CCTV is essential for home security if you feel vulnerable
CCTV systems started out as a way for businesses to monitor their premises and catch intruders. Today, we see CCTV cameras everywhere, from pubs and clubs to high street stores, and even overlooking our motorways. For homeowners, CCTV is now an affordable way to deter crime and catch the perpetrators, and it’s much more flexible than it used to be, thanks to the advent of IP technology.
Angel Security recommends that every homeowners considers a CCTV system to keep your property, and your family, safe and secure. Here are some basic pointers on what you need.
CCTV hardware for your home security
For the vast majority of homeowners, we recommend modern IP cameras. These cameras use an Internet connection to transmit live pictures, and some can also record footage to micro SD card.
Infra red is advisable for outdoor cameras, but if you’re using the camera indoors, infra red will reflect off glass. You’ll have to switch off the infra red LEDs to point the camera through a window; make sure the camera supports this.
We also recommend you buy IP cameras that have motion detection, so that you’ll get an email alert if something changes. More upmarket cameras allow you to zone the picture, so you can capture movement in one part of the frame but ignore movement in another area. This is ideal if your camera is pointing outside, since it can be trained not to react to trees waving in the wind, but would still trigger an alert if someone came up the driveway.
Some cameras have microphones so you can listen to the environment as you watch. If you want two-way audio, make sure your camera also has a speaker, or a socket for an external line-out.
Connectivity and devices
IP cameras rely on your home network and internet connection, so you’ll need a modern router and, ideally, a WiFi network. To make the most of HD video cameras, we recommend a high speed fibre or cable Internet connection. You’ll need a reasonable bandwidth allowance to be able to view video remotely.
You’ll also need a mobile device to view live images from your camera; a smartphone is ideal, and we recommend a 4G connection when you’re not on WiFi. You can also use a tablet computer, or a laptop, to view live or extract data from the SD card.
Planning the perfect setup
Planning a CCTV system is quite a complicated affair. You’ll need enough cameras to cover all key entry points to your property, but you need to be careful not to point the cameras into other people’s gardens. The cameras also need to be situated in a convenient location where you can route power (and possibly network cables), but not so low down that they’re easy to cover or remove.
Before you buy CCTV hardware for your home, speak to our expert domestic security engineers at Angel Security. We’ll help you to plan your system, source affordable hardware, and ensure your Internet connection is correctly set up to broadcast footage to your phone.
