Security Unwired
Wireless devices offer increased alternatives for the security industry
- By Richard Ho
- Jun 07, 2007
IN an era of IP network explosion, the license-exempt wireless communication medium has expanded its role beyond simple data communication. License-exempt wireless has reached the mass market to provide a reliable alternative to hardwiring for VoIP, IP TV and security applications. Compared to hard wiring, wireless is economical and quick to deploy. It also is secure and reliable. And, in many cases, IP technology is not just the best option, it’s the only option.
License-exempt wireless is available in several frequency bands, mostly between 900 MHz and 6 GHz. The commonly available and cost-effective bands are 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. License exemption allows security professionals to deploy wireless equipment without a license as long as the equipment meets FCC guidelines.
When considering wireless communication for security applications, there are two options—proprietary or standardized. Relative to Wi-Fi, the install base for proprietary, wireless technology is small and costly. Wi-Fi is well proven and has been readily available since late 1998, and the technology is experiencing rapid advancement with newer extensions released to enhance wireless performance. WiMax is another wireless standard rapidly gaining ground. It holds strong promise for the licensed bands, and the industry anticipates cost-effective WiMax equipment to emerge within a few years. Long-range wireless equipment, based on Wi-Fi, is available today and brings a host of benefits to the security market.
Security Economics
Network video, also known as IP video, through wireless is not a new concept. Wireless analog video systems have long been available in the surveillance industry, but have been limited to few applications, prone to RF interference and operate in simplex mode. With the industry boom in Wi-Fi and fixed broadband wireless, economies of scale in 802.11-based hardware brought lower outdoor costs and rugged, long-range radios. The great news in the trend of mass-market acceptance of Wi-Fi-based wireless transceivers is the lower cost of equipment ownership. Saving money and lowering project cost is perhaps the largest benefit of deploying a license-free wireless video link.
An outdoor, wireless, IP transceiver with embedded 12 dBi antenna, PoE and pole-mount bracket boasts operations between a few hundred feet to 3 miles with line of sight. Gone are the days of expensive point-to-point wireless transceivers. The less-expensive, multiple-device IP wireless transceiver is now standard. With the license-exempt digital wireless medium as an effective option to hard wiring security surveillance cameras, the lower cost allows security professionals to revisit or take on hard-to-wire or once-impossible outdoor video surveillance applications.
In addition to economical reasons, quicker deployment is high on a security installer’s checklist. After a base station or access point is deployed, as long as a line-of-site wireless path is achieved, new or additional camera wireless transceivers can be deployed or redeployed in a matter of hours instead of days.
Professionals can tackle large, outdoor video surveillance projects without long project lifecycles—shorter lifecycles means faster ROI and more satisfied customer.
Radical Reliability
Once upon a time, there were myths about wireless communication being insecure, which may be true in analog transmission and first-generation 802.11 devices. For example, WEP encryption, available on first-generation 802.11, has proven to be insecure. But the latest software tools and wireless sniffers are able to derive the network key within minutes of sampling a communication link.
New outdoor, wireless video transceivers now have the latest chipset technology to strengthen wireless security. With IEEE 802.11a/g digital transceivers, the advance encryption system (AES) is a standard feature made available by most manufacturers of outdoor wireless radio. AES was once only available to high-end wireless transceivers, but is now recognized by the government and approved for use in the transmission of classified information.
When deployed, wireless video links can offer reliability equivalent to or exceeding wired installations. Wired installations are prone to cable or interface corrosion, accidental disturbances and are costly to replace when defective. Wireless video links have the added features of link redundancy, base station failover and reliability up-time in the range of 99.99 percent.
But just as with any new wireless video technology, users need to understand the challenges that come with a successful deployment. Challenges include understanding wireless fundamentals, overcoming wireless obstacles and maximizing available bandwidth. Wireless signals are invisible. To make it visible enough to take advantage of, the technology requires learning and practice.
Wireless signals spread out and get weaker the further away from the antenna. Signals lose strength when an obstacle interferes. In addition, signals reflect off the ground, bodies of water or a building. Understanding the fundamental wireless principles will lead to understanding most wireless signals. Signals operate optimally with line of site and use two access points or base stations on the same channel. This lowers overall network bandwidth, meaning use of fewer cameras.
One common mistake of outdoor, wireless video network deployment is the default use of omni-directional antennas. Omni-directional antennas radiate wireless signals in all directions, theoretically radiating signals everywhere. However, antennas also function as a receiver, accepting noise and possible interfering signals from all directions. When selecting a type of antenna to use, consider the technology. In most cases, the technology determines successful and reliable wireless video network deployment.
A World of Possibilities
Armed with fundamental knowledge of wireless technology, the application possibilities brought by license-exempt, long-range transceivers are numerous. The commercial parking lot video surveillance project once too costly may now be revisited. The multi-billion-dollar homeland security application to secure borders and ports may fall into a company’s pipeline.
Wireless communication for the security sector is not limited to video surveillance. Long-range remote wireless video surveillance makes it possible to centralize video surveillance from several remote areas. Wireless access control has seen traction and is gaining popularity. The increasing demand for wireless in access control has similar patterns as video surveillance. Similar demand is required in the access control market to transmit video, voice, relays and sensors from the satellite to the master station economically and reliably. A license-exempt wireless transceiver, along with a solid video server multiplex input and outputs from the satellite station, give the master station the data and signal it requires. This allows access control applications to manage hundreds of entrances or gates across several campuses from a single location without dedicated hard wiring.
Final Thought
If the cost savings of wireless and quick deployment are still not enough, consider the savings of non-recurring costs due to remote access control or video surveillance. Traditional hardwire remote options require leased T1, fiber or DSL lines. With wireless, there is network ownership and no inherent recurring monthly cost.
Wireless communication is an alternative, economical transport medium for security applications and is a driving factor for security professionals to keep up with technology. Many security projects will be won and lost with cost savings as the deciding factor. Despite previous trends of under-performing and overpriced wireless options, new technology and manufacturing processes have led to an economical, secure and reliable alternative to hardwiring. This trend will gain more momentum as the convergence of IP-based products and devices grows.