Assisted-Living Network: Readiness, Security Cameras and Access Control

A problem in one piece of equipment can affect several services at once. Computers may continue working while the entrance phone stops receiving calls, cameras stop streaming, door controllers lose contact with the access control system and wireless networks become unavailable.

A quick response depends on knowing who manages each part of the network, where the documentation is kept and what must be checked before changing equipment settings.

What happened to the assisted-living network?

The residence became an SrvIT client shortly before the incident. The agreement with SrvIT covered IT support, but network maintenance was outside the agreement.

The outside telecom company held the documentation and management details for the building's communications equipment. The previous IT person could not provide complete information that SrvIT could rely on for a restoration. Onboarding was still in progress, so SrvIT had not yet completed the network mapping, collected all available information or checked configuration backups.

The incident began with a power cut. After power returned, part of the communications network remained offline. The network switch - the box in the communications cabinet where network cables connect - had been reset to its factory settings.

A factory reset removes the settings created for the existing network. Some computers began communicating again, which made the problem appear partly resolved. The reset had also removed the separation between the computer, phone, camera, access control and wireless networks.

Why does separation matter for security cameras and access control?

A facility network usually separates different types of traffic. Computers may use one network, phones another, cameras a separate network and access control another. Guest wireless access and facility wireless access may also be separated from one another and from the other systems.

This separation controls which devices can communicate. For example, a camera can have power and a network connection but still be unable to reach the system that receives its video. A phone can be powered on but unable to reach the phone system. A door controller can be running but unable to communicate with the access control system.

That was the situation at the residence. The guard station phone stopped working, so the guard could not receive or make calls. About 12 security cameras near the entrance stopped working. The door controllers lost communication with the access control system. Both the guest wireless network and the facility wireless network were affected.

How was the assisted-living network restored?

The facility's maintenance manager contacted SrvIT shortly before a religious observance and requested urgent assistance. Network maintenance was not part of the service agreement, but the SrvIT team agreed to help after learning that the fault affected essential communications and facility operations.

No one gave SrvIT credentials or permission to manage the communications network. The outside telecom company held the relevant documentation and management details, but those details were not available for an immediate restoration.

SrvIT first reviewed which parts of the environment were still accessible through the facility's firewall. A firewall controls traffic between the internal network, the internet and external systems. The available information showed which areas were responding, but the available information did not contain the settings needed to recreate the network separation.

The SrvIT team scanned the network remotely and found the reset switch. The switch was in its initial setup state, as if the switch had just been taken out of the box. SrvIT set up the switch from scratch and rebuilt the separation between the computer, phone, camera, access control and wireless networks.

There was no reliable record showing which device was connected to each switch port. The SrvIT team tested the connections one by one, examined the type of information moving across each connection and compared the results with the way the facility systems behaved. This process identified the purpose of each connection and allowed SrvIT to rebuild the network accurately.

The phone connection at the entrance guard station was restored first. The facility's maintenance manager called the guard station, and the guard answered. SrvIT then restored the connections for the door controllers, security cameras, guest wireless network and facility wireless network.

Each system was tested separately. All affected systems were working again before the religious observance began.

Further readingThe Office Lost Power and the Business Phone Kept RingingThe desk phones went dark and callers heard nothing unusual. How a cloud phone system hands calls over, and the six routing decisions worth making before it happens.→

What should a senior living facility network document?

A facility manager does not need to know every cable or setting in a communications cabinet. The facility manager does need a clear answer to four practical questions:

• Who is responsible for each part of the network?
• Where is the documentation stored?
• Who is allowed to approve and make changes?
• How will the facility respond if a fault affects several systems?

Documentation should show the connections, the separation between networks, the responsible party for each component, configuration backups and significant changes made over time. The records should also identify the phone connection at the entrance guard station, the camera connections, the door controller connections and the wireless networks used by guests, staff and facility devices.

Configuration backups cannot prevent a power cut or human error. A current backup can reduce the time needed to restore the network and limit trial and error.

Responsibility should also be clear when several providers are involved. The facility should know who manages the communications equipment, who supports the IT environment and who must approve a change that could affect phones, cameras, access control or wireless access.

At SrvIT, every job is recorded in the ticket system. Each client also has a digital client file containing information about the IT environment, systems, equipment and changes. Systems are monitored in real time. These records help the SrvIT team understand the environment and check the right areas when a problem occurs.

SrvIT works according to the principles of ISO 27001 and ISO 27799. SrvIT is not certified to these standards.

What should be checked before changing network settings?

A network switch can connect several important systems. Resetting or changing the switch without the right information can affect computers, phones, cameras, access control and wireless networks at the same time.

Before a significant change, the facility should confirm who may make the change, who approves it and who will test the result. The person making the change should understand which systems depend on the equipment and which settings must be saved first.

A factory reset returns a switch to a basic state. The reset does not restore the settings created for the facility. One working computer does not show that the phone, cameras, door controllers and wireless networks are working.

The best time to organize responsibility, documentation and backups is while the network is operating normally. That preparation gives the facility a clear starting point if a future fault affects several services at once.

Need IT support for assisted living?

If an assisted-living residence is reviewing network responsibility, documentation or monitoring, the SrvIT team can discuss the current environment with the facility team. SrvIT has supported businesses since 1996 and provides managed IT services with pricing per user.

Contact SrvIT to discuss the facility's needs and decide whether SrvIT's support is a suitable fit. Any access, permissions or network changes would be discussed and approved by the appropriate parties.