This CCTV wiring diagram displays a 4 security camera system connected wirelessly to a remote router via a WiFi bridge. The cameras are connected to a recorder first which is used for footage storage.
By using the WiFi bridge you can transmit CCTV video signals up to 1-10 km away. Some WiFi transmitters can extend the signal up to 25 km. The diagram is useful if you install cameras on multiple separate buildings (or locations) and you want to link them together to a central management unit.
CCTV diagram: Four cameras, recorder, PoE injectors, WiFi bridges, router
Take a look at the wiring diagram. For this CCTV scheme we need these equipment:
A recorder with four cameras
In this demonstration we will use four security cameras connected to a recorder. The cameras can be IP cameras (connected to a NVR) or HD analog cameras (connected to a DVR).
Usually the HD analog cameras and their DVRs are cheaper when compared to IP systems. Either way, whatever you choose, the logic is the same. You have to install the cameras and connect each of them to the back of the NVR/DVR.
We suggest spending a few bucks more and purchasing a good and reliable security camera system. Cheap equipment won’t last long and the image quality will be poor as well. So, go for a decent camera system.
The footage will be stored on the hard drives installed in the recorder (NVR or DVR). Many recorders take 2 pieces of hard drives, some other up to 4 pieces and so on. The more hard drives installed, the more recordings will be saved. Make sure to purchase CCTV security rated hard drives.
WiFi Bridge
A WiFi bridge lets you link the two sides of this setup together. One piece (the transmitter) goes to the security camera system’s side and the other one (the receiver) goes to the router’s side. The distance how far the WiFi transmission can go depends on the WiFi Bridge model and make. It can vary from 1km up to 25km.
There are many WiFi bridge equipment on the market (see here), from our experience the Ubiquiti equipment is easy to install and very reliable for security systems. Moreover, their support is pretty good, if you’re stuck they can remotely help you.
PoE Injector
A PoE injector supplies power to the WiFi bridge piece by “injecting” power into the Ethernet cable. This article details how the PoE injectors work.
In this CCTV diagram, we need the PoE injectors to power up the two pieces of the WiFi bridge device. The PoE injector will get the power from the power outlet and then power up the transmission pieces via the Ethernet cable.
Router
As the diagram shows, the Wifi Bridge will wirelessly connect the security camera system to your local router. On the router you can connect (wirelessly or not) to your laptop, phone or tablet and access the camera system via the apps/software.
By accessing the camera system you can see the view live, playback, backup the footage or do other settings on the system. All major CCTV manufacturers offer phone apps or computer software to manage their cameras.
How to connect the equipment
As you can see on the CCTV wiring diagram shown above, the fours security cameras connect to the recorder. This recorder can be NVR, in this case you need IP cameras (you can power them via PoE), or DVR which is applicable for HD analog cameras (you need to power each camera separately).
Once these cameras are plugged in, the recorder itself gets connected to the PoE injector which in turn is connected to the WiFi bridge transmitter. The PoE Injectors have two network ports, one for data in (the recorder) and one data out (for the transmitter). And of course, the PoE injector needs to be powered via the power outlet.
To set up the bridge, you need to go through the settings of the WiFi transmitter/receiver. Usually with the Ubiquiti devices this is done easily and automatically, the two pieces are linked together via their own software. It’s almost plug and play. Additionally, always bring a laptop on the jobsite to let the support team to remote in case you’re having problems with the linkage.
There’s a trick on how you set up the WiFi bridge transmitter or receivers, there should be no obstacles between them and the higher you mount the transmitting devices, the better the signal.
If obstacles are in the signal’s ways, the picture may be choppy or the effective distance may be reduced. Always inspect the jobsite and consult with the WiFi Bridge manufacturer.
The WiFi bridge receiver is powered by another PoE injector and then connects to the router. Basically, once the receiver is connected to the router, the network is established.
From there, you can connect your laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone to the router and access the camera system via the web browser or their respective apps. Then you can see the live view or even playback if you have hard drives installed on the recorder.
Will the picture be laggy or choppy?
As we mentioned earlier, whether the picture is laggy/choppy or not depends on a few factors. For example, the WiFi transmitter and receiver should “see” each other without serious obstacles between them. The higher the transmitters/receivers are installed, the more reliable the transmitted signal.
Another thing, high resolution cameras will need a lot of bandwidth which causes difficulty to transmit the signal properly. You can tweak the settings of the cameras to achieve the perfect balance between the resolution, frame rate, bandwidth etc. Play with the settings remotely (or locally) until you’re happy with the results.
The wiring diagram displayed on this article and be modified to your needs, you can add more cameras, add a PoE switch or power up the transmitter separately, etc.