Verizon T-Mobile vs. What Carriers Use Verizon's Network? What Carriers Use Sprint's Network? Camera Placement Wired vs. Home » Home Security. How to Install A Security Camera.

By Mindy Woodall. Published on October 27, Share Article. Either way, we'll give you insight on installation and the best way to place your camera. How much does installation cost? DIY security camera installation. Professional installation. Both ADT and Vivint offer professionally installed doorbell cameras. Pro installation for standalone security cameras.

How should you position your security camera? Indoors or outdoors? Where to install an indoor security camera. Where to install an outdoor security camera. Should you get a wired, wireless, or wire-free camera? There are generally three power options for security cameras, although the terminology can get a bit confusing: Wired , which means the camera relies on wires to connect to both power and your internet. Wireless , which means your camera can connect to the internet wirelessly but requires a power cord.

Sometimes these cameras are called wireless since they run without power cords. Steps for installing a wired security camera. Find a stable spot on the wall. Some cameras may require finding a stud, while others will come with drywall anchors. Check for existing wiring. Mark and drill the appropriate holes. Thread the wiring back through the wall to attach it to the monitoring source. They also tend to be more expensive, and are designed to be visible deterrents. Indoor cameras aren't water resistant and typically but not always have a lower field of view FOV.

Smaller and cheaper in build, these cameras are meant to blend in on a shelf without being noticeable. The good indoor cameras have lens covers that automatically or manually block the feed when the cams are off, ensuring your privacy. They also can be wired or wireless, but finding a plug for an indoor cam is much easier.

Some outdoor cameras have their own sirens to scare intruders, which we appreciate for our deterrence-first policy. Indoor cameras may have a built-in siren, or more likely will send an alert to its home hub, which will sound the siren instead. If you need to guard a window, either an outdoor cam mounted nearby or an indoor cam pointed at the window would serve your purposes.

Placing it indoors focuses the feed on the point of entry and gets a good frontal view of the criminal's face; placing it outdoors makes the alert siren more likely to be heard by neighbors, which could scare them off. Indoor cams serve other purposes than security.

You can buy a baby cam if you want to watch your infant or toddler while you work in the other room. Or, if you have smart sensors that warn you of a fire, you can use your indoor cams remotely to check if it's a false alarm or if you should call the fire department. I used their cams when trying to protect my parents' home, and eventually focused their setup on outdoor placement. In theory, for total home security coverage, you need a security camera for the following areas or rooms:.

Let's assume you don't want to buy that many cameras, which would be expensive! You can cut down on the number of cameras by limiting your outdoor cams to the doorbell, front and back. Any other accessible windows, you could use indoor cams that both watch for potential break-ins and pan to watch the rest of the room once the person gets inside.

With one doorbell, two properly placed outdoor cams and two indoor cams — five total — you'll get great coverage for your home. We can't give a definitive number without seeing your individual layout and square footage, but you should be able to extrapolate a number from the above information.

If you live in an apartment on the second floor and up, you could theoretically make do with a single camera with a built-in siren to guard the entrance. With all of the background info out of the way, let's dive into what you should do to set up a home security system for maximum protection and coverage. Keep out of direct sunlight: Depending on which way your house faces relative to the sun, you should adjust your cam placement accordingly.

First, sun shining directly into the lens will damage the camera sensor over time. It also provides two-way audio and has excellent night vision. Buying the Piper sets you free from monthly contracts, as it includes all the cloud storage for free, letting you save and review your videos. The camera includes a backup battery too, so your home will stay safe even if the power goes out.

If your budget can handle it, a modern security camera is the easiest way to set up a surveillance network at home. Of these three sections, the most difficult way to secure your home is to create your own home surveillance system.

For DIYers, this mini computer is a great way to control your surveillance setup. For more detailed instructions, check out the many tutorials available online. The Arduino processor , like the Raspberry Pi, gives you a basic controller on a very small board. Again, you can tap into the collective knowledge of the web for detailed instructions on how to get your DIY home security camera up and running.

Wireless vs. Wired: Wireless cameras are easy to set-up without drilling or running cables through your house, but the quality can be sub-par the further they get away from the receiver. If you are covering a big area, go wired, but most houses find wireless an easier set-up process.

Indoor or Outdoor: Cameras that are not made to be placed outside will quickly break when exposed to rain and humidity, so be sure to choose accordingly. Motion Sensing: Some cameras will only record when they notice motion, saving lots of space and energy while only capturing footage when someone is in the room.

Remote Viewing: Many high-end cameras offer the ability to stream their footage to your phone or laptop anywhere in the world, making it possible to check out your house through a provided program or app. Set up a recording device and monitor. This device receives all of the video feeds and broadcasts them onto a monitor, usually a computer screen or small TV.

DVRs have a variety of memory capacities that allow them to store a certain amount of video, from hundreds of hours to one day's worth of footage. If you buy a complete surveillance set the DVR is usually included with the camera. The following installation tips will work here as well.

Test your equipment before installing. Make sure your cables, DVR, cameras, and monitor all work by connecting each one before you install anything.

Method 2. Choose a high, broad angle for your camera. The best angle of any room is usually looking down from the corner where the ceiling meets the walls.

Make sure you can clearly see all entries and exits and that the camera is near a power outlet. Police Captain. Personal interview. If you are mounting a camera outside, place it above 10ft so that it cannot be easily knocked down. Mount your camera to the wall. Some cameras come with sticky pads to adhere your camera to the wall, but screwing your camera in is the safest way to mount your cameras long-term.

While every camera is different, most of them can be mounted the same way: Place the mount in its desired location. Using a sharpie, make marks on the wall where each screw should go. Drill a hole for each screw using an electric drill Hammer in any molding pins.

Screw the mount into the wall. Position the camera to your desired angle. Attach your camera to a power source. Almost all cameras come with a power adapter that plugs into a normal wall socket.

Plug the small, round end into the power input on the back of the camera and plug the other end into the outlet. If your power adapter is missing or broken, contact your manufacturer. Attach a wired camera to your DVR. BNC cables are simple to use -- they are identical on both sides and you simply plug them into the appropriate port, turning a small nut on the end to lock it in place. Note which input you plug into -- this is the input your DVR must be set to in order to view your camera's video.

This will slip onto the end of your cable to make it BNC compatible. Link wireless cameras to your computer. Wireless cameras will come with a software disc that you need to install to view your feeds. Follow the on-screen instructions to access your cameras. Make sure this is properly attached. Write down your camera's IP address ex. Attach the monitor to the DVR.

Using your preferred connection, attach one end to the DVR's "Output" port and the other to the monitor's "Input. Note which input you plug into-- this is the input you need to choose to see your cameras.