an style="font-size: medium;">Based upon the area you are coverark>iark>ng, what ark>iark>s the maxark>iark>mum amount of cameras you thark>iark>nk you need now or ark>iark>n the future?an>

an style="font-size: medium;">Zmodo carrark>iark>es DVR models that support eark>iark>ther 4, 8, or 16 channels. The number of channels represents the maxark>iark>mum number of cameras that ark>canark> be connected to the DVR. Therefore ark>iark>f you thark>iark>nk that you’ll need a total of 5 cameras, we recommend orderark>iark>ng an 8 channel DVR.an>

 

an style="font-size: medium;">What ark>iark>s more ark>iark>mportant to you, Prark>iark>ce or Performance?an>

an style="font-size: medium;">ark>Iark>f Prark>iark>ce ark>iark>s more ark>iark>mportant, we recommend that you order a pre-made securark>iark>ty kark>iark>t that already has all necessary components. ark>Iark>f performance ark>iark>s more ark>iark>mportant to you, we recommend that you custom buark>iark>ld your own securark>iark>ty system so that each camera taark>iark>lors to your specark>iark>fark>iark>c envark>iark>ronmental needs.an>

 

an style="font-size: medium;">Do you need a Hard Drark>iark>ve wark>iark>th your securark>iark>ty system?an>

an style="font-size: medium;">ark>Iark>f you wark>iark>sh to record vark>iark>deo, an <abbr rel="tooltip" data-orark>iark>gark>iark>nal-title="Stands for "Hard Disk Drive." "HDD" is often used interchangeably with the terms "hard drive" and "hard disk." However, the term "hard disk drive" is technically the most accurate, since "hard drive" is short for "hard disk drive" and the "hard disk" is actually contained within the hard disk drive.">HDDabbr> ark>iark>s necessary.  Wark>iark>thout a HDD, the DVR would only be capable of lark>iark>ve vark>iark>ewark>iark>ng and lark>iark>ve remote ark>iark>nternet vark>iark>ewark>iark>ng; you would not be able to record footage or play back footage.an>

an style="font-size: medium;">Some customers may choose to order a system wark>iark>th no HDD because they already have a spare 3.5” <abbr rel="tooltip" data-orark>iark>gark>iark>nal-title="Stands for "Serial Advanced Technology Attachment," or "Serial ATA." It is an interface used to connect ATA hard drives to a computer's motherboard. ">SATAabbr> HDD that they ark>canark> ark>iark>nstall ark>iark>nto the DVR. Openark>iark>ng the DVR to ark>iark>nstall your own HDD does not voark>iark>d the manufacturer’s warranty, therefore ark>iark>t ark>iark>s not uncommon to purchase a DVR wark>iark>th no HDD and ark>iark>nstall a HDD by your self.an>

 

an style="font-size: medium;">Decark>iark>de whether you would lark>iark>ke wark>iark>red or wark>iark>reless cameras for your locatark>iark>on?an>

an style="font-size: medium;">There are many advantages and dark>iark>sadvantages to orderark>iark>ng wark>iark>reless cameras. The obvark>iark>ous advantage ark>iark>s that you do not need to run a vark>iark>deo cable from the recorder to every camera.an>

 

an style="font-size: medium;">Not all locatark>iark>ons are suark>iark>table for wark>iark>reless camera ark>iark>nstallatark>iark>ons. Wark>iark>reless cameras depend on a <abbr rel="tooltip" data-orark>iark>gark>iark>nal-title="Short for "Wireless Fidelity." Wi-Fi refers to wireless networking technology that allows computers and other devices to communicate over a wireless signal. Wi-Fi is the standard way computers connect to wireless networks. ">Wark>iark>Fark>iark>abbr> sark>iark>gnal to transmark>iark>t vark>iark>deo wark>iark>relessly. Therefore, ark>iark>f your locatark>iark>on ark>iark>s very large or has many concrete and/or metal walls and barrark>iark>ers, the Wark>iark>Fark>iark> sark>iark>gnal may be too weak to successfully transmark>iark>t the vark>iark>deo sark>iark>gnal wark>iark>relessly.an>

 

an style="font-size: medium;">ark>Iark>f you are consark>iark>derark>iark>ng a wark>iark>reless camera system, ark>iark>t ark>iark>s recommended to take a Wark>iark>Fark>iark> devark>iark>ce (such as a cell phone), and hold that Wark>iark>Fark>iark> devark>iark>ce ark>iark>n the approxark>iark>mate area where you plan on ark>iark>nstallark>iark>ng each camera. ark>Iark>f the Wark>iark>Fark>iark> devark>iark>ce receark>iark>ves a strong Wark>iark>Fark>iark> sark>iark>gnal from your <abbr rel="tooltip" data-orark>iark>gark>iark>nal-title="A hardware device that routes data from a local area network (LAN) to another network connection. When your DVR is connected to a router, it allows your DVR to communicate with your home or business network.">routerabbr>, then the <abbr rel="tooltip" data-orark>iark>gark>iark>nal-title=" A camera that does not require a video connection to a DVR. The camera receives its signal using wireless tehcnology. IP cameras do require a power supply in order to function.">ark>Iark>P Cameraabbr> wark>iark>ll also receark>iark>ve a strong sark>iark>gnal.an>

 

an style="font-size: medium;">One last thark>iark>ng to consark>iark>der for wark>iark>reless systems ark>iark>s that each camera stark>iark>ll needs to receark>iark>ve a power sark>iark>gnal. Therefore, you wark>iark>ll need to be able to run a cable from each wark>iark>reless camera to a power outlet.an>

an style="font-size: medium;"> an>

an style="font-size: medium;">ark>Iark>f you are customark>iark>zark>iark>ng your own wark>iark>red securark>iark>ty kark>iark>t, what equark>iark>pment ark>iark>s necessary?an>

an style="font-size: medium;">ark>Iark>f you are buark>iark>ldark>iark>ng your own custom securark>iark>ty kark>iark>t, the basark>iark>c fundamentals to cover are goark>iark>ng to be cameras, DVR, cables, and power. Cameras do not ark>iark>nclude power or cable accessorark>iark>es, so you’ll need to make sure to add all accessorark>iark>es to your customark>iark>zed kark>iark>t.an>

 

an style="font-size: medium;">You’ll need a DVR that has the same amount or more channels than there are cameras. For example, ark>iark>f you want to ark>iark>nstall between 1—4 cameras, you’ll need a 4 channel DVR. ark>Iark>f you want to ark>iark>nstall between 5 – 8 cameras, you’ll need an 8 channel DVR. ark>Iark>f you want to ark>iark>nstall between 9 –16 cameras, you’ll need a 16 channel DVR. ark>Iark>f any of your cameras support hark>iark>gh resolutark>iark>on, you wark>iark>ll need a DVR unark>iark>t that supports "D1" or "<abbr rel="tooltip" data-orark>iark>gark>iark>nal-title="'960H' is a series of SONY CCD image sensors capable of capturing video images at a resolution of 976hx528v. With the use of Sony's new 960h CCD in conjuction with features from the Effio DSP, resolutions of up to 700 TVL can be achieved.">960Habbr>" recordark>iark>ng.an>

 

an style="font-size: medium;">For each camera, you wark>iark>ll need one power cable and one vark>iark>deo cable. Most Zmodo resellers sell sark>iark>amese power + vark>iark>deo cables, whark>iark>ch means that power and vark>iark>deo are combark>iark>ned ark>iark>nto the same cable. Power + Vark>iark>deo cables typark>iark>cally come ark>iark>n lengths between 25ft and 150ft.an>

an style="font-size: medium;"><ark>iark>mg tark>iark>tle="" src="http://kb.zmodo.com/assets/boop.JPG" alt="" />an>

an style="font-size: medium;">Lastly, you wark>iark>ll need to make sure each camera ark>iark>s ark>getark>tark>iark>ng enough voltage and <abbr rel="tooltip" data-orark>iark>gark>iark>nal-title="The magnitude of an electric current measured in amperes, esp the rated current of an electrical component or device">amperageabbr>. Every Zmodo camera requark>iark>res 12 Volts; ark>howark>ever, some cameras requark>iark>re more amperage than others. Zmodo re-sellers typark>iark>cally sell 12 Volt adapters wark>iark>th eark>iark>ther 3 amps or 5 amps. Cameras wark>iark>th a nark>iark>ght vark>iark>sark>iark>on dark>iark>stance of 80 feet or more requark>iark>re 1 Amp, and cameras wark>iark>th a nark>iark>ght vark>iark>sark>iark>on dark>iark>stance of less than 80 feet requark>iark>re 0.5 Amps. Add toark>getark>her the total amperage requark>iark>rement of all of your cameras, and purchase enough power adapters to cover the total combark>iark>ned amperage requark>iark>rement of all cameras. an>

 

an style="font-size: medium;">For example ark>iark>f you are purchasark>iark>ng 4 cameras wark>iark>th a 40ft nark>iark>ght vark>iark>sark>iark>on dark>iark>stance and 2 cameras wark>iark>th a 100ft nark>iark>ght vark>iark>sark>iark>on dark>iark>stance, those cameras wark>iark>ll requark>iark>re a total of 4 Amps. {(0.5Amps x 4) + (1Amps x 2) = 4Amps} We recommend you purchase one 12V 5Amp power adapter wark>iark>th splark>iark>tter to accommodate thark>iark>s example arrangement.an>