Intercom Articles | Queen Security Systems

Guides about intercom systems: audio vs video, building systems and smart intercoms.

Intercom systems: choosing between audio, video and IP

An intercom answers one question — who is at the door — and the right system depends less on features than on the building it goes into. The wiring already in the walls usually decides more than the brand does.

Audio or video?

Audio intercom is cheaper, simpler and adequate for a building where the entrance is already covered by a camera. Video intercom lets you see the visitor before opening, which matters most for villas, ground-floor apartments and any door that opens straight onto the street. For families with children at home alone, video is not a luxury.

Wiring: the constraint that decides everything

Two-wire systems carry power, audio, video and the lock signal over a single pair, which makes them the practical choice for retrofitting an existing building where pulling new cable through occupied apartments is impossible. Four-wire and multi-wire systems suit new construction. IP intercom runs on the building's network, forwards calls to a phone anywhere, and scales to hundreds of units — the natural choice for new compounds and larger developments.

Scaling with apartment count

A two-apartment villa and a forty-apartment block are different problems. Above a certain number of units you need a digital door station with a keypad rather than a panel of buttons, plus distributors on each floor. Ask early how the system behaves when two visitors call two different apartments at the same time — cheap systems simply block.

The door station is exposed hardware

It sits outside, in the sun and rain, within reach of anyone. A vandal-resistant metal panel, a proper weather shield and a mounting position out of direct sun materially extend its life. A plastic panel in full summer sun is a two-year component.

The lock, the power supply and the fault everyone reports

"The intercom works but the door does not open" is almost always the lock circuit, not the intercom. Electric locks pull significant current for a moment; an undersized power supply or thin cable drops the voltage and the lock buzzes without releasing. Give the lock its own supply and adequate cable gauge from the start.

Forwarding to a mobile

Modern IP systems forward the door call to an app, so you can see and open the door while away. It is genuinely useful for deliveries and for a home nobody is in during the day — but it depends on the internet connection, so keep the indoor handset as the primary device rather than removing it.

What this section covers

The articles here explain system types and brands, prices by number of apartments, wiring and installation, and the recurring faults with practical fixes.