Requiring a network infrastructure upgrade to accommodate rapid growth, Pangborn Memorial Airport turned to D-Link to develop a stronger and more robust network to handle increased traffic. The East Wenatchee airport in Washington planned to upgrade equipment gradually, but a community partnership with the Sheriff’s office to conduct a full-scale mock “Active Shooter” training program at the airport prompted the need for a comprehensive installation.
Providing Full IP Surveillance
The airport required full network performance and IP surveillance coverage quickly, all within a very tight budget. The previous Cisco network gear was severely limited by 100 Mbps switching. Since the Cisco upgrade was too expensive, the airport began to explore a more affordable solution, and turned to technology reseller Firefly Technology for assistance.
“Although the Cisco gear had all the capabilities Pangborn needed, the cost was significantly higher – especially when you consider all the ongoing SMARTnet contracts to keep the firmware warranties and support active,” said Denton Meier, CEO and chairman, Firefly Technology. “With D-Link, all of the support and warranties are included for life. It just came down to price-per-performance. Pangborn realised they could get a lot more for their money and get everything installed more quickly with D-Link.”
D-Link Installation
The upgraded IP surveillance proved extremely helpful when the cameras captured high-quality footage of a vandalism incident |
Pangborn began purchasing and installing D-Link equipment in stages. After upgrading various parts of the airport’s network infrastructure, D-Link managed switches were installed at the core network. Followed by D-Link light-managed (Smart) switches on the periphery to support secure connections, faster speeds and enhanced performance. Part two of the project focussed on upgrading the surveillance capabilities using D-Link IP surveillance solutions. Premium 3 MP Full HD WDR IP Cameras (DCS-3716) were installed, along with cloud-enabled HD Outdoor IP Cameras (DCS-7010L) to monitor various areas of the airport and increase overall security.
“Once the maintenance team finished the wiring, the whole implementation only took a couple of days,” said Meier. “We installed all the cameras, configured them, integrated them with PoE and NVR software, and finished just in time for the shooter exercise.”
Enhanced Security And Performance
D-Link’s high-performance switches and IP surveillance set the stage for better security and faster network performance to support a more robust network and increased traffic. The upgraded IP surveillance proved extremely helpful when the cameras captured high-quality footage of a vandalism incident in progress. Additionally, the active shooter footage collected from the D-Link IP cameras was used to create a recap documentary for future emergency responder training purposes. This network implementation went so well, Pangborn Memorial Airport plans to expand their IP surveillance system with at least three more D-Link cameras, including the outdoor dome camera to quickly zoom onto the runway.
“The setup was very easy, and now Pangborn enjoys way more functionality and faster overall networking speed and support for their new services,” said Meier. “Furthermore, with proactive alerts, our company can do a lot of the airport’s network management remotely, which saves us time and helps keep the airport’s costs low.”
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