The network control unit is the heart of the Praesideo system. The unit routes up to 28 simultaneous audio channels, delivers power to the system, reports faults, and controls the system. Audio inputs can be announcements from call stations, background music, or local audio. The network control unit can be configured for the most complex public address systems. The configuration can be done comfortably and efficiently via a PC. The PC is only needed for configuration. The controller can operate independently of the PC. However, the controller can use a PC to display information on the system status using the software, supplied with the unit. The unit can be freestanding on a tabletop or mounted in a 19" rack.