Home surveillance systems are becoming a popular do it yourself project for many people. The prices of the systems and their ease of installation and use have made it possible for the average person to put in a complete system in just a weekend with minimal help. This article what to look out for when choosing a system, some of the benefits of different types and methods for installation.
The first thing to remember is that a surveillance system is not going to stop someone from breaking in. If they really want to break in, they will. However, a properly installed system will provide evidence and possibly help catch the criminal. With that in mind, you want to plan your system out so that it provides the best chance of doing it’s job. Wherever possible, put the cameras where they cannot be easily reached. A system will do no good if the bad guy can simply come up from behind and smash one of your cameras. For this reason it is also best to avoid blind spots. A camera at every entryway at minimum. From there, you can put one on the corners angled alongside of your house or building so that you can get a good visual from all different directions. There are several options when it comes to deciding what type of system to install. One of the easiest and most popular is the “all-in-one” types which includes cameras, a DVR box and all necessary wiring. These are a good, inexpensive starter system but there are a few drawbacks.
Generally the camera quality is on the low end. The resolution is only fair and the night vision is very limited; ten to fifteen feet is about all that can be expected. Additionally the software on the DVR box can be difficult to setup. They often claim that the cameras can be remote monitored from a tablet, computer or smart phone. Setup of this is difficult at best, if it works at all. You also have to be sure to check what is included in the box. Some of these systems do not include the hard drive needed to record the video. Avoid the wireless camera setups. While this may seem like a great time saver and make installation easier the cameras are highly susceptible to interference and have a very limited range. Anything from a wireless home network to a microwave oven can cause the picture to become completely garbled. It is even possible for one camera to interfere with another.