Troubleshooting
Adding cameras to an existing system
You can add cameras up to the number of channels your recorder supports. Beyond that you need a larger recorder. Also check the power supply capacity and the hard drive, because more cameras on the same drive means proportionally shorter retention.
Count the free channels
A four-channel recorder takes four cameras, not five. Check before buying cameras, because the recorder is the constraint most people forget.
Storage falls proportionally
Going from four cameras to eight halves your retention on the same drive. Add storage at the same time or accept half the history.
Power capacity
An existing supply or switch may not have headroom for more cameras, particularly at night. Adding beyond its capacity causes intermittent night-time dropouts.
Can I add more cameras to my CCTV system?
Is it cheaper to add cameras later or all at once?
All at once, usually — one visit, one cable-pulling exercise, one set of travel. Adding later is entirely possible, just not as economical.
Can I add a different brand of camera?
On IP systems usually yes, with a generic protocol, though some features are lost. Matching the brand keeps things simpler and keeps parts available together.
Need this doing?
Security camera repair covers cameras showing no image, recorders that stopped recording, footage you cannot retrieve, and systems that lost remote viewing. Most faults are power, cable or configuration rather than a failed camera. Diagnosis is free, and we quote a fixed price before doing any work.
Security camera repair — what it costsRelated pages
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