Tips for installing your own surveillance system
As the old saying goes, ‘An Englishman’s home is his castle’ and with the recent availability of affordable web-based surveillance systems, keeping an eye on your property is no longer a privilege reserved only for the rich and famous. Web-based surveillance has made it possible for many people to install a system themselves, giving them peace of mind when they are away from home, whether they are on holiday, business, or at work.
But what factors do you need to take into account when choosing and setting up a surveillance system around your property? Jayne van Rensburg, Director of myhome247 provides guidance and advice to ensure that your home is safe and sound, all year round.
With new technologies emerging, Networked (or IP) surveillance solutions are a cost effective alternative to conventional alarm systems. It is generally expensive to install and maintain a traditional “bells only” alarm system and does not allow the end user to actually see what is happening in their home. This not only leads to an increase in false alarms but if you are to add on remote monitoring or cameras inside your home, the price sky-rockets.
By contrast, network cameras can be purchased and installed at a fraction of the cost of a traditional CCTV system, and these offer the flexibility of real-time remote monitoring, via the web, literately putting your house in your hands. A perfect scenario of how this adds value and peace of mind is with what’s colloquially known as the ‘Nanny Cam’; which enables parents to remotely check in to see how things are at home.
There is a growing emergence of networked solutions on the market, ranging from a single network camera costing around £50, to high-end, integrated security and home automation systems costing £10,000 upwards! So when looking to protect your property or just to monitor loved ones, there is a solution for every budget.
However, the user must be aware of their technological skills when choosing, and if they are not an expert in networking, then there are some very simple plug and play options that are much easier to set up and use. Also, think about where the footage is stored. It is worth choosing a system that stores footage remotely rather than directly on a computer’s hard drive. Then if the worst happens, you still have all the footage captured.
In terms of installation, the correct position of your cameras is vital, as these are the pivotal aspect of any effective home surveillance system. Deciding which areas you would like to visually monitor is part of the planning process. Because windows, furniture, lamps, even the architecture of a room can affect the performance of a surveillance camera, it’s important that each location be camera-friendly. For example, to ensure that light doesn’t wash out the picture, cameras should be mounted on the same wall as - or adjacent to - a window. The higher the camera is placed the better, preferably where adjoining walls meet the ceiling, which allows for a greater view of the room. It is easier to conceal the wires from the ceiling to the floor, too.
As these systems are networked, you can often use Ethernet over Power modules (also known as Homeplugs). These clever things utilise your existing power cables allowing your networked cameras to communicate with your computer or any system controllers without running extra cables in your home. Check with the manufacturer first though to ensure compatibility.
Also think about the furniture placement so that tall bookcases, cupboards and other elements won’t block the view of the camera. Outside, the sun can cause cameras to experience periods of blindness as the sun moves across the sky. For this reason, avoid mounting cameras so that they face due east or west.
The majority of today’s surveillance solutions use motion detectors as part of the setup. It is beneficial to choose a network camera with an inbuilt motion sensor as this is often the trigger that will alert you via email or text message - if an intruder is detected. These ‘event driven’ systems significantly reduce the amount of disk space used and also enable the user to view the video of the event directly, rather than browsing through the hours of video footage to see if anything happened while the home-owner was away.
Most modular systems allow you to add other devices such as door window sensors or motion sensors to give greater coverage of your home. To operate effectively, these detectors should be mounted in areas where there is most likely to be movement, such as hallways, doorways and stairs. The back door and garage door are the easiest to break into and thus the most common routes of entry for burglars, so protecting these areas is recommended.
Of course, prevention is always better than cure and, in this case, preventing break-in is better than sounding the alarm when the burglar is already inside the house. What burglars want are your belongings and would not risk the chance of having contact with the owner. Therefore, when selecting your home security system, it is a good idea to choose a system that has the added ability to create the impression that somebody is home. After all, the least attractive property to an intruder is one that is occupied…or at least appears to be occupied. The latest security systems offer the facility to create the illusion of occupancy, and can be configured to turn on and off lights and other electrical appliances. If a house is empty for most of the day, this kind of system is very useful, as it can turn on a TV or radio periodically, causing an intruder to think twice before striking.
But it doesn’t stop there, with some systems; you can go one step further and start to automate your home really easily. Power controllers, can not only do the above and make your home look occupied, but also can be used to eliminate standby for your audiovisual equipment. There are also temperature, water and fire sensors and even central heating controls - all controlled remotely via the web or your mobile phone.
With the internet now in almost every home, and web-based surveillance more cost effective and easier to set up, home owners can easily enjoy peace of mind from having an extra security layer in their home, providing 24 hour surveillance at little extra cost.
myhome247 - specialists in providing DIY security, monitoring and control systems
10:22 am on April 24th, 2008
Hmmm, so what would be the cost of having an average system with say 2 cameras and a motion? would it be cheaper than going with say ADT or someone?