Surveillance Networks Uncovered

Jonathan Dreher

六月 13, 2025

Beyond the Camera: Building Smarter, Stronger Surveillance Networks.

A successful surveillance system is more than a collection of cameras—it’s a complex, interconnected ecosystem. To maximize both security and performance, organizations must adopt a holistic approach that aligns equipment, data requirements, and system functionality from the start.

Why the Network Matters

A surveillance system is only as strong as its weakest component. While cameras are the most visible part, the unseen elements—network infrastructure, power supply, and server performance—are just as critical. When these components fail, the consequences can be severe, especially in high-stakes environments like casinos, parking garages, and government facilities.

To emphasize the importance of what lies behind the camera, ALE partnered with industry expert Larry Anderson of SecurityInformed.com, with additional insights from integrator Stone Security, to prepare a report focused on understanding video surveillance IT needs. The following is a synopsis of the findings.

Trust Built on Expertise

Designing and maintaining a modern IP-based video surveillance system demands specialized expertise. Certified and well-trained system integrators must understand networking fundamentals such as IP addressing and DNS and possess the skills to quickly diagnose and resolve technical issues. This capability not only ensures performance but also builds trust with end users.

As Aaron H. Simpson, President and CTO of Stone Security, explains:

We pick the best technologies the industry has to offer, and every employee is an expert in those products.

Focusing on a curated set of technologies and providing deep training allows integrators to fully optimize each product’s capabilities and deliver maximum value to clients.

Designing a Future-Ready Network

The network should never be an afterthought. As camera capabilities grow, so do power and bandwidth demands. Today’s Power over Ethernet (PoE) cameras, for instance, require significantly more power than earlier models, so it’s essential to verify that switches can support both current and future loads.

Industrial-grade, managed switches—ruggedized for tough environments—may carry a higher initial cost, but they ultimately reduce operational issues and long-term expenses. These switches provide valuable diagnostics, enabling proactive troubleshooting and performance tuning.

Managed switches can also detect anomalies in traffic flow, helping teams quickly respond to problems in mission-critical environments where downtime is unacceptable.

Performance and Redundancy: Non-Negotiables

Surveillance systems operate 24/7, and even a few lost frames can have serious consequences. There’s rarely a good time for maintenance or system outages, so real-time issue resolution is essential—comparable to fixing an airplane mid-flight.

To ensure continuous operation, redundancy should be built in from the outset. Though it may increase upfront costs, the long-term security and reliability benefits far outweigh the risks of a single-point failure.

Another frequent challenge is the misconfiguration between unicast and multicast streaming. While most systems use unicast (one-to-one), some applications require multicast (one-to-many). Using the wrong protocol can cause streaming issues and system instability. Proper configuration across the network is vital.

Some advanced systems now include smart network advisors that monitor baseline activity and alert teams to abnormal behavior, improving both security and efficiency.

Designing for Today—and Tomorrow

Effective surveillance planning starts with matching equipment to specific data and functionality requirements. Key considerations include the number of cameras, image quality, frame rate, storage capacity, and the use of analytics or video management applications.

Network planning must also account for PoE loads, server performance, disk capacity, memory, and other infrastructure needs.

With flexible deployment models—cloud-based, on-premises, or hybrid—solutions should be chosen based on the unique needs of each organization.

Conclusion

Designing a reliable video surveillance system requires looking far beyond the camera lens. From selecting the right technologies to ensuring robust network infrastructure and building in redundancy, a strategic, lifecycle-based approach is the best path to maximizing performance and maintaining security in an increasingly complex digital world.