10 MISTAKES When Installing Security Cameras (How to AVOID them)

First off; Installing a security camera too close to an object or a wall where the camera’s own IR night vision lights can reflect back into the camera can totally ruin a nighttime shot. Here we have a camera installed on the corner to capture any activity along the wall and this side of the house. There is a drainpipe in the bottom left of the image. The image is perfect by day. At night however, the camera’s IR lights hit the white pipe and get reflected back into the camera, blowing out the image. Ideally this camera should have been installed away from the pipe so there is no reflection. As I handhold the camera, this is what is should look like. If moving the camera away from the object is not an option, painting the pipe a matt black could help. To test this theory, I’ve covered the pipe with black material. Ok, so here is a side-by-side comparison. During the day, the image looks good, as expected. Here we are at night in complete darkness, the image with the black material is a little better. We can see the details of these trees in the shot with the black drainpipe. Before installing a security camera, I like to test the footage by just holding the camera (by day … and night) to ensure I am not getting any IR light bounce back.

This second mistake is very similar and also deals with IR light issues at night. When installing cameras, be careful not to install a camera too close to another camera, where the IR lights from one camera causes glare on the other. There are 2 cameras on the deck here facing each other, and I’ve purposely omitted the other camera from each of their frames. In the footage from each camera, there is no glare created by the IR lights of the other camera. In fact, the cameras complement each other and share the IR lights, for an overall better image. I’ll demo that with no IR lights on, on either camera. Now just the IR lights active on the camera I point to on the left. Now the right only and now both. Ok, back to the glare. I’ll show you want to look for here with this exaggerated scenario. I’ve placed this Wyze cam on the table directly facing this ceiling mounted camera. When its IR lights are shining onto this camera, there is a noticeable amount of glare, ruining the shot. If the camera has a slightly dirty lens, that glare will we greatly exaggerated, like we see here in this before and after shot. The solution here, is the same as the previous, make sure to test the live feed before permanently installing the camera, to ensure there is no glare.

Our next mistake is missing weather seals. Often times, the weather sealing on network cables are not done properly and left exposed to the elements when installing a camera. In particular, let’s talk about PoE security cameras which use the data cable to power the camera. If moisture makes its way into this connection, it could seriously damage the camera. Just check out the burnt marks on this connection point after it was exposed to rain. The camera can get fried and rendered useless when this connection is exposed to water. Here are the options to avoid this type of damage. Before terminating the camera’s cable, add a weather sealing grommet. All outdoor camera should have one included. More recently, manufactures also include this style that fits on over the RJ-45 connection, just in case the cable is already terminated. If worse comes to worse and you have no way of sealing the connection, use electrical tape. Lastly, you may think that if the connection is hidden in an eave, it’s safe. Keep in mind that moisture could still work its way in there, like on a windy, foggy day. This seal is even more critical if you live near the ocean. My general rule is to always protect the connection, inside or out. In fact, I take this a step further and protect all exposed connections, like this DC power port.

Ok, this next one is related and one I am guilty of. Not testing cables before installing a camera, especially ones you terminate yourself. So, you’ve gone through the work of running a cable to a camera location, terminate the wires, install the camera and secure it. When you plug in the camera, something is not working and you need to take it all down again. A frequent failure point can be the wire termination. I recommend a wire tester like this one to ensure the termination was performed correctly. It’s a 10 second test which could save a lot of time and frustration. I’ll add a link for mine in the description. Pop on the tester and run inside to check the connection. Looks like I missed a wire and 7 and 8 are crossed. Let’s redo the connection, and now the test results are perfect. Ok cool and the camera is back online.

Moving along to our #5 mistake; installing a camera inside, in a window, looking out. It might seem like an easy surveillance solution, but it comes with some common mistakes. The Wyze camera is reliable and cheap and can very conveniently be placed in a window to keep an eye on any activity day or night. Well, it’s not quite that easy. Cameras are very sensitive to glare (as we know), especially at Any light inside the house gets reflected back into the camera, including the camera’s status light and IR Infrared night vision lights. My recommendation is to use a rubber mount which keeps the lens tight to the window, blocking out light to minimize reflections off the window and into the camera. I tested out a couple here in another video and show you which styles work best. As for the status light and IR lights, turn these off, so there is no reflection. Also, if possible close any curtains or blinds behind the camera to keep that space dark.

This next mistake seems kind of obvious, but don’t point the camera at unnecessary zones. Try to maximize the viewing area with details or places where you could see some action. Avoid capturing a wall or the sky or even trees, unless that’s your goal. In this example here, I want to see the driveway where people would enter the property. Or even the garage doors, but I don’t need to see the neighbor’s house and I don’t need to capture the sky. Also, the sun will degrade the image at certain times during the day and it’s not good on the camera’s lens and sensor to have too much direct sunlight. Every situation is different and sometimes it’s impossible to avoid unwanted zones. If that area happens to be a neighbor’s house or yard, adjust the viewing angle to minimize coverage of their property and-or even create a privacy zone to cover that area up. If it’s obvious that you have a camera pointing at the neighbor’s property, it might be a good idea to talk to your neighbor and let them know, so they don’t get weirded out by you recording their property. Who knows, your neighbor might even want you to cover some of their property. Free surveillance for them, right? One more important bonus point on this topic, and yes, you guessed it; it’s about IR lights. These are 4 cameras, all using different zoom levels (or lens sizes). Each camera projects its IR lights at different angles depending on the camera’s zoom level. I have the 4 cameras here at the bottom of the screen. Using another security camera, you can see the angle of the IR lights change depending on the zoom level from wide to zoomed in. In each case, the brightest lights are concentrated in the center of the shot. This is important because, in an attempt to point the camera to avoid unnecessary zones, you may not have good IR light coverage on the zone you want coverage. In this shot, I don’t want all this wasted space with the sky, so I lowered the camera for excellent ground coverage. By night, if the camera is raised, the IR lights reach the patio. If I lower the camera for more ground coverage, the IR lights are focused more on the grass, missing out on the patio. It’s important to find the happy medium depending on your situation and needs.

Ok, the next one, #7 is an easy mistake to make. Installing a camera where a light is shining directly on the lens. I see this one a lot. This is one of the worst places to install a security camera. By day, the image is perfect, but as soon as night falls and this light turns on, it creates a huge glare on the dome. The light is not in the cameras field of view; it gets reflected back into the lens off the inside of the dome. If I turn off the lights, you can see the glare disappear. The easy way to avoid this is to install the camera where the light cannot shine on any of the lens. In this scenario, the camera should have been installed right here, just far enough away from the light so it doesn’t shine directly on the front of the dome.

This next one, is one I see pretty often. Exposed cables. Ideally, any cables should be hidden in an eave or wall, or even a junction box. This is a quick time-lapse of an install I did a few years ago. If you must leave cables exposed, make sure they are at least out of reach. Not only could someone walk by and disconnect or cut them, the sun’s UV will end up rotting away the plastic coating. Also, there is some level of satisfaction found with a neat install.

These last 2 mistakes deal with preparing and planning the install. #9 is Installing a camera without testing it first, to make sure it works and connects to its app. I highly recommend setting up the camera inside to make sure it connects to the network, app or to NVR, or whatever your case may be. Some cameras walk you through the setup with voice directions and it’s much more convenient doing this inside, then on a ladder. Reolink includes a cable with every camera, not because you going to install a camera 3ft (1m) from the NVR, but to encourage you to get everything setup inside first before climbing that ladder.

The last one is huge and the most common mistake I see from DIYers. Not taking the time or not having the skill to run quality network cables to security camera install sites. It’s tempting to rely on Wi-Fi and Solar for convenience, but this shortcut can hurt the overall reliability of your system and will limit you to certain camera types and functions. If you have poor or inconstant Wi-Fi signal strength, at camera install locations, you could experience missed frames or lag. Check out the difference between wired and wireless on this system. A network wired connection will support PoE or power over ethernet, which sends both data and power over the same cable. This will open up the door for devices requiring more power, like large PTZ cameras with extended zoom. A wired connection will also allow for continuous live feed viewing and full-time recording. Solar and battery-operated cameras on record when motion is detected and not continuously. Also, batteries may not last as long in the winter temperatures and shorter hours of sunlight. Running cables through attics, walls, conduit, through vinyl siding, or even underground takes skill and patience. If you don’t have the patience or aren’t confident in your abilities, consider hiring a professional. When installing a security camera system yourself, I recommend going the wired route. If that’s not feasible, I hope this sheds some light on the possible limitations and challenges that could arise with a non-wired solution.