CCTV Security Camera Installation Guide

The world of security, surveillance cameras or CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) has evolved enormously in recent years. Many people think that you can only have a good surveillance of your home or business using third party services, such as those famous security companies that are constantly advertised on television and radio. But it is possible to avoid them and get a good performance, control and provide security for your home or business without having to pay monthly fees. And these solutions are getting cheaper and simpler all the time.

On the other hand, you may think that you can only install video surveillance cameras by drilling holes in the wall to run power and video cables. However, the good news is that there are some kits that make it easy for you to do it yourself in a few simple steps.

We are now going to develop a small guide to install security cameras in your home or business:

Plan before installing cameras

Pre-planning is essential to get a good installation that will solve everything you had in your head. Use a pen and paper and prioritise the places you want to monitor. Use a plan of your home or draw the rooms yourself and think about where you want to place the cameras. We recommend the most important places such as:

• Entrance doors to the street
• Exterior windows
• Porches
• Stairs
• Large communal spaces
• Entrance areas

Next, find and purchase the most appropriate video surveillance system or kit for your plans. You can buy individual parts or kits, although the latter are usually cheaper. Typically you will buy 1 to 3 cameras depending on the size of the site to be monitored, a DVR (video surveillance recorder), cabling, connectors and power cables.

If you only want to monitor one room or large room you can use only wireless cameras.

• Basic home security package: buy 2-3 outdoor cameras to monitor the entrances to your home from the street.
• Surveillance of children or valuables: wireless cameras that stream live to your mobile phone or computer are the most convenient.

Multiple Models of Video Surveillance Cameras

You can choose between different types of cameras:

• Analogue cameras: these are the oldest and lowest quality, although they are useful for basic systems. Hybrid cameras are the best.
• IP cameras: they provide great image quality as well as being able to send the video to a mobile app to view the recording in real time.
• HD-TVI cameras: the best value for money, they also use the same cabling as analogue cameras.
• WIFI cameras: good resolution and when connected via WIFI you avoid the wiring.
• Hidden cameras: to hide in places and small in size.
• Dummy cameras: fake cameras that look real.

Install surveillance cameras

The best place to place them is from the top corners, where the ceiling meets the walls. First make sure you have a power socket near the camera. If the installation is outdoors, place them at a height of approximately 3 metres to prevent tampering. When installing the camera you will often need to drill some holes in the wall for the camera brackets. Then connect the camera to the power supply and to your DVR via a BNC connector. BNC cables have both ends the same. Plug one into the output port and one into the input port of the DVR. Wireless cameras will need to be installed with the CD that comes with the computer, or via USB. Then connect the monitor to the DVR with BNC, HDMI or coaxial cables. To check that everything is working properly, make sure that the camera, DVR and monitor are connected to the power supply and switched on.

 

Unify your system into one central system

If you are going to connect several cameras with cables, you need to unify everything in one DVR. A convenient place is next to the internet router. The cable (RG59 or RG6) will be really useful for installing the camera. You can also use a power box to connect several cameras to a single power outlet. Connect each video cable to a different port on the DVR. With the DVR you can view multiple cameras at the same time.

If you need help with installation, you can always ask a technician for help.