Practice shows that the availability of expensive, innovative video surveillance equipment is not a 100% security guarantee. For example, in 2015, the country house of a Russian football player V. Bystrov was robbed, although video surveillance cameras were installed in the house. The intruders took not only the money and jewellery of the football player’s wife, but also the recorder, which was a storage device for video recordings.
It is the wrong installation of the system that is the most common reason why video surveillance becomes useless. Our article is about 6 common installation mistakes.
Security measures for cameras are growing, but criminals are also improving their methods. This endless circle is almost impossible to be stopped, but it is precisely the improper installation of video surveillance that greatly simplifies the work of intruders. Yes, improperly installed video monitoring equipment can be equated with its absence.
It is also worth knowing about the bad practices of video surveillance sellers. Read the article “How are video surveillance buyers scammed? Seller methods“.
It is not so difficult to install video surveillance as it is difficult to install it correctly, efficiently and in accordance with the needs of the customer.
Typical incorrect installation does not take into account equipment compatibility, number of cameras, and conditions of use. In addition, poor quality installation and the use of low-quality or outdated equipment are popular mistakes of inexperienced specialists. Let’s take a closer look.
Our editors include the following possible aspects of the installation in the concept of “poor quality of installation”:
The mistake in selection of equipment is, in fact, one of the most popular. It is made by young professionals and those users who install video surveillance by themselves. Find out all about DIY video surveillance here.
Most often, the following incompatibilities occur:
SOLUTION: Do not open the original packaging of all cameras. Start with one. If you understand that the equipment is not compatible, then try to keep the packaging intact and return it to the store (or exchange it).
Experts understand low-quality equipment as cheap equipment, noname brands, uncertified models (without warranty and technical support) purchased on Aliexpress. Whether such equipment will be able to be used, updated and integrated is always an open question.
Obsolete equipment should be understood as analog equipment. The future belongs to remote video monitoring via the Internet. In particular, the use of an analogue recorder in the house of football player Bystrov and its improper location (with noticeable cables) became the reason for an unpunished offense.
There are several of such errors: too many cameras, too few, or they are placed incorrectly.
There are too few cameras: one camera for outdoor video monitoring is money down the drain. You need to provide surveillance around the perimeter.
There are too many cameras: this also happens. In particular, we are talking about panoramic cameras. One correctly installed PTZ camera can replace up to 20 conventional cameras.
Incorrectly placed cameras: too low, too close to the gate/exit, vegetation interferes (for example, if the cameras were installed in autumn/winter and trees have blossomed in spring).
Equipment has special operating conditions (temperature conditions, moisture and dust resistance, voltage surges, etc.). Indoor cameras cannot be used for outdoor surveillance, some are not suitable for night monitoring, and still others cannot withstand the influence of the environment. And video recorders should not overheat, and require clean, dust-free rooms with ventilation.
When installing, take into account the operating conditions, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
More and more often we encounter unjustified expectations and requirements of customers.
For example, many users want to install a video surveillance system for the following purposes:
CONCLUSION: for a specific type of surveillance, special equipment is required. This factor must be taken into account when selecting equipment and installing it.
You can install video surveillance in different ways (quickly, inexpensively/expensively, on your own or with the help of specialists), but it is a competent installation that guarantees protection. Where do you start?
First, the design phase cannot be ignored to protect the video monitoring system. Even when it comes to home monitoring, you need to draw up the simplest linear diagram.
Secondly, discard outdated, low-quality equipment. Opt for cloud video surveillance. The cloud storage method is as reliable as possible.
Thirdly, if you use video recorders for data storage, then:
It is necessary to install a video surveillance camera in such a way that it is protected from human factors, weather events and other influences. At the same time, it is important to pay attention to the quality of installation work, location of the cameras and method of data storage. We recommend using cloud platforms, IP cameras and smart software from Faceter.
