How to Install A Security Photographic camera

Mindy Woodall

Managing Editor, Home Security & Smart Home

Read More than

How much does installation cost?

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

DIY security camera installation

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

About cameras these days are non only piece of cake to install on your own, but besides designed to be as pain-gratis as possible. Some you can set 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 ain will exist wire-complimentary, battery-powered cameras like the EufyCam 2 or the Reolink Argus 3. If you have an indoor security camera, then those are besides quite easy to fix yourself. You just need to put the camera where you desire it and plug in the ability string.

Professional installation

If yous get ane of the professionally installed Best Home Security Systems nosotros've recommended (namely ADT or Vivint), you'll get an installation tech who will install everything for you, including your cameras. Vivint's system installation fee is $49, but ADT's fees are significantly more. You may pay as much as $199 for that pro installation.

If yous want to go a whole network of home security cameras that integrate into your home security system, then it's much easier to have a professional install those cameras for you. Information technology's besides easier to have the pros install video doorbells, so you don't accept to mess around with electric wires.

Both ADT and Vivint offering professionally installed doorbell cameras.

Pro installation for standalone security cameras

If you're buying a camera yourself and desire to have it professionally installed, then there are tertiary-party services like HelloTech that are a keen way to find local professional person installation for security cameras. Plus it'southward actually a decent blindside for your buck compared to higher prices from CCTV companies.

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

Smart security camera installation cost: starts at $129

Video doorbell installation toll: starts at $99

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

How should you position your security camera?

Not everyone has to deal with thieves and break-ins (give thanks goodness). Some of usa just want to check on deliveries or see who visits our business firm while we're abroad. Other people desire a way to check on family members or pets.

Decide which purpose is most important to you and place your camera where information technology volition best be able to meet what you want to keep an center on.

Indoors or outdoors?

The biggest difference between indoor and outdoor cameras is their ability to endure the weather. The last affair y'all want is for your new camera to quit in the outset blizzard of the yr, peculiarly since you've noticed your snow boots have gone missing, too.

Check the operating temperature and approved use for the camera y'all desire to buy. At that place are some models, like the SimpliSafe SimpliCam, that tin be modified to piece of work exterior equally well as indoors.

Where to install an indoor security photographic camera

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

A adept indoor camera should have a decent field of view, which you lot tin can become with a higher corner or shelf. The best places will have a articulate view of the room, a place to hide the camera from thieves, and very piddling human foot traffic (to avoid unplugging the camera or tripping on the cord).

Where to install an outdoor security photographic camera

The most popular places for an outdoor camera are to a higher place the garage door or looking over a front or back porch. For a garage photographic camera, make certain you take a large field of view. For a porch camera, make certain your camera is mostly looking at a driveway or walkway to capture all the activeness possible with a smaller field of view. You may want to consider a doorbell camera like the Nest How-do-you-do, the Arlo Video Doorbell, or the RemoBell S.

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

At that place are mostly three power options for security cameras, although the terminology tin can get a chip disruptive:

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

With wired installation, you're a picayune express in terms of placement, but your connection volition be more reliable and secure. Consider where you accept to run the wire and how much length y'all need. You tin always buy longer extension cables.

Steps for installing a wired security camera

  1. Discover 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. Mark and drill the appropriate holes.
  5. Thread the wiring back through the wall to attach information technology to the monitoring source.

Just brand certain the hole you drill is big enough to pull the wire through but not then big that you tin can no longer mount the camera.

A large benefit of wire-free (sometimes still called wireless) cameras is being able to place them nearly anywhere. But you'll even so want to make sure you're inside range of your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other wireless connections.

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

Make sure you place your security photographic camera out of reach so a thief or guilty child can't just grab it and leave. Tech installers recommend placing your cameras at to the lowest degree 9 feet in a higher place basis—but only don't go so high you can't run across what's happening downward below.

Should yous choose local or cloud storage?

Most cameras today offer cloud storage as a mode to preclude thieves from but grabbing the evidence and running, simply some people notwithstanding prefer local storage for its privacy and convenience.

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

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

If you're going with local storage, you lot'll have to place your cameras out of damage'south way, but somewhere you tin access information technology when yous need it. However, if yous go cloud storage, you can view footage through your phone or desktop apps, and you can access footage regardless of the camera's condition.

If you're going with local storage, you'll have to place your cameras out of harm's style, but somewhere you tin can admission it when you need it. Still, if you lot get cloud storage, yous tin view footage through your phone or desktop apps, and you tin can access footage regardless of the photographic camera's condition.

Recap: How to Install a Security Camera

For almost cameras we recommend, yous can install them yourself. If not, there'southward ever a professional who can help— either from the security visitor itself or a tertiary-political party provider like HelloTech.

If yous 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, bank check our our All-time Security Cameras and All-time Home Security Systems reviews.

Pseudo Home Security in America

Security systems and cameras are awesome if you lot've ever been unsettled by a prowler in your neighborhood or suspicious noises at night. Merely that stuff is expensive, and information technology seems like a hassle to fix upwards something new. And then what about fake security cameras? If they look just equally existent, they must exist just as good, right? Or are they?

We took a survey of 500 Americans to run into how people feel about existent and fake habitation security measures, and if they recollect both are every bit effective. Here are some of the most interesting things we plant.

  • xv% have used a faux security camera.
  • 25% accept used a fake or outdated security monitoring sign in their one thousand.
  • 24% have used a fake or outdated security monitoring sticker in the window of their home.
  • 24% have hidden a key in a fake rock.
  • 28% have hidden a key under their chump.
  • 17% have placed a pull a fast one on commitment package outside their house.

We asked America: How constructive is fake abode security?

  • ane in 5 believe that fake home security systems are just equally effective as an authentic system.
  • 1 in 4 believe that a fake habitation security camera is simply equally constructive equally an authentic security camera.
  • 17%  believe that a false security alert (aural) is more effective than an authentic alarm.
  • 17% believe that a fake security monitoring sticker is more constructive than an authentic ane.

Our takeaways

Plenty of people are using tactics like fake security cameras and outdated grand signs to protect their homes, and many think these measures are just as constructive equally the existent matter.

But most people agree that the genuine commodity is amend than any fake. When information technology comes to defending your property, the majority opinion is that real security systems and real cameras offering improve protection. And nosotros agree. A real security photographic camera, with a livestream you tin view through a mobile app and 2-mode audio you tin can employ to yell at intruders, is always going to top some plastic replica.

Methodology

We conducted an anonymous survey of 500 Americans over the historic period of 18 regarding sentiments most their usage and perceived effectiveness of both pseudo and accurate abode security measures. Using the responses from our survey, nosotros have highlighted the most common answers in this written report.

Mindy Woodall

Written past

Mindy Woodall

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

Related Articles