution, our guns have developed at a rate that leaves me dizzy. The guns have changed, but our laws have not”.

Of course, the best way to prevent these tragedies is to prevent the gunman from getting the guns. Unfortunately, it is not easy to do. The only thing we can offer is advice on how technology can help.

Continue reading “How Technology Can Help in Active Shooter Situations”

How Network Attached Paging and Intercoms Increase Security

IP Paging System Diagram
IP Paging System Diagram

This article was updated on 10/15/2019 to include new IP paging systems.

There’s more to security than door access control, intrusion alarms, and video surveillance.  It is also important to tell people what to do in an emergency.  Emergency public notification is one of the important applications for IP paging and intercoms.  There are also many other new applications possible with the latest IP paging and intercom systems.

Remember the old days of 500-watt amplifiers with hundreds of speakers attached. It was almost impossible to provide multiple buildings, public address systems.  The great thing about network-attached paging systems is that everywhere you have a network, you can install a small network-attached amplifier.

Continue reading “How Network Attached Paging and Intercoms Increase Security”