How to Install CCTV Cameras

Summary

In this detailed article, we will look at CCTV Cameras and and how to install them with input and experience from Rapidtech Digital Solutions CCTV solutions provider in Nairobi, Kenya. The guide walks you through the entire CCTV installation process as used by a CCTV installer. Although we use a home CCTV installation as an example, the principles can easily be applied to business and commercial CCTV installation such as retail CCTV. In this article, we use the term DVR (Digital Video Recorder), but it could also be an NVR (Network Video Recorder).

Rapidtech Digital Solutions not only installs CCTV systems but also supplies equipment such as CCTV cameras, DVRs, NVRs, and tools for CCTV installation. Please contact us.

CCTV Camera System Installation and Setup Steps

In this guide on how to install CCTV Cameras, we will cover the following elements:

• CCTV System Planning
• Where to position CCTV cameras?
• Drawing a Diagram of House and Garden
• Buy a CCTV Kit or Individual Components?
• Deciding on the Recorder’s Storage Space
• Tools You Need for CCTV Installation
• How the CCTV System is Connected Together
• How to Prepare a Property for CCTV Installation?
• How to Run CCTV Cables
• Connecting the Network Cable from DVR to Internet Router
• How to Install CCTV Cameras
• Installing the DVR
• Connecting the CCTV Monitor to DVR
• Testing and Troubleshooting Your CCTV System
• Setting up DVR/NVR and Configuration
• Network Setup to Connect to the Internet
• Conclusion

CCTV System Planning

Planning and preparation is key to installing your CCTV system successfully for home or business.

Where to position CCTV cameras?

The first thing you need to do is to assess where to position your CCTV cameras.

CCTV Installation Type	Where to Position CCTV Cameras
House	External front entrance, side entrance, back entrance, all windows and doors. Driveway for car. Storage areas, back and front garden, summerhouse, shed. Some houses have an alleyway at the rear with a detached garage so cover this too.
Retail Store	Aisles, shelves, fridges, freezers, checkout area, entrance, exit.
Office	For health and safety, stairways, outside lift area, entrance and exit, communal areas like canteen and server room/ communication room.
Petrol Station	Islands (pumps), entrance and exit, retail sections inside shop, checkout.
Warehouse	Loading bay, entrance and exit, fire exits, machinery operation areas covered for health and safety, external compressor/ oil storage areas. Communal areas, working areas for health and safety, e.g. production and packing areas.
Other Areas	For example, storage locker areas.

Drawing a Diagram of House and Garden

Drawing a diagram of your property, such as the one below, is extremely helpful when determining where to position CCTV cameras. This indicates where the cameras should be placed to maximize security and the effectiveness of the CCTV system before you begin.

Buy a CCTV Kit or Individual Components?

A CCTV kit includes everything you need for CCTV installation and is ready to use right away; however, CCTV kits have several drawbacks. They typically use ready-made cables with a maximum length of 18 meters. The DVR (Digital Video Recorder) or NVR (Network Video Recorder) can only be a maximum of 18 metres away from the cameras, which is frequently insufficient. The disadvantage of premade cables is that they require a larger hole in the wall because they already have connecters on them. We require 75 Ohm cable; which most premade cables cannot provide. When night vision is activated, a higher current (ampage) is required to power the LEDs on the camera, which ready-made cables cannot supply, resulting in dimmed LEDs and darker CCTV footage.

Professional CCTV systems are never sold as a kit, so Rapidtech Digital Solutions recommends purchasing individual components. Kits are intended for entry-level systems and typically contain low-quality components. Kits are supplied with unbranded products that are not widely recognized, making support difficult. Rapidtech has seen many unbranded products, and another issue with them is that it is difficult to identify the product and thus support and maintain it. So, rather than saving money, the customer will usually end up upgrading to a branded camera, DVR, and so on.

Purchasing individual components has numerous advantages, including the ability to purchase exactly what you require for your CCTV installation and circumstances, as well as the ability to purchase individual components within your budget. Cameras, for example, have different lenses for different purposes, such as close range and long range. When mounting a camera in a low position, an anti-vandal body camera can be used to ensure that the camera is not vandalized and that your system remains intact. You can mix and match camera quality, using a 4K camera in some areas, 2K cameras in others, and 1080p HD in still others. As a result, you can cut costs for lower-spec cameras where the highest quality isn’t strictly required. You can also purchase different shaped cameras for various purposes, such as bullet and dome shapes. Furthermore, you can select different colored cameras such as white, black, or grey to match the surrounding color, such as under oak windows or near black guttering. Please read our CCTV explained post to learn more about how CCTV cameras work.

A CCTV kit’s system for connecting video and power cables consists of one camera and one junction box. These must be weatherproof. Junction boxes can be unsightly, as shown in the image below. With a customized CCTV system, you can use a base ring on cameras to keep cables neat and tidy, as shown in the image below.

 

You can use a television or a CCTV monitor of any size. A 4K system requires a 4K DVR/NVR, 4K cameras, and a 4K TV. Use a standard HD TV for 1080p cameras.

The power supply for the cameras in a CCTV kit is proportional to the number of cameras. A kit includes a laptop-style power supply, allowing anyone to tamper with it and turn it off. When purchasing individual components, a ‘box’ power supply with locking key that can be directly connected to a fuse spur is a good choice for powering cameras.

Usually if you are using IP cameras, use Cat 5 or Cat 6 (for more than 300 meters run length) cable which comes in boxes of 305 meters.

For analogue HD cameras use shotgun cable (RG59 twin, for power and video together). This is supplied in rolls of 100 meters.

Deciding on the Recorder’s Storage Space

When purchasing a CCTV system, you must plan and calculate how many days of recording you will need. In this case, contact your CCTV company for assistance.

A CCTV kit will have predefined hard drive capacities, whereas if you go to a CCTV shop and select a hard drive as part of your individual CCTV components, you can choose the hard drive size more precisely to fit your needs. When a hard drive is chosen, the CCTV shop will connect it to the DVR rather than providing it as a separate unit. Most kits do not include a hard drive, which must be purchased separately and installed in the DVR, which can be difficult.

Tools You Need for CCTV Installation

• Ladder
• Power drill
• Drill bits – including masonry bits
• Electric heavy-duty screwdriver
• Small screwdrivers
• Pencil and pen
• Hammer
• BNC crimp tool
• Cable stripper
• Cutter and Stanley knife
• Pliers
• Safety goggles, helmet, boots
• Cable Rod Set & Fish Taps to feed cables in awkward places
• Electrical tape to stick cables to rod
• Labels to mark cable
• Raw plugs
• Electrical meter to check electricity
• Video test monitor to plugin directly to camera, to adjust angle of camera
• Network test tool

How the CCTV System is Connected Together

How to Prepare a Site for CCTV Installation?

First, you must determine where you will store the DVR/NVR. It could be in the loft, office, or near the television, for example. Cables must be run from the cameras to the DVR/NVR, and an internet cable must be run from the DVR/NVR to the internet router. You must consider how to accomplish this in order to reduce cable visibility. We recommend keeping the video recorder in the loft or on the first floor where there are rooms so that the cables cannot be easily tampered with – if stored upwards, a criminal cannot easily reach into the loft.”

Conduct a survey to determine the best location for cameras to protect your property. Choose the location of each camera in accordance with that. A minimum requirement is that the cameras be placed at least 10 feet above the ground to prevent them from being easily tampered with. Then, go inside the building and select an option with less visible cable from the camera to the DVR. The more concealed the cable, the better the security.

Then, using a cable/pipe multi detector, search for any pipes or cables inside the wall. Then drill holes in the wall from the inside to the outside. After drilling holes and installing cables, use silicone sealant to seal the holes to prevent water ingress into the property. Sealant is available in a variety of colors and can be purchased at home improvement stores.

How to Install or run CCTV Cables

Once the holes in the walls have been drilled, the cable can be run throughout the CCTV system. Hide cable where possible, and use conduit if the cable is outside the property for better security and longevity.

For cable inside the building, lay the cable beneath the carpet in carpeted areas, or use metallic or PVC trunking to lay the cable near the skirting board, higher up the wall, or near the ceiling/coving in wooden or concrete floors.

If you’re using IP cameras, you’ll need a Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable. When using analogue HD cameras, connect them with a BNC cable and a DC pin connector for power. There are several types of BNC connectors: BNC 3 piece is the most commonly used, but there are others such as BNC 2 piece, BNC twist on, and BNC screw on. Professionals prefer the BNC 3-piece connector because it is more solid and robust, but it requires a BNC crimp tool to attach connectors to the cable. BNC twist on and screw type connectors are simple to use and do not require a crimp tool.

 

When the camera end is finished, proceed to the other end of the cable, which is next to the DVR. Both ends will use the same connector. Run the power supply cable to the analogue HD camera.

An NVR with a built-in network POE port can support up to 16 channels (16 cameras) of IP cameras (Power Over Ethernet). If more than 16 channels are required, POE switches can be added because the NVR can only power 16 cameras.

How to Install CCTV Cameras: Connecting the Network Cable from DVR to Internet Router

Connect the DVR to the internet router with a network Ethernet cable (Cat 5 or Cat 6). If you only need a short run of cable, a standard computer Ethernet cable will suffice; however, for longer runs, you will need to purchase the cable and RJ45 connectors, crimp both ends of the cable, and add connecters. Please see the connection diagram below.

How to Install Cameras

• Identify your goals and be specific about what you want to accomplish. For example, do you want the CCTV camera to cover your property’s entrance, a larger area, or a specific area?
• Choose a camera location and height based on your goals.
• Then, with a pencil, mark the location of the three screws for the camera’s bracket.
• Drill three screw holes, insert a raw plug, mount the bracket, and finally attach the camera.
• CCTV camera connection: the cable we ran in the preceding section is close to the camera you just installed. Connect the Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable to the IP camera, and connect the video and power cables to the analogue HD camera. Then connect the camera cable’s other end to the DVR/NVR. Repeat the procedure for the other cameras once the camera is connected to the DVR.

How to Install CCTV Cameras: Installing the DVR

After the cameras have been installed and connected, proceed as follows:

• Remove the DVR or NVR from its packaging.
• Remove the DVR cover by unscrewing the screws.
• Connect the DVR/power NVR’s and data cables to the hard disk.
• The DVR case should be closed and secured.
• Connect the DVR to a power outlet and turn it on.

How to Install CCTV Camera: Connecting the CCTV Monitor to DVR

Then connect the CCTV monitor to the DVR and power it on. It is recommended that the monitor be connected via HDMI for higher resolution and quality. Alternatively, a VGA connection can be used.

Testing and Troubleshooting Your CCTV System

When everything is connected and turned on, the camera images should appear on the monitor. If you have four cameras, you will see four images, one for each camera, on a split screen.

If you don’t see any camera images, the first thing to check is that the box CCTV power supply is turned on and properly connected.

Check the connections and network clips, RJ45 connectors for IP cameras and BNC connectors for analogue HD cameras, if you see images for some cameras but not others.

If there is still no image for a camera, double-check the power cables. Are the positive and negative cables connected correctly?

If it’s still not working, check to see if the cable is damaged – use a video test monitor with the continuity function to check. The camera can be powered up with the video test monitor and then the camera’s video cable can be connected directly to the video test monitor, so if a camera is powered up and you can see an image on the video test monitor, it means the camera is working properly. If the camera does not power on and there is no image, it is faulty and must be replaced.

If you see an image on the video test monitor for the camera in question but not on the DVR monitor, the fault is in the video or power cable to the DVR. If it’s an IP camera, you can use a network test tool, which is sometimes built into the video test monitor itself. If the cable still does not work, re-crimp both ends. Replace the cable if it still does not work. If you’re using an analogue HD camera shotgun cable, you can test it with a coax cable tester, re-crimp both ends, and replace the cable if it’s still not working.

Then all CCTV camera images should be visible.

CCTV How to Install: Setting up DVR/NVR and Configuration

When all of the camera images are displayed, you are ready to configure the DVR/NVR.

When you turn on the recorder, the DVR setup wizard will appear automatically, and you can navigate the system using a mouse connected to the DVR. Then:

• Select a country
• Set the date and time, as well as the daylight-saving time.
• Select a user name and password.
• Set recording options such as frames per second (FPS), motion recording, and so on.
• Format storage hard disk
• After that, adjust the brightness and masking to avoid recording a neighbor’s property or a public road.

Network Setup to Connect to the Internet

If you want to view CCTV camera footage on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you must connect the DVR to the internet. This also allows the footage to be uploaded to the cloud, where it can be stored and streamed to you from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.

For Advanced CCTV installers Who Know About Networking

• Static IP address settings, assign a local IP address, gateway and DNS.
• Once IP addresses have been assigned to devices, login to router and open ports on router firewall.
• If using an external static IP address from service provider or a dynamic DNS from a third-party company, register DNS.
• Once DNS registered, download app for DVR from Google Play or App Store
• On app add static or dynamic IP address details.
• Enter port number, username and password into app.
• Once connected the app will display the CCTV camera images.

For Basic Users

• When you use DHCP, the router will assign an IP address to the device.
• When using the P2P Network, the DVR will display two QR codes on the monitor: the first is for downloading apps and connects to the App Store or Google Play.
• When you download the app, it will prompt you to add a device, which is simple to do.
• The second QR code contains a serial number or s/n, and once scanned and entered, all CCTV camera images will appear on the app.

Conclusion

As you can see from this article on how to install CCTV, there is a lot to it, and you will need some DIY experience to complete the installation successfully. This process is used to install CCTV and results in a high-quality, long-lasting installation.

An alternative to performing the CCTV installation yourself is to hire professionals such as Rapidtech Digital Solutions – for more information on our CCTV installations services, please contact us.