Client Success Story: Whole-Property WiFi + Security Cameras
Like many folks in Caliente, this client has a 20-acre property and quite a few horses. They wanted to keep an eye on their house and stable while at work or traveling.
They had some cameras installed in the past. However, the installation was haphazard and ineffective:
Glare prevented the client from seeing details most of the time.
Some were on dingy solar panels and only worked intermittently because of power issues.
Mismatched brands meant the client couldn’t see everything in one app.
Poor camera quality caused alerts to be triggered when they shouldn’t (and vice versa).
Lack of network planning resulted in poor connectivity.
Instead of throwing good money after bad, we started with a clean slate. While the project was to install security cameras, the first step was ensuring the property has good WiFi coverage to enable uninterrupted monitoring. (As a bonus, the client will get whole-property intent!)
We surveyed the property and proposed a system of eight security cameras based on the client’s requirements. For proper connectivity, we planned three access points to distribute signals from the Starlink router in the main house to the rest of the property.
The multi-faceted implementation went beyond physical hardware. A lot of work went into the abstract/nerdy/voodoo stuff, like bandwidth, network, and cybersecurity:
Thorough network planning for reliable signal strength
Most people don’t experience noticeable signal strength deterioration when they set up a camera or two close to the router in a suburban home. However, you’d likely bring the router, cameras, and the existing WiFi to their knees if you plop six or eight cameras, some of which are far from the router, onto the same network.
Network and wireless frequency planning is critical to ensure all IoT devices coexist happily and work properly. For this client, we used the 5 GHz band to transmit signals to the access points across the property and put all the cameras on the 2.4 GHz band for longer-distance transmissions. Devices in the main house remain on the 5 or 6 GHz band, where they can access more spectrum and won’t compete with the cameras for the 2.4 GHz band.
Then, we connect a high-end access point to the house’s Starlink router to provide signals to the house’s cameras and beam signals to other access points throughout the property, providing internet access to the cameras and other devices (e.g., the client can stream music or make phone calls throughout the property).
Different ways to bean signals over long distances.
Subnets for IoT and cameras enhance cybersecurity
IoT devices are notoriously hackable (no matter what the manufacturers say), and a security-first mindset is essential for staying safe. We positioned the cameras to show the client what they needed to see without divulging personally identifiable information or anything of high economic value to bad actors in the frame.
We recommend our clients use SD cards in each camera to store the files locally instead of subscribing to the manufacturer’s cloud storage service — we’d much rather not have footage of their properties and activities floating around in someone else’s computer, waiting to be hacked.
Then, we created a subnet for the cameras, isolating them from the home’s primary WiFi network. The client may also put other IoT devices like thermostats on this subnet to prevent them from becoming a pivot point through which criminals can infiltrate the network and steal valuable information.
Local storage ensures uninterrupted monitoring
We aren’t a big fan of putting the videos in the cloud because a hiccup in internet connectivity will cause a gap in the recordings. That’s another reason we recommend storing the surveillance footage locally on a high-endurance SD card in each camera.
With each camera having its own SD card, we automatically build redundancy into the system because the client can keep recording from a different angle, even if one card or camera fails. These cards will also save the videos even when the internet goes down, allowing the client to retrieve footage later.
A caveat is that the Caliente weather is harsh, and extreme UV and temperature fluctuations may damage lesser hardware. Meanwhile, frequent rewriting will trash poor-quality products. Therefore, we only select high-quality, high-endurance memory cards for such applications.
A multi-faceted implementation
Designing and implementing a security camera system is really about network security and planning. For example, people complaining about product issues may actually have network challenges. Those who put one camera on their WiFi may not experience problems, but those who dump eight onto their network without reconfiguration won’t get lucky.
Mounting and aiming the cameras are the visible part of the work — that’s the easy stuff. Achieving reliable and uninterrupted connectivity is the secret sauce if you want multiple cameras covering various areas on your property.
Need help with the nerdy stuff? Get in touch!
