hardwired

I have KBD300's controlling twelve cameras, it's not an addressing issue. Are you trying to use both keyboards at the same time? that may cause problems. Try with only a single keyboard connected. In our installation, we used a CM9760DMR to merge two keyboard data outputs into a single output to a CDU-T. If you have a matrix (CM6700/6800, or similar/higher), it will also merge the keyboard data lines. If you can, please try to post a diagram showing the configuration and addressing settings, and which cams have termination on/off.

The closest thing I've seen to what you are asking for is a police interrogation room system, they are designed for a similar usage pattern to what you are asking for. One I worked with is FTR Interrogator, http://www.fortherecord.com/products/ftr-interrogator/, not sure about IP camera compatibility, I used it with analog cameras. Milestone's export feature in the remote client is pretty easy to use, similar in operation to what Soundy mentions with Vigil. Milestone does it's archiving in several steps, there is a "First Day" space that you need to set up on a (relatively) fast local drive, then it archives to another directory/drive (can be a slower media) for permanent storage once a day (it can be scheduled for multiple archives a day, but only in higher versions of the software, not in Go, or Essential). The folders/files created in Milestone directly for storage are tagged by the camera MAC address, and some unique identifiers.... The export method is going to be your best bet, at least in Milestone.

Viking Electronics has just about any telephone interface you could imagine, this one looks like what you would need...http://www.vikingelectronics.com/products/view_product.php?pid=343

I've been getting parts from Mini-Box for a while now, they have a pretty good assortment of cases (and other mini-ITX stuff).. http://www.mini-box.com/s.nl/sc.8/category.87/.f

Magic smoke refill kit.... http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10622 I've always wanted one of those!

It's not a covert cam to start, but if you take apart an Acti ACM-3701, you wind up with a pretty small package of parts. It uses a 1/3" board cam lens, so you should be able to put a pinhole lens on it, if you wanted.

What I meant, was that some thin client units can run a IE session on the box itself, not through a RDP session, and try running the NVR client that way, connecting directly to the NVR, rather than through a Citrix session. Other than that, they may need a full PC for a client unit, I had one customer I had to do that for. If anyone else has any ideas, I'd like to hear them too!

None of the remote desktop methods work really well for remote viewing compared to using client software, but Windows TS is especially bad, usually it will not pass DirectX overlays at all (sounds like what you are describing, VNC and TeamViewer work somewhat better). Check and see if your customer's dumb terminals can at least run a IE session (some can), and use a web based client, if you NVR has one.

Haven't had any issues like that with fullsize cable (luckily), but a few years back, our usage of mini RG59/20 piggyback ended, after quite a bit of it began failing during or just after install. The inner foam core broke apart, allowing the braid and core to touch. If you were trying to pull off a little foam while stripping it, you would pull out several inches of the foam insulation, or more. The manufacturer replaced the bad cable, and offered us more free, but it cost us a lot of labor, and we changed to fullsize after that.

Depends on the cameras. What you are looking for is an IP decoder, Acti makes one for their cameras, ACD-3100, one video channel per decoder, but only Acti cameras. Ip-analog video conversion is a weak point for network video solutions, sometimes it's easiest to run the client software on a small PC with a composite video output card or converter.

Also works out to be 3.333 cameras per store soooo, who gets the 1/3 of a camera? 3 cameras is also a little light for a retail store location, don't you guys think?

I think everyone is getting off-topic, the OP never even mentioned using a WAN connection, from what I gathered from his post, he thinks that a wireless bridge to his house would not have enough bandwidth, and he needs memory at the cam. A good wireless bridge (a pair of Ubiquiti Nanostation M5's, or similar) should have more than enough bandwidth for several cameras, without needing memory at the camera, assuming a clear line of sight between the house and gate. However, a good quality IP camera will run over his budget of $200, that barely covers the cost of the wireless link portion.

I've wondered what the Vegas casino operators think when ISC is happening, and dozens of guests are staring at their cameras.....

I've done systems using the IEI E-merge, which seems to work fairly well, and then we recently got on board with RS2, which I am really starting to like. You can get a basic system (up to 8 doors) going with their Lite software version, which is priced well (free). I just did a RS2 system with a couple of the Mercury EP-1501 controllers, and the Sargent Wi-Fi standalone locks, and it had a little bit of a learning curve with the Wi-Fi portion, but overall, I'm quite happy with the system, as is the customer (the important part!).

Yep, Nanostation M2, or M5. Curious about why they were using two of them, though.....And I think I probably get noticed by security in a lot of places, because I'm staring at the ceilings, looking at their cameras!

We use this ATM camera from DeView, http://www.deviewelectronics.com/c/120/Wide/Dynamic/Range/ATM/Camera/ in twelve elevators with Speco corner mount housings, they work well, and deal with the doors opening into a very bright hospital lobby quite well. deView also has the Pixim chipset in indoor and vandal domes, and box cameras. All of their domes allow interchanging WDR and standard camera modules, and have a five year warranty with advance replacements. We have been using more and more of these (and CNB), as Pelco continues to deteriorate......

Hmmm, firmware from '04, where does it try to phone home to when you hit the "online firmware update" link?

Netsys makes the NVF-200POEKIT Ethernet extender, it will provide data+PoE over a single twisted pair, full 15.4 watt and 25Mbps at 1640 Feet, lower rates and wattage to 3280 feet. I haven't tried that specific model, but have used quite a few of their other extenders, and been happy with them. I have used their 8 port extender switch and remote modules at several locations (apartments, ranches) that had a lot of existing telco wiring in place, to get IP camera systems installed with very reduced labor. *********Edit********* Also remembered the Veracity Outreach, it will repeat a single data+PoE line an additional 300', if you install it at a midpoint.

Well, Exacq is able to pull either H.264 or MJPEG streams from Sanyo cameras somehow without ActiveX plugins, or they would not be able to have a Linux version of their software that will work with the Sanyo cameras. If I get a chance, I'll try Wireshark on a Sanyo/Exacq setup and see if I can get the correct URL stream data from it....I think Zoneminder will let you use generic URL's for streaming, right? Exacq is worth a look, if you are willing to pay for a VMS software. They have a free one channel demo version available to play with, as well. It's also extremely light on server resources, I've had it running several Arecont megapixel cams on a Via 1.2 GHz mini-itx motherboard setup. Hmmm, I just saw on the Zoneminder site a how-to about running it on a Guruplug, I've been thinking about trying Exacq on a Guruplug, as well....

The Sanyo cameras do require ActiveX H.264 plugins for viewing in a browser window (and they are somewhat flakey ones, at that), but are not required for most NVR applications to record them (Sanyo cams are supported in Exacq, which has a Debian Ubuntu version available). At worst, you might need to use a Windows PC (or Windows VM) to use the setup utility, and configure all of the camera settings in a browser, but after that most NVR apps have settings available through their GUI.

+1 on the thanks for the parts supply tip to Survtech, I just got a replacement 35x D/N Hitachi imager block for a Spectra IV for $250 from Time Lapse Supply (Pelco wanted $900 for the part+labor). Replacing the module took less than ten minutes... Time well spent!

Looks like Korenix has something like what you are looking for here http://www.korenix.com/jetbox-selection-guide.htm with some flavor of embedded Linux and a mini-PCIe slot for a wireless card. They also make a four port PoE PCI NIC here http://www.korenix.com/jetcard-PoE_Universal_PCI_Card-2215-overview.htm, apparently has 12-48 volt inverter on the card, probably what's in their combo routers. Haven't checked on them, but they don't look cheap.....

Well, I can vouch for the Ubiquiti stuff working in the heat for several years now, summer here can get to 115F. I tend not to use secondary enclosures, because our climate does not really need them (low rainfall, almost no freezing temperatures), but I am guessing that in 115F ambient weather with direct sunlight exposure, that they get as hot or hotter than their rated temperature extremes.

But if you join, we'll let you do the leeches and bloodletting

If it turns out you need a TTL level shifter, you could try this one http://www.sparkfun.com/products/449. (under fifteen bucks, not too expensive to try out)