Barox Ethernet Switches Now Secure the “Principality Stadium” in Cardiff

Managed Ethernet Switches from barox Kommunikation AG have been installed in the “Principality Stadium” in Cardiff, Wales, for video surveillance, security systems and data transmission for building management. barox is a global manufacturer of professional video Switches, media converters and IP extenders specifically for video applications.

Originally built for the 1999 Rugby World Cup and previously known as the “Millennium Stadium”, the stadium regularly hosts major events such as “Six Nations Rugby”, “Rugby World Cups”, the “Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain”, high-profile soccer matches and concerts. With a total capacity of 73,931 seats, the “Principality Stadium” is the second largest stadium in the world with a fully retractable roof.

 

To integrate the stadium’s approximately 170 IP video cameras, access control, alarm and building management systems into a single data network, 25 managed barox Ethernet Switches with PoE were installed, delivering high-quality live video streams and data to the on-site control room.

 

At the start of the project, the specialist provider Ceaton Security Services was commissioned in a tender process to upgrade the existing security system. This included replacing the stadium’s analog cameras with new IP units and consolidating the existing IP cameras into a high-performance network. Shane Gilgrass, Security Division Manager at Ceaton Security Services, explains: “We have installed over 100 additional IP cameras to expand the areas to be monitored. Integrating the existing IP units into a combined system required a well thought-out topology to successfully integrate the stadium’s building management system, alarm system and access control into the same network.”

 

“The installation of a dedicated 10 Gigabit fiber optic security network in the stadium and the integration of all building functions at a single network location meant that the network Switches had to be reliable. Using barox video Switches as opposed to inferior Switches means that we have full confidence in the speed, bandwidth and security of the network – no matter what demands are placed on the network.”

Ceaton Security installed 25 barox RY-LGSP23-28 / 370 managed Ethernet Switches on six floors of the stadium, including the roof portal. The barox RY-LGSP23-28 / 370 models used were developed for the demanding requirements of HD video networks and are a POE+ Layer-2/3 Switch with L3 functionality suitable for video over IP and multicast video streaming.

 

Like all barox products, the RY-LGSP23-28 / 370 video Switch is specifically designed for security networks and has built-in cyber security features. In addition, the RY-LGSP28xx Switch enables easy integration into video management systems, active PoE management and reporting, and the ability to monitor and operate energy management for all connected cameras in the network. This is supported by interactive topology maps for simplified management in daily use.

“The unique interactive topology map function means that network and device management in the “Principality Stadium” is simple and effective”, explains Shane. “The GUI included with the barox products was developed specifically for video applications and, due to its user-friendliness, is the ‘go to’ tool for managing the security systems in the stadium.”

The barox GUI graphically displays all connected devices and shows their power, connection and performance status. The individual elements of the network can be rebooted via the GUI if a problem is detected. Or be set to restart automatically. This can save a lot of valuable time, allowing the team at the stadium to focus on other aspects of their security and building management tasks.

 

Thanks to the higher resolution of the new IP camera network, the “Principality Stadium” team benefits from unprecedented detail accuracy of the videos. This improved performance has enabled more comprehensive monitoring by the team during events and the capture of reliable, evidentiary footage. When no events are taking place or in the transition phase between events, the security team uses the cameras and video footage to secure the stadium in the city center, monitor on-site health and safety measures, and ensure that only authorized personnel enter the stadium.

 

High-quality images and smooth videos are essential for stadium applications, as CCTV operators or investigators can see hundreds of people in a camera scene. Low quality or jerky video sequences with dropouts can cause incidents to be overlooked or people to be difficult to identify. In contrast to other non-video-specific products, the barox Switches for video are not only designed for the transmission of jumbo frames, but also transmit them at 100 Mbps – essential for the reliable transmission of images from HD IP cameras.

 

Jumbo frames are a very important part of video transmission. They are generally attributed to the gigabit range, but are more meaningfully expressed in the real world of security applications with 100 Mbps. While a standard Switch may claim to be able to process jumbo frames, this will not happen at the rate required by today’s HD IP cameras. If a standard Switch only processes standard frames or jumbo frames, but not at 100 Mbps – then the video received in the control room will be “choppy” and difficult for operators to process. By using the managed barox RY-LGSP23-28 / 370 Ethernet Switches, both the security and event teams in this project were able to access seamless and error-free video transmission in the control room, enabling effective identification or evidence gathering. Darren Crossman, Facilities and Safety Manager at the “Principality Stadium”, comments on the new system as follows: “Since the commissioning of the barox-based upgrade of the IP video surveillance system, the video material received in the control room is not only of significantly better quality than that of the old system, but also reliable. This is essential for managing major events safely.”