How Reliable are Wireless IP Security Cameras?
With the advent of wireless technology, everything was supposed to get easier. It makes sense, doing away with hardwired devices and connecting everything via wireless signals should make everything more accessible and easier to install. While this is true in most cases, wireless technology still has some important issues to overcome in regards to reliability.
Power Supply
One of the main setbacks of WiFi security cameras is that they still need a power source. This means that you are going to need batteries, or an outlet to plug them into. The problem with batteries is that they can die at inopportune times. A dead security camera will do you no good. This means that you will constantly be changing the batteries to make sure that your camera is working. This will be a major hassle, especially if the cameras are in hard to reach locations.
The second option is to plug the camera into a wall outlet. This saves you from the hassle of changing batteries. A drawback to this option is that you will need to mount the cameras near power outlets, or run long extension cords to power them. Having to mount near outlets greatly reduces you options for mounting locations and your system may not be able to monitor everything that you want it to. If you run extension cords, you have effectively added a long wire to your wireless system. A wireless system with extension cords everywhere is essentially a wired system.
Interference and Loss of Signal
The most important issue that wireless cameras currently have is troubles with interference and loss of signal. This problem is not exclusive to security cameras either. There have most likely been many times in your life where you have lost a WiFi signal or had difficulties connecting via WiFi. This can happen to any wireless device, whether it is a phone, computer, tablet, etc. In most cases it is no big deal, you just tinker around with it for a bit and can usually get the connection to work eventually. We feel, however, that this is not acceptable when it comes to your security and surveillance needs. A loss of signal means that you are not recording the feeds. Do you want to use a security system that is unpredictable when it comes to recording? There are many factors that can cause a wireless signal to be disrupted. These include the weather, any materials between the camera and the wireless hub, WiFi channels available, router location, and any interference from other wireless devices. Those are a lot of potential issues to be concerned about just to feel comfortable that your cameras are recording.
The Montavue Way
As a company that is dedicated to our customers satisfaction and safety, we have decided that we will limit the amount WiFi security cameras that we offer. As wireless technology continues to evolve and become more reliable, we may decide to start carrying more of them. For the meantime though, we feel that wired IP security camera systems are the most reliable surveillance products on the market. We will continue to offer our customers the best products available, without compromising on quality and reliability. For any questions or concerns you may have about security camera systems feel free to call or message us.
