cctv in a serverless school

[aac]

The only issue I could see with Verkada for CCTV is the ongoing costs. We currently have the Verkada access control system which is quite expensive in the long run. I have just put in a UniFi Enterprise NVR which was just released a couple of weeks ago which can do pretty huge capacities and is stackable.

[robintech]

Trialling Verkada at our school and planning to run the old system side by side with it and gradually replace existing cameras when funds allow due to the high cost.

 

Do like the Cloud based approach to storage, automated firmware updates with time windows, and SSO SAML/SIML for accounts so Entra controls the access through group membership, most importantly removes/adds people in about 15 minutes when they've left the group but are still employed at school.

 

Quality seems normal for the resolution , one thing I didn't realise if you put a camera in Licence/Numberplate recognition that's all it can do, a black and white image zoomed in for reading numberplates, doesn't work as a normal camera like it can do with AI people and vehicle detection. Being able to add cameras to a playback and it syncs them up is useful but imagine other systems can do that easily.

 

The AI free text search isn't very good at finding things but searching for a matching image to a person works well, delivery truck, van, DPD etc will bring up hundreds of cars and a ride on lawnmower for example.

[Jaan]

Trialling Verkada at our school and planning to run the old system side by side with it and gradually replace existing cameras when funds allow due to the high cost.

 

Do like the Cloud based approach to storage, automated firmware updates with time windows, and SSO SAML/SIML for accounts so Entra controls the access through group membership, most importantly removes/adds people in about 15 minutes when they've left the group but are still employed at school.

 

Quality seems normal for the resolution , one thing I didn't realise if you put a camera in Licence/Numberplate recognition that's all it can do, a black and white image zoomed in for reading numberplates, doesn't work as a normal camera like it can do with AI people and vehicle detection. Being able to add cameras to a playback and it syncs them up is useful but imagine other systems can do that easily.

 

The AI free text search isn't very good at finding things but searching for a matching image to a person works well, delivery truck, van, DPD etc will bring up hundreds of cars and a ride on lawnmower for example.

 

With regards to verkarda..... you now have an option to drop your legacy cameras into their system now..... its more of a hybrid setup.... but another option...

 

https://www.verkada.com/uk/security-cameras/command-connector/

[jblackburnHWGA]

Good timing i'm just getting cctv quotes. Is this similar to the paxton cctv system?

[mavhc]

no NVR/DVRs

got rid of 15 NVR/DVRs .... slight decrease in camera numbers 180 now from 200

All footage is stored locally to cameras, with the option to upload to the cloud if required for data retention archiving etc etc.

 

Pretty sure you just bought 180 NVRs/servers for your serverless school

[FN-GM]

[emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]]][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji639]][emoji638]]Pretty sure you just bought [emoji637][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji640]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]]] NVRs/servers for your serverless school

 

Pretty sure there isn’t such thing as a server less school… they must be using some kind of DHCP server running. Maybe on network hardware.

[Jaan]

Pretty sure you just bought 180 NVRs/servers for your serverless school

 

we're not a serverless school though

[TomL]

Good timing i'm just getting cctv quotes. Is this similar to the paxton cctv system?

 

There's two types, Paxton10 and Net2.

 

I believe the Cameras are just re-flashed Hikvision w/ their own Firmware.

 

I'd advise against Paxton10 (in my own opinion). It may be a great product but the time I've used it I'm not really sold on it.

 

Net2 is the better solution (& infrastructure-wise, I don't think Paxton10's all there yet).

[PotNoodleTech]

All footage is stored locally to cameras, with the option to upload to the cloud if required for data retention archiving etc etc.

 

Very impressed with it...... Just glad it wasn't my money!

 

Interesting. So if someone steals the camera they get the footage? Is it encrypted on the storage drive in the camera?

[mavhc]

I'd make sure each camera recorded to a different camera, now every time you steal a camera the footage of that is stored on another camera, so you have to steal them all

[Net-Ctrl]

Camera footage stored locally on Verkada devices is encrypted using AES-128. Verkada then encrypts video data in transit to the cloud using TLS 1.2 or greater.

[gszech]

There's two types, Paxton10 and Net2.

 

I believe the Cameras are just re-flashed Hikvision w/ their own Firmware.

 

I'd advise against Paxton10 (in my own opinion). It may be a great product but the time I've used it I'm not really sold on it.

 

Net2 is the better solution (& infrastructure-wise, I don't think Paxton10's all there yet).

+1 for PAxton 10 opinion. We used their cameras for a while. The system is very basic, missing a lot of functionality. The cameras record to a built in SD card (there is an option to store the data on NAS, but why if you want serverless You can't replace the card with a higher capacity one due to camera limitations. We replaced the few Paxton 10 cameras and installed Unifi UNVR.

 

Paxton 10 is good for ID cards if you manage multiple schools although their readers are slower in picking up ID cards compared to Net2.

[jblackburnHWGA]

Pretty sure there isn’t such thing as a server less school… they must be using some kind of DHCP server running. Maybe on network hardware.

 

You can run DHCP off the core switch and use 8.8.8.8 as dns

[mavhc]

You can run DHCP off the core switch and use 8.8.8.8 as dns

 

But then how will your devices find each other?

 

Also your switch is a server

[jblackburnHWGA]

But then how will your devices find each other?

 

Also your switch is a server

 

Well technically Azure is a server lol. There is no thing as serverless we're just renting servers but we don't have any one site.

My devices don't need to find each other they just need the internet.

[Jaan]

I'd make sure each camera recorded to a different camera, now every time you steal a camera the footage of that is stored on another camera, so you have to steal them all

 

You can also sync video to the cloud.

 

Data is also encrypted on the devices.

 

more info here: https://www.verkada.com/uk/security/#device

[jblackburnHWGA]

You can also sync video to the cloud.

 

Data is also encrypted on the devices.

 

more info here: https://www.verkada.com/uk/security/#device

 

Did you use a third party company for the Verkada install or is it something they also install? Any idea on cost compared to the normal NVR setup? Guessing there's an annual licensing cost?

 

Thanks

[Net-Ctrl]

Verkada are a channel-company so you'd work with an integrator for supply and most will offer install services as well. Verkada don't offer these services direct.

 

For anyone that likes the sound of Verkada we will have them on demo at BETT with various camera models available to look at, and live demos on the stand. Alt. we can run one-on-one demos on a virtual meeting.

 

Cost wise they're mid-market - definitely cheaper alternatives available. For licensing, it's a per device license on a 1, 3, 5 or 10 year term. With the license you also get 24/7 live tech support. All devices on 10 year warranty.

[Jaan]

Did you use a third party company for the Verkada install or is it something they also install? Any idea on cost compared to the normal NVR setup? Guessing there's an annual licensing cost?

 

Thanks

 

I was only involved in the tender from a technical standpoint..... the school said we'd like X i found a few products Verkarda, motorola avigilon, Paxon, etc..... we had to go to tender.... We had a trial of Verkarda, Avigilon and a cheap independent to cover costing tiers...... Verkada was the most expensive initially (indicative pricing), but said they would submit their pricing very late as they were announcing a Educational pricing tier that hadn't been announced. Once they did that they were the cheapest.

 

We also had new switching. wiring and anpr vape etc etc

 

No idea what the final cost was.... but we bought the kit upfront, (10 year warranty) and there's an annual cost for licensing.

[jblackburnHWGA]

I was only involved in the tender from a technical standpoint..... the school said we'd like X i found a few products Verkarda, motorola avigilon, Paxon, etc..... we had to go to tender.... We had a trial of Verkarda, Avigilon and a cheap independent to cover costing tiers...... Verkada was the most expensive initially (indicative pricing), but said they would submit their pricing very late as they were announcing a Educational pricing tier that hadn't been announced. Once they did that they were the cheapest.

 

We also had new switching. wiring and anpr vape etc etc

 

No idea what the final cost was.... but we bought the kit upfront, (10 year warranty) and there's an annual cost for licensing.

Thanks Jaan, really useful. Very appreciated

[mavhc]

Well technically Azure is a server lol. There is no thing as serverless we're just renting servers but we don't have any one site.

My devices don't need to find each other they just need the internet.

 

The internet is down, I can't print!

[jblackburnHWGA]

The internet is down, I can't print!

 

Backup line

[mavhc]

Backup line

 

Or just have a server, dns will run on a 30 year old computer, no point making things hard for yourself

[PotNoodleTech]

Backup line

 

How many schools actually have a standby line with a seperate cable route from a different exchange? None of the ones round here do that's for sure!

 

When the digger does it's diggin in the wrong place somewhere that's your cloudn school closed for a day or two.

Edited November 19, 2024 by PotNoodleTech

[Jaan]

How many schools actually have a standby line with a seperate cable route from a different exchange? None of the ones round here do that's for sure!

 

When the digger does it's diggin in the wrong place somewhere that's your cloudn school closed for a day or two.

 

We do, Virgin media optical and a seperate BT line. However, yes you're right...... they both exit the building onto main road at the same point......so yea, watch where you're diggin Bolton Council!