How much data do security cameras use as they connect to the internet? To put it concisely: Your Wi-Fi-enabled security camera system can consume up to 400 GB of data each month. This number, of course, depends on camera resolution, the number of cameras, the frames-per-second capture rate, and whether you’re using a network video recorder to distribute the data. If the camera triggers only when a security parameter is met, you could use as little as 60 GB a month. However, if the security camera is always on, that number goes up.
This could be a problem for some security-conscious businesses. Many internet service providers (ISPs) have begun throttling or otherwise limiting their data plans for residential service. While this currently isn’t an issue with most business internet subscriptions, that could change at any time. This makes the question of “how much data do security cameras use” an important one.
What Factors Influence How Much Data is Used by Your Wi-Fi Security Camera?
Five key questions influence Wi-Fi camera data usage.
1) What is the camera resolution?
While a higher resolution will increase Wi-Fi camera data usage, camera resolution matters if you’re trying to spot criminal activity. Today’s smart Wi-Fi enabled cameras offer clear HD video. However, this higher quality camera image requires more bandwidth. The best security cameras offer a resolution of 1080p. The difference is that these cameras capture images in difficult conditions. Outdoor images or footage captured in low-light conditions require higher resolution. Higher resolution cameras consume more data—it’s just that simple.
For the best of both worlds, you can invest in smart cameras. These cameras know when something important is happening and switch to HD resolution. When nothing is going on, the camera goes back down to SD, saving data for when it matters most.
Here’s an example to illustrate how the resolution and quality of video feeds affect data consumption. When a security camera is set to stream video at 4K resolution, the video feed can use up to 16 Mbps (megabits per second) of bandwidth. On the other hand, setting the same camera to stream at 720p (HD) resolution only uses around 2 Mbps of bandwidth. For best results, adjust the camera settings to reduce video quality, especially if you don’t need high-definition footage for every camera.
2) What frames-per-second rate are your cameras recording at?
The frames-per-second rate dictates the frequency of image capture. If your security camera captures 30 frames per second (FPS) that means it captures 30 frames in a single second of video transmission. Higher FPS means smoother, clearer video images. If you have a security camera capturing low FPS, the images will appear choppy and might be hard to discern.
A good security camera system for business offers an FPS rate of 25 or higher. However, like better resolution does, a higher FPS affects your Wi-Fi data camera usage. Constant high frame rates are usually unnecessary for surveillance purposes, so you can set your cameras to capture 15-20 FPS.
How much data does a security camera use when FPS settings are adjusted? To give you an idea, using a camera that records at 30 FPS might use 4 Mbps of bandwidth while recording at 15 FPS cuts bandwidth consumption in half (around 2 Mbps) without compromising the quality of the video footage.
3) How many cameras do you have on the network?
It’s just common sense that the more cameras on your network, the greater the bandwidth pull. But the benefits of Wi-Fi security cameras
always outweigh this concern. A Wi-Fi security network of mobile cameras can cover a vast property but won’t require expensive wiring. You can literally place these systems anywhere; solar cameras even alleviate the need for electricity lines. These systems can send data straight to the cloud. That alleviates the concern that a criminal will steal your onsite DVR. However, uploading data to the cloud also uses bandwidth that you must account for.
More cameras mean a higher data load due to multiple video and audio streams. For example, if you have a surveillance system with two cameras, with video quality set at 1080p (Full HD), recording at 15 FPS, and motion detection enabled (cameras only record when motion is detected), the total data usage is approximately 4 Mbps when both cameras are streaming. When motion is detected, they record audio and video, which adds to the data usage.
With four cameras, you have four simultaneous video and audio streams. If they are all recording at the same time due to motion detection, the data usage can be as high as 8 Mbps. Under similar conditions, installing eight cameras will consume up to 16 Mbps of data.
As you can see, the number of cameras installed directly affects data consumption so consider your specific needs and the available bandwidth when expanding your surveillance system.
See How Simple It Can Be To Secure Your Business.
4) Do you use an NVR?
An NVR (or a network video recorder) takes data from your security cameras and stores it on a secure server rather than sending it to the cloud. This can reduce security camera data usage. It’s important to point out that an NVR isn’t like a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) or even a PC-based recording solution. NVRs are fairly easy to deploy and are built specifically to house video security footage. The technology has embedded custom-designed software for video surveillance recording and storage. This makes them a good option if you’re worried about Wi-Fi camera data usage.
How does an NVR reduce data consumption? Here’s how it helps.
5) Are your cameras “always on” or “trigger specific”?
Always-on Wi-Fi security cameras provide 24/7/265 protection. However, if you’re worried about Wi-Fi camera data usage, you could also consider motion detection-based video surveillance, which will only activate when it detects someone or something entering its field of view.
A good security camera network makes use of all the options available. In most businesses, some locations are more secure than others. Should you consider replacing your always-on surveillance with a camera that wakes up only when triggered by motion? The answer is as unique as your business. But a motion-triggered security camera will reduce your data usage considerably.
Compared to a system that is always on (continuous recording), a trigger-specific camera surveillance system uses less bandwidth since it reduces non-essential data transmission and data storage needs while providing extended storage capacity. Moreover, these systems provide improved data management and reduce cloud storage costs.
Security camera data usage is becoming more of an issue as the internet becomes increasingly crowded. Wireless security cameras don’t require the cabling necessary for traditional CCTV, which makes them attractive to even the smallest business. However, a data cap could unintentionally thwart your efforts to protect your business with Wi-Fi cameras or run up costly overage charges.
Today, most business plans offer unlimited data, but check with your provider to be sure.
Here is a current list of ISPs with data caps.
To avoid the concern about “how much data does a security camera network use,” you could isolate your video surveillance cameras on a separate network. For example, you could have two separate routers. One could handle just the Wi-Fi security cameras and the other could handle regular and necessary business traffic. You could even have two separate internet accounts to handle this traffic. Typically, however, we’ve not seen this as a necessary step as long as your Wi-Fi camera network is designed correctly.
Wired Versus Wi-Fi: Are Wi-Fi Cameras Worth the Data Usage?
Increasingly, businesses of all sizes are turning to Wi-Fi video surveillance. There are several key benefits over traditional wired video surveillance:
9 Simple yet Effective Ways to Save on Data Usage
So, how much data does a security camera use? Well, it really depends on factors, as mentioned earlier, but if you want to minimize data usage, here are some suggestions that you might just want to try.
For all of these reasons, Wi-Fi security cameras are replacing older wired units. They offer lowered costs and greater convenience for businesses seeking greater security.
Here’s How to Solve the Problem of Security Camera Data Usage
The best way to truly understand how much data your Wi-Fi security system uses is to consult with the experts at Pro-Vigil. We design wired and Wi-Fi security cameras for businesses of all sizes and in every industry. The assessment process of designing the appropriate video security network for your business is individualized and precise. If you’re worried about Wi-Fi camera data usage and its impact on protecting your business, we can help. Contact us today.
FAQ
The amount of data used by internet-capable security cameras can vary. The amount of data that security cameras use can be as high as 400 GB every month, or it can be as low as 60 GB per month with some tradeoffs.
There are multiple factors that determine how much data your security cameras will use, like the amount of cameras, and the resolution and frames-per-second they record at. If the amount of data consumed by your security cameras is a concern, you can opt for things like reducing resolution or FPS, or use smart cameras that switch to a higher resolution when they detect motion.
