Does CCTV Needs The Internet?

Wondering does CCTV needs the internet? There is a growing demand for CCTV or closed-circuit television in homes. These are being set up for private surveillance.

The signals, videos, and images that are captured by CCTV devices in homes are not used for public broadcasting or for other such purposes.

It is basically used for surveillance purposes and to keep a tab on people who keep coming to their homes and also for alerting any suspicious movements and activities. They are capable of sending both live as well as recorded feeds to their customers.

However, there is a common question that comes to the mind of many people. They would like to know whether an internet connection is needed for the smooth and uninterrupted working of CCTVs in offices, homes, and other such places.

Let us try and get some clarity on the same for the benefit of our readers.

Can They Work Without the Internet?

It is quite obvious that CCTVs are designed to work without an internet connection. Their main task is to survey the areas that are under their reach. They just record videos, images and this happens on a continuous basis, rain or shine, and for 24 hours.

They perform their duties because the cameras are connected to a network of such devices. The connection is through concealed cabling and wiring. The recorded images land on the computer and laptop of the users and this happens through wiring and cabling.

For this to happen there is no need for any internet services.

In fact, one of the most attractive USPs in favor of CCTVs is that it can operate without the internet. Though electricity is needed, modern-day cameras and entire CCTV networks can also work without electricity.

Therefore, CCTVs are becoming quite popular in far-flung areas and in places where getting internet connections is not easy and perhaps even impossible in some cases.

The ease of use, versatility, and the fact that the cameras can be mounted almost anywhere and everywhere is one of the major reasons for their growing popularity.

They can be mounted in discreet and hidden places so that they are out of sight for those who are troublemakers. On the other end, the cameras can also be placed in prominent places.

The very sight of these devices will ensure that the trouble makers would like to keep a safe distance away from the places where they are installed.

When Can Internet Services Be Sought?

However, if a customer wants to remotely access the CCTV in his home or workplace, then there is a need for internet connection or even through powerful Wi-Fi systems.

However, using regular internet connections available on mobile phones may not be of much use because they may not be able to catch the signals emanating from the CCTVs and send it across to mobile phones.

There are ways by which it is possible to stream live or recorded images and videos that are captured by CCTV cameras.

The technology is quite simple. The recorded files (both videos and images) are uploaded to the cloud Gmail accounts of the users and this can be done regularly or even on a live basis.

This depends on the specific requirements and the threat and risk perceptions that the customers feel that they may be facing in their homes, offices, factories, and other such commercial spaces.

Many users also have websites and VPS (virtual private servers on the world wide web) where the recordings of videos and images are shared and stored on a regular basis.

This could be helpful for customers who may not always be in a place but would like to monitor their homes, offices, and other such places. Many employers also use this function to remotely monitor and track the activities of their employees.

This could help in increasing the overall efficiency and productivity because of obvious reasons.

Downsides of Using Internet Feed

Though some users who use the internet as a backup facility for their CCTV networks and other such devices, there are some obvious downsides. The video recording files are heavy and bulky and transmitting those using an ordinary internet connection may not be possible.

A powerful Wi-Fi connection would be needed. These may not be available in all the places and therefore moving to conventional methods of uploading videos periodically could be a better option.

Does CCTV Needs The Internet? – Conclusion

While there is no need to have an internet connection for CCTV operations and monitoring of images and videos, internet connection in general and Wi-Fi connection, in particular, could come in handy, some people go in for the internet because of some additional benefits that it offers.