Wireless security camera installation is becoming more technologically advanced every year. Whereas traditional hardwired cameras require cabling, sometimes drilling holes through walls and infrastructure, and even trenching through the ground, more modern systems offer non-invasive ways to connect your security devices.
One of the most exciting innovations on the wireless security camera market is the use of nano beams and point-to-point technology to set up communication across your security system. Companies such as Ubiquiti are producing cutting-edge cameras that offer reliable long-range wireless signals to connect your security system and protect your business.
How Do NanoBeams Work?
NanoBeam technology uses wireless data transmission to send and receive RF (radio frequency) signals. This allows your security system to communicate between cameras and the central station, without needing to use any wires. Nano beams strategically direct radio signals to give you a clear connection while using less bandwidth. In a point-to-point NanoBeam system, two access points are installed: One access point sends a wi-fi signal, and another access point receives that signal. The wireless link established between these two points makes it a “point-to-point” connection. Ubiquiti, a leading security manufacturer that makes top-quality NanoBeam camera systems, is known for their sophisticated access point technology. Ubiquiti access points have cutting-edge built-in wi-fi radios and high-gain antennae that allow them to communicate over miles.
Point-to-Point Wireless Security Camera Installation
Wireless cameras are often mounted on light poles, as a convenient and non-intrusive way to give your equipment the clear line of sight and support it needs. Light poles are an especially good choice, as they are already present in many outdoor business areas, and are tall enough to let radios communicate directly without obstacles, making them a great cost-effective option for mounting your hardware. Check out this video about how Safe and Sound Security established cost-effective monitoring in the parking lot of a massive 1-million-square-foot shopping center, using Ubiquiti wireless NanoBeam technology and Rocket M5 stations mounted on light poles:
Is Point-To-Point NanoBeam Connection Reliable?
Many companies face uncertainty when deciding whether to install wireless security cameras, since they have developed a reputation for being unreliable. However, this is changing with more developments in surveillance technology: Wireless NanoBeam technology puts companies’ insecurities to rest with high-powered, high-resolution data transmission. Point-to-point radios offer consistent connection over a long distance, and are compatible with tools that let you keep watch over the status of your security cameras. For example, you can use remote system monitoring, video analytics, and system health alerts to remotely check in on your cameras and instantly know if any of them go down.
If you have an outage, the vast majority of the time you can remotely get the failed camera back on the system, without having to physically access the hardware. This saves businesses time and money, as well as giving companies peace of mind that their cameras are busy monitoring around the clock. Furthermore, Ubiquiti NanoBeam technology is resistant to weather-related connection issues and other active radio signals, giving them increased reliability.
Why Use NanoBeam Technology?
Avoid Cabling
NanoBeams are becoming more and more prevalent in today’s surveillance systems, since they allow businesses to set up reliable system communication while foregoing expensive cabling. Point-to-point NanoBeam technology provides a reliable means of data transmission when you can’t run cables between your two points, or if you just want to eliminate the intrusive and costly effects of wiring and trenching. Installing a wireless NanoBeam system means you don’t need to worry about the infrastructure of your space or if there are power sources and servers nearby. This makes your security system more cost-effective, and gets rid of the hassle and expense of complicated wiring procedures.
Filter Out Noise
Since NanoBeams move in one direction, they are excellent for filtering out noise in a crowded area. If you have a high-noise environment such as a busy area, a building near the street, or a construction site, Ubiquiti NanoBeam technology can be an optimal choice for cutting out unnecessary noise while obtaining high-quality video footage.
Monitor Multiple Locations
For multi-facility businesses, campuses, apartment complexes, and other applications with multiple buildings, point-to-point camera systems such as Ubiquiti offer efficient multi-site monitoring. Ubiquiti cameras can monitor multiple buildings in one simple, centralized system. You can keep all your footage from multiple sites in one NVR, or opt for cloud storage. You can even use primarily cloud storage, and back up your video on a local server for added safety. Ubiquiti NanoBeam cameras are ideal for multi-location businesses, as they offer high performance at a low cost, using a fast processor and a versatile design.
Strengthen Your System
If you have existing IP cameras that drop out often, or if your cameras’ built-in radios and wireless routers are not strong enough to provide a stable signal throughout your system, you can install a wireless access point to supplement the system. An access point at the camera or the router should strengthen the signal and make your surveillance system run smoothly. NanoBeams use a small footprint to get high-quality video footage and long-range wireless communication. In fact, the best NanoBeam camera systems can wirelessly connect as far as 10 miles with a direct line of sight, at as much as 500 Megabits per second.
Wireless Security Camera Installation Benefits
- Wireless security cameras provide the flexibility and ease of installation that today’s businesses are looking for in their security systems. Wireless security camera installation offers simple setup without trenching and cabling.
- Pairing wireless security camera systems with remote security access systems, such as web-based video management platforms and smartphone apps, is another huge draw for businesses. Remote access to your security system lets you check in on your system at any time, using a convenient internet-based platform.
- Cloud-based wireless camera systems let you access your security platform from any location, since you don’t need to connect to your business’s LAN.
- Wireless camera installation also allows opportunities to store your video footage in the cloud, which gets rid of the need for physical servers and makes it easy to access all camera footage from your device.
How To Set Up A NanoBeam System
When setting up a wireless point-to-point NanoBeam camera system, it is important to make sure your access points have clear space in between them, giving them an unobstructed path for transmitting radio signals. Your access points should be placed up high, to let them communicate with one another via a clear line of sight without obstacles getting in the way and blocking the signal. Places to mount wireless NanoBeam cameras can include light poles, towers, building walls, and other tall structures.
The antennae of your access points should have the smallest possible area of coverage while still covering the entirety of the place you want to monitor. This will ensure your business gets the most reliable area coverage at the minimum bandwidth required. Your cameras should be placed close enough to the area to clearly make out the faces of everyone present, and may focus on areas that present particularly high security risks.
Ubiquiti Camera Setup
Ubiquiti offers a range of camera types that use multiple different wall, pole, and ceiling mounting options, including flexible ball joints that allow cameras to pivot for angle correction and wide area monitoring. If you want to mount your NanoBeam system on a pole, you can simply use a metal strap and screws to attach the hardware. For wall mounting, Ubiquiti offers secure wall mounts and ball joints that you can screw into the wall. Ubiquiti cameras can include a lock ring that allows you to adjust the angle of the camera, then lock it in by tightening the ring. You can use the built-in ethernet port on Ubiquiti cameras to connect a PoE adapter or establish a connection to your LAN or computer. Thanks to Ubiquiti’s wide variety of hardware types and sizes, there are many different options for securing your access points and wireless security cameras.
Professional Installation or DIY?
It is important to install your cameras at the right height, angle, and position to capture your entire area with reliability and sufficient resolution to see all the necessary details in your picture. That’s why it helps to get a professional security system installer to appraise your system, determine the best possible positioning for your unique situation and facility, and then provide security system installation that will hold up over the years. Professional camera installation gives you the peace of mind that your NanoBeam system is operating at peak performance, and that you are not missing out on the full potential of your system.
Pairing Wireless Security Camera Installation With Video Analytics
A perk of wireless NanoBeam camera systems is that they are often compatible with video analytics software. This upgrades your camera system to provide actionable insights about traffic flow into your business, potential security threats, and other information that can benefit your company’s operations and safety. Some popular options among modern businesses include license plate reading, object recognition, and loitering detection, among others.
License Plate Recognition
License plate recognition (LPR) cameras use high-tech camera lenses and software to scan the license plate number of every vehicle that enters the camera’s field of view. This lets you automatically compile a database of every vehicle that has entered and exited your business, giving you complete insight into which vehicles were present at the times of certain events. You can blacklist certain vehicle plates to get instant alerts whenever that vehicle comes back to your business, or to automatically lock your gate.
Object Recognition
Object recognition lets your security camera system accurately recognize different objects, vehicles, and even people in your business area. Smart video management technology analyzes the images sent by your security cameras in the moment, instantly scanning everything in the image and categorizing it according to the object type. There are also cutting-edge facial recognition systems on the market that you can pair with your wireless camera system. These tell the difference between people on your site, cataloguing everyone present, as well as their entry and exit time.
Ubiquiti UniFi Controller Software
Ubiquiti offers security system management software to help you centralize and control your video surveillance. The UniFi Controller Software comes free with your Ubiquiti camera system, giving you intuitive and scalable device management software. The UniFi Controller is a web-based software that you can access from a browser or the UniFi mobile app. Ubiquiti’s UniFi Controller is easy set up and manage, whether you have one facility to monitor or multiple business sites. The system allows you to easily conducts device discovery, device configuration, and user provisioning, offering businesses a convenient and easy-to-use platform to manage their wireless NanoBeam camera systems.
UniFi Controller Benefits
In today’s environment that depends on quick internet streaming, use of the cloud, and real-time video interaction, the Ubiquiti Controller software offers a convenient platform that can support many users.
- The UniFi Controller lets businesses efficiently add new system users and onboard new clients, as well as managing existing users and user permissions.
- The feature-rich UniFi dashboard gives a comprehensive overview of network health, allowing you to check in on specific monitoring systems and assess in-depth how each device is doing.
- You can get alerts any time a device goes offline or experiences any issues, as well as running The system offers high scalability and easy expansion to keep up with your growing business operations
- The UniFi Controller is compatible with multiple switches and access points
- The system is bundled with Ubiquiti security systems at no added cost
Want to learn more about wireless security camera installation using NanoBeam technology? Get in touch with our expert security installers and integrators today. We have all the information, tips, and tricks you need to protect businesses of all sizes with the best wireless security camera installation.
