IP CAMERA LEARNING & RESOURCE CENTER

When beginning to understand home networking in regards to IP cameras, ports can often be difficult to understand. Put basically, every network device, such as an IP CCTV camera or computer, usually only have one single IP address, e.g. 192.168.0.1. However, these network devices can often have more than one program looking to receive information over the IP address. An example of this on a PC could be an internet browser, FTP server and email program all looking for information. The computer thus needs a method of finding out which program should receive which information.

This is where ports come in. A port is a number from 1 to 65536 which will identify which program should receive the information. From the previous example, internet browsers operate on port 80 with FTP servers on 21 and email on port 25. This port number is added to any chunk of information which is sent across the network and is passed by the computer to the correct program.

The same is true with most network devices. For example, any IP CCTV camera with a web interface will have a corresponding port number. For most IP cameras this can be changed from within the camera settings.

Port 80, which most IP Cameras are set to by default, is a special port. It does not need to be specified when browsing, for instance, if a camera was on an IP address of 192.168.0.1 and port 80 you would be able to access the camera by opening a web browser window and entering http://192.168.0.1. Should you change the port number to anything other than 80, say 8080, you would need to specify the port number when accessing your camera for example http://192.168.0.1:8080.

In addition to this, most modern firewalls are configured by default not to allow access to your local network from the internet and should you wish to view your IP camera from outside you must allow access from the internet you will need to set up port forwarding. This is a set of rules inside the router which say that should information be received with a certain port number, it should be forwarded onto a local IP address.

Most lower ports have been allocated so when specifying your own ports you should keep above 8000 to avoid conflicting with any existing hardware or software. Please also remember that a port should only be used by one device on the network should you wish to use port forwarding for remote access.

Some IP security cameras such as the Vivotek FD7131 and Panasonic BB and BL IP cameras offer dedicated mobile phone browser support. With This, users with internet-enabled mobile phones can monitor their IP security installation from anywhere in the world without the need for bulky computers or land-line internet connections. Mobile phones connect to the internet through the GSM network so as long as you are within range of this signal, you have access.

The Panasonic mobile phone browser allows a viewer to see a static image of their camera and is available by navigating to http://mobile. Those with pan and tilt IP security cameras can use the 8, 2, 4 and 6 keys on their keypad to move their camera view. Vivotek on the other hand offer a 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) viewer with their IP camera. This makes use of 3G compatible phones and requires 3G signal coverage, which is not available in all areas, but allows users to pull motion video streams from their IP camera.

With both of these viewers you must be aware of the bandwidth restrictions and pricing of your mobile phone supplier as repeated use can often use a great deal of data and can incur substantial costs.

When used in conjunction with Power over Ethernet compatible equipment such as an IP CCTV security camera, a midspan is the device used to combine power and data into a single cable. The device connects from your existing network to your camera, as well as to the mains power point, and provides power as required.

The way a midspan works is that whenever a device is connected to it, a small amount of power is transferred along the cable; not enough to power the device, but enough to power the port. The midspan will then send a short signal over the network to ask the device if it needs power. A Power over Ethernet enabled device will return a message saying that it does require power which the midspan will then supply. A device which does not support Power over Ethernet will not reply and thus will not receive any additional power. This means that you can never damage a device that does not support Power over Ethernet by plugging it into a midspan.

The power outputs from a standard (IEEE802.3af) Power over Ethernet Midspan is 48V at 350mA. Should a device require more than this, such as a PTZ camera, you need to look at HiPoE midspans (IEEE802.3at) which offer a higher current.

In low-light conditions, some IP security cameras use Automatic Gain Control (AGC) to artificially improve their “dynamic range” and produce usable images. AGC is basically a from of amplification where the camera will automatically boost the image received so that objects can be seen more clearly. In normal light conditions the camera will display a normal picture. However, when the light quality drops below a certain level the camera will begin to boost the signal to compensate for the lack of light.

The advantage of this technique is that your camera will produce images in much lower light conditions than standard. The downside is that the amplification is not only on the usable data in the image but also the background noise. This means that the more you amplify, the more noise you will see and the poorer the image quality will be.

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. This is a network protocol and is a method which can be used by IP security cameras to transfer images from the camera to storage.

FTP is a client/server system which means that there must be one FTP server and an FTP client. An FTP server is essentially a network connected hard disk. Whenever data has to be transferred, a client, such as an IP camera, will connect to the server. Data will then be sent from the client to the server for storage. Once data is transferred the client will disconnect. An FTP client can only connect to one server at a time but an FTP Server can allow many different clients to connect simultaneously.

This method of transfer is perfect for security applications. Let’s say a burglar breaks into a property which is monitored by IP cameras which are recording to an on-site PC. Once the burglars are inside, there is nothing to prevent them from stealing your recording PC and all your security footage stored inside. Due to the fact that FTP makes use of IP networks, FTP servers can be located anywhere in the world, so long as there is an internet connection. This means that when a burglar is in your property, the images captured are stored safely outside the property. The downside to this system is that it requires an active internet connection. If the internet connection fails your images are not stored.

FTP can also be used for storing images at home. Simply download and install a free FTP server on your home PC, set up your username and password and open your firewall on port 21. Your IP camera should then be able to connect to your PC and transfer images.

The F-number assigned to the camera lens indicates the brightness of the lens or the maximum amount of light the lens can direct to the camera’s image sensor. Both the maximum aperture size and the focal length of the lens play an important part in determining the F-number.

Iris and Focal Length

The maximum aperture size is self explanatory. The larger the iris opening (aperture) at its widest point, the more light will pass through to the sensor. When considering focal length, a lens will direct more light to the sensor with a short focal length (wide angle) as there is more of the physical scene captured by the lens to generate more light. Using a long focal length provides a magnified view of the physical scene and because the amount of the scene which is physically captured is reduced then less light from the scene is captured. Technically the F-number is worked out by the focal length divided by the maximum aperture or:

F-number = f (focal length)/D (maximum iris opening)

Simply put, the smaller the F-number of a lens, the greater amount of light is passed through to the sensor meaning that the camera will provide better picture quality in low-light conditions.

Progressive scan is a technology associated with an IP camera’s imaging sensor and is used when transmitting, displaying or storing moving images.

Traditionally, the scanning method used in the majority of video signal formats has been interlace, used in such devices such as analog CCTV cameras, some CRT-based computer monitors and standard-definition televisions. Originally this was introduced as a way to overcome the bandwidth limitations of analogue broadcast infrastructure such as our NTSC or PAL SDTV signals.

Interlace technology works by scanning only half an image in any given frame with each half known as a ‘field’. For example, on the first pass it will scan odd numbered lines in the image (1,3,5…525) and on the second pass it will scan the even numbers (2,4,6…524). It does this very quickly so the human eye is tricked into thinking there is a complete picture. However, due to the nature of the way interlace scanning displays one-half frame with each scan, it is prone to tearing, blurring and will generally give reduced image quality compared to progressive scanning.

Progressive scan works differently. All vertical lines of the image are displayed in full on every frame instead of being split into separate fields. The main benefit of this lies in the clarity of the image, especially when a subject is moving within the scene. Using a progressive scan imaging sensor reduces the effect of tearing and motion blurring you would find with traditional interlace technologies such as analog CCTV cameras. This makes IP cameras with progressive scan ideal for security applications and, as can be seen in the example below, when you pause your security recordings the images of moving subjects will appear clearer using a progressive scan device:

Axis have released a substantial firmware release for their 233D dome IP surveillance camera. The most important addition to this is the addition of Auto-tracking. This system, which can also be found in Panasonic’s i-Pro range, monitors moving images inside their view. Should a moving object start to move out of view, the camera will reposition its view, keeping the object in sight. The camera will then return to a pre-determined position after a set amount of time passes so that the camera does not remain pointing wherever the last movement was seen.

This system is perfect for areas where there is very little movement for most of the time and allows a single camera to cover a large area without the need for user intervention. It also acts as a strong deterrent as would-be intruders who enter the site and witnesses the lens of the camera following them as they move around are less likely to commit any infractions as they think they are being watched by a human security guard.

(more…)

Milestone is an open platform IP video recording application with support for over 400 different IP camera models and is reliable, flexible, with limitless integration possibilities. We actually consider Milestone to be the leading third-party IP camera recording software that you can use today and what’s more, you can download a 1-camera version of Xprotect Professional for free.

What this guide will show you is how to download the Free 1-camera license for Xprotect Professional, install it to your system and add your camera. In part 2 we will cover live video, recording and camera settings.

This software is suitable for the following operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
• Windows 2000 Server and Advanced Server
• Windows Server 2003 (32 and 64 bit)
• Windows XP Professional (32 and 64 bit)
• Windows Vista Business (32 bit)
• Windows Vista Enterprise (32 bit)
• Windows Vista Ultimate (32 bit)

HOWTO:

STEP 1 - Check compatibility

Milestone supports a huge amount of IP camera models from a wide range of different manufacturers but before you go through the registration process and download the software it would be wise to check if the camera you are planning to use is supported.

Go to the following page on the Milestone website and make sure your IP camera is on the supported list of devices:

http://milestonesys.com/Support/Questions_and_Answers/Supported_Hardware/Enterprise

STEP 2 - Registration Process

Go to the following URL:

http://milestonesys.com/Downloads/Free_XProtect_License

To be able to download the free 1-camera license you have to register with the Milestone website. Click the link ‘Continue to Registration’ to being the registration process. You will be presented with the following screen:

Most of the fields on this page are self explanatory. Just enter your name, address and company details as you would for any other form. The interesting field is at the bottom of the page. This field asks you for a ‘Camera MAC address’.

Device License Keys (DLKs)

Security in Milestone comprises of two main license. The license key for the software (Software License Code or SLC) and the license for every camera you add to your system (Device License Key or DLK).

When you register for your free 1-channel version of the software you also have to register the camera you intend to use with it by entering the camera’s MAC address in the field provided. The camera’s MAC address will be printed on the camera (or you may be able to find it in the camera’s system menu or printed on the box the camera shipped in).

Once complete you should recieve the message:

Registration Successfully Completed.

You will soon receive an email from Milestone Systems with your free Software License Code (SLC) and a Device License Key (DLK) for your camera, together with installation instructions.

Step 3 - Download Software

Go to your email inbox and open the registration email you should have just recieved from Milestone. In this email, under the ‘Installation Instructions’ heading you will find a link to your software. Click this link to download the software, it will be approximately: 100MB in size.

Once downloaded, double-click the icon to run the setup wizard:

Click ‘Next >’

Click ‘Yes’ to agree to the license agreement if you are happy to proceed.

Select your required language and click ‘Next >’

Select ‘Licensed Version’ and click ‘Next >’

Enter your name, company name and the Software License code which you will find in the registration email sent to you at the registration process (see STEP 2). Select to install the application for ‘Anyone’ and click ‘Next >’

You are then presented with two choices. To install as a Windows service or as an application. The normal installation method is to install as an application as this will give you live images to monitor. Installing as a Windows service allows the system to be set up for recording and playback but there will be no live viewing monitor application. This is generally suited for underpowered PCs which cannot handle the display of live images on-screen. Select which you prefer and click the ‘Next >’ button.

Select which language you want the remote client to run in and click the ‘Next >’

Then answer the remaining questions about hard disk location and whether you would like a desktop icon etc. and after which your Milestone XProtect Professional 1-camera license should be installed.

To confirm your installation you should now have 3 new desktop icons:

Administrator - where you configure all your recording, playback and camera settings

Image Server Administrator - where you configure remote access

Monitor - application which allows live image monitoring and playback of recordings

STEP 4 - Adding your camera

Before you add your camera we will assume that you have configured it with a suitable IP address to work on your local network.

To begin, click the ‘Administrator’ icon to load the admin console. You should see a dialog box similar to the one below:

Click the ‘Add Device’ button at the top right to add your camera.

Enter the local IP address of your camera in the box provided (or if you are using a host name, first check the ‘Use DNS host names’ button and enter your host name). If your camera is using a non-standard port for either HTTP access (default 80) or FTP (default 21) then click the port setup button and enter your ports, otherwise click the ‘Next >’ button.

Next enter the administration password for your camera. Note that you cannot input a username for the camera as the Milestone software expects a default username for each camera type (’root’ for Axis, ‘admin1′ for Panasonic etc.) Check with the Milestone website what username is expected for your camera type.

In the dropdown box you can select your camera model (quicker) or let the software auto-detect.

After a short while the software will display a dialog box similar to the one above confirming the connection of the camera (we’re using a Panasonic camera as an example).

Enter the DLK (device license key) in the area provided and click the ‘Next >’ button to proceed. The DLK was sent in your registration email (see STEP 2).

Once you have entered the DLK the final step is to give the camera a name. This will be the name which is displayed on the live monitor page. Don’t worry about what you call it, this can be changed later if you want to rename it. To finish adding your camera enter a name and click the ‘Finish’ button.

FINISH

And that’s the end of Part 1. We have covered registering, downloading, installing and adding a camera to the Milestone Free 1-camera License version. In the next part we will look at the live monitor, recording and camera settings.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) is a technology which allows IP cameras to be powered using the same standard Ethernet cable which carries the data connection.

The IEEE802.3af PoE regulated standard provides power up to 15.4W. This will cover the majority of static network cameras or fixed dome IP cameras but outdoor security cameras with built in heaters or pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ)/dome cameras normally have a power consumption which exceeds this.

To resolve the limitations of IEEE802.3af a new standard is being worked on which will boost the power output allowing for the powering of outdoor/PTZ cameras. This pre-standard is known as IEEE802.3at (or HiPoE, or PoE+) and there are already products available which conform to the new regulation, even before it becomes ratified.

Using Power over Ethernet allows IP security cameras to be installed quickly and easily and without the need for conventional power, they can be placed almost anywhere.