Product Reviews

Best known for its compact IP network cameras, Axis Communications also offers a fine range of video servers. On review is the 2411, designed to work with analog video cameras. It can function as a standalone device and also integrate easily into an existing CCTV system. However, as an entry-level model, the 2411 is a single-channel device and doesn't support audio, nor is it capable of passing pan, tilt or zoom commands to cameras.

The 2411 uses the same solid aluminium box as the 2191 Audio Module (see issue 91, p181). It comes equipped with composite BNC for connection to a camera

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plus a 10/100BaseTX port for the network link. A row of LEDs provides visual cues to operations by showing power and unit status plus network activity. For testing, we connected a Sony SSC-CX18VP colour camera to the server and it worked perfectly.

Installation starts by assigning an IP address to the server, and this can be achieved easily using Axis' IP Installer utility. Next, you move over to a web browser, where the home page displays the current camera view. You can opt for mono or colour images, select three resolutions and choose an image compression ratio. Options are provided for adjusting vertical and horizontal sync. You may also customise the image by adding a text header plus time and date stamps. A useful feature is the ability to determine how much network bandwidth the server is allowed when transmitting the digitised video feed.

It's a pity PoE (Power over Ethernet) isn't supported and that the 2411 is a more costly solution to network IP cameras, but you do benefit from good image quality. Despite offering the same 30fps frame rate as the minuscule Axis 205 Network Camera (see issue 112, p80), we found movement was relayed much more smoothly.