CCTV novice

[EssexDan 0]

I am considering CCTV at home following a spate of recent breaking locally. I naively assumed that there would be little need for hard wiring but have been advised by 2 installers that I need to hardwire the DVR to the router ( located in lounge ) and the cameras to the DVR and to avoid external wiring i would have cables entering the room via my ceiling/coving as my ground floor is concrete subfloor with wooden flooring covering the ground floor…. I have just finished a full refurb and should have considered it earlier but surface wiring is a No No.

 

I foolishly assumed that the DVR would be wireless and would be located in perhaps the airing cupboard or loftspace in a lockable cabinet and the cameras located in the soffits with wiring dropping in with minimal intrusion.

 

Surely with a DVR in the lounge connected to the router that would be added to any burglars haul rendering the expense of CCTV futile.

 

Both installers poo pooed the wireless options on the market as cheap, unreliable and with such bandwidth required the wireless network couldn't cope and if it did it would only service the CCTV and tablets, pcs, smart tvs and phones wouldn't get a look in.

 

is this the case ??

[satsecure 0]

Unfortunately yes, Wireless still isn't at the point of being a viable option for a good surveillance system. The bandwidth of WD1(960H) and above are just too much of a strain on any home wifi. People actually pay hundreds for wireless sender/receiver systems dedicated to individual cctv cameras but these are often used on large lands, across roads, waterways etc

 

You can locate your DVR away from your router quite easily by just using some high speed Powerline adapters. We use ones by a company called Maxx Digital. Powerline adapters send your internet connection via your homes internal power circuit and effectively creates a hard wired connection to your router with the messiness of extra cabling. Then you just stick your DVR in the cupboard as you wanted. You will require a dedicated power socket for powerline adapters but some also have passthrough so that the socket is still usable since they dont work through extension leads.

[Ed Rose 0]

I plan and install systems for these types of applications regularly. For your DVR placement, look for a closet where it could be installed, as long as it is ventilated. Having it in a closet, out of normal view makes it more difficult for intruders to find. It sounds like you have a 2-story property by your description. If so, I would try to place the DVR on the floor closer to where the cameras will be. And if that can be inside a closet, you have less concern for exposed wiring. The only potential difficulty is power to the DVR (and a power supply for the cameras). This can be easily resolved by having a power cable routed into the closet. Now the only thing left is the network cable, to the DVR. Cat5e cables can be purchased "ready-made" in lengths from 4 feet to over 100 feet long, or can be custom made to a specific length. And even if your router is on a different floor, it will be easier to run one thin wire from one floor to another than it would to install MANY wires in order to put your DVR near your router. As long as you stay within 125 feet maximum length for your DVR-to-Router network cable, you should have no trouble. Hope this helps. But if you would like more advice, just send back a little more info; how many cameras, if cameras are on first, second, or both levels, etc.

[Boogieman 1]

I plan and install systems for these types of applications regularly. For your DVR placement, look for a closet where it could be installed, as long as it is ventilated. Having it in a closet, out of normal view makes it more difficult for intruders to find. It sounds like you have a 2-story property by your description. If so, I would try to place the DVR on the floor closer to where the cameras will be. And if that can be inside a closet, you have less concern for exposed wiring. The only potential difficulty is power to the DVR (and a power supply for the cameras). This can be easily resolved by having a power cable routed into the closet. Now the only thing left is the network cable, to the DVR. Cat5e cables can be purchased "ready-made" in lengths from 4 feet to over 100 feet long, or can be custom made to a specific length. And even if your router is on a different floor, it will be easier to run one thin wire from one floor to another than it would to install MANY wires in order to put your DVR near your router. As long as you stay within 125 feet maximum length for your DVR-to-Router network cable, you should have no trouble. Hope this helps. But if you would like more advice, just send back a little more info; how many cameras, if cameras are on first, second, or both levels, etc.

Dont know where you get 125 max...cat5/6 will go 100m or over 300 feet...

OP, you should be looking at HD ip camera systems...one of the benefits of ip is that all the cameras do not have to be home run to the NVR...you can for example run 4 cameras to a switch on one side of the house, four on the other and only run 1-2 wires to the NVR or better yet, if you already have a network connection somewhere near the switch, you can hook into that.

Keep in mind that good installers can fish wire anywhere with minimal damage..im taking a few 2 inch slits in your sheet rock that are easy to refinish...the guys you called are either not capable of proper technique or quoting you a low price rush job...try contracting phone or alarm installers and see how much they will charge to run Ethernet...make sure to get quality cable...not copper clad aluminium junk,.,