Thus the investment in the original cabling (usually around 30 percent of any system installation cost) can be retained and exploited for new-generation networked CCTV camera systems. Highwire is especially suited to
mega-pixel IP camera applications or multiple IP cameras as it supports high data rates. Highwire is not a video codec or any kind of video capture device - it is simply a signal conversion device enabling Ethernet over co-ax for any type of network device (e.g. IP camera, network switch, DVR/NVR, PC or even a printer).

Highwires are used in pairs and installing them is simple. One Highwire unit is connected to each end of the co-axial cable with the BNC connectors, thus providing a straight RJ45 to RJ45 network connection from end to end across the existing cabling.

This Highwire to Highwire connection instantly operates as a full-duplex 100BaseT Ethernet connection and is completely transparent to any network device. Highwire has no MAC address or IP address and requires no set-up whatsoever.

Where cable length, quality or signal interference prevents full rate operation (200Mbps), the Highwire pair will auto-adapt to transmission conditions, lowering the total bandwidth as necessary. This will be transparent to the network system, although the connection bandwidth will be reduced. However it is the total rate (up + down) which decreases - so that for example at half rate, cameras that require up to 90Mbps downstream and 10Mbps upstream capacity will not be affected.

Highwire itself is a compact box about the size of a cigarette packet. It has a standard RJ45 network connector on one side and a co-axial BNC connector on the other. It uses very little power, and is designed to fit inside a camera housing.

CCTV cable is normally routed to a central point, forming an effective single "star" network topology. Thus exploitation of legacy video cable with Highwire actually solves a major problem with mega-pixel cameras - that of the high network bandwidth requirements for such devices.