DIY Surveillance Systems

Equipment

• The most efficient surveillance equipment to use are wireless IP surveillance cameras, a wireless router and a computer with an Internet connection. If you plan on monitoring outside your home, get cameras rated for use outdoors. Get cameras with mounting kits so that you can easily install them in any position, anywhere, inside and outside your home.

  Make a record of the IP addresses for all of your cameras, and where those cameras are located. Once you have your cameras in place, you will be able to monitor their images on any Internet browser from any computer with Internet access in the world.

  Create a folder on your computer where you can store recorded images, and make sure your computer has a DVD recording drive so that you can download and archive videos.

Placement

• Some of the primary places to put surveillance cameras are in all of the bedrooms, near the doors to the home and in the basement. Make sure all of the cameras have a night vision feature so that they can record images in the dark. You may also want to have a motion detection feature that will start the camera recording as soon as it senses something moving. Get a motion detector system that also includes an audible alarm.

  When you place your cameras, capture as much of each doorway and window as possible. When you place cameras outside your home, set them up so that they record the available entryways into your home, along with the perimeter of your house.

Archiving

• Part of the purpose of a surveillance system is to catch criminals in the act and be able to turn that footage over to the police. But a surveillance system may catch other images that you are unaware of, and that is why you should archive your footage at least once a month to free up hard drive space and to have a DVD copy of your footage. For example, one of your outdoor cameras may capture images of someone breaking into a neighbor's house that could help to capture the criminal. Having your images archived can be a valuable resource.