So I would first like to apologize for being out of the loop for what feels like eternity. We have been busy pushing out our new website, I was out at the Milestone MIPS '09 for a week and of course there were other less interesting things going on as well. So glad to be back and I hope you are all well!
I want to show you a trick to"wireless-ify" any IP camera you currently own or can commercially purchase. I am going to give away some simple secrets here so listen up.
There are many ways to do this so I will show you the top 3. Please refer to this legend as you look through the diagrams.
1. This is the simplest and probably most widely used to wireless-ify 1 camera
Camera --> Crossover Cable --> Wireless Client
First connect the outdoor ready POE camera and wireless device to the "power" port of their respective POE injectors via standard UV (outdoor) rated CAT 5 Ethernet cable (red lines). These two injectors are then connected together via a ETHERNET CROSSOVER CABLE (green line). This is a standard CAT5 cable with a "crossed over" pin out. For more information on crossover cables check this out. The crossover cable allows the devices to directly connect to each other and still pass data. This same technique is used when you directly connect two PCs together without a switch in between. Finally, the last step is to install the power injectors inside a small outdoor weatherproof enclosure and supply them with either AC or DC power.
2. Multiple camera wireless - Type I
Camera 1 to X--> Network Switch --> Access Point
This is practically the same set up as number 1 except we insert a switch into the diagram in place of the Ethernet crossover cable. This is a bit more cumbersome and requires a larger enclosure and more power but is definitely a viable option if you need multiple cameras out on one pole or for aggregating multiple indoor cameras.
3. Multiple camera wireless - Type II
Camera 1 to 3 --> Weatherproof Outdoor POE Switch -->Â Wireless Device
Here we have a ruggedized weatherproof 802.3af POE switch that is self powered by POE and sits on its own (no enclosure) instead of a standard switch in a enclosure. This allows the quick and elegant installation of POE devices at up to 600 feet away. We carry one of these weatherproof POE switches (shameless plug but haven't seen anyone else with these) aside from Inscape Data who makes a similar switch with variable POE voltage and a management interface.
See its as easy as 1, 2 or 3 to wireless-ify your IP cameras! I hope you find this helpful on your next project and as always please comment away!
-Ronen Isaac Continental Computers & WLANmall.com
