Where should security cameras be installed around your home?

Start with entrances and the way somebody approaches

A camera is useful when it covers a route that matters, not merely an area that was easy to reach with a ladder. Begin with the front door, driveway, side paths, gates and any rear door that can be approached from outside. Then consider where a person would come from and where they would go next.

Victoria Police recommends covering entry and exit points and the driveway, making cameras visible and securely attaching them to the building. It also says camera views should cover your property and avoid capturing a neighbour’s property. Those points form a sound starting brief; the exact number and position still depend on the shape of the home, landscaping and access routes.

Official source: Victoria Police: CCTV installation and positioning(opens in a new tab)

Position each camera for useful evidence, not only an overview

A wide view can show that somebody crossed the property, while a tighter view at the right height may show the detail needed to understand who or what caused the event. One camera does not always do both jobs well. The design should decide what each position must achieve before choosing the camera and lens.

At a doorway, that may mean a clear view of a person approaching and standing at the door. On a driveway, it may mean seeing the direction of travel and the vehicle rather than filling half the picture with sky, roof or garden. Side access usually needs a view along the path instead of across it.

• Give each camera one clear purpose, such as a face at the front door or movement along the side path.
• Keep important areas large enough in the image to be useful when footage is reviewed.
• Avoid easy physical reach without mounting so high that faces become the tops of heads.
• Check that trees, eaves, downpipes, lights and opening doors do not block the important part of the view.

Test the camera view in daylight and at night

A position that looks clear during the day can behave very differently after dark. A porch light, vehicle headlight, reflective wall, spider web or bright street behind a person can dominate the image. Infrared light can also reflect from a nearby surface and wash out the part of the scene that matters.

NorthTech checks the real view rather than relying on the camera’s specification alone. The finished position should be reviewed in the conditions that matter at the property, with the image adjusted so a person can understand what happened instead of merely seeing that movement occurred.

Keep the view on your property and protect private spaces

A useful security view does not need to look through a neighbour’s window or across their backyard. Camera angle, lens choice and privacy masking can keep the protected approach in view while excluding areas that do not belong in the recording.

Audio needs separate care. Do not assume that a camera microphone should be enabled merely because the product includes one. NorthTech discusses the purpose and the privacy implications before audio is used, and keeps the camera design focused on the property it is intended to protect.

Use wired cameras where possible and secure the recording

NorthTech runs a cable wherever possible. A permanently installed camera can carry power and data over one network cable, avoiding reliance on home Wi-Fi or a battery that needs charging. The cable route, terminations and connection are tested so the camera is supported by dependable infrastructure rather than a strong signal on installation day alone.

The recorder matters as much as the cameras. It needs adequate storage for the agreed recording period, a secure and serviceable location, correct time settings and protected account access. Where off-site backup is required, it should be designed deliberately rather than assumed to happen because the cameras can be viewed in an app.

Make the cameras visible and connect them to the wider security plan

Victoria Police advises making CCTV cameras visible and not using fake cameras. A real, well-positioned camera can contribute both a visible deterrent and recorded evidence. It works best as one layer of the property’s security rather than as a substitute for doors, locks, lighting or an alarm.

Depending on the system, a verified person or vehicle event can send a mobile alert, bring selected cameras onto a screen, switch on lighting or trigger an active-deterrence response. These actions should be planned around useful detection areas and tested so ordinary movement does not create constant noise.

• CCTV installation in MelbourneCompare the Luma, Hikvision and Dahua systems NorthTech designs, installs and supports.
• How active deterrence can respondSee how compatible cameras, lighting, audio and Control4 can work together during an event.
• Plan the complete security systemMark the areas that matter and give NorthTech a practical starting point for the design.

A finished CCTV installation should prove the whole path

Before handover, confirm the live and recorded picture from every camera, day and night performance, event notifications, playback, export, storage settings and remote access. Make sure the household knows how to find an event without sharing the recorder’s administrator password.

The test should answer a plain question: if something happens at this property, will the right camera capture a useful view and will the authorised person be able to retrieve it? If the answer is uncertain, the installation is not finished.