Here we cover the major considerations involved in getting that system up and running.  Every situation is different and may require a few steps not mentioned here, but generally you would address most of the following areas during the installation process.  Let’s get started.

Determine Your Locations

The very first thing you need to do is determine where you will put the recording equipment and cameras.  Make sure you do this before you start drilling holes or running cable. 

Equipment Room

Locate a place in your home or facility where you will keep the recording equipment.  This may be a DVR (Digital Video Recorder), computer, and/or several monitors depending on the complexity of your system.  This location is where you will run all of the cables to (in the case of a wired surveillance system), so you want to make sure you will be able to keep the equipment here for a while.

Cameras

Determine every location you intend to place cameras.  It wouldn’t hurt to anticipate any other cameras you may add in the near future; that way you can go ahead and run cables for them along with the others.  You will generally want to watch entryways, parking lots, windows, gates, and areas with sensitive equipment or possessions.

Running The Cables

Now comes the fun part – running the cables.  Most wired surveillance systems use a single cable for both power and signal, which means you don’t have to try to fish multiple cables up through the wall to a camera location.  Generally, you are going to want to keep these cables hidden – a) because it looks more professional and b) because you don’t want any potential intruder to be able to easily disable your cameras.   This means you will want to run your cables through the walls and ceiling.  If you have a drop ceiling in your business, you will have a much easier time.  If not, you will need to access the attack and use fish tape to push or pull cables through to their destinations.

Mounting Cameras

Once the cables are in place, mounting the cameras are fairly straight forward.  You can mount the cameras on the wall or ceiling, but make sure you have something sturdy to drill into.  Measure and position the camera mount, mark your drill points, and drill your holes.  Screw the mount into the stud and attach the camera.  You can then plug in the camera-side of the data cable.

Configuring the System

After your cameras are installed, return to the equipment room and plug in your cameras to the recording device.  Once you can see a live feed of each camera, you will need to adjust each camera individually, either by remote or manually at the camera itself.  You will also want to configure features like motion detection and night vision, if they are available with your system.