A buyer's guide for home owners on what to look out for when planning for an dprocuring a CCTV security / surveillance system for the home

1. CCTV SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEMS
Buyers’ guide & Best practices for Home owners
(Part 1: Basic Level)
Technology White Paper
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2. Surveillance systems and devices, specifically CCTV Security cameras have become almost
ubiquitous, particularly in urban and peri-urban establishments.
Rapid urbanization and incidental rise in crime rates, coupled with ease of access to
information and security system vendors has had many home and business owners seeking
& embracing security technology solutions to counter some of the adverse effects of
urbanization.
Consequently, there’s been a proliferation of security systems vendors and installers to
meet this emergent need. Furthermore, DIY manuals for simple, ‘straight-forward low-
level’ systems where a buyer can do it all by themselves abound.
While basic entry level stand-alone systems can be installed by anyone, given a little
technical background and basic tools, most home owners prefer engaging a professional
installer, advisably so.
 Buy the CCTV system and associated hardware and do the install by yourself.
- You’ll potentially have to invest in gathering knowledge of different types of
systems to know what would suit your purposes and how they work. IP
systems are way more complicated than analogue systems which can be
attempted with basic electrical skills and a DIY user manual.
- You’ll also need to possess at least rudimentary electrical wiring knowledge
and skills, I addition to basic tools and equipment like screw drivers, pliers & a
ladder.
- This option is great if you intend to keep costs very low. It would work best
for simple systems e.g. stand-alone cameras & nanny cameras.
- The downside is a potentially shoddy job, injury due to mishandling of sharp
tools and equipment and worst of all, risk of fire due to faulty electrical wiring.
 Buy the CCTV system and associated hardware and have an installer do the install.
- Having or investing in knowledge of CCTV systems and how they work will
stand you in good stead when you eventually engage an installer.
- There’s potential to save costs especially those associated with markup and
delivery.
- The downsides could be related to lack of deep information about the system,
like purchasing equipment unsuited for your particular setup e.g. lens range,
weatherproof ability, durability, storage, to name but a few.
 Have a professional installer take care of each and every aspect of the install.
- The installer performs the site survey & analysis, and with your input draws up
a proposal explaining what type of system would provide the most value for
money as well as fully serve its intended purpose.
- This option is costlier than the other three but it’s also the most advisable
because of its attendant benefits e.g. finesse, safety and warranties to name
but a few.
There are two basic types of
systems
- Analogue CCTV systems
- IP CCTV systems
Stand-alone & Smart & nanny
cameras generally fall under IP
Systems.
Ways to approach a CCTV system
purchase
- Buy the system yourself and
do a DIY install
- Buy the system and engage a
professional installer to
undertake the install
- Engage a professional
installer to undertake all
aspect of the install
For a homeowner, there are several ways to approach this;

3. Whichever option you opt for, not having knowledge about CCTV systems, if only in general,
would seem irresponsible, given that they don’t come cheap, more so if you want one that
really does its job.
As in all walks of life, dilettantes and fraudsters abound who look to profit from lack of
knowledge. Homes all over are flowing with marginally effective white elephants and
frustrated users, who feel the expectations they had and the results they were promised do
not coincide.
With adequate information, even installers can be asked the right questions to determine
whether your expectations of what the security system is supposed to achieve is realistic
and what options you have at your disposal.
Whether you’re doing the installation yourself or engaging an installer, there are factors to
consider before even embarking on purchasing of equipment;
 Purpose
- Do you need it to secure the home from intruders? In which case, you would want to
consider water proof/ vandal resistant cameras since they’re probably going to be
on the outside i.e. on the walls, perimeter wall, posts, etc.
- Do you need it to monitor e.g. the house help/ nanny or secure important rooms in
the house? In which case, you could consider motion sensor alert & audio capable
cameras. In addition, cameras in the house tend to be smaller and aesthetically
pleasing. A large, vandal proof bullet camera would look imposing and out of place
in a living room or kitchen. More so, you could consider Wi-Fi capable cameras, thus
avoiding the issue of unsightly cables snaking around the house walls and ceilings.
 Budgetary considerations
- Analogue CCTV systems are cheaper, albeit outdated, than IP systems, not just in
terms of buying but the installation process. A lot of home owners can attempt an
analogue system installation with a good user manual but an IP system needs more
than rudimentary knowledge.
- Also the budget will help you determine what areas to prioritize and which to
overlook, for instance in the case of securing against intruders, most vulnerable
areas are the entrances, backyards. In the house, priority is mostly the kitchen,
hallways, rooms with valuables and especially for families with toddlers, the
nursery.
- Cheaper but quality alternatives for inside the house can be found in wireless smart
& stand-alone cameras that can connect directly to a smart phone without an
external recording device or monitor.
 Size of the home/house
- The CCTV needs for a large home with workers where movement needs to be
monitored, would be different with that of a small home or house where the
priority is to cover particular rooms.
- For a large, wireless cameras are almost always out of the question, as opposed to
a small home (even though wireless limitations ought to be considered first).
What to consider before
installing home cameras
- Purpose
- Budget
- Size
- Immediate Environment
- Topography & Nature
What to consider before installing home cameras

4.  Immediate environment/ neighborhood
- For homes close to public roads and spaces, other dwellings, etc., low placed cameras for
instance at the gate are susceptible to vandalism or being ‘accidentally’ knocked down.
You’d consider mounting them higher, keeping in mind that the higher it is, the less
effective it becomes especially when it comes to identification of an individual.
 Topography & nature
- Topographical aspect can also be an important consideration
- It can be a pain to have underground cabling in a rocky, uneven homestead, for instance,
because it might prove impossible to have conduits laid out in a straight line.
- In a scenario with too many trees on the other hand, aerial cabling would be disastrous.
Birds could perch on and destroy the cables. Heavier animals (monkeys, for instance)
could swing on them and snap them (potentially causing an electrical shock and fire – for
cables with power). Falling branches are also a hazard.
When shopping around or acquiring a home CCTV system from a vendor/ installer, it’s imperative
that you know what your expectations are and what to look for to match them, to avoid
disappointment and misunderstanding with your vendor/installer.
What features to look for depend on the unique dynamics of each house/apartment, purpose of
the system and the benefits you seek to derive from your system.
Most of what to look for usually in a security system almost always has to do with quality, though
other factors do come into play. A common misconception is that higher prices mean equally
higher quality. Purchasing an expensive industrial grade system for a home environment, for
instance could prove to be of little value. On the other hand, very low prices are almost always a
red flag.
 Image clarity
- Clarity of images is one of the hallmarks of quality.
- High resolution capable cameras deliver crisp images. The downside is that high
resolution uses more bandwidth and in cases of poor/ slow internet connection (for
remote viewing purposes), images on the phone app may appear choppy or have long
buffering times.
 Data storage & retention
- Usually, when purchasing a system, you purchase a storage medium on the side, though
some come pre- installed. For a CCTV system, choosing a hard drive that has enough
capacity to store footage is important. It’s advisable to have at least two weeks of
retention. Other factors like video format & compression, continuous or motion
recording and number of cameras determine how long hard drive (and its capacity)
would retain footage.
- Same would go for stand-alone and smart cameras that use memory cards.
- NOTE: while regular memory cards and hard drives would work, it’s advisable to get
storage mediums that are particularly suited for CCTV cameras/ systems.
 Security
- Some systems can be installed in a straight plug-and-play fashion without the need to
create a password and login credentials while secure systems require security credentials
to be set before installation is done (or completed)
- Same goes for the remote access app/ platform. Secure systems don’t allow multiple
remote users to access the system thought the express authorization from the admin
account. This is critically important, for a home system owner needs to know and control
who has access to the system.
What to look for in a home CCTV
security package;
- Image clarity
- Data storage & retention
- Security
- Support
- Recording
- Remote access
- Durability & resilience
What to look for in a home CCTV Security Package

5.  Support
- If shopping for yourself, check if the system is from a credible manufacturer with at least
an online presence who would offer online help, parts, updates, etc.
- If engaging an installer, do they offer technical support – either remote or on-site visits?’
Warranty and maintenance agreements are also something to consider.
 Recording
- It’s usually advisable to have a system that records on motion as this saves on storage
space as opposed to recording no activity for hours. On the other hand, the camera
should have the ability to be switched to constant recording if the conditions don’t favour
motion recording, e.g. poor lighting.
 Remote access
- Almost every modern CCTV systems has remote viewing capabilities. Each manufacturer
has their own platform and app to use for their systems but it would help to find a system
that has an app that’s not just straight forward but secure and updatable.
- Low level systems tend to have open source that aren’t specific to any system and tend
to be very insecure.
 Durability & Resilience
- A CCTV system should be able to handle conditions of the environment for which it’s
meant to work in.
- Outdoor cameras should be able to handle the elements like rain, direct sunlight, dust and
the occasional hit from twigs or pebbles.
- Indoor cameras should be able to handle for instance steam and humidity in a kitchen
environment.
- Ability to withstand constant power outages and fluctuations without internal
components like storage media and lenses getting fried.
 Additional features
- As with other technical systems, CCTV systems can come with a slew of features, some
useful and some impractical depending on the environment the system is being deployed
in.
- Different cameras achieve their potential in different setting. Long range lens cameras
are suitable for outdoor scenarios like driveways, parking lots or being mounted up high
but would deliver a substandard image or view in a constrained place, like a room. Same
goes for short range, wide view cameras suitable for a room but nearly useless for a long
driveway or a parking lot.
- For indoor cameras, features like two-way audio are important, motion tracking, alarm
notification and ability to connect via Wi-Fi could come in handy, particularly for families
with toddlers, house helps and nannies.
- For outdoor cameras, ability to zoom, pan and tilt or long distance night vision would be
important.
- For smart/ stand-alone cameras, the ability to be compatible with other smart systems
and devices like intruder detection systems and sensors would prove to be real value for
money.

6. Slim Bz TechSystems – I.T Systems Engineering
Boney Maundu Slim – Tech Consultancy & Management
Tel: 0719 393664
www.slimbztechsystems
Nairobi, Kenya
 Passwords
- It’s vital that a CCTV security system (or any security systems for that matter) be
password protected. Having a strong password is essential to ensure the system isn’t
vulnerable to intrusion.
- A lot of low level systems can be installed without a password being set, some come
with default login credentials and it’s imperative that these be changed to something
unique. Steer clear of obvious and hackneyed password options like birthdays, name
of owner, date of install, and some common ones like 12345, abc123, 1-9, etc. should
be avoided.
 Check camera angles often
- Over time, cameras could to lose the view for which they were intended to cover
through being moved, turned or twisted (intentionally or inadvertently). Checking
and refocusing skewed camera angles would help, especially in cases where footage
needs to be reviewed but the incident happened outside the range of view.
- Also loose camera brackets, holders can have the camera sway in strong winds or be
knocked off position by birds, falling twigs, rain, etc.
 Lighting & obstacles
- Certain cameras might have been installed in an area with sufficient lighting but over
time, lights blew out, were changed/ relocated or post-installation structures like
canopies, shades and walls becoming obstacles which cast shadows that make the
camera ineffective, particularly at night.
- Also regular cleaning of the camera lens would help. Over time, dust, cobwebs and
cocoons would be found around and in front of the camera. Cobwebs especially
affect the working of infrared light from the camera at night as it tends to bounce
off back to the lens, essentially blinding the camera.
 Playback and storage
- This is probably one of the most vital checks to do. It can be frustrating (and
potentially costly) to have a fatal incident occur and have no way of reviewing
footage for proof and ascertainment because the storage medium wasn’t recording
in the first place.
 Cables
- Over time cables can become exposed or hang loosely off the walls (depending on
the how professionally they were installed in the first place). Hanging cables can
easily snap and exposed cables can be frayed or cut by human or animal activity. A
potentially dangerous situation would be cables that also carry power and video.
Electrical shock and a fire are a potential result of the cable breaking.
Maintenance of an installed
system
- Passwords
- Camera angles
- Lighting & obstacles
- Playback & storage
- Cables
Maintenance of an installed system