IP CCTV challenges

[Isetech]

I have installed many CCTV systems mostly entry level HDCVI stuff with the odd top end system in factories and a few commercial.

I took the leap up to the mid range and recently completed a couple full IP systems with cameras that are not even available in the country (there were until I purchased all of them), boy did I bump my head.

Nothing like getting dropped in the deep end and just giving it your all in an attempt to keep your head above water.

With the solar stuff I spent at least a year doing research, by the time I started my first install I had a pretty good idea of what to expect.

I thought with the knowledge I had gained from all the camera installations, it would a couple minor adjustments and we would be good to go, well here I sit a couple months later, still not not fully commissioned battling with firmware/software issues that not even the supplier cant fix (so I dont feel too bad).

What have I learnt form this experience, IP 8 MP specific,?

1/ Make sure you do what I normally do, setup the full system in the workshop.

2/ Make sure you have a fast reliable internet connection, at least100 meg fibre line, otherwise you need to make sure you are charging by the hour, trust me you going to be spending a lot of time looking at a screen just waiting.

3/ Make sure you do firmware upgrades before you do anything.

4/ Makes sure that once the update are complete and you are ready to check the system, that you connect your laptop to a different network and verify the web link works.

5/ Makes sure you understand the difference between LAN and WAN.

6/ Make sure the company who sells you the product has a decent support team, very very important. If it wasn't the tech support from the supplier I would be pretty screwed right now, because man things didn't go as smoothly as I expected.

7/ Beware of duplicating certain parameters on the recorder and the camera.

8/ Use proper solid copper cat cable.

9/ Beware of people selling HDMI cables that are suppose to work past 10 m, no matter how good the quality of HDMI cable, you burn your fingers.

10/ Install 32 mm conduits in case you want to run HDMI cables between screens and TV's , I managed to find HDMI extenders that work up to 30 m. I also have a box of crap that didnt work.

11/ Beware of cat cable runs over 60 and make sure you get your ducks in a row if you go over 100 m, we have a combination of literally ever challenge you could face when doing a CCTV install, it has cost me my rainy day kitty.

There are many other challenges we faced, but these were the highlights.