Siklu Wireless Video Surveillance Examined

Author: Ethan Ace, Published on May 07, 2015

Wireless video surveillance has not been an easy market over the past few years. Ubiquiti drained money out of the market by making $200 wireless links a reality. And former 'leaders' like Firetide, have sold out.

However, one established wireless manufacturer, Siklu, is now entering the video surveillance market with a different approach.

In this note, we break down the features, pricing, core strengths and weaknesses of Siklu for video surveillance.

******** ***** ************ *** *** **** ** **** ****** **** the **** *** *****.*************** ***** *** ** *** ****** ** ****** $*** ******** links ********. ********* '*******' **** ********, **** **** ***.

*******, *** *********** ******** ************,*****, ** *** ******** *** ***** ************ ****** **** * different ********.

** **** ****, ** ***** **** *** ********, *******, **** strengths *** ********** ** ***** *** ***** ************.

[***************]

Siklu ********

***** ** ********* ************-******* *** ***** ************ ****** **** *** ***** ** "****-***** ******* ***** *** ****** ***** **********." *** ***** *** the ********* *** ********:

  • ** *** ****
  • ********** ** *** *******, *.*° *********
  • ***** *** *****, *** ***
  • ********* ***** ** ** *,***' ** **.***% ************
  • ******* *"**"**.*" ****

*****

*** **** *** * **** / **** ** ****** **$*,***. ******: ***** *** ******* ******* ************* ** $*,*** ***.

Key **********

***** ****** ***** *** ********** **** *********** **** ** ********:

  • **** ************:***** ** ***** *** ** *** ** *** **** ** the *********-****. **** ********** ******** *** ************* **** **** **** for ******** **************, *** ******** ************, ** ** *** **** crowded **** ******* *.*/*.* *** *****.
  • ****** ******:*** **** ** ***** ** ******* ******, ***** ******* *.*/*.* GHz ****** ***** ***-*** **/*, ********* ** ********* *** **** architecture. ***** ****** *** **** ******* **** **** ****** ********* needs (*****-******* ** **** ***** **** **, ***.) **** **** this ********* ***** ** ****** ** ***** ***-******** ********, **** as ****** **-**, *****, ***. *******, * ******** ** *********** are ******** ****, **** **** *-* ******* ** ** ******** via *** **** ******* ** **** **** ***/* ** ****/*, and ** ****** *** ****** ********.
  • ***** **** ******: ******** ** ********'* ******* ******, *****'* **** ** **** smaller *** ************ ****** / **** ************* ********** ** ***** on * ********* **** * ******.

Key *************

*****'* **** ************ ** *** ******** ****** ** ****. ***** their ****** ** ********* ********** *** ***** ************ *** *************** versus ***** **** ********, ***** ********** *** ***** *********** ** surveillance *********** ******* ** ******** ************. **** ***** ****** ********, the *********-**** ** *********** **** ********* **** **** ****** *************. Update: ***** ******* *** ***** ** ****** **%, **** ** not ** *********** *** **** **** **** ******** *** ***** delta *** ** ** ***** * ******* ******.

*** *******,********'* ******** ******* ***~$****** *****/$*** *** **** ******, * ******** ** *** **** of *** *********-**** (****** *** ********** ** *** **/* **. 1 **/*). *******, **** **** ********* ******** ****** *** *********, such ** *** ***********, ***** ***** ***$** ******(****** ******* ** *** **/*).

* ********* ******* ** *** ********** ***** *****. ****** ***** range ******* ** ***** **** / ************* ******, ********* *** links *** ******* ** *** ** ****, ***** ****** *** far ****** *** ** ******. ***** ******** ****** *** ** used ******** ** ****** *********, **** ***** ** * ******* increase ** *****.

*******

******* ** *** *********** ******* *******, ** ****** **** **** continue ** *** ***** **** ************* **** ** ********, ******, etc., ** *****'* ******** *** *********** ** **** ******** ***** surveillance ************.

** **** ********, ******* ************, ***** ** **** ********** ****** still ***** *********** **** *********** ************* **** ** *********, ******, etc., ***, ****** ****** ****** **** ********, *** ***** ***** cost **** *** *********-****.

Comments (16)

Thumbnail 12705660 10100409650185746 5085040848940046190 n

Harrison Mitchell

05/07/15 12:20pm

Siklu claims to have "the best price/MB on the market (should be Mb)." I'm not sure how they reach that with a link costing $6,000 MSRP. That's $6 a Mb, compared to the Nanobeam AC at $.44/Mb.

I do like the small form factor for Gigabit capabilities though, glad to see the radios are getting smaller, just not sure about that price point.

Josh Penfold

05/07/15 05:59pm

We have sold a few of the Siklu links and the customers have been pretty happy with them. I see them as an enterprise or carrier grade product used in situations where a $200 radio just wouldnt be trusted. To be UBNT products are like Harbour Freight Tools. They work adequatly well, but when you want to get serious about what you are building, you get the Dewalts or Jet Tools. They cost 3 or 4x the price for maybe a 5-10% improvement, but that 5-10% is worth the premium.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Josh Penfold | 05/07/15 07:11pm

"They cost 3 or 4x the price"

Isn't more like 20x the price of $200 radios or am I missing something?

I agree there is value in enterprise / carrier-grade products in certain situations, I just want to be clear about the price delta.

Bob Damrau

05/07/15 09:22pm

Looks like a fat pipe radio, short LOS hops for metro IP missions.

Anyone know the POE radio load specs?

Thumbnail danny 003

Danny Bensimhon

In reply to Bob Damrau | 05/16/15 08:08pm

Before starting my comments, I would like to disclose that i'm Siklu's product marketing manager.

Bob Damrau asked about the PoE spec: PoE in requiers minimum 30 Watts.

The PoE out port can deliver up to 13 Watts. If you use the PoE out feature, the PoE supplied to the unit will increase its consumotion as well

Danny

Bob Damrau

In reply to Danny Bensimhon | 05/17/15 12:09am

Thanks Danny.

So that's 48vdc 30w for the radio and 13w POE out available for another device (camera, etc) for a total power consumption of 43w.

Correct?

We haven't had a customer power project with your equipment yet, so it's good to have the info for our vendor library and solution portfolio on the front end.

Thumbnail danny 003

Danny Bensimhon

In reply to Bob Damrau | 05/19/15 11:24am

Hi Bob,

Basicly your corrent. We offer both DC PoE and AC PoE power supply units that support this feature. Our offered PoE power supply units are tested to support a total 100 meters of Ethernet cable from the feeding PoE power supply to the EH-600T ODU and to the served device (camera / Wi-Fi access point):Siklu EH-600T PoE out

Hope the above diagram clarifies it.

Danny.

Donald Peters

IPVMU Certified | 05/10/15 08:07pm

The 60 GHz band is considered millimeter wave vs. microwave and has several important characteristics to consider prior to installation. This band is considered "oxygen absorbing" and has a very high link loss with any precipitation, including light fog so the 5/9 (99.999%) seems questionable in real world deployments. Also, radios in the 60 / 70 / 80 GHz bands must typically be mounted to a building exterior wall or an elevated water tank. The beam adjustment on the elevation and azimuth usually fall within .25 of an inch so even a slight sway or twist from a tower or monopole will compromise the link. I’m not a big fan of the Ubiquiti gear but I would take that before deploying a millimeter wave link without the perfect set of prerequisites. There are just better ways to achieve a reliable link. Just my two cents.

Thumbnail danny 003

Danny Bensimhon

In reply to Donald Peters | 05/18/15 07:47am
Before starting my comments, I would like to disclose that I'm Siklu's product marketing manager.Yes, in V-band (60 GHz), there's oxygen attenuation. The oxygen molecules absorb these frequencies and produces attenuation. The oxygen attenuation depends on the exact frequency, height, temperature etc. Typical values vary from 12 dB/Km to 18 dB/km. Most 60 GHz P2P links are deployed for 200-500 meters lengths, so the actual attenuation is lower. This attenuation, combined with the very narrow beam widths, enables the high re-use factors at this band. On top of that, some systems enable the users to configure the operational frequency in correlation to the link length. So for longer links, your configure frequency with relatively lower attenuation, and for short length links, you configure frequencies with higher attenuation. This configuration further enhance frequency reuse efficiency to enable even larger scale dense links utilization. Most 60 GHz radio links vendors supply Link-Budget-Calculator tools (online / offline - depends on the vendor). Those tools take into consideration: the system model in use, the chosen frequency and polarization, tx power, receiver sensitivity link's length and location. Location is important because the advanced tools contains ITU-R rain models data base which enable to calculate link availability throughout the year. By aggregating all those inputs into simple to use tool, user can easily project system performance and correlate it with SLA.
Thumbnail danny 003

Danny Bensimhon

05/21/15 10:39am

Hi

I'm Danny, Siklu's product marketing manager.

Kindly note some small corrections to the above listed spec:

  • 60 GHz band (user selectable, 8 non-overlapping full capacity channels)
  • Integrated 35 dBi antenna, 2.5° beamwidth
  • Three GbE ports, one PoE in and one PoE out
  • Specified range up to 1,600' at 99.999% availability
  • Compact 5.9”x6.1”x3.54” size

Cheers,

Danny

Thumbnail usa shield

Luis Carmona

IPVMU Certified | 05/03/16 11:53am

Seems Arecont is throwing their hat in the partnership ring with Siklu.

Arecont Vision Technology Partner Program Expands Wirelessly with Siklu

It says in the article mentions the Arecont Megalab. Can someone from Siklu or Arecont disclose if that means they pushed the radios of their camera walls, and if so, how much consistent throughout was achieved at what data and frame rates?

Alex Doorduyn

In reply to Luis Carmona | 05/04/16 07:06pm

Disclaimer - I am Director of Business Development for Security at Siklu.

Arecont Vision’s MegaLab is open to integrators to test their design before they deploy it. As an Infrastructure Partner, we supplied our equipment to be available in MegaLab for this SI testing. To fully understand what can be expected with Arecont Vision cameras on Siklu’s radios, please reach out to me directly and I’ll be happy to talk to you about our successful installations with Arecont Vision. Similar to Arecont Vision, we are happy to supply loaner units for you, or anyone, to test in a real-life environment.

John Honovich

IPVM | In reply to Alex Doorduyn | 05/04/16 11:14pm

Alex, you did not answer Luis question at all. If you want to build credibility, answer what was a straightforward and fundamental technical query.

Again:

Can someone from Siklu or Arecont disclose if that means they pushed the radios of their camera walls, and if so, how much consistent throughout was achieved at what data and frame rates?

Thumbnail brk1

Brian Karas

IPVM | 03/27/17 06:00pm

Update, Siklu has lowered their pricing, and the per link cost is now ~$3,000 instead of $6,000. I edited the post as well to reflect this.

Michael Miller

In reply to Brian Karas | 03/27/17 07:44pm

Brian the new pricing for the 500Mbps-1GB links or the 100-200Mps links?

Thumbnail brk1

Brian Karas

IPVM | In reply to Michael Miller | 03/27/17 09:41pm

Here is more specific pricing I got from Siklu:

EH600TX - MSRP $3680 for 500Mbps, $4380 for 1Gbps link.

EH500TX - MSRP $2900 for 100Mbps (upgradable to 200Mbps).

Login to read this IPVM report.
Why do I need to log in?
IPVM conducts unique testing and research funded by member's payments enabling us to offer the most independent, accurate and in-depth information.

Related Reports on Wireless

Ubiquiti Protect Video Surveillance Profile on Nov 07, 2018
Ubiquiti has now been in the video surveillance market for 7 years (see our first coverage back in 2011). In that time, the company's revenue has...
Directory Of Video Doorbells on Nov 06, 2018
Video doorbells are one of the fastest growing categories in video surveillance, especially among residences. The optimal placement of these...
Winter 2019 IP Networking Course on Nov 05, 2018
This is the only networking course designed specifically for video surveillance professionals.  Lots of network training exists but none of it...
Solar-Powered, Smart-Phone-Based Access Kit (VIZPin) Examined on Nov 02, 2018
Cloud-based access control company VIZPin is releasing a solar-powered and smart phone based access control system for gates and other remote...
IP Camera Installation Tool Shootout - Avigilon, Axis, Ideal, Hanwha, Triplett, Veracity on Oct 23, 2018
Setting up IP cameras has historically been challenging, with techs often precariously using a laptop on a ladder or lift. Some options for install...
IP Camera Installability Shootout - Avigilon, Axis, Bosch, Dahua, Hanwha, Hikvision, Uniview, Vivotek on Oct 08, 2018
What are the best and worst cameras from an installation standpoint? Which manufacturers make it harder or easier to install their cameras? We...
Access Control Lock Guide on Sep 26, 2018
In this guide, we examine locks; critical elements of any security system and fundamental parts of every access control system. Two fundamental...
BluePoint Aims To Bring Life-Safety Mind-Set To Police Pull Stations on Sep 20, 2018
Fire alarm pull stations are commonplace but police ones are not. A self-funded startup, BluePoint Alert Solutions is aiming to make police pull...
VMS Export Shootout - Avigilon, Dahua, Exacq, Genetec, Hikvision, Milestone on Sep 13, 2018
When crimes, accidents or problems occur, exporting video from one's video surveillance system is critical to proving incidents. But who does it...
Ligowave Wireless Profile - Ubiquiti Competitor on Aug 27, 2018
Ubiquiti has become the most common choice for wireless in video surveillance (see Favorite Wireless Manufacturers) but not without controversy and...

Most Recent Industry Reports

Throughtek P2P/Cloud Solution Profile on Nov 15, 2018
Many IoT manufacturers either do not have the capabilities or the interest to develop their own cloud management software for their devices....
ASIS Offering Custom Research For Manufacturers on Nov 15, 2018
Manufacturers often want to know what industry people think about trends and, in particular, the segments and product they offer.  ASIS and its...
ISC East 2018 Mini-Show Report on Nov 15, 2018
ISC East, by its own admission, is not a national or international show, billed as the "Largest Annual Northeast U.S. Security...
Hikvision Silent on "Bad Architectural Practices" Cybersecurity Report on Nov 14, 2018
A 'significant vulnerability was found in Hikvision cameras' by VDOO, a startup cybersecurity specialist. Hikvision has fixed the specific...
French Government Threatens School with $1.7M Fine For “Excessive Video Surveillance” on Nov 14, 2018
The French government has notified a high-profile Paris coding academy that it risks a fine of up to 1.5 million euros (about $1.7m) if it...
Integrator Credit Card Alternative Divvy on Nov 13, 2018
Most security integrators are small businesses but large enough that they have various employees that need to be able to expense various charges as...
Directory of Video Intercoms on Nov 13, 2018
Video Intercoms, also known as Video Door-Phones or Video Entry Systems, have been growing in the past decade as more and more IP camera...
Beware Amazon Go Store Hype (Tested) on Nov 13, 2018
IPVM's trip to and testing of Amazon Go's San Francisco store shows a number of significant operational and economic issues that undermine the...
Magos Radar Company Profile on Nov 12, 2018
Magos America General Manager Yaron Zussman admits when he first came across Magos, he asked himself: "What's innovative about radar?" Be that as...
Genetec Privacy Protector Tested on Nov 12, 2018
Genetec has built Kiwi Security's Privacy Protector into Security Center, an analytic which anonymizes individuals in cameras' fields of view...

The world's leading video surveillance information source, IPVM provides the best reporting, testing and training for 10,000+ members globally. Dedicated to independent and objective information, we uniquely refuse any and all advertisements, sponsorship and consulting from manufacturers.

About | FAQ | Contact