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condor11

New house construction: prewiring for security cameras

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Hi Everyone,

 

I found this forum researching CCTV. Long story short - I am having a new house built and need to decide on prewiring for security cameras.

The builder offers to prewire each camera location with CAT5e, Coax and 16/2.

Are there any other wires I should run to each camera location, beside the above 3, to make sure I am future-proof?

 

Also I understnad the use of Cat5e and 16/2, but I am not sure what is the Coax really useful for in this day and age? Do analog cameras still make it worthwile to install as opposed to IP cameras? Or is there any other use for it?

 

Thanks in advance!

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I would just run cat 6 and run spares where you think you might add an IP device in the future phone led light access control etc etc. If you use cat 6 it is often 23 gauge and there has been talk of upping the POE power for some devices so the 23 gauge would carry a little more current. Make sure you are using solid copper from not cca.

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I would just run cat 6 and run spares where you think you might add an IP device in the future phone led light access control etc etc. If you use cat 6 it is often 23 gauge and there has been talk of upping the POE power for some devices so the 23 gauge would carry a little more current. Make sure you are using solid copper from not cca.

 

Thanks!

Can you clarify on "led light access control"?

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I need to use commas more. LED lighting is coming in and will be POE powered and several mfg have networked access control system that power door strikes and card readers via POE.

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old, and old school, electronics tech here. my electronic systems tend to grow and expand, and I don't have to pay for skilled labor, so I tend to plan for growth

 

IP cameras consume bandwidth. more cameras, more bandwidth. The DVR consumes bandwidth. how much do you have?

 

4 analog cameras to one DVR minimizes bandwidth consumption.

 

If I was doing new construction ( in NM, where innovation in building is not a crime ) I would run PVC tubing for use as low voltage and fiber optic conduit. I would cut windows in the tubing at corners and reattach the cutout with a hinge. I would run Cat 5 or 6, fiber optic cable, RG59, 12 VDC and 5 VDC.

 

I currently have a large junction box on my back wall that is big enough to hold 3 DVRS, 4 VDAs and an RF modulator. If I did it again I would get a bigger box that held 4 DVRs, because you always seem to need one more.

 

I do not think in terms of camera locations. I think in terms of breakout boxes. many locations that were once camera locations are now multi camera locations; one each east, south and west.

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old, and old school, electronics tech here. my electronic systems tend to grow and expand, and I don't have to pay for skilled labor, so I tend to plan for growth

 

IP cameras consume bandwidth. more cameras, more bandwidth. The DVR consumes bandwidth. how much do you have?

 

4 analog cameras to one DVR minimizes bandwidth consumption.

 

If I was doing new construction ( in NM, where innovation in building is not a crime ) I would run PVC tubing for use as low voltage and fiber optic conduit. I would cut windows in the tubing at corners and reattach the cutout with a hinge. I would run Cat 5 or 6, fiber optic cable, RG59, 12 VDC and 5 VDC.

 

I currently have a large junction box on my back wall that is big enough to hold 3 DVRS, 4 VDAs and an RF modulator. If I did it again I would get a bigger box that held 4 DVRs, because you always seem to need one more.

 

I do not think in terms of camera locations. I think in terms of breakout boxes. many locations that were once camera locations are now multi camera locations; one each east, south and west.

Its amazing that in 2016 and folks are still posting misinformation about IP cameras consuming network bandwidth. THIS IS NOT TRUE. If you home run the cameras to the NVR as you would with a traditional analog system then there is ZERO extra load placed on the system. If you connect the cameras to a POE SWITCH and the NVR to the same switch or to a cascading switch again there is ZERO extra bandwidth on the network.

EVEN if you put the cameras on the network, a standard intallation of 8-16 cameras would not put a dent in a gigabit network.. Please stop misleading.

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Run 2-3 Cat6 anywhere you think you may need cameras, and you are good. 16-2 would be helpful if you got any large PTZ cameras that are not POE. Forget the coax

 

Cat6 can run analog which is a for a new install, HD, or IP.

 

As far as bandwidth, like stated earlier, home run everything back to the NVR, and POE switch, that way the camera network is on its network. The only load on the home network is what is streamed remotely when not home.

 

 

3 DVR's in a home? Are these 16 channel units?

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3 DVR's in a home? Are these 16 channel units?

 

I assume you are asking me.

 

1 4 channel in the motorhome, wireless bridge to the house. watches the parking lot, back wall and back door

2 4 channels in a J box on the back of the house, as of 5 PM today. I switched to a different brand that wastes a lot of internal space, but the network interface works with Windows. just not enough room in the J box for 3 of these DVRs, RF modulator and a wireless bridge. these DVRs cover the sides, front and back of the house.

3 4 channel DVRs inside. one is 4 cameras looking out. one covers the hallways. the third covers the living room.

 

wireless bridges because my landlord thinks my falling apart 1923 rented adobe is a priceless historical building, and does not permit drilling holes in what is really a decrepit mud hut. ergo IP over 802.11n, RF via the cable TV cable

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