Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 61 | Page 22

LATEST INTELLIGENCE

NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE READINESS FOR PHYSICAL SECURITY DEVICES

SMART BUILDINGS TECHNOLOGY

PRESENTED BY
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iIntroduction

A broad set of physical security devices are being incorporated into smart buildings at an unprecedented rate . These devices must always be operational which can be a challenge as they are often deployed in harsh indoor and outdoor environments . Using a converged network infrastructure approach , devices such as security cameras , door controllers , and physical safety IoT sensors are connecting to IP networks via wired Ethernet in enterprise settings . The problem , however , is that existing or newly installed twisted pair copper cabling does not meet best-practice guidelines for a host of reasons . This can lead to situations where these devices become unusable or unreliable , defeating the purpose of the technology and potentially endangering building occupants .
Let ’ s look at five reasons why infrastructure readiness for physical security is so important and how proper cable specification types , power-sourcing verification and endpoint testing becomes a critical part of any smart building security / safety device install .
Use of Older Cabling That Does Not Meet Modern Specification
In buildings that are a decade or older , the existing copper plant often consists of a mixture of Category 5e and 6 cabling . While these cable specification types may have been sufficient for transporting Ethernet frames at up to gigabit speeds and power over Ethernet ( PoE ) up to 30 Watts it ’ s not up to the task when multigigabit transport and high-power PoE is required . While this cabling may seemingly operate at these higher
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