IP Cameras For Schools, Universites, Nurseries

School safety has become a hot topic for parents, teachers and administrators. Securing schools with video monitoring equipment is the first step in making sure children are safe. Nurseries, daycare centers, primary schools, high schools and even universities can increase their security through the use of state-of-the-art IP cameras.

Nursery and Day Care Security

Nothing is more important to parents than the safety of their small children. It can be difficult for a parent to leave his or her infant in the care of a new facility. IP cameras can help to reassure parents of the safety at a potential nursery or daycare center. Many daycare centers can even offer online streaming video for parents. This is a great way for nursery centers and playschools to boost enrollment. Parents are likely to choose a daycare with online streaming video capabilities to help ease their minds. This is often the first time a parent will be separated from his or her child for any length of time.

Primary School

With recent school shootings in the news, security is becoming an important topic for administrators, educators and especially parents. IP cameras don’t just record video surveillance. They also serve as powerful deterrents to potential criminals. Even though threats can occur at any education level, primary school teachers and administrators may not take as many precautions as educators in more dangerous high schools. In the event of a crime, footage can be reviewed immediately to determine the identity of the perpetrator.

Secondary and High School Safety

Most high schools and some middle schools now have dedicated patrol officers. In addition, some urban schools have even instituted metal detectors to screen for weapons. Unfortunately, students are still attempting to smuggle in contraband. Drug use is also becoming a huge problem. A state-of-the-art video monitoring system can help administrators and teachers keep an eye on students. IP cameras can be setup in hallways, classrooms and gymnasiums. A video surveillance system can also help to cut down on dangerous bullying. Students will be held accountable for their actions. A watchful eye can help students and teachers feel much safer.

Security in Universities and Colleges

Some university and college campuses are so large that they actually have their own law enforcement agencies. Unfortunately, they may not have the budgets to keep officers on staff around the clock. IP cameras can help to keep these large campuses safe. Even the smaller campuses of private colleges can benefit from an advanced video monitoring system. Video surveillance can also help to reduce the number of sexual assaults on campuses. Video cameras in parking lots and garages can also help cut down on drunk driving. Public safety officers can do their jobs more efficiently with the help of IP cameras. Universities can be kept much safer for students, professors, researchers and administrators with the help of a video monitoring system.

Protecting Expensive Educational Equipment

At the end of the day, the first priority in any educational institution is protecting the students and staff members. Many people forget that expensive equipment needs to be protected too. Computer laboratories can house thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Audio visual rooms may be easy marks for thieves. In addition, university science laboratories often have incredibly expensive machinery and tools. IP cameras can help to keep students, staff and educational equipment safe and secure.

IP Cameras For Hospitals and Medical Centers

The safety of doctors, nurses, medical assistants and patients depends upon the security of a hospital or health care facility. In addition, health care facilities often have incredibly expensive equipment and dangerous controlled substances to protect. Patient safety and health may depend upon the security of these items.

Hospital Security

Hospital security is a top priority for administrators. Doctors in high-pressure situations need to focus on treating their patients. They last thing they need to worry about is their own personal safety. Many large hospitals are open 24 hours a day. Night time security is especially important for doctors and nurses who are working the graveyard shift. Special attention should be given to parking lots and garages.

IP cameras can help to keep hospital areas safe and secure 24 hours a day. In addition, hospital administrators know the importance of keeping tight security in birthing areas. Unfortunately, patient abduction is something that doctors and nurses need to worry about with newborn babies around. A state-of-the-art video surveillance system can help to protect vulnerable newborns.

Dental Offices

Dental offices do not usually keep the same hours as large hospitals. Many of these offices are family owned and operated. They may even be closed on the weekends. Installing IP cameras can help to keep dental offices secure during vulnerable evening and weekend hours. These offices also house expensive equipment, chairs and tools.

In addition, they also have controlled substances and prescription drugs. Some criminals actually target dental offices. Employee theft is not uncommon either. A video surveillance system can help to secure all sensitive areas in a dental office.

General Practice and Specialty Offices

General practice offices are typically run like small businesses. They aren’t like large hospitals with security departments and patrol officers. They shouldn’t have to compromise on security though. A cost-effective solution for general practice and specialty office security is a video monitoring system. Some specialty offices may even have millions of dollars worth of equipment and tools to keep safe.

In addition, patient safety is often a top priority for doctors and administrators. The safety of vulnerable patients can also be enhanced with video monitoring. IP cameras can provide a minimally invasive way to keep track of at-risk patients in certain facilities.

Urgent Care Centers

Urgent care centers often operate very late hours as well. Doctors, nurses and patients need the added safety and security of an advanced video monitoring system. This can help to keep employees safe when they are going to their cars after long shifts. In addition, urgent care centers also keep expensive equipment and controlled substances like larger hospitals.

They need the benefit of video playback in the event of a theft. These camera systems also allow managers and administrators to keep an eye on interns and residents. Remote observation also allows managers to staff according to current patient volume.

Safety and Security of Medical Equipment and Medications

There is no reason why any hospital, general practice office, specialty office, surgical center or dental office should go without video surveillance. This affordable solution can help to protect expensive medical equipment and medications. Even when hospitals are insured, a theft of equipment or life-saving drugs can bring necessary treatments and procedures to a halt.

IP cameras are the perfect cost-effective solution for protecting employees, patients and expensive assets in any health care facility.

Surveillance using IP Cameras

There are many valuable things that need to be protected. Things like places of business, homes, pets and children need to be kept safe. Keeping an eye on these things via surveillance cameras may be a smart thing to do.

Most people think of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras when they hear the word surveillance. However, analog CCTV cameras are not the only surveillance solution. Increasingly, people are turning to Internet Protocol (IP) cameras for their security needs. IP cameras are able to send and receive data via computer networks and the internet.

IP cameras offer many potential advantages over CCTV cameras. One of the most important advantages of an IP camera is the ability to monitor a camera's feed from any internet connection and from smartphones and other wireless devices. The ability to monitor a camera remotely means home and business owners can potentially know what's going on at all times. IP cameras may be the perfect security solution for business and home owners.

D-Link offers a variety of IP surveillance cameras to meet whatever unique security needs you might have. D-Link has cameras that can capture high quality video even in very low light conditions such as the DCS-7513. D-Link has cameras suited to indoor or outdoor use. Some of D-Link's cameras support the Power over Ethernet (PoE) standard which makes it possible for an electrical current to be delivered over an Ethernet cable.

This makes it possible to place cameras in locations that might be far away from power supplies. Most of the cameras offered by D-Link can be monitored remotely. The mydlink Cloud Service gives the user the ability to monitor a camera's feed from iPad, iPhone or Android devices. Dynamic DNS gives the ability to view the camera's feed from any internet connection in the world. These are just a few of the features that D-Link IP cameras have that you can use to keep your home or place of business safe.

A little bit of peace of mind is a wonderful thing to have. An IP surveillance camera can give you peace of mind knowing that there is a watchful eye that will never blink on all of the things that matter to you like your home, your place of business, your children or your pets. With the wide selection of IP cameras available from D-Link, you're bound to find a camera to suit your unique security needs.

What are IP Cameras?

What is an IP camera? It's a digital video camera that can receive data over a computer network and the internet. There is a wide range of cameras available that are suited to different environments and situations. IP cameras provide many advantages. Video feeds are remotely accessible via mobile phones or computers from anywhere in the world. IP cameras are capable of capturing images in multi-megapixel resolution and HD quality. They can operate independent of a separate power supply by using Power over Ethernet (PoE) which is a system that allows electricity to travel through an ethernet cable. Who might have use for an IP camera?

Homeowners, business owners,and landlords are just a few of the types of people that might have use for IP cameras. The home is a person's most important investment and a homeowner cannot keep an eye on their property at all times. An IP camera can provide evidence should the home be burglarized or vandalized or can act as a deterrent to a would be criminal.

A business owner may want to make sure that his or her employees are staying on task and guard against employee theft. A landlord might employ an IP camera to keep the property that he manages secure. A stable or ranch owner might want to be able to monitor the health and safety of his or her animals remotely. Parents may want to make sure their children make it home safely while they are at work. These are some of the practical uses for IP cameras. Y-Cam and D-Link are two companies that offer IP surveillance solutions.

Y-Cam offers cameras suited to both outdoor and indoor use. The Y-Cam Bullet for example is a camera that is fully weatherproofed and capable of recording in the brightness of day and very low light conditions. It's capable of sending a snapshot via e-mail if motion is detected. It's simple to install for the average person who doesn't necessarily have a technical background.

The Y-Cam White SD on the other hand is more suited for indoor use. It has much the same capabilities as the Bullet and can even be adapted for outdoor use with a Y-Cam Shell. Y-Cam MultiLive software for Windows provides an easy way to monitor up to 36 cameras. These are just a few of the products available from Y-Cam to meet the unique needs of a diverse range of clientele.

D-Link offers a wide range of IP surveillance equipment suited to business environments like offices, stores and warehouses. Cameras come in different form factors like box cameras, bullet cameras and dome cameras. Pan, Tilt and Zoom (PTZ) cameras are available which are ideal for situations where an object or person needs to be tracked. Rugged outdoor cameras operate perfectly even in less than ideal lighting conditions.

Cameras with features such as HD recording, integrated 2-way sound capabilities and remote control are offered. Multiple video formats are supported such as H.264 and MPEG-4 which reduce storage requirements without sacrificing image quality. Customers seeking surveillance solutions to help secure their business interests might very well find their needs met with an IP surveillance solution from D-Link.

The IP camera might just be the perfect solution for average people looking to protect what's important to them like their business or their children. A solution well suited to whatever a person's unique needs might be could be found among the plethora of IP surveillance products offered by Y-Cam or D-Link.

Security and Storage in IP Networks

Security in IP networks

There are many threats to the security of modern business networks. More and more workers are working remotely and businesses are utilising social media for marketing their products and services. Telecommuting and social media can be great for productivity and increasing profits but they can make networks more vulnerable. Hackers can gain unauthorised access to a network and can steal sensitive customer information for the purposes of identity theft or they can steal proprietary information.

A worm or virus might spread on a network and cause costly downtime for mission critical systems. A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack can knock a company's website offline and maybe cost thousands of dollars in lost sales. Strong protection against these security threats is vitally important for keeping sensitive information safe and for keeping a business network up and running.

The networking products like routers and network switches offered by D-Link have strong and effective security built into them. Unified service routers from D-Link such as the DSR-1000N have Professional Intrusion Prevention (IPS) built-in to protect a network from zero-day attacks. Automatic security updates from a comprehensive IPS signature database help to protect a network from the latest vulnerabilities.

Network switches such as the DSG-1500-20 have D-Link's SafeGuard Engine. The SafeGuard Engine protects the switch from traffic flooding attacks caused by some viruses. Access to the network can be controlled by IP address or MAC address. Switches also have protection against ARP spoofing which can allow a hacker to intercept traffic on a network. D-Link's networking products not only keep a network running efficiently, they have what is necessary to keep that network safe and secure from a world of threats that can bring your business to a grinding halt and cost thousands of dollars.

There is no doubt that it can be a very dangerous world out there for business IP networks. It just is not enough for a network to run efficiently. You cannot afford to play it fast and loose when it comes to network security. Hackers and other nefarious types are finding new vulnerabilities in networks that they can exploit all the time. Viruses, worms, Distributed Denial of Service (DdoS) attacks and ARP spoofing attacks are waiting to wreak all manner of expensive havoc on your IP network. D-Link's networking products, with their strong built-in security can help shield your business IP network from a whole world of threats.

Storage in IP networks

Businesses produce a lot of data and it gets stored in a lot of different places such as disk arrays, tape libraries and optical jukeboxes. Data is no good to a business if it cannot be easily accessed. It needs to be accessible over a local network and over the internet and even on mobile devices. Storage Area Networks (SAN) accessed over IP networks allow data stored in many places to be viewed as if it is on a storage device attached locally to a work station.

This access is made possible without special cabling and uses the existing network infrastructure. Storage Area Networks (SANs) are designed for disaster recovery. They have built-in data replication to keep important data available even when a disk fails to minimize disruption of business operations. If data needs to be accessed easily and if it needs to be kept safe from disasters, IP storage solutions are necessary.

D-Link offers a variety of IP storage solutions for business and home users. Network storage enclosures, SAN arrays and Network Video Recorders are available to help meet the unique storage needs of your business. Network storage enclosures allow the sharing of documents, videos, photos and other files across an intranet or over the internet. Files can be accessed from iPad, iPhone and Android devices with the mydlink Access-NAS app.

Users can configure the hard disk drives to suit their needs. SAN arrays from D-Link provide network storage for both small and large size businesses. D-Link probably has a SAN array with just the right amount of storage for your business. Network Video Recorders from D-Link provide storage for video footage captured by IP cameras and can also be used to manage IP cameras. These are just a few of the IP storage solutions offered by D-Link that can make your data accessible from anywhere and provide redundancy in the event of disk failures.

Easy access to data both from inside a local network and from the internet is often vital to the operations of businesses. Sometimes disks fail and important data can be lost which interrupts business operations and costs money. Data that is vital to your company's mission needs protection to prevent or minimize the harm done by disasters. If your business needs easy access to important files from anywhere and redundancy to protect important data, D-Link may have the perfect IP storage solution for you. 

Edimax product range

Personal safety and security are essential in any home or business. Thanks to the latest technological advances, consumers now have a wide range of options when it comes to protecting their properties or business premises. Edimax's product range includes:

Network Cameras

Gone are the days when analog CCTV cameras were the only option to protect one's property. Network surveillance cameras (also known as IP cameras) have largely replaced analog systems, and their popularity continues to grow as these offer great benefits. One of the advantages offered by network cameras is the fact that they allow owners to remotely access video footage, so there is no need to be physically present in the premises that need to be surveilled. Image quality and resolution are also much clearer with network cameras. Audio recording can also be easily incorporated into surveillance systems that use network cameras without the need to have additional cabling. And lastly, network surveillance cameras are generally cheaper to install and to maintain than traditional surveillance systems.

The Edimax PT-31W camera is a pan and tilt network camera that offers round-the-clock surveillance and monitoring. The main advantages of this camera are that it can monitor large areas (as it can pan and tilt at 350 and 120 degrees in each case), and that images are automatically compressed so that storage does not become an issue.

Box network cameras, like the Edimax NC-213E, are ideal to keep large properties under surveillance, as they can simultaneously provide high resolution recording and live streaming. This camera can record clear images both during the day and at night, and facilitates communication with the premises being monitored thanks to its 2-way audio support system, which allows you to send and receive audio messages.

Small business that require outdoor surveillance solutions can benefit from installing the IR-113E bullet camera, which can provide top-of-the-range monitoring solutions outdoors as it is fitted with a waterproof protective housing.

Edimax's ND-233E is a dome camera that provides cost-effective solutions where space is at a premium. This camera is designed to be unobtrusive and its three-axis design means that the ND-233E is also highly discreet.

Network Camera Software

The EdiView Finder software has been created to help you get the most of an Edimax network camera. This no-fuss software package can be easily installed, allowing multi-channel viewing of images and simultaneous live and recorded monitoring.

Motion-JPEG IP Cameras

The main advantage of motion-JPEG network cameras is that they convert every video frame into .jpeg files (digital pictures), that are automatically sent to the owner's e-mail address when suspicious activity is detected. Edimax's range of motion-JPEG cameras includes devices that feature video-clip recording, video conferencing, and 2-way audio systems.

Edimax also has a range of triple mode motion-JPEG cameras, which can record images in 3 formats (H.264, M-JPEG, and MPEG-4), therefore making it easier to obtain the highest image quality depending on the network settings in place. Another advantage of these cameras is that they continue to record and store video footage even in the event of an Internet network interruption.

Edimax's triple motion cameras come equipped with a multi-channel viewer so that owners can have access to up to 16 different cameras from any computer or mobile device (including iPhones and Android-based smartphones). Triple motion-JPEG cameras are available in Wi-Fi and Ethernet versions. Ethernet models are suitable in cases where mobility is not an essential element, although they provide the same image definition standards offered by Wi-Fi triple motion IP ameras.

PoE cameras transmit both electrical power and network signal through a single cable, reducing the risk of electrical fires, providing extremely fast image transmission, and being easy to set-up. Lastly, DDNS-free outdoor IP cameras go a step further in facilitating set-up, as there is no need to configure any additional equipment when installing them. Edimax's DDNS-free cameras also feature night vision settings, access from a number of mobile 3G devices, and automatic e-mail notifications when suspicious activity is detected.

Wireless IP Networks at home and for business

Many people underestimate the impact that the Internet has had on modern life. Whether it’s communicating with friends, checking a bank balance or doing a spot of shopping, most of us have benefited from the way the Internet has completely transformed day-to-day activities. Wireless networks have played a large part in this technology revolution, and now anyone with a wireless enabled computer, smartphone, tablet or even television can connect to the web. Wireless networks are an effective and practical solution in the home or office, and they can be created with any broadband connection.

Wireless Networks in the Home

A typical household is full of electronic devices which are capable of connecting to the Internet. Wired Internet is simply not an effective solution for connecting multiple devices in different rooms of the house, and a wireless router is the most practical and efficient way to enable different devices to share the same Internet connection. Games consoles, desktop computers and mobile tablets can all easily connect to one wireless network wherever they are in the home. With a D-Link wireless router, any broadband connection can be turned into a wireless network in a matter of minutes so that different users can share the same Internet connection across different devices and platforms. Wireless networks are stable and capable of managing network intensive operations, like high definition movie streaming.

Many D-Link home routers have SmartBeam technology which significantly boosts the performance of a wireless network. Using multi-directional antennas, D-Link routers are able to track and fix onto devices wherever they are. This means that when a user moves from room to room their internet connection won’t be interrupted. Even in a large household, every corner of the house will be covered with a wireless signal. D-Link routers also have built-in intelligent prioritisation. This unique feature automatically balances the network load so one user can't completely 'hog' the Internet connection and slow it down for other users. As long as the broadband connection is fast enough, one user in the house can wirelessly download a song while another watches a high definition video stream.

Wireless Networks for Business

Wireless networks are a valuable resource for small office and home office (SOHO) users. D-link routers can easily support multiple users so a small business with a dozen computers or other devices can all use the same Internet connection. Some D-link routers have been designed with small businesses in mind, and the added features can greatly benefit busy, on-the-go employees. The Pocket Cloud, for example, is a small, handheld router which can easily be carried around, making it perfect for travel. The Pocket Cloud can create a private network without Internet access so users can share and connect to each other's devices and files no matter where they are.

Wireless Security

The issue of security is a valid concern when using wireless networks, but D-Link routers have built-in firewall and encryption options which users can easily setup and configure. By enabling sharing options, users can share and access files over a network. This has WPA/WPS 128-bit encryption, so all businesses can be assured that their wireless network is completely secure. Users can also restrict who is able to connect to their network and what files they are permitted to access files. Also, home D-Link routers come with software to monitor and restrict what websites can be accessed.

Home and SoHo users of small networks, routers, and IP cameras

Computers are a big part of our lives, whether we use them for work or just to have fun. In both scenarios, thanks to the rapid evolution of technology, we’re most likely to need our computers connected to various other devices or just with each other, in various network configurations; here’s where D-Link comes into play.

D-Link is one of the most renowned network equipment manufacturers on the market, best known for their highly-efficient and easy to set up devices. How easy you might ask? Easy enough to be done even by someone with no knowledge in the field.

Let’s take the Cloud Gigabit N600 Router for example, a router so easy to configure that you don’t even need to turn on your PC to do it; you just plug it in, find the Quick Router Setup Mobile App on your Android or iOS-powered phone and you follow the on-screen instructions – easy as that.

Once configured, the Cloud Gigabit N600 Router will definitely impress you with its hard-to-match performance obtained due to its SmartBeam technology that uses 6 antennas to provide maximum wireless coverage. (To get an idea of just how awesome this technology is, think about the fact that most routers only have one or two antennas).

Another aspect that makes the Cloud Gigabit N600 Router stand out is the mydlink Cloud Services it comes with, a pack of features that allows you to connect to the router and monitor the network activity from anywhere – the perfect solution if you want to check out on your kids at home or on your employees at work.

The D-Link DIR-506L Pocket Cloud Router is the ideal solution if you are on your way to a business meeting and need a solid Internet connection. Coming with a hotspot function that allows you to easily share your Internet connection with your business partners, the Pocket Cloud Router is your ace in the sleeve.

A rare feature is the USB-sharing option, allowing you to plug your USB thumb drive into the USB port on the router and share the contents of it with your partners. They will definitely appreciate the way you handle things.

You’re not always on the move, so for the times when you’re in your office and need to share something with your colleagues, the D-Link DNS-320L ShareCenter network storage solution is the way to do it. The device consists of a spacious 2 TB hard drive and connects your network, allowing quick and easy access to the data from every device on the network. The DNS-320L is also a good pick for backup purpose, the unit being capable of performing scheduled backups and can even do USB thumb-drive backups at the touch of a button.

Complete the menu with a network camera such as the D-Link DCS-932L – a camera that can be connected to your home or office network, allowing you to keep an eye on things regardless of your location. Again, the best part is that you don’t even need a PC or laptop to do this, as the camera also features the mydlink Cloud Services, granting you full control right from your smartphone.

As you can see, setting things in motion is easy, whether you need to set up a home network, an office network or even an ad-hoc network when you’re on the move. It really doesn’t get simpler than this.