Deploying Linux Open Source IP Video Surveillance with ZoneMinder

September 4, 2008 by Garrett Smith

We’ve recently outgrown our Video Surveillance system at the office. We have a large facility with a combination of IP and traditional analog CCTV surveillance cameras in place to monitor the warehouse and common areas.

In the coming weeks, we will be rolling out a new system, a Linux based, open source platform called ZoneMin der.

ZoneMinder runs on practically any Linux distribution, and supports both traditional analog CCTV cameras as well as IP Network Video cameras from a variety of manufacturers.

Other features of ZoneMinder include:

- Support Pan/Tilt/Zoom cameras, extensible to add new control protocols.
- Built on standard tools, C++, perl and php.
- Uses high performance MySQL database.
- High performance independent video capture and analysis daemons allowing high failure redundancy.
- Multiple Zones (Regions Of Interest) can be defined per camera. Each can have a different sensitivity or be ignored altogether.
- Large number of configuration options allowing maximum performance on any hardware.
- User friendly web interface allowing full control of system or cameras as well as live views and event replays.
- Supports live video in mpeg video, multi-part jpeg and stills formats.
- Supports event replay in mpeg video, multi-part jpeg, stills formats, along with statistics detail.
- User defined filters allowing selection of any number of events by combination of characteristics in any order.
- Event notification by email or SMS including attached still images or video of specific events by filter.
- Automatic uploading of matching events to external FTP storage for archiving and data security.
- Includes bi-directional X.10 (home automation protocol) integration allowing X.10 signals to control when video is captured and for motion detection to trigger X.10 devices.
- Highly partitioned design allow other hardware interfacing protocols to be added easily for support of alarm panels etc.
- Multiple users and user access levels
- Multi-language support with many languages already included
- Full control script support allowing most tasks to be automated or added to other applications.
- Support external triggering by 3rd party applications or equipment.
- xHTML mobile/cellular phone access allowing access to common functions.

For host server hardware, we are using a new product recently launched by Duluth, MN based RochBochs called VideoBochs.

We’ll be taking the core of our current surveillance system offline over the next week or so, and bringing the new VideoBochs/ZoneMinder server online. We intend to deploy a variety of IP cameras in tandem with ZoneMinder, from manufacturers including Toshiba, Axis and Mobotix.

Similar to Asterisk, trixbox, Freeswitch and other OSS based telephony platforms, Zoneminder has a loyal (albeit seemingly much smaller) community surrounding the project. Look for another post in the coming weeks detailing more of our experience rolling out open source IP Video Surveillance.

Using Asterisk to Beat The 24X7 Support Blues

September 3, 2008 by Garrett Smith

A little over a year ago I moved my employer from an old Nortel Meridian system (have you ever seen the size of one of these things?) to an Asterisk based solution.

It was pretty painless and overall it dropped the monthly expenditures from over $6k/month to about $500/month (yeah, saying they were overpaying is an extreme understatement). Automatic e-mails whenever a voicemail came through, real Caller-ID, easy extensions via an 800 number in addition to DIDs, they got all the good things that come with Linux, a really cool TDMoE box, Asterisk, and a nicely powered Dell server (or two.)

Once this was all in place, we were working on other ideas. One proof-of-concept I built revolved around one of my biggest job pains – the 24×7 on-call phone.

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Potatoes and Tomatoes: The Varieties of Mobile VoIP

by Tom Costelloe

Every week a new company offering Mobile VoIP service seems to launch. However, most of these companies are not what I consider true Mobile VoIP. A majority of these actually offer glorified calling card or call forwarding services. While I favor inexpensive calling options, the customer should be wary of the fine print. Is it truly Mobile VoIP? No, but that isn’t going to stop people from calling it so.

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Selecting a Home Security Surveillance System – Part Two

by Garrett Smith

Protect Your Family and Home With Video Surveillance

In part one of this series, we began by defining what video surveillance is and mentioned two different types of video surveillance technology that can be used with a home security surveillance system. Before getting into the first video surveillance technology, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), please note that video surveillance is not a one size fits all proposition and in many (if not most) instances there exist multiple solutions. Don’t get “analysis paralysis” when it comes to a home security surveillance system – something is better than nothing.

With that, let roll into part two…

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VoIP Supply Making Waves in the Retail Space

September 2, 2008 by Garrett Smith

Last week, in preparation for RetailVision, CRN had a cover story about the fastest growing retailers in the technology space. The story covered the usual suspects: (more…)

QoS For Small Networks

August 29, 2008 by Garrett Smith

Today we’re going to configure a Linksys Router for VoIP QoS. Most modern routers offer some sort of this feature. I just picked Linksys because it is so common. First, let’s explain what it is and what it does. So,what is QoS? It stands for Quality of Service and it is a way of prioritizing network traffic by what is deemed as most important. Obviously, this is what we want in any mixed network that has voice applications. It works by giving preference to traffic deemed most important. It can do this in a number of ways . (See screenshot below)

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If you build it….

by Garrett Smith

iLocus has an interesting story this morning concerning BT’s adoption of DECT enabled ATA devices.

DECT as a technology with obvious implications for consumer VoIP has been getting its fair share of press lately, and for good reason.

Relative mobility is a “must-have” for many residential phone users, and traditional ATAs which limit connectivity options to tethering traditional analog phones via FXS ports is getting pretty stale.

Many VoIP service providers, including Vonage, have at one time or another offered SIP enabled WiFi phones as a mobility option for their residential users, but have quickly dumped WiFi technology because of the inherent technology issues and support overhead that currently plagues them.

I have been trying to coax a handful of established VoIP CPE manufacturers to develop and release a low-cost, DECT enabled ATA device for the US marketplace for almost 2 years, and nobody has stepped up to the plate to deliver it just yet.

How about a device similar to the Linksys SPA-3102, but with more ethernet ports onboard.

An IAD device with (1) integrated FXS port, (1) onboard FXO port, (1) WAN port and router, a 4 port switch, and integrated DECT base station to which you can wirelessly connect up to 3 DECT handsets.

There you have a very versatile, relatively “plug and play” device that can serve as a primary WAN router for DSL or Cable customers (make it easy to disable the router/DHCP functionality so the device can happily co-exist with an ISP provided access router) , has a traditional FXS port for an analog phone or fax over IP…..plus an FXO port for PSTN failover if the WAN goes down….a 4 port switch to share the internet connection with other devices on the LAN…..and finally a DECT radio to manage up to 3 mobile handsets. Now make the whole package available to consumers and service providers at an MSRP of around $99.95 and $39.95 for each additional DECT handset (up to 3 total).

I think you’d have a winner there. VoIP CPE manufacturers, feel free to take that idea and run with it.

Selecting A Home Security Surveillance System – Part One

August 27, 2008 by Garrett Smith

Protecting Your Family and Home With Video Surveillance

Is it any less safe today then it was 20 years ago?

Statistics show that crimes nationwide have actually decreased over the last twenty years (at least in the US), yet most folks feel like this world is less safe with each day. Whether this is due to the media or an increased sensitivity to crime, one’s personal security and safety is a growing concern for millions of people and thus people around the globe are looking to home security surveillance systems to protect their family and property.

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VoIP Supply Named to the INC 5000

by Garrett Smith

For the second year in a row, we are happy to announce that we were named to the INC 5000 list of fastest growing companies in the US. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the staff here at VoIP Supply and you, our customers, we were able to earn this honor once again.

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VoIP History 101 from iLocus

by Garrett Smith

If anyone is interested in a history lesson concerning the technology that drives our business, iLocus recently published a well written piece that will give you some historical perspective.

While it does not go into great depths to describe the core origins of voice over packet networks from a technical perspective, it does a great job of shedding light on ten companies who did the heavy lifting to bring the technology to where it is today, and may help you better understand where it is going.

Highlights include:

1 – The application that started it all, Internet Phone from VocalTec. VocalTec also brought us the very first IP>PSTN Gateway and the RAS gatekeeper element. Mad props!

2 – Level 3 pioneers the softswitch and ushers in the transition from H.323 to MGCP.

3 – ITXC articulates the wholesale model for VoIP and lays the foundation for QoS and interoperability.

4 – Sonus develops scalable IP Voice gateways.

5 – 3GPP drafts the IMS blueprint which directly promotes the proliferation of VoIP.

6 – Cisco created demand for VoIP in the Enterprise market and nurtured ATA/CPE development to support residential VoIP deployment.

7 – Skype shakes up the industry in many ways.

8 – Softbank BB serves as the first major test lab for residential VoIP.

9 – Nextone brings us distributed session border controller (SBC) architecture and SIP > H.323 internetworking.

10 – Spectralink brings mobility to VoIP.

Deploying Linux Open Source IP Video Surveillance with ZoneMinder

Using Asterisk to Beat The 24X7 Support Blues

Potatoes and Tomatoes: The Varieties of Mobile VoIP

Selecting a Home Security Surveillance System – Part Two

Protect Your Family and Home With Video Surveillance

VoIP Supply Making Waves in the Retail Space

QoS For Small Networks

If you build it….

Selecting A Home Security Surveillance System – Part One

Protecting Your Family and Home With Video Surveillance

VoIP Supply Named to the INC 5000

VoIP History 101 from iLocus

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