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A Quick Home CCTV Setup DIY Guide

Sep 19, 2020
A Quick Home CCTV Setup DIY Guide

If you wish to improve your home security with CCTV cameras or a complete CCTV security system, you need to decide whether to ask for professional help or try to install the system by yourself.

Obviously, CCTV installation costs money. Nowadays, it is easy to buy DIY-friendly CCTV systems for home and small business from leading companies such as Hikvision, Vale, and Dahua. So, you can save some money on setting up the system, but you have to remember that this process may take much longer, especially if something goes wrong. 

Here is a quick and simple CCTV Installation Guide.

Define your security needs and choose the equipment

You need to know what kind of home security system you are going to set up, as the installation process will differ depending on whether you choose a wired or wireless CCTV system. If your priority is flexibility and ease of set-up, go with wireless CCTV systems.

However, such systems usually have lower total bandwidth capacity and are susceptible to hacking and interference from wireless signals. For more stable network signals and higher resolution cameras, go for cabled security systems.

Choose suitable spots for cameras and DVR/NVR

Remember to maximize CCTV camera coverage and minimize cable length, which will reduce the in line losses. When installing a camera indoors, choose a corner from where most entrances are visible. This spot has to be close to a power socket, too. When setting up a camera outdoors, find a higher spot covering the window approaches, doors, and garages. 

Mount your DVR/NVR and cameras

  • Place the camera at the chosen place, and make marks for drilling. Drill holes; screw the camera in place firmly.
  • Plug the camera power cable in a socket.
  • All your CCTV cameras recordings are inside the DVR/NVR. Thus, keep the DVR/NVR in a locked compartment to prevent an intruder from destroying it.

Connect your cables and monitor

  • Think through the pathway of the cameras to DVR. To keep wires safe, nail the mouldings, and put the cables inside. 
  • To use IP cameras, you need to connect the Cat 6 to the camera. For analogue HD system, connect the camera to the video and power cables. Connect the DVR/NVR to the other end of the camera cable. 
  • Connect DVR/NVR power and data wire to the hard disk. Connect the DVR/NVR to a power socket and then turn it on.
  • Connect the monitor to DVR/NVR and turn it on. You should see a split screen with as many images as there are cameras.

Test your CCTV system

  • If you don’t see the pictures, check the power supply is on and properly connected.
  • You can also check RJ45 connectors (IP cameras) and BNC connectors (analogue cameras).
  • If there is still no result, check for damage. Test a cable and cameras with a video test monitor: power up the camera and cable directly the video test monitor (one by one). If you can see an image on the video test monitor, the camera is working. If there is no image and the camera doesn’t power up, the camera is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Taking care of your home security is a necessity, and many people opt for a decent CCTV system. CCTV installation can be an enjoyable and fun experience. Our DIY installation guide may help you to do so and save you quite a bit of money.

Although, please, keep in mind that there are plenty of CCTV cameras and the whole kits to choose from.

If you feel lack of time to make a research, learn from purchase mistakes, deal with installation errors while trying to get your CCTV system sorted, go ahead and reach out to us for a FREE no-obligation quote, so we could take care of this for you.



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