Wired vs Wireless Security Cameras

Three kinds of camera

Wired PoE cameras connect to a recorder through a single network cable that carries both power and video. The recorder stores everything on a hard drive in your house.

Wi-Fi cameras need a power point nearby and send their video over your Wi-Fi to a cloud service, an SD card or a hub.

Battery cameras have no cables. They sleep until motion wakes them, record a clip and upload it over Wi-Fi.

The difference that matters most: continuous recording

A wired system records all day and all night. If something happens, the footage from before, during and after is on the drive.

Battery cameras only record after their motion sensor wakes them, and that usually takes a second or two. In that time, a person walking past can be halfway out of frame. It is the most common complaint about battery cameras, and it is built into how they save battery.

Wi-Fi and Logan brick

A large share of Logan homes are brick, often with tiled or metal roofs. Both weaken Wi-Fi. Cameras usually go at the far corners of the house, right where the signal is weakest. A camera that keeps dropping off Wi-Fi misses events and sends alerts late, if at all. A cable does not have that problem.

Batteries in a Queensland summer

Battery life on the box is measured under ideal conditions. On a busy driveway in January, a battery camera wakes up dozens of times a day and runs hot under the eaves. Expect to take it down and charge it every month or two. Heat also wears lithium batteries out faster over the years.

Subscriptions

Many Wi-Fi and battery brands need a monthly plan to save recordings in the cloud or use their smart alerts. A wired system recording to its own drive has no ongoing fee. Over several years, the subscription often costs more than the cameras did.

When wireless is the better choice

Renting and unable to drill. Battery cameras come down cleanly.

One far point where cable would cost more than the camera, like a gate at the end of a long driveway. A solar or 4G camera can make sense.

A short term site, such as a building site or an event.

There is also a hybrid for acreage. A wireless bridge carries video from wired cameras at a far shed back to the house. The cameras are still wired and record continuously, and only the link between buildings is wireless.

Our advice

On a house you own, go wired. The cable is hidden, recording never stops, there is nothing to charge and no subscription. Wireless solves particular problems, and if yours is one of them, we will tell you.

Questions people ask

Is a wireless camera easier for a renter?

Usually. Battery cameras can go up on removable brackets and come down without leaving holes. You still need the owner's consent for anything fixed.

Do wired cameras need an electrician?

No. PoE cameras get low voltage power through the network cable. The cabling needs an ACMA registered cabler, not an electrician.

Can I mix wired and wireless cameras?

Often, on the same app. Some recorders accept Wi-Fi cameras alongside wired ones, depending on the brand.