Remote access is the ability to access a network, a personal computer, a server, or other device from a distance for the purpose of controlling it or to access data. Today, remote access is usually accomplished over the Internet, although a local IP network, telephone lines, cellular service, or leased lines may also be used.

Remote access is a very general term that covers a wide range of applications from telecommuting to resetting a distant server. Here are just a few of the applications that fall under the remote access umbrella:

Remote network access
A common use for remote access is to provide corporate network access to employees who work at home or are in sales or other traveling positions. This kind of remote access typically uses IPsec VPN tunnels to authenticate and secure connections.

Remote desktop access
Remote desktop access enables users to access a computer remotely from another computer and take control of it as if it were local. This kind of remote control requires that special software—which is included with most operating systems—be installed and enabled. It’s often used by those who travel frequently to access their “home” computer, and by network administrators for remote server access. This remote access method has some inherent security concerns and is usually incompatible with firewalls, so it’s important to be aware of its limitations and use adequate security precautions.

Remote KVM access
A common application in organizations that maintain servers across multiple sites is server administration through an IP-enabled KVM switch. These IP-addressable switches support one or more servers and have an integral Web server, enabling users to access them over the Internet through a Web browser. Because they’re intended for Internet use, these switches offer authentication and encryption for secure connections.

Remote power management
Anyone who’s ever had to get out of bed in the middle of the night to go switch a server off and back on again to reset it can appreciate the convenience of remote power management. Remote power managers have a wide range of capabilities ranging from simple power switching to reboot a device to sophisticated power monitoring, reporting, and management functions.

Remote environmental security monitoring
Remote environmental and security monitoring over the Internet is increasingly popular, largely because of the cost savings of using existing network infrastructure rather than a proprietary security system. This application requires IP-addressable hubs that support a variety of sensors ranging from temperature and humidity to power monitors. Some models even support surveillance cameras.

Cost savings for you

With today’s ubiquitous Internet availability, remote access is increasingly popular and often results in significant cost savings by enabling greater network access and reducing travel to remote sites.

Fiber optic cable not only gives you immunity to interference and greater signal security, but it’s also constructed to insulate the fiber’s core from the stress associated with use in harsh environments.

The core is a very delicate channel that’s used to transport data signals from an optical transmitter to an optical receiver. To help reinforce the core, absorb shock, and provide extra protection against cable bends, fiber cable contains a coating of acrylate plastic.

In an environment free from the stress of external forces such as temperature, bends, and splices, fiber optic cable can transmit light pulses with minimal attenuation. And although there will always be some attenuation from external forces and other conditions, there are two methods of cable construction to help isolate the core: loose-tube and tight-buffer construction.

In a loose-tube construction, the fiber core literally floats within a plastic gel-filled sleeve. Surrounded by this protective layer, the core is insulated from temperature extremes, as well as from damaging external forces such as cutting and crushing.

In a tight-core construction, the plastic extrusion method is used to apply a protective coating directly over the fiber coating. This helps the cable withstand even greater crushing forces. But while the tight-buffer design offers greater protection from core breakage, it’s more susceptible to stress from temperature variations. Conversely, while it’s more flexible than loose-tube cable, the tight-buffer design offers less protection from sharp bends or twists.

Resources:

White Paper - Fiber Optic Technology

Fiber Cable Selector

Multicolor Fiber Optic Patch Cables Data Sheet

Driving data? Better check the transmission.

Line drivers can operate in any of four transmission modes: 4-wire full-duplex, 2-wire full-duplex, 4-wire half-duplex, and 2-wire half-duplex. In fact, most models support more than one type of operation.

So how do you know which line driver to use in your application?

The deal with duplexing.
First you must decide if you need half- or full-duplex transmission. In half-duplex transmission, voice or data signals are transmitted in only one direction at a time, as in a CB radio conversation. In full-duplex operation, voice or data signals are transmitted in both directions at the same time, as in a telephone conversation.

The entire bandwidth is available for your transmission in half-duplex mode. In full-duplex mode, however, the bandwidth must be split in two because data travels in both directions simultaneously.

Two wires or not two wires? That is the question.
The second consideration you have is the type of twisted-pair cable you need to complete your data transmissions. Generally you need twisted-pair cable with either two or four wires. Often the type of cabling that’s already installed in a building dictates what kind of a line driver you use. For example, if two twisted pairs of UTP cabling are available, you can use a line driver that operates in 4-wire applications, such as the Short-Haul Modem-B Async. Otherwise, you might choose a line driver that works for 2-wire applications, such as the Short-Haul Modem-B Async, 2-wire.

If you have the capabilities to support both 2- and 4-wire operation in half- or full-duplex mode, we even offer line drivers that support all four types of operation.

Still unsure? Consult our Technical Support experts and they’ll help you make your decision.

The “parts” of a digital signage project can become a tangled web of technologies if not understood as standalone elements and then as a whole. “The 7 Key Elements of Digital Signage” provides clarity and a way to connect the dots on any and all digital signage projects. Keep in mind that every digital signage system contains all of the 7 Key Elements in one form or another and if ignored, can become the weak link in the chain.

The following are major questions are broken down into ”The 7 Key Elements of Digital Signage.” By answering each one, you increase your knowledge about the requirements of a project and you increase your probability of success.

Hardware

Will the players be mounted in or behind the displays, or in a data closet? How exactly will the displays and appliances be mounted? How many hours a day will the screens be in use? Based on display locations, will you have potential security issues? Do you want to remotely control the display(s)? Will you need to protect screens and equipment from dust, debris, and the elements, as well extremes in temperature or moisture? Will your digital signage installation meet all local and federal codes and requirements?

Software

Are you considering a hosted or software as a service (SaaS) solution or a single purchase licensed software solution? Do you want to display information crawls or RSS news feeds to audiences? Does the player software support this? Is the system capable of generating automated e-mail alerts in case of system and/or screen failure? Does the system perform status checks of connected devices and log content play out for reporting purposes? Will touch screens be used in your application, and will the software support them?

Connectivity

What is the network configuration? Are there any bandwidth limitations? Will you be sharing a network with other applications outside digital signage? Who specifically will be responsible for installing the equipment and connecting it to the network? For screens located far from a source, what kind of signal distribution are you considering? Are you looking to integrate video from another source into your content feed? Will you be locating signage in an island kiosk or aisle end caps? How do you plan to distribute audio as well as serial control signals?

Content

Are there existing content resources to draw from? Who will be responsible for the overall “look and feel” of the content? Do you have graphic designers on staff or the services of a design firm? Can suppliers, vendors, or partners of yours help supply content? Will you need to add audio with your content? Is audio permissible in the environment that you have chosen for the digital signage system?

Operations

Will you have a single person administer or multiple people who require passwords and permissions for any specific content? Will you need to integrate additional building operations, such as paging, security, or fire alarms into the digital signage? Will you have someone on-staff to troubleshoot issues and be dispatched to get a screen or player up and running? Are their provisions for proper system backup for operation and storage of content? Have you properly estimated the amount of time it takes not to just implement a system, but also manage it and update it with fresh, relevant content later?

Design

Who is the intended audience/viewer? What information do you want to communicate? Are you looking to deploy the signage in more than one location? Looking to deploy your digital signage internationally? Are you planning an incremental roll-out? Do you have a lead person designated to evaluate and test the system?

Business

What is the timeline for judgment and what are the repercussions for failure or success? Is the digital signage system based on ROI? Is the digital signage system based on attainment of objectives, aka ROO, and if so, what is the business plan and strategy? Are there participating partners in the project and if so, what is the division of responsibilities and metrics of completion of tasks? When evaluating a supplier for your digital signage system, also ask:

• What does the price include? What are the options?

• Is technical support extra, and who provides that support?

• What are the shipping terms, return policies, and warranties?

• Is training available at no charge, and how good is it?

• How is customer service handled, and how are complaints adjudicated?

Being able to understand and answer each of these questions will certainly help you on your journey to digital signage success! Comments? Questions? You can always reach out to one of our Digital Signage Success Managers at 724-873-6553.

Our VGA Wireless Video Presentation System is back and better than ever! Stop swapping cables every time an individual is ready to present. Go wireless! If you have a meeting room with a VGA projector and you want a roomful of people to have a simple way to share their screens with others, then this affordable, plug-and-play receiver is your solution.

This latest version of the popular Wi-Fi receiver not only supports presentation sharing through 4-to-1 split-screen and 1-to-4 projection, it also provides 802.11n Wi-Fi support—delivering up to five times the throughput and greater range of earlier Wi-Fi technology. The 802.11b/g/n compatibility means it can communicate with the latest mobile devices, too. This includes computers, PDA’s or any wireless mobile hand held device running with windows mobile. Plus, the system works as a wireless access point, so laptop users can even access and stream information from the Internet or a wireless LAN.

Ideal for college classrooms, auditoriums, business meetings, places of worship, presentations, and video conferencing. It even boasts a range of 300 feet and includes a kit that contains the necessary equipment for wall mounting. For more information on this simple way to improve collaboration in large meeting rooms, go to blackbox.com/go/VPS or watch the demo video below.

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is used for controlling multimedia communication sessions over an IP network. Common applications include voice over IP (VoIP), videoconferencing, streaming multimedia, on-line gaming, and instant messaging. SIP is the protocol of choice for VoIP, and is used to create, modify, and terminate VoIP sessions, including functions such as call transfer, conference calls, and call hold.

This very high-level protocol operates primarily in the Application Layer (Layer 7) of the OSI model. Because SIP runs independently of the Transport Layer (Layer 4), it works with most transport protocols, including TCP and UDP.

Much like HTTP, SIP is a text-based protocol. SIP messages contain only as much information as is needed for each session, so it’s very efficient and can expand and contract to meet each application’s specific requirements. This extensibility makes SIP incredibly versatile, enabling it to cover functions ranging from simple VoIP calls to complex multi-user videoconferencing.

SIP uses proxy servers to route requests, authenticate users, and provide features such as voice mail. SIP performs five basic functions:

1. User Location finds another user by way of an address, not unlike an e-mail address.
2. User Availability determines whether a user answers a request to communicate. A user may be registered under several addresses, in which case SIP may transfer an unanswered call to another address, which may be another device or an application such as voicemail.
3. User Capabilities checks for compatibility between clients.
4. Session Setup establishes session parameters for both called and calling party.
5. Session management handles changes to the call status, including transfer and termination of sessions, modifying session parameters, and invoking new services.

One of the most aggravating infrastructure challenges occurs when you get asked to put a workstation in some inconvenient, too far, difficult-to-wire spot. If there’s a room at the far end of some unused hallway, or a shack at the edge of campus, chances are you’re going to get a request for an Ethernet port there.

Whenever you need to put a connection in one of these types of places, your first move should be to check to see if there’s any existing cable that can be adapted for Ethernet by using Ethernet extenders. Most modern buildings have unused voice-grade wires or unused coax. Additionally, many campuses have installed 25- or 50-pair telephone trunk cables between buildings. You can hijack these unused wires for Ethernet use.

Ethernet extenders are easy to set up—all you need to do is to plug in one at each end of the twisted-pair wire or coax. Sometimes you’ll also need to set a DIP switch for local or remote operation. Once the Ethernet extenders are installed, there’s nothing to configure, and the extenders are transparent to network operation.

Ethernet extenders can often save you the time, aggravation, and expense of pulling new cable. If you have the right cable already installed, Ethernet extenders are definitely the way to go when it comes to putting your network into out-of-the-way or distant locations. Best of all, when you pull off that difficult install, you look like a miracle worker!

Video standards are changing, moving from analog video to digital video. Digital Video Interface, or DVI, was developed by the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) to replace the VGA connector standard, the "legacy analog technology." [1]

There are some very simple differences between analog and digital video, and simple advantages to switching to digital.

Analog signals travel in a sine-like wave form, and digital signals travel in a square-like waveform. Digital signals offer advantages over analog because the wave shape offers multiple places to read the signal and is more accurate. Digital signals are also far less vulnerable to EMI and RFI interference, especially when fiber cable is used to transmit the signals.

As a result, systems and KVM switches are moving from HD15 or VGA connectors to DVI connectors. The DVI connectors can either support both analog or digital signals depending on the pinning. DVI-I supports both analog and digital signals while DVI-D only supports digital.

Standard resolutions with analog video initially were designed to only 640 x 480 or 800 x 600. They were later stretched to higher resolutions, but the image quality became dependent on many physical factors of the transmission link, and hence more vulnerable to distortion and signal degradation. Upgrading to digital video brings higher resolutions, usually about 1920 x 1200. Using dual-link video effectively doubles the power of transmission and provides an increase in speed and signal quality. Dual-link video resolutions can display resolutions of 2048 x 1536 or even 2560 x 1600. This resolution is supported on high-definition displays, such as 30" LCD monitors and digital signage displays.

DVI-D extenders reach up to 460 feet over CATx cable and up to 40 km over single-mode fiber. These distances will improve as the technology for extending signals improves.

Black Box offers a number of products for digital video extension, including ServSwitch™ DKM switches and extenders the ServSwitch Agility, and the ServSwitch Wizard Dual-Link DVI.

Sources:

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital%E2%80%93visual_interface