Wireless Networking, Wireless Bridges, Wireless How-Tos and more

Low Cost Rugged Switches - Etherwan and WLANmall

2008-10-06T23:42:00.000-07:00

WLANmall has partnered with Etherwan to bring you low cost manged and unmanaged rugged, temperature hardened switches. These switches have fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet ports with the option of single mode or multi-mode fiber ports. These switches are perfect for:

Railroad Operators
Traffic Systems
Wireless ISPs (WISPs)
SCADA Systems
Manufacturing
Foundry/Forging Environments
CCTV or IP Video Surveillance

The Etherwan switches feature two different temperature ratings

-20C to +60C
-40C to +75C

Managed switches have a full blow proprietary operating system which is built for stability and resiliency. Features supported include:

IEEE802.1w RSTP, IEEE802.1S MSTP and IEEE802.1D STP compatible
IP Multicast Filtering through IGMP Snooping V1, V2 & V3
Supports port-based VLAN and IEEE802.1Q VLAN Tagging and GVRP
IEEE802.1p QoS with four priority queues
MAC-based trunking with automatic link fail-over
RS-232 console, Telnet, SNMP V1, V2 & V3, RMON, Web Browser, and TFTP Management
Supports Command Line Interface in RS-232 Console
Supports IEEE802.1x Security
Bandwidth Rate Control
Per-port programmable MAC address locking
Up to 24 Static Secure MAC addresses per port
Port mirroring
8192 MAC addresses
2M bits buffer memory
1000Mbps-Full-duplex, 10/100Mbps-Full/Half-duplex, Auto-Negotiation, Auto-MDI/MDIX
Full wire-speed forwarding rate
Redundant power inputs with Terminal Block and DC Jack
Metal case
Supports DIN-Rail, Panel, Rack Mounting installation
and more!

All this for the industries BEST value.

Ruckus Wireless Gets Even Smarter with SMART Mesh - Wireless Mesh

2008-10-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

Ruckus Wireless has released a full blown mesh technology for their ZoneFlex series of access points and controllers. Ruckus' "SMART Mesh" technology is controlled by the Zone director and with this new upgrade you can now manage all ZoneFlex APs whether wired in to the network or connected wireless via mesh. This is a HUGE improvement over the Ruckus Light Mesh Gateway which would simply act as a repeater and not acquire BSSID, security, user information, etc. The new SMART Mesh technology simplifies the installation of the ZoneFlex WLAN even further! Ruckus SMART Mesh is only available for clients with a Premium contract which will give you access to the new 6.0 firmware.

Here is some nice marketing info for you guys...

Ruckus Wireless SmartMesh is a unique, new approach to building high-performance wireless LANs (WLANs). It reduces cumbersome RF planning and costly cable backhaul by lowering the need to run Ethernet wiring to individual ZoneFlex Smart Wi-Fi access points.

SmartMesh dramatically simplifies, speeds and reduces the cost of WLAN deployment. With SmartMesh, enterprises now simply plug ZoneFlex access points into any convenient power source, and walk away. No extensive RF site surveys, cable runs, configuration, or optimization adjustments are required.

SmartMesh delivers three key ingredients that have previously hindered the use of indoor meshing:

high performance by combining 802.11n with Smart Wi-Fi technology
reliable connectivity between mesh nodes, using best path selection and interference avoidance techniques
ultra-simple deployment through the automation of AP and mesh provisioning

SmartMesh extends Ruckus-patented Smart Wi- Fi technology to create a new class of reliable and high-performance wireless LANs that are selforganizing, self-optimizing and self-healing. It is the first Wi-Fi meshing approach that combines high-gain smart antenna arrays, sophisticated RF routing and centralized management with a single WLAN system.

Learn more about Ruckus SMART Mesh here.

Weak Client Side Wireless - How to Fix It

2008-09-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

It has been brought to my attention that I forgot to mention how to fix the problem of weak client side transmission, which I discussed back on August 18th. So I figured I would quickly fill in that void.

There are several ways to increase the range of your wireless client and each has its own benefits and drawbacks. Now, while you read this entry please remember that, like a standard wireless access point or bridge, there are always two parts to a wireless client, the "radio" and the "antenna". The radio is the device creating the RF signal and the antenna amplifies that signal.

So that being said I am sure you can guess that the first way to increase the range of your wireless client is...Add an antenna!

1) Add an antenna to your client device. In mobile applications you would want an omnidirectional antenna (signal is radiated in a 360 degree pattern) and for fixed environment you would be better served by a directional panel antenna or grid antenna (signal is more focused in a certain direction). Of course you need to have a client device (PC card or laptop card) that has an external antenna connector built in. The major issue is that most (99%) of laptops have integrated wireless cards and antennas that can not be upgraded in which case you might better be served by number 2 below.

2) The next step is to add a wireless card into your laptop or desktop that has the necessary external antenna connector and then add a high gain external antenna to really boost the signal. This is a pretty easy way to increase wireless transmission and is great for laptops however not so great for desktops. If you want to use this method to increase your wireless signal on your desktop you will normally be required to run a good amount of coaxial cable from the PC up and out to the external antenna. This is definitely the method of choice for laptops but I find it a little cumbersome for desktop machines. Below you can find a picture of cards with external antenna connectors.
The one of the left is made by Ubiquiti Networks and goes in the PCMCIA card slot on the side of your laptop. The one on the right is a PCI card for your PC. You can remove the rubber duck antenna that comes with the card and install coax cable that runs to the antenna you installed on your roof.

3) The third option is great for fixed environments like homes, RVs, boats, etc. Purchase an external wireless client that sits on the roof of whatever structure you are in. This client can be an all in one device with both the radio and the antenna built in to one unit or you can purchase one with an external connector for higher gain antennas. Here is what they look like...
Here is how you would use them...

Option 1: Install the external wireless client on your roof, point it at your ISP, run an Ethernet cable from the client to the power over Ethernet injector and then plug it in directly to you PC.

Option 2: Install the wireless client just like in option one but instead of plugging directly into your PC plug it into a wireless router! This will allow you to rebroadcast the signal from outside wireless INSIDE your house, giving you the best of both worlds!

Hope this helps!

How to Install Milestone XProtect: Its Easier Than You Think!

2008-09-02T23:12:00.000-07:00

Decide the number of cameras you need for your installation

Choose the codec or combination of codecs, frame rate, resolution and the estimated recording time for each camera.

Codecs: MJPEG, MPEG4, MXPEG, H.264
Frame rate: Up to 30 fps. From experience you will see that 4-6 frames per second will be sufficient in most security applications.
Resolution: CIF (320x280), 4CIF (640x480), 1.3MP (1280x1024), 2MP (1600x1200), 3.1MP (2048x1536), 5MP (2560x1920)

Use calculators to estimate amount of storage and server requirements.

Order your server and configure the server according to calculated specifications. Below you will find some best practices. Please refer to the image below while reading this section.

Live database should be written to fast reliable SCSI or SAS hard drives.
Create a RAID1 logical drive using 2 physical SCSI or SAS disks. Then…

Carve out a 20GB or so partition for the operating system (C: drive) and then partition the rest for the live database (D: drive).
Depending on the number of cameras in your system you may not have enough capacity for the entire live database on the D: drive so extra disks will be required. These extra disks should be configured as individual RAID0 virtual disks in your RAID controller.

The RAID0 is important because it speeds up the write time which is critical in IP video where data is constantly being written to the media.

Setup physical archive storage. Your archive storage should be protected from loss so a RAID5 configuration is a good choice. In a small system you can use internal disks but in larger systems you will need either an external disk array, a NAS or a SAN. (see the figure above)

Install Milestone on C: drive

Through the Admin, install the DLKs provided to you by your Milestone Certified Partner and add all the cameras to XProtect.

Set up camera parameters. With the recording server stopped go through each and every cameras configuration and recording, event and motion attributes. Be sure to set each camera’s live database directory to the appropriate disk. Please refer to step 4 and the image below.

Set up camera archive parameters. Go through and set up each cameras archive schedule and directory.

In the Image Server Administrator, set up users (basic or active directory) and give them access to view specific cameras on the Milestone XProtect system.

That's it!

How to hook up my wireless Access Point & How far does it go

2008-08-18T23:51:00.000-07:00

On a daily basis I get questions about setting up a basic wifi access point to cover a certain area of ground. This is normally outdoor and many many times these simple installations are in a RV park, marina or camp ground so I figured I would share the wealth. A typical one access point installation has a few key components and some optional ones.

Key Components:

The wireless accesspoint or base station (if you couldn't guess)
POE Injector
Omnidirectional antenna
Cabling (RF for the antenna and CAT5 for the POE and network)

Optional

Lightning arrestors. These are recommended but the system will work without them. You would need one lightning arrestor for the RF side (antenna side) and for the network side of the access point.

Here is what your set up would look like:

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE

You will notice that I did not specify any gains on the antenna as every installation is different but in the 2.4 GHz range I find that the 9 dbi omni antenna with 7 degrees on downtilt works great.

OK so I know your next question. How much area will this cover??? Well in the world of wi-fi the two most used words are "It Depends". You'll hate to hear'em but you better get used to them as there is never a clear answer. RF signal propagation depends on many factors such as interference, environment, line of site and the most overlooked factor CLIENT TYPE!

Most people understand interference and line of sight but if not you can feel free to read more about it in our growing wireless FAQ, here. However, the one most people do not understand and sometime refuse to understand is that client type can make or break your wireless network. How so? Well...lets take an RV park for instance.

An RV park wants to set up a simple access point in the middle of the grounds to serve its 70 RV users. The client then spends time reviewing access point specs, finds a perfect bridge with a great mix of price and performance. Buys the highest gain antenna he can find and makes sure that there is no excessive loss in the RF cabling. The items arrive via UPS, he sets them up perfectly, similar to the setup shown above and starts walking around with his laptop running netstumbler BUT, he is only going a 3rd of the distance he was expecting. This can't be right he thinks and starts troubleshooting his new hardware. However, what he doesn't realize is that it has nothing to do with the new access point set up he purchased and everything to do with the low powered wifi card in his laptop.

Communication should always be looked at as a 2 way street. The base station (access point) can be uber powerful and transmit for miles but if the device receiving the signal a mile away can only transmits 300ft the base station will never hear the interesting things the client is saying and communication breaks down. I tried to illustrate this concept and hopefully succeeded but let me know if I blew it.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Bottom line is know your application and build accordingly. Do not focus on one part alone as you will never get the results you are after. Look at your wireless network as a system of components working together to create cohesive communication.

2008-08-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

It's FAAAAAST...80-150Mbps of wireless throughput

The Ruckus ZoneFlex 7942 is the first centrally managed, multimedia Wi-Fi access point that unleashes the promise of 802.11n, delivering unparalleled throughput.

Together with the Ruckus ZoneDirector central WLAN controller, Ruckus ZoneFlex APs plug-and-play with minimum operational overhead. Ideal for hotels, schools, airports and medium-sized businesses with little or no IT staff and a limited budget, the Ruckus ZoneFlex 7942 is also perfect for hot spot operators that want to deliver business class hot spot services - such as voice over Wi-Fi, IP-based video or secure enterprise access.

802.11n carries the promise of high data rates and througput. The Ruckus ZoneFlex 7942 delivers on this promise by ensuring that the advanced techniques used in 802.11n, such as spatial multiplexing, channel bonding and frame aggregation are optimized.

Motorola PTP 300 & PTP 500 Start Shipping!

2008-08-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

Motorola is continuously changing their PTP line up to meet new customer demands. The PTP 500 was the first and its little brother the PTP 300 is next. The PTP 500 (105Mbps) edges itself in between the high performance PTP 600 (150 - 300Mbps) and the PTP 400 (45Mbps), while the PTP 300 (25Mbps) replaces the widely deployed PTP 400 Lite.

The new series of radios come with the same great MIMO NLOS technology, reliability and ease of deployment as its siblings but also includes integrated lightning suppression inside the radio and new lower cost!

PTP 54500		List Price
WB2874	PTP 54500 Full Integrated - Link Complete	$13,995.00
WB2878	PTP 54500 Full Integrated - End Complete	$7,700.00
WB2875	PTP 54500 Full Connectorised - Link Complete (Not FCC Certified yet)	$13,995.00
WB2879	PTP 54500 Full Connectorised - End Complete (Not FCC Certified yet)	$7,700.00
PTP 58500		List Price
WB2857	PTP 58500 Full Integrated - Link Complete	$13,995.00
WB2861	PTP 58500 Full Integrated - End Complete	$7,700.00
WB2858	PTP 58500 Full Connectorised - Link Complete	$13,995.00
WB2862	PTP 58500 Full Connectorised - End Complete	$7,700.00
PTP 58300		List Price
WB3146AA	PTP 58300 Integrated - Link Complete	$5,995.00
WB3148AA	PTP 58300 Connectorised - Link Complete	$5,995.00

Milestone Xprotect Corporate 2.0 Licensing - Easy as 1-2-3!

2008-07-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

Milestone has released their new version of their flagship XProtect Corprate NVR software. XProtect™ Corporate is an IP video management system designed for large enterprises and alarm centers. Featuring a distributed server architecture, innovative centralized management and support for a wide range of IP cameras, it scales to fit any type of video surveillance installation.

New Features for 2.0

New lower cost and simpler licenseing. You no longer need to buy additional recording server licenses!
New server failover capabilities
Support for multicast
Support for multi-stream cameras. View in one CODEC and record in another!
Support for H.264 CODEC
Greater device support

Milestone has made licensing so easy it makes me smile. Here is how it works:

Purchase a Xprotect Corporate 2.0 Base Server license. This includes one management server, an unlimited number of recording servers and 4 device licenses.
Buy the appropriate number of device licenses. (don't forget you get 4 when you buy the base version!)
Buy a PMA contract on the software. This give you features releases and support for at least a year.

That's it! it is as easy as 1-2-3 but if you have any questions or want to understand if Corporate is the right platform for you give us a call or email us.

310-416-1200 or orders@wlanmall.com

Milestone Systems - XProtect Corporate 2.0 is HERE!

2008-07-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

COPENHAGEN – 17 June 2008. Milestone Systems, a leading developer of open platform IP video management software, announces the availability of XProtect Corporate version 2.0. Designed for large-scale applications, it supports unlimited numbers of cameras, servers and users, with central control and intuitive access clients that make big installations very easy to manage.

A decade of technological refinement in developing true open platform IP video management software is culminated in Milestone XProtect Corporate, architected to meet the tough demands of the largest implementations. Distributed server architecture allows flexible management of unlimited sites, servers, devices, cameras and users – no matter how large or geographically spread the installations may be.

Surveillance system administrators get wizards, flexible rules system, automatic network scanning and camera model detection, with tight integration to IT environments for maintaining a very high level of system integrity. Integration with Microsoft Active Directory® provides strict user authorization and management; all configurations, activity logs and alerts are conveniently stored in a Microsoft SQL database. Managing cameras in groups and assigning users to role-based security groups saves valuable time.

The Milestone XProtect Smart Client is the elegant Graphical User Interface, or GUI, for security staff to access live and recorded video data at all times. Vital evidence material – encrypted and password-protected – is easily created in a single operation for fast sharing. Multi-casting and multi-streaming allow multiple operators to easily view live and recorded video without straining network resources unnecessarily.

The unique, cost-effective archiving model reduces the high cost of storage by using fast, local disks for short-term recordings and affordable network storage for long-term archiving. Failover for system integrity & data security ensures the high level of security and reliability required by true enterprise-class IT environments for maximum uptime.

“XProtect Corporate is a stellar model for high-end scalability. As customers expand their installations, they only have to pay licenses for the cameras added – there’s no extra cost for adding recording servers, storage, clients or users, and no license cost for failover servers,” says Eric Fullerton, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Milestone Systems. “Feedback from our customers supports that they appreciate the simplicity in our licensing structure and that Product Maintenance Agreements give a cost-effective way to keep up to date with future developments, adding industry innovations as they become available.”

The Milestone XProtect IP video open platform is a hallmark of optimal integration capabilities. The rich Application Programming Interface (API) offers seamless interoperability with other systems and devices to video-enable business most comprehensively. Return on investment is thereby further enhanced.

Milestone XProtect Corporate version 2.0 is available through Certified Milestone Partners internationally, among whom over 450 have already completed professional training in this solution. Learn more about XProtect Corporate.

Milestone Systems is a global developer of open platform IP video management software. XProtect™ gives users a powerful surveillance solution that is easy to manage, reliable and proven in more than 35,000 customer installations. With support for the industry’s widest choice in network hardware and integration with other systems, XProtect provides best-of-breed solutions to “video enable” organizations - reducing costs, optimizing processes, and protecting assets. Milestone software is sold through authorized partners in 90 countries.

Found on Milestone News Here

WLANmall now a Authorized Certified Panasonic i-Pro Partner

2008-06-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

WlanMall is proud to announce its acceptance as a Panasonic i-PRO certified authorized partner. Panasonic makes a variety of professional grade IP Video Surveillance cameras from indoor fixed IP cameras to outdoor ready IP66 rated PTZ IP Cameras with 30x zoom! Panasonic IP cameras also boast "Super Dynamic III" technology which allows the camera to balance between "bright brights" and "Low Lows" to create an extremely realistic images needed for today's 24 hour security and surveillance operations. You can read more about this impressive Super Dynamic III technology here. Check out part of the Panasonic Line Up!

Panasonic WV-NW964 i-Pro Outdoor IP66 30x PTZ Day/Night Dome IP Camera, Image Stabilizer, SDIII

Panasonic WV-NS202A i-Pro Indoor 22x PTZ Day/Night POE IP Camera, SDIII Panasonic WV-NF284 i-Pro POE 3.6x Variable Focus IP Fixed Dome Camera
Panasonic WV-NP304-LZA62 i-Pro POE Day/Night Megapixel Bundle w/ WV-LZA62/2 Hi-Res Lens

Strix Beijing 2008 Olympics

2008-06-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

Calabasas-based wireless mesh networking hardware provider Strix Systems has signed a deal to provide its hardware for a use in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the firm said earlier this week. Financial impact of the win was not announced, but Strix said that its outdoor wireless networking system has been integrated into emergency response vehicles and other personal mobile communications for public safety. Strix said the win was a part of a design by Silicon-Star Science & Technology Development Co. Ltd and Beijing Aerospace Changfeng Co., Ltd, which will be used in the Olympic Stadium and downtown Beijing during the Olympic Games.

Original article found here

Axis, Bosch and Sony cooperate to standardize the interface of network video products

2008-05-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

Axis Communications, Bosch Security Systems and Sony Corporation announce that they will be cooperating to create an open forum aimed at developing a standard for the interface of network video products. Currently, there is no global standard defining how network video products such as cameras, video encoders and video management systems should communicate with each other. The new standard is expected to comprise interfaces for specifications such as video streaming, device discovery, intelligence metadata, etc. The framework of the standard, incorporating the key elements of network video product interoperability, will be released in October 2008 at the Security show in Essen, Germany.

The main goal of this new standard is to facilitate the integration of various brands of network video equipment and to help manufacturers, software developers and independent software vendors ensure product interoperability. A unified open standard will also offer end-users greater flexibility of choice, enabling them to select products from different vendors in order to develop systems that fully meet their needs. This standardization initiative demonstrates the strong commitment of Axis, Bosch and Sony to supporting the ongoing shift from analog to digital surveillance in the security market.

A forum set up by the said three companies will be open for all companies and interest groups who would like to participate in the standardization work. The forum will be established in the fourth quarter of 2008, and will work on further development of the standard and on reaching agreement on how the new technology should be implemented.

"We are very pleased to announce this cooperation between our companies," says Ray Mauritsson, President of Axis Communications. "An open standard will make it even easier for integrators and end-users to benefit from the many possibilities offered by IP-based video surveillance technology."

"This cooperation represents a great leap forward in establishing an international open forum focusing on network video surveillance," says Gert van Iperen, Executive Vice President at Bosch. "For manufacturers of network video hardware and software, the forum and its standard will be an efficient way to ensure product interoperability."

"We entered this discussion based on our common belief that an open standard will provide great benefits for users and everyone involved in the security industry," says Yoshinori Onoue, SVP, Corporate Executive, Sony Corporation. "Representatives from Axis, Bosch and Sony are now working intensively to develop a framework for the standard and to establish the guidelines for the standardization forum."

See the entire press release here.

Commentary:
This is a good step for the IP industry as a whole. Standardization makes for a more complete set of tools to further mature the IP Video Surveillance marketplace. However there is no mention on how long it might take to develop this standard and currently most IP Video software or NVR software from major manufacturers only operate with the firmware on loaded their specific cameras. The solution is and will continue to be NVR Software by Milestone Systems. Milestone already inter operates with over 40+ different brands of cameras and over 400+ different physical cameras from Axis, Bosch, Sony, Toshiba, IQeye, Panasonic, and many many more. So while the standardization legitimizes the marketplace it really does not affect the current product landscape for NVR software.

To PTZ or Not to PTZ

2008-05-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

I have been speaking to many many clients lately about IP video surveillance and each time we go through the pros and cons of using traditional Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) cameras vs the latest multi-megapixel IP cameras and in most cases we end up deciding that the multi-megapixel cameras are the way to go. So I have decided to share these ideas and see what others thoughts are on the matter.

So PTZ. What is it? PTZ or pan tilt zoom cameras have been around for years in the analog world of CCTV and have made the obvious transition to IP Video security as well. These cameras are normally enclosed in a dome and have a VGA quality sensor that sits on a multi-axis thimble so that the user/operator can move the camera up down, side to side and zoom in on a subject to get a closer look at what is happening in a specific location. That should be pretty self explanatory but if you would like to see a PTZ camera I have included a pic for you.

As in other parts of life there are always advancements that are not necessarily meant to contend with previous methods of doing something but after they are developed they do and in my opinion multi-megapixel IP cameras are one of these advancements. Multi-megapixel IP video cameras allow you to see double, triple, even quadruple the amount of pixels as a standard "high-resolution" VGA camera. What this means in plain English is that you can see more of a particular view and in greater detail. If that still doesn't make sense read on, there is a good picture below.

OK, so what right? That is great you say but what does that have to do with contending with traditional PTZ cameras? Well here is how I see it.

PTZ cameras are used because an operator wants to see activity in different locations around his or her property. Well, a standard high-resolution VGA camera has a limited 640x480 field of view so it needs to be moved around to see the "BIGGER PICTURE". Ok well what happens when you move the camera from area A to see what is happening in area B? Area A is now vulnerable. So why not use 2 fixed cameras one focused on Area A and one on Area B? Well this is a great idea but quickly becomes expensive since you then need to monitor two cameras, you have to buy an extra camera license and of course you need to buy another camera!

So a good solution is to get one camera that has enough resolution or sees a big enough picture to monitor both area A, area B and everything in between all at the same time. This is precisely what multi-megapixel cameras allow you to do. IQeye has a series of cameras that reach up to 5 megapixels, which translates into 2560 x 1920 pixels. That is 16 times the resolution of a high-resolution VGA camera which means the field of view is 16 times as large and therefore the operator can view the "BIGGER PICTURE" without leaving certain parts of the property vulnerable to attack, theft, etc... The nice thing about having all those pixels is that you can then digitally zoom in after the fact and get a closer look without the image becoming overly "blocky" or pixilated. Milestone Systems Xprotect and other NVR packages have this feature already built in.

As promised a picture to try an explain all this. I'm a visual person too so here is a picture I made to try and explain this a bit better...

I took a picture of a standard University courtyard, that I found on google images, with the proper aspect ratio and scaled it down properly so that I can easily demonstrate my point. The green border represents a 5 Megapixel image (2560x1920) and the red rectangles represent standard high-resolution VGA cameras. You can see that exactly 16 red boxes fit inside the one green one, which means that the single 5MP camera can take the place of 16 standard cameras or a PTZ that is constantly patrolling but without missing a thing!

In this day of University tragedies can you imagine if a crucial piece of evidence is missed because the crime happened in area A on the left but the camera operator was focused on area B to the right? I say why not see it all?

How to setup a Ruckus Wireless Zone Director for the first time

2008-04-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

Milestone Systems - IP Video Surveillance Done Right (& we are certified)

2008-04-03T11:33:00.000-07:00

WLANmall is now a certified Milestone Open IP Video Surveillance partner. That means that we have the ability to listen to your needs, design and solution and build it for you from A to Z. All you will have to do is have a certified electrician run the cable and install your cameras. We will build the server platform, install the software and bench test the system before it leaves our warehouse.

Milestone and WLANmall offers solutions for both small to medium businesses as well as large unlimited camera installations. Here are the different flavors:

Basis+ perfect for getting started
The Basis+ license is for smaller or trial deployments that will be limited to a single server up to 25 cameras. Features include:

Support for up to 25 cameras or video servers

Live view speed at 30+ FPS per device

Support for MegaPixel IP Video Cameras

Built In Video Motion Detection

Daily Archiving to Local Storage

Recordings up to 40GB per device per day

Intelligent PTZ control

Support for 1 Remote Client accessing recordings

Smart Client and Web Client

Motion/sequence search and Export to AVI/JPEG/WAV

Professional perfect for single location deployments
Professional is still a single server license but builds on the Basis+ package and adds features that you would need/want in a production environment. Features such as:

Archiving to a network drive, SAN or NAS

Simultaneous live view and playback

PTZ Patrolling and Scanning

Virtual Matrix

Support for 5 simultaneous remote clients

PDA or Mobile client for Windows enabled devices

Region Search during playback (find what happened in a certain portion of the screen)

Ability to export, password protect and encrypt multiple camera recordings at once.

Ability to include a standalone player in the export so that the authorities can have full video control when viewing your recordings back at the station

Enterprise Unlimited Cameras, Unlimited Locations
The Enterprise license is a unique because the the base server recording license can actually be deployed on an UNLIMITED number of servers without having to relicense! All you pay after deploying the server is for the camera licenses. This allows you to record and monitor an unlimited number of cameras in an unlimited number of locations all from one or more locations. New features in Enterprise include:

All the features included in Professional

Multi-Server, Multi-location License

Unlimited camera/device support

Hourly Archiving for a total of 960 GB of recordings per device per day

Support for an Unlimited number of Remote Clients

Corporate The Ultimate In Surveillance Management
Corporate has all the same features as Enterprise but with a greater focus on central management. It was created for extremely large deployments where control of the network starts to become difficult. Corporate enables a single user from a single location manage an unlimited number of recording servers, cameras and devices all from one location. Built on Microsoft's robust SQL Server it is developed from the ground up for performance and reliability.

A surveillance system can pay for itself in ONE incident. Do not wait any longer and call us today for a custom design and quote.

310-416-1200 or ronen@conticomp.com

Easy Buy SMB Video Bundles

2008-04-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

We have created some low cost SMB easy buy bundles to help you purchase everything you need to get up and running with IP video. If you need a more advanced software package, different cameras or a CUSTOM SOLUTION...CALL US and we will help at no extra charge to you!

4 Camera Milestone Xprotect Basis+ Bundle

4 Camera Wireless Megapixel Xprotect Basis+ Bundle!

6 Camera Milestone Xprotect Basis+ Bundle

9 Camera Milestone Xprotect Basis+ Bundle w/ PTZ!

Enterprise WiFi Functionality at an SMB Price!

2008-04-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Enterprise functionality, SMB Price

We are always on the lookout for an affordable, easy to use, secure indoor Wi-Fi system for the small to medium sized business. We have tested many centrally managed systems and all have their place in the market but none find themselves as well situated in the SMB space as Ruckus Wireless.

As far as we are concerned, Ruckus has one of the few real innovations in indoor wireless in many years. Some of which include:

BeamFlex High gain (7 dbi) Antenna array

Dynamic PSK Integrated, easy 802.1X

Integrated guest access with captive portal

Who should be using Ruckus ZoneFlex??

Anyone who is looking for easy, secure, reliable wi-fi and that doesn't have big money to spend IT staff and hardware really... but, there are great advantages to those in the following industries:

Small to Medium Businesses

Hotels/Motels/Resorts with limited IT Staff

Restaurants/Coffee Shops

Hot spot Operators

Retail stores and distribution facilities

What is BeamFlex Anyway?

The unique Beamflex antenna array system integrated into every ZoneFlex access point effectively increases the range and throughput of each AP by a significant factor. Ruckus does this by using a compact, software controlled antenna array that offers over 4000 unique antenna patterns. Expert system software in the form of intelligent signal path algorithms continuously learn and select the optimum antenna pattern for each communicating device in real time.

The Benefits of BeamFlex Technology

Network BeamFlex derives the maximum potential user throughput per antenna configuration relative to each known destination and maintains a database of best antenna patterns per destination. By steering Wi-Fi transmissions to high-quality signal paths, BeamFlex enables a Wi-Fi device to avoid multipath interference and to maximize and sustain its transmission speeds while minimizing transmission errors.

BeamFlex is inherently self-healing by dynamically configuring its "beam" every 10 milliseconds on a per-station and per-packet basis. BeamFlex effectively allows each ZoneFlex AP to deliver high gain directional Wi-Fi signals in 360º while minimizing noise to nearby networks, devices and other APs. BeamFlex enables remarkable improvements in signal gain and interference avoidance. A single ZoneFlex AP can realize up to 7 dBi in signal gain and 30 dB in interference mitigation.

How about Security?!
Today network security is one of the most talked about topics in the IT world. Well as most of you know the Wi-Fi security has been lacking but in the past couple of years great strides have been made with the introduction of WPA2 and 802.1X authentication. WPA2 is an encryption key that is placed on every one of your employees/clients machines that allows them access to your wireless LAN (WLAN). Well what happens when Joe decides to leave or you have to let Bobby go for poor performance? You will have to change your WPA2 key for the entire company and change it on every machine. This can take many precious hours that you limited IT people may not have. Well there is a solution.

802.1X was created for this particular reason. 802.1X essentially gives each one of your employees/clients a unique key. So when Bobby leaves you can simply delete his user profile and maintain the security of your wireless network. Traditionally this required a Radius server which is extremely expensive to set up and maintain and the cost was simply not justifiable.

Dynamic PSK
Well, Ruckus created what they have coined Dynamic PSK.Dynamic Pre-Shared Key (PSK) is a patentpending technology developed to provide robust and secure wireless access while eliminating the arduous task of manual configuration of end devices and the tedious management of encryption keys.

Dynamic PSK creates a unique 63-byte encryption key for each user upon accessing the wireless LAN for the first time and then automatically configures end devices with the requisite wireless settings (i.e. SSID and unique passphrase) without any manual intervention. Here's how it works:

Now when Joe decides to leave or you have to let Bobby go for poor performance you can simply delete their username and they no longer have access to your network! Its as simple as that. You can also integrate it with your windows active directory!

If you have any other questions feel free to give us a call anytime. Also call us with your applications and we will design and create a solution for you!

Click here for more info and pricing on Ruckus Solutions or CALL TODAY FOR A CUSTOM DESIGN! 310-416-1200

Who needs line of site? WIFI+ leading edge NLOS Antennas

2006-10-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

The world' s first MULTI-POLARIZED - MULTI-PATH Antenna with GEO-Spatial capture. This antenna is made for the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) use. This Antenna will pick up signals on ALL Polarizations. Mutli-Polarized means enhanced signal-to-noise performance. WiFi-Plus offers an antenna that will give you better data transfer with less packets dropped.

A radio wave travels through the air about the size of a pine needle. If the antenna is vertically polarized the pine needle must remain vertical, as sent. If the signal hits an obstruction the signal will flip or rotate into multiple positions as it gets to the receiving radio and be seen as noise. If you can capture that signal you have a superior antenna that is not prone to the obstructed world.

TDMoIP - The savings of VOIP without the cost

2006-10-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

TDM over IP (TDMoIP) is the emulation of time-division multiplexing (TDM) over a packet switched network (PSN). What does this mean in english? Well this basically means that TDM circuits such as T1, E1, T3 or E3 will be coded into IP in order to send those packets over a regular IP, MPLS or Ethernet network. This is ideal for Government, Education or enterprise clients who have a PBX or broadcast radio in multiple locations that need to be connected. TDMoIP is ideal for these situations because it eliminates the need for the costly recurring local loop fees. When combining wireless with TDMoIP you realize even greater savings becuase there is no need to trench and lay down new fiber to connect the locations via IP. With wireless bridges TDM circuits can be connected campus wide in days even hours, not months!

What is a Wireless Bridge Anyways? A Simple Guide to the Basics

2006-09-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

An easy to understand illustrated guide to the basic principles of wireless bridging and what you need to get up and running. Find out what your buddies mean when they say they are saving money or sharing internet access by using point to point or point to multipoint wireless bridging between two or more locations. Its easy, just take a look!

read more | digg story

SMC EliteConnect SMC2552W-G2/AG2 Released!

2006-08-31T11:41:00.000-07:00

New EliteConnect™ 802.11a/b/g and 802.11b/g Wireless Access Points ideal for the Enterprise

SMC® Networks (www.smc.com) announced today the newest, updated versions of the company’s EliteConnect™ Wireless Access Points. Meeting the Enterprise environment’s stringent requirements for security, range and performance, the newest EliteConnect Wireless Access Points now bring even more to the table. With the addition of QoS, WPA2, Multiple SSID, VLAN tagging, and Enterprise-level features like SNMP v3, the new SMC Enterprise Access Points are now an even better fit for any SMB or Enterprise Network. Available in April, the EliteConnect Universal Wireless Access Point (SMC2555W-AG2) with 802.11a/b/g connectivity is priced at an MSRP of $349.99; and the EliteConnect Wireless Access Point (SMC2552W-G2) with 802.11b/g is $299.99 (MSRP).

“Security, range and flexibility are key in the Enterprise environment, and these wireless access points have it all,” said SMC product manager Brian Nickell, “SMC’s continued commitment to Enterprise Wireless is shown by the new versions of access points with leading edge technology and features with the flexibility to maximize compatibility, bandwidth and/or range, as needed.”

Underscoring SMC’s commitment to making wireless connectivity truly practical for multiple applications, the newest EliteConnect Wireless Access Points add QoS for VoIP networks, SNMP v.3 for integration into Enterprise wired networks, and high power output to cover wider areas with fewer access points. Both access points also support PoE and comply with the 802.3af standard. Support for Power over Ethernet allows for simplified installation in areas where power isn’t available: used in combination with the company’s SMCPWR-INJ3 power injector, data and power are easily sent to the access point with a standard RJ-45 Ethernet cable. Supporting the most commonly-used of the major wireless networking standards, the SMC2552W-G2 EliteConnect Wireless Access Point provides flexible, secure, high-performance wireless access to satisfy the mobile computing needs of up to 64 simultaneous users; the SMC2555W-AG2 EliteConnect Universal Wireless Access Point enhances flexibility even further, adding 802.11a for the broadest range of compatibility—supporting all of today’s major wireless standards (802.11a, b and g).

Set-up and management are simplified via an easy-to-use Web interface, Command Line Interface (CLI), or SMC’s EliteView™ Management Software for SNMP-based management. Advanced authentication and encryption security features include the new WPA2, up to 152-bit WEP encryption, AES encryption, 802.1x authentication and dynamic key management, support for FUNK Odyssey and Microsoft RADIUS Server, MAC address authentication, disabled SSID broadcast, and VLANs support.

Senao NL-2511CB PLUS EXT2 Wireless Card

2006-08-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

The Senao NL-2511CD-PLUS-EXT2 (NL-2511CD+EXT2, NL-2511CD PLUS EXT2) wireless card bus adapter is a favorite of war driving, war walking wireless enthusiasts everywhere because of it high power, 200mw, and superior receiver sensitivity. The Senao NL-2511CD PLUS EXT2 has two MMCX external antenna connectors that allow you couple the high power radio with high gain antennas to find those far away networks. Of the two MMCX external antenna ports one is considered a primary port and the other is for diversity. Please note that the NL-2511CD+EXT2 does not have a built in antenna so the addition of at least one external antenna is a MUST. For war driving I recommend using two 5+ dbi mobile anteannas with magnetic mounts and MMCX connectors. Why use two? Using two allows you to take advantage of the diversity port on the NL-2511CD, which will give you better signal reception as well as allow youto find many more wireless networks along your route.

One good tip...
OK...So I got the card and I got the antenna but my reception is horrible?! Well if this is the case you most likely plugged the antenna into the diversity port by mistake. Here is how you locate the primary antenna port on the NL-2511CD PLUS EXT2.

When holding the card vertical with the antenna ports pointing away from you and with the purple and white lable facing up the primary port will be on the LEFT. So in the photo above the antenna is actually in the diversity port and not the primary port (asthetics, sorry).

With the antenna in the right place you should see significant gains in wireless reception.

SMC EliteConnect Wireless Solutions

2006-07-31T19:11:00.000-07:00

WLANmall.com has just partnered up with SMC networks to bring you high quality, low cost wireless ehternet bridges, wireless access points, hotspot gateways and accessories at extremeley competitive prices.

The SMC Networks SMCWHSG44-G hotspot gateway is a plug and play solution for anyone looking to set up a wireless hotspot in a hurry. The SMCWHSG44-G is perfect for small coffee shops that would like to offer Wi-Fi to their customers in order to bring in a more steady clientel or Hotels who need to offer Wi-Fi to their clients in order to compete. The SMCWHSG44-G comes with 5 ethernet ports that can be used in either a LAN or WAN capacity and one 802.11b/g radio with a 2dbi dipole "rubber duck" antenna. The antenna can be removed to accomadate a wide variety of high gain directional antennas and omnidirectional antennas. The SMCHSG44-G is not only a broadband router/Firewall/Wireless AP but performs user authentication and accounting as well to become a complete hotspot solution.

You can find more info on the SMC SMCWHSG44-G at WLANmall.com.

Low Cost Point to Point and Point to MultiPoint Wireless bridging with Inscape Data

2006-07-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

Inscape Data one of the leading manufacturers of wireless and wired security systems has also developed a low cost, high power and long range line of 2.4GHz wireless ethernet bridges. The AirEther (tm) family of Weatherproof Outdoor Wireless Bridges are ideal for many applications including but not limited to:

Building to building
School and Corporate Campuses
Sharing a single internet connection with multipe remote sites
Airport Access and security
Marinas
boats
Stadiums
Convention Centers

Inscpae Data's new 1W (30 dbm) base station bridge, AB54E, is one of the lowest cost high power wireless ethernet bridges on the market today. The AB54E is contructed with an IP68 certified weatherproof enclosure and has an N-type connector to fit a wide range of high gain wifi antennas.

The AB54 is another one of Inscape's high power, low cost bridges. The AB54 boasts a built in high power 12 dbi panel antenna, IP67 certified weatherproof outdoor enclosure and 21 dbm 802.11b/g radio. Put two of these together and you get a perfect point to point kit for short range applications.

Inscape has several different versions of client premise equipment. These are perfect for your school or enterprise campus point to multipoint applications or for Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP) looking for a low cost CPE to round our their offering. The three versions currently available are:

CB54 which has a built in 12 dbi panel antenna, 21 dbm 802.11b/g radio and and IP67 certified enclosure.
CB54E has an IP67 certified outdoor enclosure, N-type femal connector and a 21 dbm 802.11b/g radio. This is great for buildings farther than 3 or 4 miles that require a higher gain antenna to have a stable connection.
CB5418 which has the same radio as the CB54 and CB54E but includes a high gain integrated 18 dbi panel antenna.

You can find more complete information and even purchase this solutoin at http://www.wlanmall.com/inscape-data-m-25.html.

WLANmall.com Released! - Wireless Bridges, Routers, Access Points and More!

2006-07-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

They are the newest catch phrases in the industry: WiMax. Seamless Mobility. Wireless Broadband. Voice over IP over Wireless. Never before have network planners, or service providers seen such a disruptive, yet promising technology. Soon, cellular phone calls will be able to hop off of a mobile service provider on to the wireless enterprise network and save thousands of dollars in cell phone charges. Mobile clients will be able to work anywhere. And service providers will be able to offer Gigabit Ethernet speeds without have to lay a foot of fiber. To stay in the forefront of offering competitive wireless solutions at competitive prices, Continental Computers is now proud to announce the WLAN Mall. At www.wlanmall.com, you’ll be able to find hundreds of products and solutions to help you with your wireless network implementation. Whether you’re an enterprise connecting mobile devices to a wireless LAN or bridging one building to another or a service provider looking for cost-effective solutions for offering wireless service, WLAN Mall has it all. Visit our site for bridges, access points, antennas and more. With new vendors and planning tools being added on a regular basis, you can count on the WLAN Mall and our experienced staff to help you with all of your wireless connectivity needs.

Wireless Bridge
Wireless Access Points
Wireless Autonomous Access Points
Wireless Lightweight Access Points (LWAPP)
Wireless Mesh Access Points
2.4 GHz Directional Wireless Antennas
2.4 GHz OmniDirectional Wireless Antennas
5 GHz Directional Wireless Antennas
5 GHz OmniDirectional Wireless Antennas
T1/E1 MUX - TDM over Wireless - Extend your T1s and E1's for much less
Wireless LAN Controllers for LWAPP Access Points