Wireless Security Camera Reviews

Understand the Technology Behind Wireless Surveillance

Wireless communication is more popular than ever. Everyday more and more people are seeking out products that use wireless technology.  This is especially true in the surveillance world. There is an ever growing demand for wireless security camera systems and there are many vendors and many wireless CCTV products to choose from. They are not all equal in quality.   Before making a decision to purchase a wireless camera system it is important to have a basic understanding of the technology as well as the benefits and pitfalls of using wireless security cameras. You should know what to look for in a wireless camera to ensure it will meet youWireless communication is more popular than ever. Everyday more and more people are seeking out products that use wireless technology.  This is especially true in the surveillance world. There is an ever growing demand for wireless security camera systems and there are many vendors and many wireless CCTV products to choose from. They are not all equal in quality.   Before making a decision to purchase a wireless camera system it is important to have a basic understanding of the technology as well as the benefits and pitfalls of using wireless security cameras. You should know what to look for in a wireless camera to ensure it will meet your needs.

When considering which products to use for a wireless CCTV system, it is important understand the different frequencies that wireless video transmission uses. The most common frequency that used by wireless security cameras is 2.4Ghz. Many products use this frequency including wireless networks (WIFi devices), microwave ovens, cordless phones, car alarms, baby monitors and Bluetooth devices.  Because there are so many devices potentially using this frequency, there is always a chance for electromagnetic interference. Interference can cause a loss of signal or the quality of the image to degrade. The 5.8Ghz frequency is not as crowded, but it is not as strong either and the selection of products is limited. The 900Mhz frequency is also less crowded than the 2.4GHhz, but like the 5.8Ghz band there are far fewer products to choose from.

Wireless receivers often will have the capability of concurrently receiving signals from multiple wireless cameras. You can find wireless receivers with 1, 2, 4 and 8 channels. In a multi-channel system the frequency is divided into sub-frequencies. When there is a multi-channel device being used, the camera (or transmitter) has to be synchronized on the same sub-channel as the receiver. usually this is very simple process. There is a switch on the camera/transmitter and a switch on the receiver that have to be set to the same number. Sometimes you will find a recevier that can run more than one camera on one channel, but the cameras will run on a loop. In other words one camera will show for a few seconds, then it will switch over to the other camera.

Many people are under the impression that wireless security cameras are battery operated and do not have any power cables. It is important to understand wireless surveillance cameras still need AC power. So they will need to be plugged into an outlet. There are a few battery operated wireless spy cameras available. However, the power supplied by the batteries only lasts a few hours. Most people find this inadequate to do true surveillance. So when planning the placement of your wireless CCTV cameras always know how you are going to supply power to them.

The distance a wireless signal can be transmitted is going to vary depending on a number of different variables. Most 2.4Ghz wireless security cameras will transmit a maximum of about 300 feet. This would be in an ideal environment with no interference and no obstructions. If the signal has to be transmitted through walls the distance will be reduced. The more walls to go through the less distance the signal will carry. Also, it is important to note that 2.4Ghz signals can not effectively transmit through metal. There is no formula or guaranteed method of determining how far a wireless signal will transmit. Every environment is different and there are just too many elements that can effect it.

Wireless IP Security Cameras are a great alternative if you already using a wireless router. They just connect as another device on your 802.11 wireless network. Another possibility is to connect wired cameras to a separate transmitter / receiver. There are several advantages of doing this. First separate wireless transmitters / receivers have a much greater transmission strength and can transmit greater distances. Also, if you have special needs, you can choose from any wired camera available, not just the small sampling of wireless cameras.