Hello All! I am really excited I found this forum. I am in the process of expanding my security cameras and installing all of my security/alarm/home automation/home theater/networking into a dedicated rack closet and came up with a couple of questions as I have worked thru everything.
Our "Old" system currently has 3 cameras (All POE) running on a Blue Iris workstation I setup last year (Windows 7, Intel Core I7 3770K, Intel Gigabit card, SSD main, raid HD) This runs to a Zyxel ES1100 8 Port (4 POE port) fast Ethernet switch and then this switch connected to my Zyxel 16 port Gbe switch. The three cameras consisted of two 1.3MP and one 1MP camera and everything ran fine.
The "new" system I am almost finished building out in the closet consists of almost all of the above gear (I bought most of it in anticipation of this project) and adds another ES1100 POE switch but I have dropped the 16 port switch for a 24 port Gbe Smart switch (TP-Link TL-SG1024DE) to cover all the needed ports and devices in the house. I will also obviously be adding more cameras and have decided on 4 more IP Cameras from Hikvision that are all 3MP units.
I will stay on topic and not discuss the rest of the build since it would be off topic but it is pretty elaborate and I am excited to get it all up and running and actually in the closet. BUT...I want to do it right so before I lock down the components for the security cam on the rack and buy the cameras here are my questions:
1. I built the camera server and purchased the POE switches and other wiring/components for the system in anticipation of the upgrades above based on what was available then and what I would probably be purchasing now. All that being said, please give it a once over and let me know if you think the server itself or the POE switches are going to be an issue for performance. FWIW, I am running the current cams and workstation on the OLD Blue Iris (about 3 years old) and do not have any issues though I have heard the new versions are much better and not as processor hungry.
2. Switches: I bought the new 24 port switch based on the need for that many ports and because I got a great price on it. It is a Smart switch so it does have some management, QOS and monitoring functions. I plan to connect a fast ethernet port on each of the Zyxel switches to a port on the Smart switch and connect the Blue Iris workstation to a port on the smart switch. This way the Blue Iris workstation has full access to the Gigabit connection of the smart switch between both of the POE switches and each of the poe switches will work independently of each other (rather than bogging down one of the switches with all traffic for both running thru a port if I daisy chained them.) This would also allow me to monitor traffic thru all three (both POE switches and the Blue Iris Workstation) with the Smart switch since all will be on their own dedicated port. What do you think about this setup?
3. Smart Switch: Like I said above, I bought it on reviews and price. Didn't necessarily need it. But now that I have a Smart switch, anyone know what I can do to harness its functions for my setup?
Thank you very much in Advance!
Michael
Our "Old" system currently has 3 cameras (All POE) running on a Blue Iris workstation I setup last year (Windows 7, Intel Core I7 3770K, Intel Gigabit card, SSD main, raid HD) This runs to a Zyxel ES1100 8 Port (4 POE port) fast Ethernet switch and then this switch connected to my Zyxel 16 port Gbe switch. The three cameras consisted of two 1.3MP and one 1MP camera and everything ran fine.
The "new" system I am almost finished building out in the closet consists of almost all of the above gear (I bought most of it in anticipation of this project) and adds another ES1100 POE switch but I have dropped the 16 port switch for a 24 port Gbe Smart switch (TP-Link TL-SG1024DE) to cover all the needed ports and devices in the house. I will also obviously be adding more cameras and have decided on 4 more IP Cameras from Hikvision that are all 3MP units.
I will stay on topic and not discuss the rest of the build since it would be off topic but it is pretty elaborate and I am excited to get it all up and running and actually in the closet. BUT...I want to do it right so before I lock down the components for the security cam on the rack and buy the cameras here are my questions:
1. I built the camera server and purchased the POE switches and other wiring/components for the system in anticipation of the upgrades above based on what was available then and what I would probably be purchasing now. All that being said, please give it a once over and let me know if you think the server itself or the POE switches are going to be an issue for performance. FWIW, I am running the current cams and workstation on the OLD Blue Iris (about 3 years old) and do not have any issues though I have heard the new versions are much better and not as processor hungry.
2. Switches: I bought the new 24 port switch based on the need for that many ports and because I got a great price on it. It is a Smart switch so it does have some management, QOS and monitoring functions. I plan to connect a fast ethernet port on each of the Zyxel switches to a port on the Smart switch and connect the Blue Iris workstation to a port on the smart switch. This way the Blue Iris workstation has full access to the Gigabit connection of the smart switch between both of the POE switches and each of the poe switches will work independently of each other (rather than bogging down one of the switches with all traffic for both running thru a port if I daisy chained them.) This would also allow me to monitor traffic thru all three (both POE switches and the Blue Iris Workstation) with the Smart switch since all will be on their own dedicated port. What do you think about this setup?
3. Smart Switch: Like I said above, I bought it on reviews and price. Didn't necessarily need it. But now that I have a Smart switch, anyone know what I can do to harness its functions for my setup?
Thank you very much in Advance!
Michael
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You'll be fine without using any of the management features.