Onboard IP networks and CCTV installation in Busan
NAVION designs, installs and services vessel IP networks and camera systems in Busan: bridge and accommodation cabling, managed PoE switching, VLAN separation of navigation and crew traffic, accommodation Wi-Fi, and IP cameras recording to an onboard NVR. Remote viewing is set up over the vessel's own satellite link and tested against it, not against a shore connection. The work is scheduled inside the port-call window and handed over documented.
A fishing vessel already runs a data network whether anyone planned it or not: chart machines, sounder and sonar processors, a Marport receiver, an AIS and NMEA gateway, the satellite modem, crew phones, and now cameras. On one flat subnet behind an unmanaged switch under the chart table, the failure modes are predictable: duplicate addresses after a blackout restart, a broadcast storm that stalls the plotter feed, a crew download eating the airtime during a set. Planning the vessel IP network removes that whole class of problem.
Work is planned around the port call: cable pulls and bracket preparation while gear or cargo work continues, then addressing, commissioning and camera aiming last. Engineers work at Gamcheon fishing port, the Yeongdo repair yards and Busan New Port, and travel to other yards on request.
What the job includes
- Network survey and IP address plan — We map what is already on board, find duplicate or conflicting addresses, and issue an address plan and VLAN table before any new hardware goes in.
- Structured cabling, bridge to accommodation — Cat 6 S/FTP pulled on trays and in conduit, bulkhead penetrations through glands or transits, patch panel termination, wire map and link testing, both ends labelled.
- Managed PoE switch and cabinet installation — Switch, router and patch panel mounted in a bridge or radio room cabinet, PoE budget sized against camera and access point load, fed from a UPS-backed supply.
- VLAN segmentation of navigation and crew traffic — Navigation sensors, CCTV, accommodation and management split into separate VLANs with rules that let the bridge see cameras but keep crew devices off the sensor network.
- IP camera installation on deck and in machinery spaces — Cameras for trawl deck, net drum, winch, stern ramp, gangway, engine room and steering gear, in sealed housings on stainless brackets, aimed and focused under working light.
- NVR installation, recording and retention setup — NVR sized for camera count and required retention, recording schedules and motion rules configured, disks checked, playback and export demonstrated to the bridge team.
- Accommodation Wi-Fi coverage — Access point placement per deck after a walk-through, fixed channel plan on 2.4 and 5 GHz, separate crew SSID, per-user bandwidth limits so the satellite link stays usable.
- Remote viewing over the satellite link — Low-bitrate sub-stream, event snapshots and motion clips, VPN or outbound tunnel to the office, tested against the actual airtime plan rather than a shore connection.
- Network hardening and credential handover — Default passwords replaced, unused ports disabled, firmware updated, management access restricted to one VLAN, and every credential handed over in writing.
- Fault-finding on an existing vessel network — Dropouts, IP conflicts, dead PoE ports, cameras that go offline in heavy weather, NVRs that stop recording, and crew Wi-Fi that dies at the far end of the accommodation.
Timing
Cable routing drives the schedule, not the configuration. A camera on an existing cable run is quick; a new run through accommodation and machinery spaces is not. Ranges below are typical for a vessel alongside in Busan and are confirmed after the survey, not before.
- Survey and network audit
- 2-4 hours
- Adding one to three cameras
- typically 4-8 hours alongside
- Full CCTV system with NVR
- typically 2-4 days
- Network rebuild with VLANs
- typically 1-2 days
- Accommodation Wi-Fi coverage
- typically 1-2 days
What we need from the vessel
- Access to the bridge, accommodation alleyways, engine room and the deck areas to be covered, with hot-work permits arranged if brackets need welding.
- A supply at the planned cabinet position, ideally on an emergency or UPS-backed board, and confirmation of who may open the distribution panel.
- A crew electrician or fitter for routing through cabins and for any penetration the vessel does not want cut by an outside contractor.
- Existing network details where they exist: modem and router credentials, satellite airtime plan, current switch and NVR passwords.
- A short quiet period on the bridge for addressing and reboot testing, when navigation displays can be restarted safely.
- A decision on who ashore gets remote access, to which cameras, and for how long.
Documents issued
- IP address and VLAN plan for the vessel
- Single-line network drawing with switch, port and cable references
- Camera position list with fields of view and mounting notes
- NVR configuration record: streams, recording schedule and retention setting
- Credential handover sheet signed off by the master or chief engineer
Photographs of this work are being prepared.
Frequently asked
Can you add cameras to the NVR we already have?
Usually yes, if the recorder and the new cameras both speak ONVIF or the same manufacturer protocol, and the recorder has channel licences and PoE ports left. We check the model, firmware and free channels during the survey and tell you before ordering whether it will work or whether the recorder is the limiting part.
Will CCTV and crew Wi-Fi slow down the satellite link?
Only if they are configured to. Recording stays on board; nothing goes over the satellite link unless someone ashore asks for it. Remote viewing uses a low-bitrate sub-stream and event clips, and crew traffic sits on its own VLAN with per-user limits, so navigation and telemetry keep priority.
Do you supply the equipment or can we send our own?
Both. We can supply cameras, switches, access points, NVRs and cable, or install and commission owner-supplied equipment sent to the vessel or to our base in Busan. If you send your own, tell us the models in advance so we can check PoE class, mount type and protocol support before the vessel arrives.
Related services
Antennas and satcom
VSAT domes, Inmarsat FBB and Iridium terminals: mounting, cable runs, alignment and commissioning, plus dismounting before drydock or sale.
Read moreCustom brackets and mounts
Non-standard mounts measured on board, fabricated in Busan and fitted before you sail: transducer fairings, sensor cages, mast and console brackets.
Read moreAnnual checks and documentation
GMDSS annual test, EPIRB and SART checks, VDR test support and bridge equipment verification, with a written check report before the surveyor attends.
Read moreSend your Busan ETA and a rough camera list
Tell us the berth area, your time alongside and what you want covered. We reply with a cable route plan, equipment list and a realistic time on board. info@contact-navion.com