EtherWAN Systems - Experts & Thought Leaders

EtherWAN’s EX78000 Series PoE switches were employed for a subway infrastructure project A massive transportation system in the United States moves millions of passengers daily across its almost 500 stations. With safety as a priority, passengers must have access to up-to-the-minute information, as well as be able to instantly report emergencies. After more than a century of operation, a major metropolitan subway recently found itself using an antiquated system for the reporting of emergencies and information requests. This passenger-help system was troublesome to scale, and required frequent repairs. The city authorities kicked off an initiative to improve this system by collaborating with various vendors to develop the best solution – an integrated IP-based kiosk featuring high-quality voice communications, straightforward deployment, centralized management, supreme scalability, and the robust network performance needed in a public safety solution. Migrating To IP-Based Kiosks To provide a better passenger experience, the system integrator planned to Power issues: The new system involved many connected network devices such as PoE (Power Over Ethernet) wireless access points and PoE IP cameras, and all of these devices required reliable power. Logistics issues: The networked devices had to be installed inside the kiosk unit, with specific dimensions adapted to subway station architectures. Bandwidth issues: The networked devices had to have the necessary bandwidth to deliver voice, data, and video over IP transmission. Maintenance and durability issues: A key issue was the need to contain operating costs through minimised repair and maintenance requirements for equipment. Deployment spaces in subway tunnels and platforms place harsh physical demands on installed equipment. Underground tunnels are usually damp, and there is often water dripping on platforms. Installed equipment must be able to handle the urban climatic swings between severe cold and heat. Furthermore, there is a constant amount of electrostatic discharge and electromagnetic interference in subway stations. EtherWAN EX78000 Series PoE Switches EtherWAN’s hardened EX78000 Series PoE switches were employed for this extensive subway infrastructure project, supplying ample power for wireless access points and surveillance cameras directly through LAN cables. Since there was limited space in the installation areas, EtherWAN offered a customized mechanical design in regards to the physical dimensions and connector placement. The resulting PoE switches fit perfectly inside the new information kiosks. IP-Based Interactive Kiosks Reliable Power over Ethernet: The EX78000 hardened managed Ethernet switch provides 8 ports of 30W PoE per port with IEEE802.3at standard, delivered over Ethernet cables. Efficient Network Management: Network management functions help facilitate data communications efficiently and securely, while reducing maintenance hassles. EtherWAN’s Alpha-Ring self-healing ring technology provides a recovery time of less than 15ms after a fault, ensuring non-stop transmission and minimizing packet loss. Network engineers can access management features such as port security, IGMP snooping, port-based VLAN, GARP protocols and link aggregation, via web browser, Telnet, SSH, SNMP, RMON, TFTP, and RS-232 console interfaces. For quick maintenance, an external storage device is available for switch configuration backup and restoration. No moving parts, extended lifespan: EtherWAN’s EX78000 series hardened Ethernet switches are constructed from durable materials, and undergo environmental testing from -40°C to 85°C. The fanless and ruggedized housing provides extra durability against shock and vibration. The switches are also compliant with EN 55022 for high immunity from electrical interference, an important factor in rail environments. Optimized mechanical design: EtherWAN provided customized dimensions and mounting methods to make switch installation compatible with the subway’s unique structure. As a result, 1900 IP-based interactive kiosks were installed and are now successfully serving innumerable passengers throughout subway stations all across the city. Whenever a passenger wants particular information, or needs to report an emergency, he/she can approach one of the kiosks and talk to a subway representative with just the click of a button. With video, voice, and passenger information all communicated as part of a connected solution, passengers reap the benefits of improved punctuality and safety. Related Products EX78000 Series, Managed Hardened 8-port 10/100BASE PoE and 2-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch EX76000 Series, Managed Hardened 16-port 10/100BASE PoE and 2-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch EX78900 Series, Managed Hardened 16-port Gigabit (8 PoE) Ethernet Switch Save Save

Ethernet switches are often overlooked andsometimes deemed a cheap connectivity pointwith little to no importance The Ethernet switch is a critical link between cameras, network video recorders (NVRs) and computers that need access to video feeds. The Ethernet switch not only provides the data connectivity but often the power to the IP cameras via Power over Ethernet (PoE). Ethernet switches are the fundamental backbone of a Local Area Network (LAN) and the critical connectivity point for everything that needs to communicate. Computers, laptops, printers, IP cameras, NVRs, IP phone systems (VoIP), WiFi, building infrastructure and access control systems now reside on the LAN. None of these systems could communicate without Ethernet switches providing the connectivity. Cheap Switches Invite Chaos Unfortunately, according to Mark Prowten, vice president of Sales and Marketing at EtherWan Systems Inc., Anaheim, California, for the security industry and more specifically for IP surveillance systems, the Ethernet switch is often overlooked and sometimes deemed a cheap connectivity point with little to no importance. Seeking to lower costs, many security installers look for the cheapest components. This usually results in a system that doesn’t function correctly or reliably, he says. “Security installers using cheap or low-cost unmanaged switches find themselves continually going back to job sites trying to figure out why some cameras are working while others are not,” Prowten says. “With no method to troubleshoot, they start swapping out components, usually replacing one cheap switch with another assuming it is faulty. Typically, the switch is not faulty although it may appear to be on the surface. In many cases it was not specified properly and does not provide the capabilities needed for the system to function correctly.” The Role Of PoE PoE, according to Prowten, is a key element in making IP surveillance systems easy to install since both power and data run on a single Ethernet cable. “Cheap or low-cost switches typically do not provide the switching bandwidth performance and/or enough PoE capacity to power all the cameras reliably. Low-cost switches are usually unmanaged, meaning there is no option to log into the switch to troubleshoot connectivity or PoE power issues.” "Cheap or low-cost switches typically do not provide the switching bandwidth performance and/or enough PoE capacity to power all the cameras reliably," says Mark Prowten, VP of Sales and Marketing at EtherWan Systems EtherWAN recommends that integrators do the math, he says. “What we mean is to look at the maximum power demand for each camera, add up installed power demand and add 20 percent. Take this total power requirement and make sure to install an Ethernet switch with at least this amount of power. It is a good practice to budget for additional cameras to be added in the future as well.” Here’s An Example: 8 camera systems with NVR and uplink to the network backbone would require a 10 port Ethernet switch – typically eight 10/100 Ethernet PoE ports to power the cameras, one Gigabit port for NVR connection and one Gigabit port for network uplink. Camera draw @ 12W each x 8 cameras = 96W + 20% overage (96W x .2) or 19.2W, (96W + 19.2W) = 115.2W total minimum PoE budget recommended. For this system, an Ethernet switch with at least 115.2W PoE power and 10 ports is needed. If there is the possibility for additional cameras or devices in the future, additional ports and PoE power would be needed. Accurate Specifications For Reliable Installation Prowten says professionals managing a campus or large facility with hundreds of network devices need a properly designed specification with quality Ethernet switches that can meet the data demands of the environment and expected bandwidth requirements to ensure reliable network communications. “Using quality products that meet or exceed application requirements results in systems that are reliable from the start,” he says. “This translates into less installation, configuration and troubleshooting during the initial installation, resulting in increased bottom-line profitability. By designing and installing the network correctly with quality products, you also minimize or eliminate repeated visits to the customer site for troubleshooting. This increases the bottom line by minimizing follow-up costs. More importantly, you have a satisfied customer who is much more likely to refer the dealer/integrator for other potential opportunities,” Prowten adds.