IP Camera slows down network? This is how to fix it

If you use a smart CCTV system, you may have wondered once, how much data they consume and slow down the network connection? The article will give you the answer.

It is true that the intelligent surveillance camera system over the network has an effect on the network connection, as it also participates in the network as many other networked devices, but they are not as significant as you think.

However, if the network is too slow, your daily activities will also be affected. And depending on how the camera is set up, the amount of data needed will vary.

See also: What is ip camera?

Factors affecting the amount of bandwidth consumed by security cameras

Typically, the amount of Internet bandwidth used by the IP Camera, ie upload and download bandwidth, depends on the following factors:

1. Compression: this is the main reason why the camera consumes network bandwidth. MJPEG / MJPEG-4 and H.264 are the two most popular compression standards used on surveillance videos.
2. Camera resolution: High resolution cameras will need higher bandwidth, need more storage and will slow down the network.
3. FPS (Frame Rate per Second): frame rate determines the quality of CCTV video. The higher the FPS, the better the video quality. FPS also affects the amount of data needed for CCTV video recording.
4. Number of IP Cameras: the more cameras, the more network data is needed.

How to calculate the Internet consumption data of CCTV

Bandwidth (Mbits) = Frame Size (Kb) * 1024 * 8 * FPS * camera number / 1000000

IP Camera is a network connection device, so it will also affect network speed

How to reduce the amount of bandwidth consumed by IP Camera

Choose the appropriate compression format

You should be familiar with the settings of IP Camera and choose the type of compression that suits your needs. If you want to save a lot, you should choose H.264 because this type of compression reduces the amount of storage space needed and saves Internet data.

Choose the appropriate resolution

Another way for IP Cameras to not slow down the network is to select the camera with the minimum resolution needed. Of course do not trade off with safety but choose a low resolution camera to reduce the burden on the network connection.

For example, cameras use on a large area, high resolution is necessary, but if only monitoring a small area, then select a camera that is enough to use, shoot things that you need to see without affecting bandwidth.

Reduce the number of frames per second

Although recording with multiple frames will give better quality, it also affects network connectivity. Normally 15 FPS is sufficient for indoor surveillance.

Select motion detection cameras

Some security cameras, usually battery-powered ones, will only work when motion is detected, so it is not always possible to use a network connection. It's always unnecessary to spin every time, so choosing these cameras will help reduce the burden on the Internet connection.

Note that setting the camera to motion detection mode is slightly different. The camera will still shoot at all times.

Separate the camera from the network

If the above does not help your Internet faster due to the influence of IP Camera, the most sure way is to use a private network for it. You can use 2 routers to pull traffic from the camera out of the main router. Then the server, such as PC, connects to the second router to dial and monitor remotely.

Alternatively, converters can be purchased to separate camera traffic from other network operations.

See more:

1. Centralized control of IP Camera
2. How to use the old smartphone as an anti-theft surveillance camera
3. China's 170 million surveillance camera system can find BBC correspondents in just 7 minutes