What are the main network considerations for installing Perch?
The primary considerations for your network when installing Perch are, in order of importance:
- Number of additional clients and credential sharing
- Coverage in your weight room
- Bandwidth requirements
How many new network clients will Perch add to my network?
Each Perch camera requires a tablet or mobile phone (either Android or iOS). This means you'll be adding twice as many devices as cameras. For example, a 30-camera installation adds 60 new clients to your network in the same vicinity.
What type of network authentication do you recommend?
We recommend dedicated SSIDs with credentials that don't change or "simple device networks" which use MAC addresses for authentication. This simplifies maintaining connectivity for all devices over time.
Do I need to upgrade my weight room's network coverage?
You should take inventory of the number and location of access points (APs) serving your weight room to ensure:
- Each weight rack is within appropriate range of an AP for strong connectivity
- There are sufficient APs to handle the increased number of clients
How much bandwidth do Perch systems use?
Bandwidth usage depends primarily on system usage rather than the number of cameras. Each exercise typically uploads 30-80 MB of data, and high-usage organizations track around 40 activities/sets per device per day.
How can I estimate daily data usage?
For a high-end estimate of data uploaded on workout days, use this formula:
[Number of devices] × 40 × 100 = Amount in MB
For example, 10 devices would upload approximately 40,000 MB (or 40 GB) on a busy day.
Will all this data be uploaded at once?
No, the camera systems pace the upload slowly throughout the day. While the total traffic over a day may be substantial, individual cameras cannot upload more than a few hundred megabits per second.
How much data do the tablets upload?
The tablets paired with each Perch camera also upload data, but the amount is insignificant compared to the cameras.
How much data do Perch systems download?
The camera systems normally download very little data except during software updates, which occur monthly. Updates range from 500MB to 2GB per camera at most.
Can I control when software updates occur?
Yes, users can control when cameras download and apply updates, so they can be scheduled during off-hours to minimize network impact.