Video Surveillance - Basic Design.


Even the best product can fail if it is not used/installed/maintained correctly. If you have purchase a sport car (let’s say Lamborghini) and fill the gas tank with a lowest grade gasoline... or buy it for driving on a road without pavement... It would not work for very long, would it?


Same thing true with IP cameras - you need to have the right infrastructure and the right model for a job.


  1. 1.Identify camera locations and make notes if a particular camera should provide an overview of the area or face recognition. Note light condition, size of the area you want to cover, amount of activity in those areas and complexity.

  2. 2.Define your recording standards (frames per second, motion detection, how long the video should be stored). Additionally, make sure that you defined things like: amount of physical locations your business has (or number of properties own), single or multiple concurrent users for monitoring. If you only have a single location, try to guess how many cameras at most you would ever install, also if you want to integrate access control doors with cameras, if you need any integration with other devices.

  3. 3.Based on the notes take in #1, select the model of Axis camera.

  4. 4.Based on the notes taken in #2, select the correct version of Milestone software.

  5. 5.Network - If you will have a very long runs between network connectivity point and the camera and you want to use PoE (power over ethernet) - make sure that you are using a brand name CAT5E/CAT6 (i.e. Belden). Ensure that your network has sufficient available bandwidth (i.e. 70 cameras being recorded on a server that is connected at 100mbit/sec would create a problem). If you use wireless - be aware of wireless limitations!

  6. 6.Using Milestone calculator for server and storage will help you choose the right server hardware and storage as well as determine the network traffic.

  7. 7.Network switches - If you plan to use PoE to power cameras, make sure that your switch can supply enough power (i.e. if you have a 24 port switch with PoE on only 12 of the ports then you can only connect 12 cameras). Also, ensure that switch will work in a condition where each port on the switch would be loaded at 50% of its capacity (at least). Cisco switches are typically your best bet.


NOTE: It is highly recommended to have a certified Axis and Milestone integrator to provide you with design. This way you can avoid at least some of the pitfalls as information above is very generic and does not necessary cover you environment or/and needs. You can always contact us at 224-765-0775 or info@globaldatatechnologies.com

Global Data Technologies Inc., PO Box 914, Highland Park IL. 60035 - Ph.: 224-765-0775, fax: 847-897-2075 - Email: info@globaldatatechnologies.com