Network Video Recorder cum Network Switch

Network Video Recorder "Built-in" Network Switch 

The introduction of a Network Video Recorder (NVR) with a built in network switch confused a good portion of the professional market.  It very much seemed to be something that was geared towards catering to a side of the market that was completely unfamiliar with how an IP camera system is setup and installed.   Not a lot has changed since their original release dates.  Most installers still scratch their heads at the thought of using them, but the fact remains that there is an audience.  For those who aren't looking to educate/teach themselves the way of "proper IP installation," these simple to adapt to NVRs are very appealing.  Having said that, it's equally important to understand what you're getting yourself into with a built in switch.

Cost Comparison

There are two ways to look at cost, but we're going to start with your initial purchase for getting this system up and running.  There's no way to conceal the fact that purchasing an NVR with a built in switch is going to be cheaper.  A standard NVR purchased together with a dedicated PoE switch will probably cost you about 25% more than the alternative.  Because of the somewhat basic nature of network switches, you probably won't notice any difference in performance between the two options.  It really comes down to quality in this case, and you're just going to pay more money for the more proven brands; your built in switches are generally built by an unnamed Chinese manufacturer.

The other way to look at cost is to look towards the future.  Network switches are just as imperfect as everything else.  The most common occurrence is that a network port burns out and is no longer able to be used.  If your warranty has expired, you're now in a position where you're going to need to start spending money to get to a solution.  Depending on how much that damaged switch effects your system, you're left with a couple options.  In the case of a dedicated switch, you can replace the switch entirely or you can purchase another smaller switch as an add-on to make up for malfunctioning port(s).  These can be purchased for as little as $50.  An NVR with a built in switch is not going to have such an easy time.  You can try using a dedicated switch as an add-on, but you're now just setting up your system via the alternate method.  If you still have a demand for the same type of "camera hardwired to NVR" setup and your NVR is out of warranty, you'll now find yourself needing to replace the entire NVR instead of the much cheaper network switch.P

Cable Runs

A built in switch is going to require that you run your cable the same way you would with an analog system.  In this scenario, you're going to be running a cable for each camera all the way back to the NVR to create your hardwired connection. Your cable length is limited, in this case, to the standard 328 feet.

A dedicated switch can potentially have some major advantages here. Thinking that a dedicated switch needs to be placed anywhere near your NVR or router would be a mistake.  It makes the most sense to place your switch as close to the biggest cluster of cameras as possible.  This can make for a lot of short cable runs from IP cameras to switch.  From there, it's just a matter of running a single cable from that switch back to your router.  The end result is that you simultaneously put all of your IP cameras on your network by running that one cable.

This is a rough example of what an installation might look like with a dedicated switch.  Of course your own personal hardware situation might be different, but you should get the concept we're going for.  Installing your IP camera system like this will also double the potential distance you can run your cable.  In addition to your cable length being able to be run as far as 328 feet from cameras to switch, you can also run up to another 328 feet from switch to router.  You can revert back to cost as much as you want, but a dedicated switch is going to give you more capabilities and versatility for your money than a built in PoE switch will.

Reliability

This is mostly a matter of opinion and how much you trust individual manufacturers to begin with.  Dedicated switches are usually going to be found with a name brand printed on them.  You've heard of certain brands like Linksys, Netgear, and D-Link because they have an established reputation.  It's not hard to go online and find out how well these companies are performing.  The internet will contain a plethora of reviews and discussions related to these company's products.  This is all to say that transparency is much easier to find with big brands; the general public doesn't let them keep any secrets.  This makes selecting and purchasing a product a very straight forward and simple task; it just takes a bit of research.

There are those among us who are completely against the idea of owning anything that's "unbranded" under the pretense that they believe it's all junk and lacks in longevity.  The fact remains that a good number of the unbranded devices that people have come to feel uncomfortable with are actually performing, and in some cases outperforming, a lot of the big brand names.  If something like this bothers you, you're going to have a hard time feeling comfortable with an NVR that has a built in switch.  The lower costs of these switches makes them attractive but getting passed the uncertainty of knowing whether or not they're going to perform as needed is not as simple.  Researching an NVR with a built in switch can gain you a general public opinion, but those opinions don't usually cover things like speed tests or information regarding longevity of the product.  This is one of those things you'll likely just have to try for yourself in order to know for sure.

All in all, you have good options for both dedicated switches and built in switches. Doing a little bit of homework/research into the product you’re considering should shed enough light on the subject where you can feel confident with your decision either way.

Compatibility

A dedicated switch, no matter who it may be manufacturer by, is compatible with any IP camera from any manufacturer across the board; no questions about it.  A built in switch relies on information it receives from the NVR to determine compatibility.  This can quickly turn into a problem absent any solution.  If you hard wire your IP camera to your built in switch on your NVR and you find that the camera isn't being detected, you're almost guaranteed to be the owner of an NVR and IP cameras that are probably never going to play nicely with each other, and likely not at all.  There is seldom anything you can do to fix a problem like this. On rare occasions, there's a setting that needs to be toggled somewhere, but don't plan on being this lucky.

You can still have compatibility issues with a dedicated switch, but those problems are usually limited to specific features and not the complete inability to bring up the camera whatsoever.  For example, a HikVision IP camera cannot be accessed by a Dahua NVR if you attach that camera to a built in switch on the NVR.  However, if you connect that same camera to a dedicated switch, you'll very easily be able to add that camera to the NVRs device list, but you'll be missing the motion detection feature without a lot of tampering.  We should mention again that any compatibility issues you encounter with a dedicated switch aren't cause by the switch, but by the manufacturers of the cameras and recorders. We are not promote HikVision / Dahua as both “High" level vulnerabilities. No participation in ONVIF committees for both brands. No access to new ONVIF software. Below media statement.

PoE NVR and PoE Switch

Difference between PoE NVR and PoE Switch?

Sir “I’m going to install two IP cameras in my house. However, I have no idea whether to use a PoE NVR or a PoE switch matching with them. So, what’s the difference between them? “

Hello “Arindam sir, this is XXX from BBB, as you are security expert, I realy confused from my cctv vendor, someone quote PoE based NVR someone quote PoE switch with Normal NVR. Please suggest which technology is best for us.”

Such type of questions I face throughout 2018, which indicates many people feel confused about the selection between PoE NVR and PoE switch. This write-ups / blog intends to explore the differences between PoE NVR and PoE switch in details.

What Is PoE?

PoE, an abbreviated form of Power over Ethernet, allows a single CAT cable connecting a power sourcing equipment (PSE) to provide both data connection and electric power to powered devices (PDs) such as IP cameras, wireless access points, etc.

What Is a PoE NVR?

NVR represents for network video recorder which provides you with centralized video controls to easily view, manage, and store your surveillance footage in one convenient location. A PoE NVR is a security video recorder with built-in PoE switch designed to use with PoE-based IP cameras.

Equipped with a PoE switch, a PoE NVR recorder can deliver both data and power over a single Ethernet cable. There is no need for an additional PoE switch, which will reduce the cost of equipment in theory. You just need to connect one Ethernet cable from the camera to the PoE NVR recorder and then the built-in switch will provide power to the camera while transmitting data.

A PoE NVR is ideal for users with minimal network administration experience and is generally used in homes and small businesses. It creates a private camera network, keeping surveillance footage isolated from the main network and adding an extra layer of privacy.

What Is a PoE Switch?

A PoE switch or power over Ethernet switch, containing multiple Ethernet RJ45 ports, is a dedicated network switch with multiple Ethernet ports to connect network segments and provide power and network communications.

It expands a network created by a router. Basically, it just assigns LAN IP addresses to your camera and needs to be tied into a system that allows you to see and manage your cameras, which is usually done with video surveillance software on a computer. Therefore, it must be connected directly to a router on the same network as your NVR. It can reduce the need for extra outlets and extension cables and saves deployment cost and labor efforts as well.

Power over Ethernet switch can be classified into many types. In addition to the most common one, gigabit PoE switch, for example, there are other types as well such as unmanaged and managed PoE switches. Most PoE switches provided in the market have standard gigabit Ethernet ports which can provide speed of 10/100/1000Mbps. For smaller network, 8-port Gigabit PoE switch is very popular. For larger/enterprise network, we use 24-port PoE switch and 48-port managed switch.

Main difference between a PoE NVR & PoE Switch

From the above, you will see that both PoE NVR and PoE switch can provide power and data transmission. However, the former is limited in minimal network administration experience while the latter can expend the network freely. What’s more, a switch does not assign IP addresses, which is the job of a DHCP server, usually built into a router. PoE NVRs provide this service, while PoE switches don’t. The switch simply provides a data path between all of the devices connected to it.

Note: You cannot plug a POE switch into an NVR directly - it must be plugged into your network.

Visit http://arindamcctvaccesscontrol.blogspot.com/2014/11/poe-network-camera-in-global-market.html for more detail.

Tips of Hanwha PoE NVR 

By default, PoE NVRs are set to connect directly to IP cameras.  In cases where the PoE ports are connected to network switches, the NVR must be put in Manual mode.

In addition, the PoE ports are set to Isolated mode, where each device can only communicate only with the NVR and not each other.  This is a security feature to prevent rouge devices from accessing other devices on the network.  This will prevent a connected PC from accessing IP cameras for setup changes.

If you are uplinking non-camera devices, such as switches, media converters, PCs, etc., you must set the NVR to Manual mode.

From the setup menu of the NVR, navigate to System > System Management > Settings > Load Factory Default.

Select the Manual Setup Mode.  If you wish to save some of the settings to speed up setup, check the Not Included options of User, Camera, and/or Network as needed.

Click the Initialization button and wait for the NVR to reboot.

This Write ups published on safe secure magazine Feb 2019 issue.