Physical Security
Physical Security Systems
Mayer Networks designs and deploys commercial security camera systems, video surveillance, access control, entry, recording and the network infrastructure underneath them for businesses and government organizations throughout Southern Illinois, including multi-location video surveillance across several buildings. For new projects, UniFi is our preferred physical-security platform because cameras, access control, entry, recording and the network work together as one coordinated environment.
The cameras are the easy part
Designing the system around them is where experience matters.
A modern physical-security system depends on far more than picking a camera. Mayer Networks designs these pieces together rather than treating the cameras as isolated devices.
- Cameras
- Network and PoE
- Recording
- Storage
- Access control
- Remote management
- Camera placement
- Viewing angle
- Identification distance
- Lighting
- Night performance
- Recording resolution
- Retention requirements
- Storage capacity
- PoE power
- Switching
- Network bandwidth
- VLANs and segmentation
- Secure remote access
- Access-control hardware
- Door hardware
- Entry systems
- Permissions
- Firmware
- Future expansion
Physical security requires more than an installer
Design
Mayer Networks helps determine what the system has to do before hardware is quoted.
- Camera type
- Camera placement
- Access-control requirements
- Entry requirements
- Recording design
- Storage and retention
- Hardware selection
- Future expansion
Infrastructure
We design the technology underneath the system, not just the devices on the wall.
- PoE switching
- Network capacity
- VLANs and segmentation
- Uplinks
- Power requirements
- Secure remote access
- Recording infrastructure
- Storage and connectivity
Project coordination
We can help identify contractors, assist with bidding, communicate the technical requirements and coordinate with the selected contractor.
- Electrician requirements
- Low-voltage requirements
- Cabling
- Door hardware
- Power
- Mounting
- Contractor coordination
- Bid assistance
Operation and support
After installation, Mayer Networks handles the technology side of the finished system.
- Configuration
- User permissions
- Remote access
- Recording settings
- Retention settings
- Firmware
- Troubleshooting and support
- Changes and future expansion
Preferred platform
UniFi gives us the platform. Experience determines the design.
For new physical-security projects, Mayer Networks prefers UniFi Protect and UniFi Access where they fit the requirement, because cameras, recording, access control, entry systems, networking and centralized management can work together inside one ecosystem.
Choosing the platform is one part of the project. The design still has to account for the building, camera coverage, operational requirements, network infrastructure, storage, retention, access requirements, electrical work and future expansion.
The platform is important. The design around it is what makes it work.
What we design and deploy
Camera systems
UniFi Protect cameras, recording, NVRs and remote viewing, specified per area rather than bought as a kit.
Access control
UniFi Access readers, door hubs, credentials and door control for the openings that need to be governed.
Entry and intercom
Door stations and controlled visitor entry so a locked entrance still works for deliveries and appointments.
Recording and retention
Storage and retention designed around camera count, resolution and the business requirement for keeping footage.
Network infrastructure
PoE switching, segmentation, uplinks and secure remote access sized for the cameras and doors on them.
Mobile and remote management
Viewing, unlock and administration from approved devices, published through controlled access.
One system, different cameras for different jobs
We do not hang the same camera everywhere. Each viewpoint gets the model the job calls for, and every model reports into the same Protect environment.
Turret
Doorways, counters and hallways
Bullet
Entrances, docks and perimeters
Dome
Lobbies, offices and low-profile ceilings
360-degree
Open floors, warehouses and lobbies
AI models
Longer range and AI-assisted detection
LPR
Vehicle and plate-focused viewpoints
What decides the model at each viewpoint
- Field of view
- Distance to the subject
- Lighting and glare
- Night performance
- Identification vs. general awareness
- Vehicle and plate requirements where supported
- Indoor or outdoor mounting
- Where the cable and power can land
More than just video: depending on the camera and the system design, capability can include
- High-resolution recording
- Low-light and night visibility
- Wide-angle coverage
- Optical or digital zoom
- AI-assisted detection
- Person and vehicle detection where supported
- License-plate and vehicle capability where supported
- Motion events
- Event search
- Remote viewing
- Mobile access
- Notifications
- Multi-camera playback
- Timeline review
- Retention based on storage design
Not every camera supports every capability. Features are confirmed against the specific models selected for the site rather than assumed across the whole system.
UniFi Access
Cameras and doors should work together
When access control lives on the same platform as the cameras, an unlock event and the footage of that opening are part of the same record instead of two systems nobody correlates.
- Credential
- Reader
- Door hub
- Lock or strike
- Access event and history
Readers
Card, fob, mobile and PIN entry at the opening.
Door hubs
Door control, wiring terminations and access logic.
Compact hubs
Single-door installations and tighter retrofits.
Electric strikes
Release hardware for framed doors.
Mag locks
Glass, storefront and high-traffic openings.
Entry stations
Video, audio and visitor entry at the front door.
Doors we typically design around
- Exterior doors
- Employee entrances
- Restricted areas
- Server and equipment rooms
- Public and staff separation
- Government offices
- Multi-door facilities
What Mayer Networks provides
- Access-control design
- Hardware selection
- Controller and hub configuration
- User and credential setup
- Access rules and schedules
- Event history and reporting
- Camera integration at the door
Entry and intercom
A locked door that still works for visitors
An entry station puts a camera, a speaker and a credential reader at the opening, so staff can see and talk to whoever is at the door and release it without walking to the lobby.
- Visitor entry at a locked front door
- Front-door communication before anyone is let in
- Controlled unlocking from a desk or a phone
- Public and staff separation at a counter
- Government offices with a secured lobby
- Business entrances that stay locked during the day
One security environment. One technical team.
Video and access follow their own chain of hardware, and both land on the same network, the same recording platform and the same management interface.
- Cameras
- Access control
- Entry
- Recording
- Network
- Storage
- Remote management
Video
- Cameras
- Network and PoE switching
- UniFi Protect recording
- NVR and storage
- Mobile and desktop viewing
Access control
- Reader
- Door hub
- Electric lock or strike
- Access policy and credential
- Event history and management
When every piece has a different owner, troubleshooting turns into finger-pointing
- The camera installer blames the network
- The network provider blames the recorder
- The electrician blames the controller
- The access-control vendor blames the door hardware
Mayer Networks designs and supports the complete technical environment and coordinates outside trades when the work requires them, so a door event and the camera covering it are reviewed in one place by the people you authorize.
One team understands how the entire system is supposed to work.
Storage and retention are designed before the cameras go up
Retention is a storage decision made before anything is mounted. It depends on:
- Number of cameras
- Resolution
- Frame rate
- Recording mode
- Storage capacity
- Business, legal and operational requirements
Mayer Networks sizes the recording and storage environment around the expected retention requirement rather than installing equipment first and discovering the limitation later.
Same cameras, different storage
- Short windowLeast storage, shortest lookback
- Typical windowModerate storage
- Extended windowMost storage, longest lookback
Illustrative. The actual days a system holds are calculated from the selected cameras and recorder at design time.
A camera system is also a network system
Cameras, readers and recorders are network devices. What they depend on is ordinary infrastructure work:
- PoE switching
- Network capacity
- VLANs and segmentation
- Secure remote access
- Firmware management
- Storage
- Internet connectivity where remote access is used
We do not have to call another IT company when the camera system reaches the network. We are the IT company.
Network infrastructureWe design the system. We coordinate the project.
The client should not have to become the project manager between the camera company, the electrician, the door contractor and the IT provider.
- 01Identify the areas that need coverage or controlled access
- 02Select the right UniFi cameras, readers, hubs, NVRs and switching
- 03Determine cabling, power, network, storage and retention requirements
- 04Identify the appropriate electrician or low-voltage contractor where electrical or door work is required
- 05Help coordinate or obtain bids from qualified contractors
- 06Work with the selected contractor during installation
- 07Install and configure the networked equipment
- 08Configure UniFi Protect and UniFi Access
- 09Establish users, permissions, retention, remote access and notifications
- 10Test the complete system end to end
- 11Train the people who will use it
- 12Support the system afterward
Where the line sits
Mayer Networks is not the electrical contractor. Where licensed electrical or door hardware work is required, we help select the right technology and the right installation partner, coordinate the project, and then configure and support the finished system.
Already have another camera or access-control platform?
Mayer Networks can support and work with multiple vendors and existing systems where practical. For new physical-security projects, our preferred platform is UniFi because of the integration between networking, cameras, recording, access control and centralized management.
Why does Mayer Networks prefer UniFi for new projects?
Because cameras, access control, entry, recording, management and the network can run as one coordinated environment instead of separate systems that only meet at a wall plate. We can still support other platforms where that fits the requirement.
How long will our footage be retained?
Retention depends on camera count, resolution, frame rate, recording mode and storage capacity. We size the recorder and storage around the retention period you need rather than guessing after installation.
Do you do the electrical and door hardware work?
No. Where licensed electrical or door work is required, we help identify and coordinate a qualified electrician or low-voltage contractor, work with them during installation, then configure and support the finished system.
Can we view cameras and unlock doors from a phone?
Yes, through the platform's supported remote access and mobile credentials where the selected hardware supports them, rather than by exposing a recorder to the internet.
Can you cover several buildings with one camera system?
Yes. Multi-site camera systems normally record locally at each building so a link outage costs live viewing rather than footage, while viewing stays centralized and access is granted by role and location.
Can you work with cameras or readers we already have?
Often, depending on the manufacturer, protocol support and age. We inspect what is installed before recommending replacement.
Related reading
UniFi, UniFi Protect and UniFi Access are products of Ubiquiti Inc. Product and interface imagery is Ubiquiti's. Mayer Networks is an independent integrator and support provider. Specific models, capabilities and features vary by product and are confirmed against current Ubiquiti specifications during design.
Anyone Can Sell You Cameras. The System Still Has to Be Designed Correctly.
Mayer Networks can design the cameras, access control, recording, storage, network infrastructure and contractor requirements as one complete physical-security environment, then configure and support the finished system.