2 way audio over the internet

[GH75]

We want to do 2 way audio using Dahua hardware. However the systems will be monitored remotely using Smart PSS. The client wants to be able to watch various locations remotely over the internet, then communicate with the location via audio.

I know this should not be a big deal if done locally. But what about over the internet? Any issues?

 

[pschmehl]

Depends on the connections and intervening routers. You should be able to do it using VPN tunnels so long as the locations are in areas that have robust connections.

 

[GH75]

Well here most clients are using COmcast with well over 100Mbps connections.

I am not that familiar with VPN but are you saying we would have to establish a VPN to each location? Can one site be connected to multiple sites via VPN at the same time?

 

[pschmehl]

You don't want your video/audio traveling over the internet, because your equipment would also have to be exposed to the internet. You can setup a vpn server at the customer's location, then connect each remote site over a VPN tunnel. That gives him full access to the video and audio at those locations without exposing them to everyone on the internet. You can set up a VPN server on a Windows box quite easily. There are plenty of guides for it on the internet. You can easily do it on a unix box if you have one. Even Macs can act as VPN servers now.

If you're not familiar with that part, you might want to sub it out to a unix admin who knows what he or she is doing.

Essentially VPN creates a tunnel between disparate networks and makes them all accessible to the server.