Calculating WAP Bandwidth

Are you talking about PtP wireless links, or using WiFi integrated into the cameras? There are so many factors involved that it will be hard for anyone to give you an accurate, reliable answer here.

But, in a perfect world, where the signal strength of the WiFi enabled cameras are able to provide a good, clean, reliable signal (read: -60 dBm or less), you would only need to cover the max bit rate of the combined cameras.

The type of wireless supported by the cameras also matters. If the cameras only support 802.11g (54mbps), that will be your cap most likely. If the cameras support 802.11n or AC, you for sure will have enough speed per camera.

For 3MP H.264 cameras, usually you will be fine planning on a maximum of 8mbps, but you need to test in the given environment with the specific cameras to be sure. You may find they never hit more than 2mbps. If they have smart codecs or H.265, they may have even lower bandwidth totals.

Either way, in the perfect world scenario, even a 54G connection should be plenty for 4 cameras, but a perfect world is rare. You need to know if there are other 2.4GHz networks in the area. What is the noise floor? How much attenuation does the building structure add? How far apart are the cameras from the AP? I could keep going, but honestly, none of this matters until you do a site visit and take some measurements.

Does anyone have a formula that can assist in calculating wireless access bandwidth?

It sounds like this question is not directly related to wireless access bandwidth, just bandwidth. Yes/no?

Correct U2. (U2 ....Never had a chance to write that before). The customer only wants to use WAP, but wants "High Def", 4 cameras. He is a smart person, but does not seem to understand there is a cap.

He also wants to wireless and integrate his access control, and not interested in anything cloud-based.

I have been to the site. One of the more frustrating things is he has been "reading and reading" about CCTV, and is sick of so many choices. "I don't know how you folks keep up with all of the changes".

He knows he doesn't want to install any wire outside, (trenching here would be a nightmare and expensive), 200' from the building to the guard house, plenty-o-trees with lots of those green things on them in the spring, summer and fall. I saw maybe 25 existing analog cameras (all but one was interior) and no two were the same, high expectations and "no budget" number in mind.

He would like to spend 600-800 dollars per camera installed.

Translate all of that and he is looking at a Hikvision type product integrated with access control.

And for good measure. Throw in some audio for visitors at the gate to a guard that may or may not be at the guard station. "We want the guard out on patrol".

Mobile, remote, app ready.

Good morning Jon. He wants to integrate his existing analog with "HD" IP cameras.

He does want to integrate gates and doors at the guard house. If unattended, an employee can just use their card to enter. Simple enough. If a visitor shows up, they can push the button on an intercom and the roving guard can let them in via their remote app. Now we are talking video, access, and intercom with SIP.

That number does include the equipment and labor. He provides the network cable.

I need to demo a PtP link in that type of environment. Even sales vendors wave me off of areas with heavy trees. This is the 2nd job I have been asked to do with a relatively short distance but lots of Carolina oaks and pines in the way.

Any opinion on Trendnet?

Thanks Man, enjoy your Sunday.

I have done this with both 5Ghz and 900Mhz radios from UBNT but you would need to perform a site survey to see which radios will connect reliably and give you the bandwidth needed. Adding the access and intercom is easy depending on the VMS and the level of integration the customer is looking for.

Not knowing the customers budget but Genetec has video, access and VOIP unified in one platform. If he doesn't care for the integration of the three you have a lot of options as you there are a number of browser based IP access solutions that will work and you can use a IP intercom solution to make a VOIP call to a desk or cell phone.