Video intercom for villas and residential complexes: IP intercom vs analog door entry

Short answer: In a classic (analog) video intercom, the door station and indoor monitors are connected directly with the manufacturer's own wiring, and the system is limited to showing the call from the door. An IP intercom carries audio and video over a computer network: the call also reaches your phone, the door can be opened remotely, network cameras can be viewed on the monitor and adding new stations is easy. A classic system can be enough for a small house with one entrance; for villas with a garden gate and a front door, homes with a smart home system and residential complexes, an IP intercom is more flexible. The building's cabling and your needs should decide before the brand does.

Analog intercom vs IP intercom: the core difference

In classic systems the door station, indoor monitors and (in apartment buildings) distributors are connected using the manufacturer's own wiring scheme. Two-wire systems and so-called "4+n" systems, with shared lines plus a separate wire to each flat, are common. They are simple and robust, but expansion and remote access are limited.

In an IP intercom every device is like a computer on the network: door station, indoor monitor and phone app talk over the same network. In daily use the differences look like this:

• Wiring: network cable (usually Cat6) and a network switch. With PoE devices the same cable carries both data and power.
• Video: the door station camera is streamed over the network, and IP cameras on the network can be added to the monitor.
• Remote answering: when someone rings, the call reaches the app on your phone as well as the monitor, so you can talk to visitors even when you are away.
• Door release: the lock can be opened from the monitor or the app; depending on the model, card or PIN entry is also available.
• Expansion: adding a door station or a second monitor is usually just connecting another device to the network.

What is a villa kit?

A villa kit is a package for a single home: one outdoor door station (with camera, speaker and microphone) and one indoor monitor. In the Akuvox systems we use, villa kits consist of a door phone and an indoor monitor that recognise each other once on the same network; extra indoor monitors can be added for room-to-room calls. With the mobile app (SmartPlus) you can see and talk to visitors, open the door remotely and get call notifications.

Typical needs in villas:

• Two door stations, for the garden gate and the front door, both ringing the same monitor and phone
• Separate monitors in the kitchen, living room and bedroom floor
• Viewing cameras in the driveway or garden on the monitor
• An outdoor door station with suitable rain and dust protection (IP rating)

For the door station, see our guide to IP ratings.

Video intercom integrated with a smart home

In a villa with a smart home system the intercom does not need to stay a separate device. In the system we use, Akuvox intercoms work together with the Akubela smart home system: according to Akubela's official information, the smart home panel also works as an intercom, with audio and video calls to visitors, room-to-room calls and remote door unlocking from the panel. Door phones and other intercom devices can be managed with Akubela panels and the BelaHome app, and IP cameras on the network can also be added.

The panel that controls lighting, blinds, climate and scenes then becomes the door monitor as well. Which features are available depends on the panel model and software version, so we clarify this at the start of the project. You can see Akuvox and Akubela products working at our store in Nilüfer, Bursa. How to plan the smart home wiring is covered in our smart home guide.

IP intercom in apartment buildings and complexes

In complexes the system has several layers:

• Door stations at block and site entrances (call by flat number or directory, entry by card or PIN)
• A guard or management unit in the security booth
• An indoor monitor in each flat, and the phone app for residents who want it
• A network backbone between blocks, switches and their power supply

With Akuvox's cloud-based management, the property manager can manage residents, access rights and devices remotely; door and call logs are kept, and a departing resident's card or PIN can be revoked. Call routing can be set, for example to the monitor first and to the app if unanswered. Some features are separately charged cloud services, which we list separately in the quotation.

Planning the infrastructure in a new building

Cost and reliability are decided mostly by the infrastructure laid during the shell construction. Running cables later is expensive and difficult.

1. Mark the door stations, indoor monitors and cameras on the architectural plan (monitor height, whether the door station faces direct sun).
2. Plan conduit and network cable from each point to the communications cabinet; for long distances consider an intermediate network cabinet.
3. For PoE-powered devices choose a PoE switch and check the device's PoE class (802.3af, or 802.3at for higher power). Depending on the model, Akuvox devices are powered by PoE or an external adapter.
4. Decide the type of door lock (electric strike or magnetic lock) and its power supply.
5. Consider separating the intercom network from the home network and using a UPS so it keeps working during a power cut.
6. Deal with surge protection and earthing for outdoor stations and cables at the design stage (earthing guide).

For breakers and RCDs in the consumer unit, see our guide to home circuit breakers and the fuse box.

Upgrading an existing building to IP

Replacing all cables in an existing building is not always possible. Akuvox's two-wire (2-wire) IP intercom solutions are designed to be installed over existing two-wire cabling, with separate setups for villas and apartments. Whether the old cable can be used depends on whether it really is two-wire, its condition and the distances; we determine this by measuring on site. Where network cable can be installed, a native IP system is used.

What affects the cost

The price of a video intercom is not the price of a single device. The total depends on:

• Number and features of door stations (camera, card reader, keypad, directory screen)
• Number and size of indoor monitors, and whether a smart home panel is used
• Cabling: new network cable or existing cable, conduit and distances
• Switches, PoE power, communications cabinet and UPS
• Door lock and lock power supply
• Additional IP cameras
• Cloud management services in complexes
• Labour, programming and user training

That is why we quote after a site survey, as a written offer based on the requirements.

Video intercom installation with ENGN (Bursa only)

In our turnkey electrical contracting work for villas, homes, residential complexes and offices in Bursa, we use Akuvox IP intercom systems for video door entry: villa kits or smart home integrated systems for villas, and IP intercom for complexes. These systems are not sold through the online shop; they are offered by quotation as part of a project and installation. Our installation service is available in Bursa only, and local rules and standards apply wherever the system is installed. For a quotation, contact us via our electrical contracting page.

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