How Many Home Security Cameras Practice I Need?

Mar 26, 2019 |

How Many Home Security Cameras Do I Need?

Security cameras are an integral function of your home security organization. You can't be everywhere at in one case, simply with a good set up of security cameras, you can keep an centre on your home no matter where you are.

If you're in the market for surveillance cameras for your home, at that place'south a lot to consider: what kind of cameras to go, what features to look for, and where to place them are merely a few things to think nearly.

Not but that, you'll besides want to make certain you take enough cameras to effectively encompass the most vulnerable and of import areas of your habitation.

If all of this sounds overwhelming, don't worry. Read on to find out everything you need to know to decide how many cameras yous need.

Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro Installation Orange
There are multiple factors to consider when deciding how many security cameras yous need. Read on to learn more.

Indoor security cameras

Until recent years, many people idea of surveillance cameras as only necessary for businesses or big estate-style homes. But indoor security cameras have come a long manner—they're more affordable than e'er, evangelize high-resolution footage, and video feeds can be accessed anywhere, making them a smart choice for families in the marketplace for a complete home security system.

Approximately xx% of Americans utilise indoor security cameras in their homes, and the demand continues to grow each year as more people recognize the benefits security cameras provide. Some of these include:

  • Monitor your home from anywhere.You can view your alive camera feeds or recorded footage no affair where you are through an app on your smart device.
  • Stay connected to family and pets. Want to cheque in on your kids or pets while you lot're away? Indoor cameras provide a way to check in at home and make sure everyone is condom and audio—and staying out of mischief.
  • Provide bear witness.In the result an intruder ever gets inside your domicile, footage from your surveillance camera can be an invaluable tool for constabulary enforcement.
  • View activities inside your domicile.It can be nervus-wracking letting people you don't know well into your domicile, whether it'south a repair person, new babysitter, or cleaning service. An indoor camera provides peace of mind in knowing y'all can monitor activity that takes place within your home.
  • Check in later an alarm goes off. When part of a connected organization like Vivint, y'all can receive notifications on your smart device when certain triggers, like a smoke alarm or entry in your front end door, occur. From in that location, you tin can view your indoor camera feed to check on your dwelling and meet if further activity is needed.
Vivint Indoor Camera Girl Talking
Stay connected with your family from anywhere with a Vivint Indoor Camera.

What to look for when selecting an indoor camera

If you're in the market for an indoor security camera, the choices tin be overwhelming. Some of the bones features you'll want to expect for include:

  • Night vision. Night vision isn't just for outdoor security cameras; your indoor cameras should come equipped with infrared night vision, and so you can conspicuously see what is happening inside day or night.
  • Two-mode audio. This feature is particularly important for families and allows y'all to accept a chat with your kids, sitter, or family members right through your camera.
  • Movement detection. Some cameras continuously record and shop footage, while others have congenital-in motion detectors that trigger recording only when there's action.
  • App availability. You lot should be able to access live and recorded photographic camera footage via mobile app, someday and from anywhere.
  • Field of view.Look for a camera that has a wide-bending lens for the best coverage. The Vivint Indoor Camera has a 155-degree lens so yous don't miss a thing.
  • Hd resolution.The last thing you desire is a camera with poor resolution. Look for one with 1080p resolution for the clearest picture show.
  • WiFi connectivity. WiFi cameras provide greater flexibility with placement, since yous don't have a wired connexion that limits where you can put your camera.

Wireless or wired?

One of the main things you'll need to determine when looking for a security camera is whether to get a wireless or wired security camera.

A wired photographic camera requires cables to connect information technology to the internet, as well every bit for video transmission. Some believe the physical connection between the ethernet cablevision and camera means wired cameras don't experience the interference that wireless devices sometimes take, only that's non always the case.

Installation for wired cameras is more complicated than wireless, often resulting in visible cables or pricey installation fees to hide and manage wiring. It too limits the number of areas where yous tin put your photographic camera.

Wireless cameras, on the other hand, do not crave complicated installation. They connect directly to WiFi and tin exist placed anywhere you take a WiFi connection. It'southward also important to note the majority of WiFi-enabled cameras withal require an AC adapter in order to connect it to a power source, so they're not truly wireless but they do take advantage of a wireless Net connection. In that location are battery-operated surveillance cameras on the market, but the utilise of batteries ways more upkeep and expense to maintain.

If y'all plan on making your security camera part of a complete smart home arrangement, a WiFi-enabled camera makes this much easier. Since near homes don't have enough cable and DSL ports for all of their devices to connect to, almost people prefer WiFi-enabled devices for their smart homes.

Outdoor security cameras

Security cameras for the outside of your home are just as beneficial every bit cameras for the inside.

Outdoor security cameras offer a number of benefits. A few of the major perks of having an outdoor security camera include:

  • Deter offense. In 2017, more than 13 meg households fell victim to holding crimes, which include motorcar theft, burglary, vandalism, and other types of theft. One survey of convicted burglars institute visible outdoor security cameras were an effective deterrent against break-in, as many burglars didn't feel the gamble of existence identified was worth the try.
  • Protect your packages. More than thirty percent of online shoppers accept had a package stolen right off their porch. An outdoor or doorbell camera tin can help you keep tabs on your packages, so y'all can make up one's mind if missing packages were stolen or simply delivered to the incorrect address.
  • Safely come across what's going on outside. What practice you lot exercise if y'all're awakened from your sleep in the eye of the dark and y'all hear a noise outside? Co-ordinate to police force enforcement officials, your safest bet is to avert against an intruder. With an outdoor camera, you can bank check your camera feeds from the safety of your habitation, and then decide what action to take from there.
  • Protect your motorcar. Each twelvemonth, more 770,000 vehicles are stolen, including cars, trucks, and motorcycles. If you keep your vehicle parked in the driveway, an outdoor camera can assistance you proceed an heart on it.
  • Obtain testify. Your camera feed can be valuable in obtaining evidence or identifying those responsible for vandalism on your street or theft on your holding.
  • Cheque in on kids and pets. Y'all tin can't be everywhere at one time. An outdoor photographic camera makes it easy to cheque on your kids and pets while they play outside and you get things washed around the firm.

When choosing an outdoor security camera, you'll want to look for a certain set of features, some of which are similar to indoor cameras. Some of these include:

  • Nighttime vision.With 26% of burglaries occurring during in the evening, an outdoor camera with infrared night vision is a must.
  • Atmospheric condition-proof. Your camera should withstand high and depression temperatures along with pelting, snowfall, and other elements.
  • Auto-recording.Most people can't check their photographic camera feeds day and dark, simply that doesn't mean you need to miss anything.
  • Motility detection.This feature goes along with auto-recording; the camera should use move detection to trigger auto-recording.
  • Hard disk drive clarity.Crystal-clear images are especially important for outdoor cameras, when conditions and lighting conditions are constantly changing. Await for an HD camera.

Wired vs. wireless outdoor cameras

Another matter you'll demand to consider when yous shop for an outdoor camera is whether to go wireless or wired.

As with indoor cameras, wireless outdoor cameras are typically easier to install and get upward and running. Wired cameras tend to require more than extensive installation and wiring.

If you have a lot of property or outbuildings, you may not have a wireless network that supports placement of outdoor cameras all over your property without a WiFi extender. Or, if you live in an area that does not go a strong wireless signal, you may demand to consider wired outdoor cameras.

One valuable workaround is a wired connectedness from the outdoor photographic camera to inside the dwelling, and from there connecting wirelessly to a primal hub. This method prevents the wireless signal from degrading or getting lost every bit it tries to penetrate through the exterior of the domicile.

Where to place security cameras

Now that you know why you need security cameras, another important question to address is where to place them. Equally a general rule, y'all'll want to place both your indoor and outdoor cameras in your home's most vulnerable areas, too as areas you want to keep a closer center on inside the business firm.

Outdoor security cameras placement

Some of the best places to mountain your outdoor security cameras include:

  • Front door. Thirty-four percentage of burglars use the front door to gain entry into a domicile, so a camera that captures the front of your home is an important place for a camera. A doorbell camera, like the Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro, captures the entire front end porch expanse with its wide-angle lens, nighttime vision, and ability to view camera footage from the Vivint app.
  • Front of the house.You should also identify a camera that has a good view of the front of your firm and chiliad. This will give you a articulate view of areas like your driveway, garage door, and walkway.
  • Lawn.Y'all'll also want to put an outdoor camera in the back for a view of your backyard and the backside of your home. You can place your photographic camera over a window or back door for a good overall view of your backyard, or direct information technology toward a shed or gate.
Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro Ring Red Side House.
By placing outdoor cameras in both the front and back 1000, you lot tin can take a complete view of your dwelling's exterior.

Indoor security cameras placement

What most your indoor security cameras? That depends on what you're using the photographic camera for. If you want to keep an center on kids and pets, you can place your camera in places similar:

  • Nursery or kid's room.The Vivint indoor camera camera can double as a nanny cam, so you can put the camera in your kid'southward room or play surface area. Two-way audio besides makes it easy to communicate with your kids or hear whether or not they're crying.
  • Family room.If your family and pets tend to hang out in the family or Idiot box rooms, you lot can identify a indoor camera camera there to cheque up on them wherever yous are.

If you're using your camera equally office of your surveillance system, a few places to put your cameras include:

  • Areas that contain valuables.Ane survey of real burglars found the bulk head straight to the main sleeping room to look for valuables like jewelry, cash, or prophylactic deposit boxes.
  • Points of entry.Front and back doors and windows are expert places to put indoor security cameras to take hold of whatsoever potential intruders.
  • Garage.For homes with attached garages, placing an indoor camera inside the garage tin can help y'all monitor vehicles, bicycles, storage, and sporting equipment.

When you get a Vivint organisation, our Smart Dwelling house Pros will provide personalized recommendations based on your concerns and the layout of your dwelling house to ensure your cameras are placed in the areas that provide maximum coverage.

Vivint Indoor Camera Garage Shelf
Continue an eye on your vehicles, bicycles, and sporting equipment with a Vivint Indoor Camera in your garage.

How many security cameras do you lot need?

The number of security cameras you demand depends on a number of factors. The offset matter yous'll need to determine is what you lot're using the cameras for. If yous want to utilize your outdoor cameras as deterrents for burglars, for example, you'll want to put more cameras in obvious places.

If y'all're using them to watch family and pets, you might desire to have more indoor cameras. Maybe you'll want to put 1 in each child'due south room, or but one that points to your doggy door. If you lot want them as evidence or to go on an centre on valuables, you lot'll need cameras for each of these areas.

As a general dominion, 3-four cameras for the following areas are a great showtime for virtually homes:

  • A doorbell camera to keep an heart on the front door and packages
  • 1-2 outdoor cameras for the front end and back of the business firm
  • An indoor camera inside to sentinel valuables, kids, or pets

Keep in mind you tin always add together more than cameras to your home if you discover you desire an extra set of eyes somewhere.

Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro Front Door White
A doorbell photographic camera is an essential element to whatsoever dwelling security organization.

Some other things y'all'll want to consider as yous determine how many security cameras you need include:

  • The size of your home. The bigger your home is, the more than cameras yous'll need. This is especially true for outdoor cameras.
  • The size of your property. If you accept a smaller home on a smaller lot, yous won't need as many outdoor cameras equally someone with a home on several acres.
  • Whether or not you have outbuildings. Do you have a shed or workshop that contains valuable tools or equipment, or a barn for animals? If y'all accept multiple outbuildings on your belongings, y'all'll likely demand more than cameras in lodge to keep an eye on everything.
  • The type of camera you're using.If you take high-quality cameras with wide-angle lenses that provide a greater field of view, yous tin can use fewer cameras.
  • The bandwidth limit in your network.Wireless cameras depend on your network's bandwidth for connectivity and recording, and so you may be limited by your bandwidth.

Let the pros help with your security cameras

A professional opinion can be invaluable when it comes to deciding where to place your cameras.

At Vivint, our Smart Home Pros help you customize a smart home security arrangement that meets your needs. And with our professional person installation, your organisation volition be upwards and running in a matter of hours, saving you lot fourth dimension, frustration, and worrying if you installed everything correctly.

For a gratis quote on a Vivint arrangement, contact the states today at 844.481.8630.