How to Install A Security Camera

Mindy Woodall

Managing Editor, Home Security & Smart Home

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How much does installation cost?

If you lot install your security camera yourself, then installation won't toll you a penny. If y'all prefer to have the pros do it for you, then you'll demand to drop some dollars on that service.

DIY security camera installation

If yous can install a camera yourself, so information technology's pretty much free after you pay for the equipment.

Well-nigh cameras these days are not only easy to install on your ain, only also designed to exist as pain-costless equally possible. Some you tin gear up on a table, mount on a wall, or attach to a magnetic surface. However, not everyone is comfortable with drilling into their walls.

The easiest cameras to install on your own will be wire-free, battery-powered cameras similar the EufyCam two or the Reolink Argus 3. If you lot have an indoor security photographic camera, then those are also quite piece of cake to set yourself. Yous just need to put the photographic camera where you want it and plug in the ability cord.

Professional installation

If yous go one of the professionally installed All-time Home Security Systems we've recommended (namely ADT or Vivint), you'll get an installation tech who will install everything for you, including your cameras. Vivint'due south arrangement installation fee is $49, but ADT's fees are significantly more than. You lot may pay as much as $199 for that pro installation.

If yous want to get a whole network of home security cameras that integrate into your home security system, and so it's much easier to have a professional install those cameras for you. It's too easier to have the pros install video doorbells, so y'all don't have to mess around with electric wires.

Both ADT and Vivint offer professionally installed doorbell cameras.

Pro installation for standalone security cameras

If you're ownership a photographic camera yourself and want to take it professionally installed, then there are third-party services like HelloTech that are a great style to notice local professional person installation for security cameras. Plus it'due south actually a decent bang for your cadet compared to college prices from CCTV companies.

How much you lot'll pay depends on what type of device you accept and potentially other factors besides, such as your location. Merely HelloTech does list starting prices for security cameras and video doorbells.

Smart security camera installation price: starts at $129

Video doorbell installation price: starts at $99

HelloTech installs devices from several major smart home brands, including Band and Google Nest.

How should you lot position your security camera?

Non everyone has to bargain with thieves and break-ins (thank goodness). Some of us just want to check on deliveries or run across who visits our business firm while we're abroad. Other people want a way to cheque on family members or pets.

Determine which purpose is near important to yous and identify your photographic camera where information technology will all-time be able to see what you want to go on an centre on.

Indoors or outdoors?

The biggest deviation between indoor and outdoor cameras is their ability to endure the weather. The terminal thing you lot want is for your new camera to quit in the commencement blizzard of the year, especially since you've noticed your snow boots have gone missing, also.

Check the operating temperature and approved use for the photographic camera yous want to buy. In that location are some models, like the SimpliSafe SimpliCam, that can be modified to work outside also every bit indoors.

Where to install an indoor security camera

Installing an indoor camera can be equally like shooting fish in a barrel as finding the right spot, plugging information technology in, turning information technology on, and syncing it with your mobile or desktop app. While some may require drilling, about indoor cameras we've run across won't require anything more than a screwdriver.

A expert indoor camera should accept a decent field of view, which you tin can go with a higher corner or shelf. The best places will accept a articulate view of the room, a identify to hide the camera from thieves, and very little foot traffic (to avert unplugging the camera or tripping on the string).

Where to install an outdoor security camera

The most popular places for an outdoor camera are above the garage door or looking over a front or back porch. For a garage camera, make sure you have a large field of view. For a porch camera, brand sure your camera is mostly looking at a driveway or walkway to capture all the action possible with a smaller field of view. You lot may want to consider a doorbell camera like the Nest Hello, the Arlo Video Doorbell, or the RemoBell S.

Should you lot get a wired, wireless, or wire-free camera?

There are generally iii power options for security cameras, although the terminology tin go a fleck disruptive:

  1. Wired, which means the camera relies on wires to connect to both ability and your internet.
  2. Wireless, which means your camera can connect to the net wirelessly but requires a power cord. Sometimes these cameras are even so called "wired" since they crave a cord.
  3. Wire-free, where the camera runs off a battery pack and doesn't demand whatsoever wires at all. Sometimes these cameras are called wireless since they run without power cords.

With wired installation, you lot're a little limited in terms of placement, just your connectedness will be more than reliable and secure. Consider where yous take to run the wire and how much length you lot need. You can always buy longer extension cables.

Steps for installing a wired security photographic camera

  1. Notice a stable spot on the wall.
  2. Some cameras may require finding a stud, while others will come with drywall anchors.
  3. Check for existing wiring.
  4. Marking and drill the advisable holes.
  5. Thread the wiring back through the wall to attach it to the monitoring source.

Just brand certain the hole you lot drill is large enough to pull the wire through merely non and then big that you can no longer mount the camera.

A big benefit of wire-free (sometimes however called wireless) cameras is being able to place them nearly anywhere. But y'all'll withal desire to make sure you're within range of your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other wireless connections.

That said, if your outdoor camera needs a power cord, similar the Nest Cam Outdoor, yous should exist able to drill easily through denser materials like brick or stucco if needed.

Brand sure you identify your security photographic camera out of reach so a thief or guilty kid can't but catch it and go out. Tech installers recommend placing your cameras at least nine feet higher up ground—but just don't go and so high yous can't see what'southward happening down below.

Should you choose local or cloud storage?

Most cameras today offer deject storage as a way to prevent thieves from only grabbing the testify and running, but some people even so prefer local storage for its privacy and convenience.

Local storage options vary by camera, merely may include these options:

  • microSD cards
  • USB drives
  • Digital Video Recorders (DVRs)
  • Network Video Recorders (NVRs)

If you're going with local storage, yous'll have to place your cameras out of harm's fashion, but somewhere you can access information technology when y'all demand information technology. However, if yous get cloud storage, y'all tin view footage through your phone or desktop apps, and you tin can access footage regardless of the camera'south condition.

If you're going with local storage, y'all'll have to identify your cameras out of impairment's way, merely somewhere y'all tin can access information technology when you need it. However, if you get cloud storage, you lot tin view footage through your phone or desktop apps, and you can admission footage regardless of the camera's condition.

Recap: How to Install a Security Camera

For almost cameras we recommend, you lot can install them yourself. If not, at that place's e'er a professional who can help— either from the security company itself or a 3rd-party provider similar HelloTech.

If y'all are going for DIY installation and need more specific instructions, some CCTV and surveillance companies have thorough walkthroughs and video tutorials on their websites:

  • Arlo
  • Google Nest
  • Ring
  • Reolink
  • Wyze
  • Eufy

For more info on home security, and to compare cameras, check our our All-time Security Cameras and All-time Dwelling house Security Systems reviews.

Pseudo Domicile Security in America

Security systems and cameras are awesome if you lot've always been unsettled past a prowler in your neighborhood or suspicious noises at dark. Simply that stuff is expensive, and it seems like a hassle to gear up up something new. So what about fake security cameras? If they look simply as real, they must be just as expert, right? Or are they?

We took a survey of 500 Americans to come across how people feel about real and fake dwelling house security measures, and if they call up both are equally effective. Here are some of the most interesting things we found.

  • 15% accept used a faux security camera.
  • 25% have used a faux or outdated security monitoring sign in their yard.
  • 24% have used a imitation or outdated security monitoring sticker in the window of their home.
  • 24% accept hidden a key in a fake rock.
  • 28% have hidden a key under their chump.
  • 17% have placed a trick delivery package exterior their business firm.

We asked America: How effective is fake dwelling house security?

  • one in 5 believe that fake habitation security systems are just every bit effective as an accurate arrangement.
  • 1 in 4 believe that a fake dwelling security photographic camera is only as effective as an accurate security camera.
  • 17%  believe that a fake security alert (audible) is more than effective than an authentic alarm.
  • 17% believe that a faux security monitoring sticker is more than constructive than an authentic one.

Our takeaways

Plenty of people are using tactics similar faux security cameras and outdated k signs to protect their homes, and many recollect these measures are just equally effective as the existent thing.

But near people agree that the 18-carat article is improve than any false. When it comes to defending your property, the majority stance is that existent security systems and existent cameras offer better protection. And we concord. A real security camera, with a livestream you can view through a mobile app and 2-style audio you can use to yell at intruders, is always going to top some plastic replica.

Methodology

Nosotros conducted an bearding survey of 500 Americans over the age of 18 regarding sentiments about their usage and perceived effectiveness of both pseudo and authentic habitation security measures. Using the responses from our survey, we have highlighted the nigh common answers in this report.

Mindy Woodall

Written by

Mindy Woodall

Mindy has been writing about engineering for 7 years. She covers all things smart abode for Reviews.org, and keeps rails of the latest robot gadgets. Mindy attended the University of Utah and her piece of work has been featured on the likes of Parents.com, Digital Care, Hostfully, and more.

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