2N IP to and 2N Indoor view: an advanced and integrable IP intercom
From an aesthetic point of view, it looks good, without overdoing it. You immediately understand what it is and also that it is a very sturdy object, suitable for "street life". The main module includes a button with space for the name, microphone, loudspeaker and a dual mode camera: day and night with infrared illumination.
Optionally a large variety of modules are available: a numeric keypad that gives the possibility to use a number instead to access (or more precisely to activate relays, it will then be up to us to decide what to connect to); a Bluetooth module to enable access via smartphone or token; other buttons similar to those of the name that can become call buttons for other indoor units (in practice, the other condominiums of a condominium intercom); a fingerprint reader; a touchscreen.
We had an IP Toward "base" sent with an Indoor View internal response unit and to do the test we refused the installation assisted by the manufacturer to get an idea of what it is simple to put into operation. As you can see from the next photo, we were able to instantly regret it.
Seriously, when everything needed to install the intercom arrived, it immediately became clear that we were not dealing with one of the new "smart & easy" products that crowd the pages of Amazon when looking for a doorbell smart: 2N products are obviously engineered to comply with all electrical regulations while allowing great flexibility and high-level robustness.
This obviously has repercussions on the simplicity of installation and carries with it some idiosyncrasy typical of products that come from companies that have always worked on industrial standards and that have subsequently opened up to smart functions.
Installation less complex than it may seem
Once upon a time after the initial shock of the number of boxes, screws, packs, Allen screws and drilling jigs (yes, the ones that hang on the wall to have the exact point in which to drill the holes), it turns out that the installation of the devices is less complicated than expected.The intercom can be attached to the wall, embedded in it, or "hung" on any surface. The range of accessories allows for a bit of everything and its flexibility is also supported by the power supply and connection modes.
Verso IP, in fact, is designed to work via an ethernet cable with POE, a flowing power supply on the cable itself. Nevertheless, if you do not have the cable available, you can take advantage of a 12V power supply and an LTE or Wi-Fi connection by purchasing the necessary modules.
We have opted for POE power supply, via a five switch doors costing about thirty euros. The plastic box that houses the central body of the intercom, which in turn will be covered with an aluminum body after installation, has ample space to slide the cable and is designed to make it easier to pass "accessory" cables such as the one that controls the opening of any doors or the connection to opening or closing sensors.
In short, once you leave aside the somewhat "plastic" logic of smart doorbells, it is easy to find a place for them and make it operational.
With the indoor response unit, the Indoor View model, it's even easier. It can be installed either on the wall or on a table and it too can count on both the Ethernet POE connection and the 12V power supply + separate ethernet cable.
The indoor unit is elegant and easy to manage
The indoor unit we connected to the IP Verso is the Indoor View model, an elegant looking device with a touch screen and good brightness. The interface is very simple to manage and apart from a few words translated in an adventurous way (such as the call log that has become "recordings"), what little you can do (and that an intercom is required to do) is done with simplicity.The audio quality is more than adequate for both incoming and outgoing and can also be used as an intercom for any other SIP devices within the corporate or home network.
In standby mode, it shows some useful information such as the time and weather on the chosen location. Sure ... most of us will set our city as a place to show the weather conditions and so it would be enough to look out the window to get a probably more accurate indication, but let's not forget that it's an intercom ...
When someone intercom, the video is shown on the main screen at a resolution of 640 × 480 (a matrix with which we had not dealt with for a while), but the result is adequate to the needs: the video is clear and legible in every lighting and weather conditions.
We can then answer the call and possibly activate the relay contained in the outdoor unit. The Indoor View can be connected to many stations, both external type intercom, both internal type IP telephone and manage both incoming calls (the intercom or phone call from an extension) and outgoing (but only to internal).
Versatility in abundance… the joy of a nerd
So far, we've seen an elegant and versatile video intercom system, but certainly not worthy of appearing on sportsgaming.win. But things change when you jump into the internal web interface: options ... options and functions at the mouse drop.As you can see from the screenshot above, the IP Verso allows advanced control of a considerable amount of functions. Each button on the intercom, which we recall can mount an additional module with other buttons or with a numeric keypad, can be assigned a different function such as the automatic activation of a relay, a series of relays or combined events such as carrying out a call and activate relays at the same time.
An external video camera can also be connected to the intercom, deciding which device to send the video of which video camera. There is also a client for PC which acts as a "virtual" device and allows you to interact with other 2N products on the network.
In the "services" section of the menu, then, you can access a plethora of other configurations. starting with the SIP service that accepts two distinct proxies. 2N provides its own SIP server for a low monthly fee, but nothing prevents you from using others, perhaps already present in the company or even free.
There are also important details that denote a lot of attention to complex environments such as corporate ones, with the possibility to set the minimum version of TLS accepted in secure communications or a whole series of settings for sending emails in response to events on the intercom, intercom and internal telephone network.
A note of merit certainly goes to the automation part which is very accurate both from a point of versatility and from a point of view of ease of setting.
The interface, in fact, is a pleasant surprise compared to the sadness of the UI in classic nerd style of the '00s from the web of the other options and everything is built graphically, with the possibility of dragging events, actions and conditions directly on an area that represents them graphically with connected oni clear and intuitive.
Everything beautiful? All right? Well, almost…
Obviously, the perfect product doesn't exist yet (whatever Apple says) and even the IP Verso, which so far has done very well, has some flaws.Actually, yes deals with idiosyncrasies related mostly to the platform and to the corporate "mentality" that is progressing from the "industrial" standards of the last decade to the more user friendly ones of our times.
In particular, we refer to some shortcomings in the present the latest news in the documentation. While on the site there is a well-articulated Wiki, the product manual almost completely skims over the entire part of the connection to the smartphone and PC apps.
A little thing, but that has made us waste hours because even in the user management phase there is something strange. The interface, in fact, seems to have a "per device" approach instead of "per user" and asks to register the smartphone (giving it an ID) instead of the person who uses it.
Obviously, we would have found it more sensible have a user register and let the system administrator assign permissions and details of the case, as is done in virtually all modern services, but here it is all "product centric".
Even the interface between smartphone and the rest of the infrastructure is slightly different with the app that can "call" the video door entry unit by activating the two-way discussion, while from Indoor View it is not possible.
These problems, however, have little impact on the solution , in the sense that once you have found the wiki, you quickly understand the "twist" of the user / device configuration and the fact that there are more functions in the apps than those present on the devices is obviously good and not bad, despite the lack of consistency in the interface.
In conclusion
To close, we have come to the conclusion that this is not a product that should be compared with smart doorbells. The purposes are too different and the potential is literally on another planet.A smart doorbell is configured faster and installed in an instant, but then it remains a doorbell with a video connection. This system starts with being a video door phone, but can become an elaborate and sprawling automation system to automatically manage a series of company procedures. The installation takes much more time and a certain skill, but the final result is certainly very different and, of course, I prefer this one.
