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Structure and Function of a Behnke IP Intercom System

A Behnke IP intercom system connects Behnke door stations and Behnke indoor stations over an IP network.

Unlike a traditional telephone system, basic communication within the Behnke IP intercom system does not require a central server. The Behnke Stations can communicate directly with each other.

So that the devices know which station belongs to which area and which indoor station is to be called, the IP intercom system essentially uses two pieces of information:

• the intercom group
• the intercom ID of an indoor station

These two terms form the basis for the structure of a Behnke IP intercom system.

1. What is an intercom group?

Every Behnke Station within an IP intercom system belongs to an intercom group.

An intercom group logically combines door stations and indoor stations into a common intercom system.

A system can consist of up to 9 intercom groups.

In a simple installation, normally only one group is needed. All door and indoor stations are then assigned to group 1, for example.

Multiple groups become interesting when different areas are to be kept separate from each other.

For example, devices at a main entrance could belong to group 1 and devices at a delivery area to group 2.

The group therefore first determines:

Which devices logically belong together?

Door and indoor stations within the same group can communicate directly with each other.

Door stations in the same group are also automatically detected by an indoor station and shown in its phone book.

2. What is an intercom ID?

Within an intercom group, it must then be defined which indoor station is to be addressed.

For this purpose, each indoor station has a unique intercom ID.

An intercom ID can be between 1 and 99.

Put simply, the ID is the address of an indoor station within the intercom system.

For example, a group could contain the following indoor stations:

ID 1 = Empfang
ID 2 = Büro
ID 3 = Lager

If a door station wants to call the indoor station with ID 2, it uses the call number 2 within the same intercom group.

3. Why do door stations have no ID?

An intercom ID is assigned exclusively to indoor stations. Door stations do not have their own intercom ID.

The reason lies in how communication is structured:

A door station uses the intercom ID to call a specific indoor station.

An indoor station, on the other hand, automatically detects the door stations of its group. The door stations are shown in the indoor station's phone book and can be selected from there.

Communication is therefore addressed differently on each side:

Außenstation
     |
     | ID 2
     v
Innenstation 2

The door station therefore needs the ID of the desired indoor station.

The indoor station, on the other hand, does not need an ID of the door station.

4. How do group and ID work together?

An ID must always be considered in the context of the intercom group.

The group first determines which devices belong together.

The ID then determines which indoor station within this group is called.

Addressing can therefore be pictured in simplified form as follows:

Gruppe + Innenstations-ID

Example:

Gruppe 1
└── Innenstation ID 1

Gruppe 2
└── Innenstation ID 1

The ID 1 can therefore occur in different groups.

What matters is which intercom group the devices belong to.

5. How do the call buttons of a door station work?

In the IP-Sprechanlage (IP intercom) operating mode, there is a simple default assignment between the call buttons of a door station and the IDs of the indoor stations.

If no individual call number has been configured for a button, the door station automatically uses the number of the button as the call number.

For example, the following applies:

Taste 1 → Innenstation ID 1
Taste 2 → Innenstation ID 2
Taste 3 → Innenstation ID 3

This allows a simple IP intercom system to be operated with very little additional configuration.

If a button is to call a different indoor station, an individual call number can be configured for the button.

6. How does an indoor station find the door stations?

Behnke Stations within a shared network can detect each other.

An indoor station automatically detects the door stations of its own intercom group.

These door stations are shown in the indoor station's phone book.

This allows an indoor station, for example, to select a door station and establish a connection to it.

With a door station with a camera, a video preview can additionally be used.

7. How does a call work?

In a typical call, the following happens in simplified form:

1. Eine Ruftaste an der Außenstation wird gedrückt.

2. Die Außenstation ermittelt die konfigurierte Rufnummer.
   Ohne individuelle Konfiguration entspricht diese
   der Nummer der gedrückten Taste.

3. Die Rufnummer entspricht der ID einer Innenstation.

4. Die Außenstation sucht diese Innenstation innerhalb
   ihrer Sprechanlagengruppe.

5. Außenstation und Innenstation bauen direkt über
   das IP-Netzwerk eine Verbindung auf.

6. Audio und gegebenenfalls Video werden zwischen
   den Stationen übertragen.

A separate intercom server is not required for this.

8. What is the phone book?

The phone book of an indoor station contains the detected door stations of the same intercom group.

It thus serves not only as a classic phone book, but also as an overview of the door stations the indoor station can work with within the intercom system.

Via a phone book entry, for example, a connection or a preview to a door station can be established.

9. What is the door opener code?

A door opener code can be configured for an indoor station.

This code can then be used at door stations of the same intercom group, provided the door station has a code lock function.

The door opener code is therefore also tied to the logical assignment of devices via the intercom group.

10. How do the devices communicate with each other?

The Behnke Stations communicate directly with each other over the IP network.

For a simple IP intercom system, the devices must therefore be able to reach each other over the network.

A minimal system consists, for example, of:

Außenstation
      |
      |
  PoE-Switch
      |
      |
Innenstation

11. What is hybrid mode?

The IP-Sprechanlage (IP intercom) operating mode is not necessarily the only communication option of a Behnke Station.

Via hybrid mode, a station can use several operating modes at the same time.

A door station can thereby, for example:

Taste 1 → Behnke-Innenstation

Taste 2 → Teilnehmer einer SIP-Telefonanlage

call.

Hybrid mode thus combines the direct communication of the Behnke IP intercom system with other communication paths such as SIP.

12. How large can a Behnke IP intercom system be?

A Behnke IP intercom system can consist of a simple system with one door station and one indoor station.

However, the system can also be expanded to include multiple door and indoor stations.

According to the technical manual, systems with:

• up to 9 intercom groups
• and a total of up to 100 devices

are possible.

13. What are the requirements?

For Behnke Stations to work together within an IP intercom system, some basic requirements must be met.

All devices of the intercom system must be able to reach each other over the IP network.

The administrator password is a global setting and must be identical on all devices of the intercom system.

All devices require at least firmware version 5.85.

It is recommended to use the same firmware version on all devices of the intercom system.

14. Summary

The basic logic of the Behnke IP intercom system can be reduced to three steps:

Gruppe
  ↓
Welche Geräte gehören zusammen?

ID
  ↓
Welche Innenstation soll angesprochen werden?

IP-Netzwerk
  ↓
Wie erreichen sich die Geräte?

Anyone who has understood these three points has already understood the basic operating principle of a Behnke IP intercom system.

15. FAQ