Are you Compromising Your Surveillance System? 4 Common Mistakes You Might be Making

A surveillance system may be quite a handy addition to your home or office, but if not handled correctly you might be standing in the way of the effectiveness of the system. “Isn’t it just as simple as setting it up?” well, it partly is but a lot more lies in other aspects. So which are the four most common surveillance-related mistakes made by home and business owners alike?

1. Improper Positioning of the Cameras

To begin with, are you using the right camera for your security system? Is the coverage adequate in that you have covered all major openings – doors and windows? At the same time, you may want to avoid blind spots. This is not to mean that you need an individual camera for every door and window. You can easily get a camera with a wider viewing angle or one with a high resolution.

Solution? While considering your camera placements, make sure all doors and windows on the first floor are covered. Also, you might want to consider getting a recorder with more channels that you initially need. This provides the convenience of adding cameras if the need arises in future.

2. Disregarding Power Surges

Surveillance systems are computerized, and so they work pretty much like your desktop back at home. If lights go out either permanently or temporarily, the system won’t be able to take any recordings during that blackout period. What this means is that for even those few minutes, your security is compromised. Likewise, in the event of a power surge, some parts of the system may be damaged thus requiring replacement and rendering the system ineffective in the meantime.

Solution? Invest in a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) device. This works much like a rechargeable battery whereby the device supplies electricity to the surveillance system in case the main power supply goes out. Make sure the capacity of the UPS matches the frequency and duration of blackouts in your area. Another handy investment would be a surge protector meant to protect against damage to the surveillance system.

3. Having Recording Settings That are Improperly Set

Just because the system is on does not automatically mean that it is recording. In any surveillance system, the recorder comes with a host of recording modes ranging from manual recording, motion detection, pre-recording, and even scheduled recording among others.

You could choose just one, or a combination of modes depending on the sensitivity of your security needs as well the hard drive space.

Solution? Comprehensively go through the owner’s manual and be sure to pre-test your system just so as to make sure that it meets your needs and expectations.

4. Underutilizing the Networking Option

Oblivious to many, surveillance systems are meant to be viewed from virtually any device regardless of how far you are from the physical system itself. So why not take advantage of this and have your surveillance system right at your fingertips – quite literally! Whether on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC, there is no device that cannot be networked with your system.

Solution? Your user manual comes in handy once again. Suppose there is something you still can’t comprehend, then take advantage of the lifetime technical support offered to you.