VLANs for Video Surveillance Tutorial

Last Updated Dec 09, 2022 16:29 PM

Many people confidently say to 'use VLANs' as an answer to IP video networking problems and as a way to signal expertise.

But how should VLANs be used? What benefits do they really deliver or not?

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In the note, we examine:

  • Segmentation of applications across VLANs
  • Untagged vs tagged VLANs
  • Static vs dynamic VLANs
  • VLANs for uplinks
  • Bandwidth and VLANs
  • QoS and VLANs
  • Common applications of VLANs

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*** ******* ***** ***** ** * typical ****** / ********* *******. ** this ********, ************ ******* ** ********* from ******* ****** *** **** ******* via ***** ******** *****. *** **** devices **** *** *********** **** **** other ** *** ************ ***** *** the ****** *** *** ***, ** they *** ** *** **** ****.

IPVM Image

Untagged **. ****** *****

***** *** *** *********** ***** ** VLANs, ****** *** ********:

******** *****

** *******, *** ***** ** * switch *** ***** ** * ******* untagged **** (********* **** ** *), meaning **** *** ***** *** "***" all ******. ****** ******** ***** ** another **** ** ** ******** ********** this *******.

*** ******* ** ******** ***** ** reduced *************, ** ** ******** ****** configuration (*******, *******, ***.) **** ** performed, ** ******* ** ****** ******* to *** **** ** *** ******. However, ***** (********* *******) *** **** be ******** ** * ****** ******** VLAN. ** ** * ******** ****** must *** ******** *****, **** ** office **** ********/********, ************, *** ****, users **** ****** *** ******* (*****) or ***** *** *** **** ******** together, **** ** ***** *** **********.

****** *****

***** *** **** ** ****** **** specific **** *** ***** ***.** *******. Traffic ******** *** ******* *** **** is ****** **** * ******** ** which ** ********* ** *** ********* device.

*** ******* ** ****** ***** ** that ***** *** ** ******** ** more **** *** ****, ****** ******** ones. *******, *** ******* ********* ** these ***** **** **** ******* ***.**, which ** *** ********* ** **** IP ******* ** ***** ******** *******, and ******** ********** ******* ********** ** be *********/********** ** ***. ******* ** this, ****** ***** *** ********* **** used *** ******.

Static *****

**** ***** ************ ******** *** ****** VLANs ********** *** ****. *** *******, ports *-** ** * ****** *** be **** ** *** ******* ***, while **-** *** **** ** *** camera ****.

****-***** ****** ***** *** **** ******, and ******** ** *** **, *** must ** ******** ************ ** ******* are ***** ** *****, ****** ******* VLANs. ** *** ***** ***** ** provide * ******** ** *********** ****-***** VLANs:

Dynamic *****

******* ***** ****** * **** ***** on *** *** *******, ***********, ** type ** ******. **** ******** ******* flexibility, ***** ******* *** ** ******* into *** ****, *** ********** ** needed.

*******, *** ******* ***** ** ******* VLANs ** **** ****-*********, ** *** database ** ****** **** *** ****** identifiers ** ***** **** ** *******, making **** **** ******** ****, ********** in ************ ** *******, *******, *** other ********* ********* ******* ********* ** the **** ****, *** *** *** moved.

***-***** **** *******

***** *** * *** ********** ** dynamic *****. ***** ** ******* ** image **** * ******* ****** **** shows ***-***** **** *************. *** ****** will ******** *** *** ******* ** the ****** ********** ** ** *** then *** ** ** *** *********** VLAN ***** ** *** ********** ******.

IPVM Image

***** ******* **** *******

******* ***** *** **** *** *** two ***** *****, ******* ** ***** is ****** ** ************:

  • ******/"***** *****": **** ****** **** ********* such ** ***/**** ** ************* ***** the ****** **** ********* *** ****** it ** * ****. **** ** commonly **** ** ***** **** ** and ******* ******* ********, *** *** vast ******** ** ** ******* ** not ******* *** ******** *********, ****** it *********** ******* ** ************.
  • ****** *********/****: *******, ******* **** ******* Active *********/**** *** ** ******** ** a ******** ***** ** ************ **** the ****** **********. *** ******* ******* these *********, *** ** *** ** helpful ** ********* ******** ***** (******, security ********, ******, ***.) ****** ** view ************ *******, ********** ** ***** machine **** *** ** ****.

VLANs *** *******

***** *** *** **** ** ****** VLANs ** ****** ****** *****.

  • ********* **** *** ****:** ******** **** ******** ****** ***** and *** *****, ******** ****** ***** may ** ******** ** * ****** VLAN. **** ** *** ******** ****** to ***, ****** *** ****** ** VLANs **** ** ***** **** *** number ** ****** *****.
  • ****** ***** ****:******, ******* *** ** **** **** a ****** ****** **** ** *****, referred ** ** * ***** ****. Traffic ******* ***** ***** ** ****** as ******** ***** ***** ***.** (*** above). **** ****** ** ******** **** complex *** ********* ********* ** ** allows *** **** *********** *** ******** and/or ****** ****** **********.

VLAN ********

********* ******** ** ****** ******** ** the **** ******* ** ***** *****. By ********** ******* **** ******** ******* LANs, ************ *** ******** ******* ** the **** ****** ** ******* **** or ***** *******. *** ********* ********, the ******** *** ********* ** **** other ** ******* ** *** ****** LAN *** *** ***** *** ************ VLAN.

********* *****

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VLANs *** ***

***** *** ***** **** ** *********** or ********** ********* ******* **** *** often **** ** *********** **** ******* of *******. *** *** ** *** by **** ** **** ******* ********. A ************ ****, *** *******, *** receive ****** ******** ** * ***** than ******* **** ** ***** *****.

Equipment ************

************ ***** ******** ******* ******** ** used, ** ********* ******** ***** ** configuration **********. *** **** ******** ** managed ******** (**** *****-******* *** ***** switches) ********* ***** *** ****-*******.

VLAN ********* *** ************

*** ***** *** ******* ******, ********* on *** ***********:

  • ***** *******:** *** ****** ***** *******, **** as ***** ******, ***** *** ********* not **** ** ***-**** ********* ******** without **** ******* *** **** ***** deployed. ****, ******* ** ******** ********* on *** **** ******** ** ******* office *****, ** ******** ***** ***** require ******* ** *** **, ****** cost.
  • ********* *******:**** ******* * *** **** ***** services, ***** *** **** ** ******* and ***** ** ***-***** *******, ***** are ******** ***********. ** ** *** uncommon *** ***** ********** ** *** one **** *** ****, *** *** VOIP *******, *** *** *** ********, to ****** ******* ***** ********. ******* between *** ******* ****** **** *** security **** ** ******** ********, ** give ****** ******* ****** ** *****.
  • ********* ******* ******* *****:**** ***** * *********, ******** ****** network, ***** *** ***** *** ****** or *******. ** ****** **** *** general *** ** ******, *** *** separate ******** ******** *** ********* *** router.
  • ********* ******* **** *****:** ***** *******, ******** ***** *** be ****, **** **** ***** * dedicated ******** *******. ******* *** ******* are ****** ** ******** *****, ** prevent *** ********* ********* ** ***** on ********** ******** ******** ****** *** cameras' *** **********. **** ****** ******* is ******** ** *** *******, ** well, **** ************* ********* ***** * separate ****, ** ****** ******* *** create ********* ******* ***** *** ****** issues ** *** ************ ******.

***********

***** *** ***** ** ***** ** significantly ******** ** ****, **** ** have **** ********** ** ****** ****, preventing ************ ****** ** *****. *******, VLANs *** *** * ******* ** network ******** *** ****** ** ******** only **** *********. ******** * ***** converged ******* ******* **** ************* *** coordination, *** ****** *****.

**** **** *********

**** ***** ******** *******

Comments (16)
MM
Michael Miller
Sep 26, 2016

Great info!

(1)
Avatar
Abdelhamid Metwally
Sep 26, 2016
IPVMU Certified

It would be interesting if you could cover Avaya's Fabric Connect networking technology that can help speed network implementation which have a large number of network cameras. (P.S. my current company is also an Avaya Platinum partner)

U
Undisclosed #1
Sep 26, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Thanks, John. One question about:

One of the reasons VLANs are often seen as restricting or allocating bandwidth is because they are often used in conjunction with quality of service. QoS may be set by VLAN in most managed switches. A surveillance VLAN, for example, may receive higher priority as a whole than general data or voice VLANs.

If the surveillance VLAN consists of a static group of ports on a non-blocking switch, how would having a higher priority improve its performance over the voice VLAN, also with its own discrete non-blocking ports?

Avatar
John Scanlan
Sep 28, 2016
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

Great question and also the most common argument for not implementing QoS.

Congestion, (#2). If you do check out this link please keep in mind (not mentioned in the linked article) that we will have other devices connected to the switch, devices that possibly consume much more bandwidth /resources than IP cameras. There may also be access or distribution switches connected to distribution or core switches, and the network congestion will be exacerbated by the aggregate traffic from the devices connected to those feeder switches. At some point our network will experience data burst / congestion / etc & we want to decide how traffic is handled.

(1)
(1)
U
Undisclosed #2
Sep 27, 2016

How would this work for PCI compliance?

Avatar
John Scanlan
Sep 28, 2016
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

I've installed POS equipment and networking equipment for several of the largest retailers and they all used VLANs to separate their POS equipment. All of them had specific ports that the POS equipment needed to be connected to.

(2)
U
Undisclosed #2
Sep 28, 2016

Thanks John

What about VLAN Hopping? Would that not be a security concern for those larger retailers?

(1)
Avatar
John Scanlan
Sep 28, 2016
IPVM • IPVMU Certified

Yes, and while I was not hardening the equipment for these retailers I can only guess that they implement security best practices to help mitigate double tagging & switch spoofing.

(2)
Avatar
Jon Dillabaugh
Sep 28, 2016
Pro Focus LLC

Great article and surely will help move the needle forward for the industry. The more our industry understands network security, the better.

(2)
Avatar
Khalil Azar
Sep 04, 2018
IPVMU Certified

how do we route two VLANs together to allow certain individuals on other
VLANs access to the surveillance network

Avatar
Jon Dillabaugh
Sep 04, 2018
Pro Focus LLC

It depends on the switches and routers in the network. Layer 3 switches can route between VLANs, or if using layer 2 switches, the router will route all interVLAN traffic. Depending on the brand and capabilities of the equipment, you can grant access between VLANs via firewall rules or ACLs. 

(1)
UE
Undisclosed End User #3
Mar 02, 2021

It is smart to consider VLANs for large enterprise VMS. VLAN quickly identifies and manages multiple locations.

JF
Jon French
Aug 05, 2021
IPVMU Certified

It was very interesting

FO
Fawaz Owayda
Jan 12, 2022
IPVMU Certified

Hello,

I wasn't able to access PoE Guide for IP Video Surveillance.

However the videos provide excellent information.

JH
John Honovich
Jan 12, 2022
IPVM

It's fixed now - PoE Guide for IP Video Surveillance sorry about that, and thanks for letting us know.

KC
Kyle Clancy
Jul 18, 2022
IPVMU Certified

I wonder if this is on topic?

Can i plug a camera into a channel of an NVR, send the signal over a Nano Station bridge and only use the IP address of the Camera? or do i need to add the devices too?