Technical Support and CCTV Help Centre

Use solid bare copper Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable from a reputable manufacturer. Solid copper has lower resistance than CCA cable and is better suited to carrying both power and data. For outdoor routes, use a proper UV resistant PE outdoor cable.

Good quality solid copper Cat 5e is sufficient for most CCTV installations. Cat 6 provides thicker conductors, improved performance and more headroom for Gigabit networking. Cat 6 is a sensible choice for new installations, longer routes and systems that may expand later.

CCA means copper clad aluminium. It normally has higher electrical resistance than solid copper, which can increase voltage drop and heat when carrying PoE power. It is also more fragile and less reliable for permanent professional installations.

For step-by-step fault finding, read why an IP camera goes offline and how to check cabling, PoE, network settings and connectors.

For most homes, a 5MP or 8MP PoE turret camera with human and vehicle detection, a built in microphone and smart night lighting provides a good balance of image quality and price. Entrances, driveways and wider areas may benefit from 8MP, 12MP or a panoramic camera.

Choose the camera according to the area and the evidence required. Entrances and tills benefit from high detail and good wide dynamic range. Aisles need an appropriate field of view. External areas need an IP67 rated camera and effective night performance. Larger premises normally benefit from a PoE system with an NVR and surveillance hard drive.

A higher resolution can capture more detail and allow better digital zoom, but it also uses more storage and bandwidth. Lens choice, sensor quality, lighting, positioning and bitrate are just as important as the megapixel number.

Choose a camera with smart dual light or a large aperture full colour design. Smart dual light cameras normally use infrared when no person is present and can activate white light after detecting a person or vehicle. The best choice depends on available ambient light and whether visible white light is acceptable.

Choose more channels than you need today. An 8 channel NVR is suitable for small systems. A 16 channel NVR is better for homes and businesses that may expand. A 32 channel NVR suits larger commercial sites or multiple PoE switches.

Storage depends on the number of cameras, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, compression, recording schedule and required retention period. Continuous recording needs much more storage than event recording. Contact us with these details and we can estimate a suitable capacity.

PoE means Power over Ethernet. A PoE camera receives power and network data through one Ethernet cable. This removes the need for a separate power supply beside every camera and makes professional installation simpler.

A PoE NVR is a network video recorder with built in PoE camera ports. Compatible cameras can connect directly to the recorder and receive both power and data through the same cable.

A non PoE NVR records IP cameras but does not power them through built in camera ports. The cameras normally connect through one or more external PoE switches on the same network.

A PoE NVR is simple and convenient for a single central installation. A non PoE NVR provides more flexibility when cameras are distributed around a large building or when several switches and fibre links are required. Neither design is always better. The correct choice depends on the site layout.

Not when they are connected to a compatible PoE NVR, PoE switch or PoE injector with enough available power. The network cable carries both power and data.

Many ANNKE IP cameras support standard network protocols and may work with compatible third party NVRs. Basic video is more likely to work than every smart feature. Two way audio, smart events and advanced detection can depend on the exact camera, NVR and firmware combination. Ask us to check the model numbers before ordering.

Compatible third party IP cameras may connect through supported network standards. However, advanced functions are not guaranteed across brands. Confirm the exact models and required features before purchase.

Check the number of powered ports, total PoE power budget, maximum power per port, Ethernet speed, uplink ports, SFP support, VLAN or watchdog functions, operating environment and whether the switch supports the PoE standard required by your cameras.

The switch must provide enough combined power for every connected device. A switch may support 30W on one port but still have a total budget that is too low for all ports at full load. Add the maximum consumption of every camera and keep sensible spare capacity.

Most individual CCTV cameras use much less than 100Mbps, so a 100Mbps camera port can often handle one camera. Gigabit uplinks are important because they carry traffic from several cameras together. A full Gigabit switch provides more capacity and flexibility for busy networks and other connected devices.

Extend mode can allow a longer cable route by reducing the link speed. On switches that support transmission up to 300 metres, the extended port normally operates at 10Mbps. Actual distance and stability depend on cable quality, connections, camera power and installation conditions.

Yes. A suitable NVR can receive cameras through several switches when the cameras and recorder are on correctly configured networks. The NVR channel limit and incoming bandwidth must still be respected.

SFP ports allow compatible fibre transceivers to be installed. Fibre is useful between buildings, across long distances and in areas with electrical interference. It also provides electrical isolation between linked locations. The SFP modules and fibre type must match at both ends.

The Labgear 60054PI is a useful example for a professional CCTV network. Its principal specifications are:

• 16 Gigabit PoE ports
• 2 RJ45 uplink ports
• 2 SFP uplink ports for compatible fibre connections
• 300W total power rating
• Up to 30W on an individual port
• IEEE 802.3af and IEEE 802.3at support
• 40Gbps non blocking switching capacity
• AI Watchdog for supported port recovery
• VLAN functionality
• Extended transmission mode up to 300 metres
• ESD and surge protection
• Internal power supply and metal housing

It is suitable for up to 16 fixed ANNKE cameras when their combined power requirement remains within the available budget. This includes many 5MP, 8MP and 12MP fixed cameras. The Labgear 70400PE Cat 6 Outdoor solid copper cable is compatible with normal network and PoE installation requirements.

The 300 metre mode normally reduces the port speed to 10Mbps. Standard network distances up to 100 metres support the normal 100Mbps or Gigabit modes stated by the manufacturer. Large PTZ cameras, heaters and high power devices must be checked individually.

This type of switch is particularly useful with non PoE recorders such as NNR168 and NNR3212. An N96PBH already provides 16 built in PoE ports, so an external switch is normally used only when cameras need to be grouped elsewhere, the network needs to expand or a fibre uplink is required.

An analogue camera sends video to a DVR through coaxial cable. Modern TVI systems can provide high resolution video, audio and smart functions while reusing suitable existing coaxial cabling.

A DVR receives and records video from analogue cameras. Hybrid DVRs may also support a limited number of compatible IP cameras. Always check the exact channel allocation and supported resolutions.

Analogue equipment can be economical, straightforward and useful when a property already has good coaxial cabling. It can reduce the cost and disruption of replacing all existing cable.

It can be, particularly when existing coaxial cables and power distribution can be reused. For a new installation, compare the full cost of cameras, recorder, power supplies, cable and labour rather than camera price alone.

PoE is normally preferable for a new network based installation, advanced IP features, easy expansion and flexible switching. Analogue can be the better value where usable coaxial infrastructure already exists.

The standard ANNKE Vision app can be downloaded and used for normal supported remote live view and playback without a standard monthly subscription fee. Optional services or future third party mobile platform charges are separate from the basic recorder function.

A correctly installed local NVR or DVR continues recording to its hard drive without internet access. Internet is required for remote viewing, remote notifications and other online functions.

No internet connection is required for local camera recording and viewing on a connected monitor. Internet is required if you want remote access from outside the property.

Upload speed at the camera location is the most important measurement for remote viewing. Around 10Mbps upload may be sufficient for occasional viewing of a few sub streams. 20Mbps or more provides more headroom for multiple users or higher quality streams. The exact requirement depends on bitrate, number of simultaneous cameras and other internet use at the property.

Upload speed at the CCTV location sends video out to your phone. Download speed matters at the location where you are watching. Both should be stable, but limited upload speed at the recorder location is a common cause of slow remote viewing.

Yes, supported systems can normally be viewed from more than one authorised device. Use proper account sharing where available and avoid giving the main account password to unnecessary users.

Check the recorder network connection, gateway and DNS settings, ANNKE Vision status, app account, QR code registration and router internet service. Screenshots of the network and platform access pages help us diagnose the problem.

Check the cable terminations, cable tester result, PoE port, switch power budget, camera PoE standard and cable length. Test the camera with a short known good cable before replacing equipment.

The camera may be on a different IP range, already activated with another password, connected to the wrong network or using incompatible credentials. Confirm the camera IP address, password, protocol and NVR network range.

The NVR output resolution may be higher than the television supports. Try a compatible HDMI cable and set the NVR output to a resolution supported by the display. This display problem does not normally stop the recorder from recording.

Check for walls, soffits, spider webs, dirt, rain and nearby objects reflecting infrared light into the lens. Adjust the camera angle and clean the lens cover. White light, infrared settings and exposure may also need adjustment.

Confirm that the drive is a compatible surveillance drive, correctly connected to SATA data and power, and visible in the storage menu. A new drive normally needs to be initialised inside the recorder before recording begins.

Check hard drive status, recording schedule, camera recording settings, date and time, event filters and available footage for the selected period. Live view alone does not confirm that recording has been configured.

Use a larger compatible surveillance hard drive, enable H.265+ where supported, reduce unnecessary frame rate or bitrate, use event recording where suitable and avoid recording unused audio or extra streams. Evidence requirements should always take priority over saving storage.

A fibre optic HDMI cable is an excellent choice when an NVR or DVR must connect to a television or monitor over a longer distance. Compared with a conventional copper HDMI cable, it can carry high bandwidth video with much lower signal loss and is far less affected by electrical interference. It is also normally thinner and lighter, which can make routing through a building easier.

Where supported by the recorder, display and selected cable, fibre optic HDMI is particularly useful for 4K, 8K, HDR and high refresh rate video. Active optical HDMI cables are directional. Connect the end marked Source to the NVR or DVR and the end marked Display to the television or monitor. Avoid sharp bends, pulling force and crushing during installation.

This transmitter and receiver kit carries 1080P video at 60Hz over one direct Cat5e or Cat6 cable for up to 30 metres. It is useful when an Ethernet style cable is easier to route than a long HDMI lead, when suitable cable is already installed, or when the installer wants a cable that can be terminated on site.

The kit does not require a separate external power adaptor, includes built in signal amplification and provides a practical low cost connection from an NVR or DVR to a remote monitor. For the best result, use a direct run of correctly terminated solid copper Cat5e or Cat6 cable.

No. This product uses Cat5e or Cat6 cable as a direct video connection between its TX and RX units. It is not an IP network device and must not be connected through a network switch, PoE switch, router or active data network. Connect the TX unit to the HDMI output of the recorder, run one direct network cable to the RX unit and connect the RX unit to the display.

Choose fibre optic HDMI when you need higher resolutions such as 4K or 8K, HDR, a high refresh rate or the simplest high bandwidth point to point connection. Choose the 30 metre extender when the display only requires 1080P at 60Hz and Cat5e or Cat6 is easier to install, already available or more convenient to terminate.

The extender described here supports 1080P at 60Hz and should not be selected for a 4K display output. The correct choice depends on the recorder output, display resolution, cable route and required distance.

Normally no. HDMI carries the local display picture from the recorder to a television or monitor. If the HDMI cable, extender or display fails, a correctly configured recorder should continue recording to its hard drive. Always confirm recording status and playback after installation.