5 ways to get the most from your home security camera
A security camera can give you peace of mind, from sleeping more soundly at night to less concern about the package currently sitting on your front porch. When setting up a camera, these five tips will help to ensure it’s as effective as possible.
Perfect positioning
Whether you're using a single camera or a multi-camera system, positioning is everything. The most important area to cover will usually be your front door, with the camera up high and angled to reveal the face of anyone approaching.
Cameras should be visible, as they can deter intruders, and ideally you want to cover what you'd consider your home's easiest entry points. Make sure to check your video feeds during and after installation to confirm you're getting good coverage.
There can also be value in having a camera inside the home, in a spot where a potential intruder is likely to pass or in "hot spots" close to valuables, just in case.
Turn on object/subject recognition
If your security camera supports object/subject recognition, turn it on. This can track, in real time, people, pets, or parcels that enter its field of view.
Intelligent recognition allows your camera to build a dataset and better understand what is "typical" for your house. This means it's less likely to send false alerts, and over time your camera will get better at recognising when something is amiss, whether it’s a stray cat in the yard or a person who hasn't visited before.
Filter smart alerts
When your camera detects motion, smart alerts can let you know immediately. This is good not just for security, but for tracking and staying aware of what happens around your home when you're not there.
Depending on the camera model, you can generally set up alerts for people, vehicles, animals, and general motion, along with specific motion and activity zones.
It's also important to note that you can filter or disable these alerts. For example, if you have a pet, turning off alerts prevents your phone from pinging madly every time it walks past the camera.
Use local storage
When possible, it's best to use local storage, either in conjunction with or instead of cloud storage. A beefy SD card or hard drive will be able to hold a lot of footage, which you'll be able to access immediately without needing an internet connection.
Accessing footage from a cloud server is useful, too – it's essentially unlimited storage. But there are monthly fees, the risk of security breaches for the cloud host, and it's reliant on your internet connection. Having local storage as a backup is a safer and more cost-effective option.
Check the battery level
The life of a wireless security camera’s battery varies depending on brand and type, as well as how often you have it running. If your security camera uses a battery, it's important to track its lifespan.
Shortly after you install your security cameras, make sure you buy a spare batteries for them. When the batteries eventually run out of juice (which could be months), you'll have spares ready to go.
Down the track, you should be able to predict how long the batteries will last, and setting a calendar reminder can save you some stress.
And if your camera has an internal rechargeable battery, regularly check the level and when it drops to around 30%, it’s time to recharge.
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