Planejador de Câmeras answers “how many security cameras do I need, and where do they go?” for your home, not an average one. Draw the floor plan and the boundary wall, mark the gates, doors and windows, and see what each camera covers with the walls in the way, how far it can identify a person, how many days the hard drive records and whether a Wi-Fi camera gets signal. Everything runs in your browser, with no sign-up.
How to use the planner
- Click Start my project (or open the example house) and set the size of the lot in File › Plan and scale.
- Draw the walls with the Wall tool and the boundary wall and gates with Fence. You can also load a picture of the floor plan and calibrate its scale with Measure.
- With Entry point, mark the gates, doors and windows. Each one comes with the level of detail it needs: a gate needs identify, a door needs recognize, a window needs observe.
- Click Suggest a spot or place cameras with the Camera tool. Drag the selected camera's handle to rotate it.
- Adjust the lens, height and direction until every point turns green.
- Check the days of recording, the Wi-Fi signal and the shopping list, and copy the summary or the link to send to an installer.
How far each camera can identify a person
The DORI standard (IEC 62676-4) measures detail in pixels per meter at face height. Identify (tell who it is beyond doubt) needs 250 px/m; recognize someone you know needs 125; observe what a person is doing needs 62; detect that someone is there needs 25. The wider the lens, the fewer pixels are left for each meter, and the closer the person has to be. Distances with the camera 2.8 m high:
| Lens | Resolution | Identify | Recognize | Observe | Detect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8 mm (103°) | 1080p (2 MP) | 2.8 m | 6 m | 12 m | 31 m |
| 2.8 mm (103°) | 4 MP | 3.9 m | 8.1 m | 16 m | 41 m |
| 2.8 mm (103°) | 4K (8 MP) | 6 m | 12 m | 25 m | 60 m |
| 3.6 mm (87°) | 1080p (2 MP) | 3.9 m | 8 m | 16 m | 40 m |
| 3.6 mm (87°) | 4 MP | 5.3 m | 11 m | 22 m | 54 m |
| 3.6 mm (87°) | 4K (8 MP) | 8 m | 16 m | 33 m | 60 m |
| 4 mm (84°) | 1080p (2 MP) | 4.1 m | 8.4 m | 17 m | 43 m |
| 4 mm (84°) | 4 MP | 5.6 m | 11 m | 23 m | 57 m |
| 4 mm (84°) | 4K (8 MP) | 8.4 m | 17 m | 34 m | 60 m |
| 6 mm (54°) | 1080p (2 MP) | 7.4 m | 15 m | 30 m | 60 m |
| 6 mm (54°) | 4 MP | 10 m | 20 m | 41 m | 60 m |
| 6 mm (54°) | 4K (8 MP) | 15 m | 30 m | 60 m | 60 m |
How many days the hard drive records
Each camera writes a fixed amount of data per day: a 1080p camera in H.265 uses about 1.5 Mbps, or 16.2 GB a day recording nonstop. With 4 cameras, a 1 TB drive holds 14 days; recording only on motion, about 48 days. Days of continuous recording with 1080p cameras in H.265:
| Hard drive | 2 cameras | 4 cameras | 8 cameras | 16 cameras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 TB | 29 | 14 | 7.2 | 3.6 |
| 2 TB | 57 | 29 | 14 | 7.2 |
| 4 TB | 115 | 57 | 29 | 14 |
What blocks the camera's view
A camera does not see through walls, boundary walls, doors or solid gates. Glass and open railings or gates let it see. The same drawing also estimates the Wi-Fi signal, with each material's loss at 2.4 GHz:
| Material | For the camera | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz |
|---|---|---|
| Masonry (brick or block) | blocks | 6 dB |
| Concrete, column or load-bearing wall | blocks | 10 dB |
| Drywall | blocks | 3 dB |
| Wooden door | blocks | 3 dB |
| Metal, solid gate, refrigerator | blocks | 15 dB |
| Boundary wall | blocks | 8 dB |
| Glass or window | see-through | 2 dB |
| Railing or open gate | see-through | 1 dB |
Guides to plan your cameras
Longer answers for people about to buy or install cameras, with numbers from the planner's own model.
- Where to install security cameras in a single-story house
- 2.8 vs 3.6 vs 6 mm lens and the DORI standard
- How many days the recorder's hard drive records
All guides · How the planner calculates
Frequently asked questions
How many security cameras do I need?
It depends on the entry points, not on the size of the home: count the gates, doors, reachable windows and passages someone can walk through. In the planner's single-story example house, with 10 points, it took 4 cameras to cover every one at the right level. Mark your home's points and use Suggest a spot to get your number.
How much does it cost to install 4 security cameras?
The cost adds up the cameras, the recorder (or memory cards, for Wi-Fi cameras), the hard drive, the cables and the labor, and it varies a lot with the brand, the resolution and the city. We do not publish prices because they change every week. Copy the planner's shopping list, with the estimated cable length, and ask two or three stores and installers to quote the same list.
Can I have a camera inside my home?
Cameras at home for your own family's security are common. Care is needed when a camera records other people: employees, visitors, the street or the neighbors. The planner warns you when a field of view leaves your lot, so you can adjust the angle. This is not legal advice: if in doubt, ask a lawyer.
2.8 mm or 3.6 mm lens: which should I choose?
A 2.8 mm lens covers about 103° and more area, but on a 1080p camera it only identifies a person up to 2.8 m. A 3.6 mm lens covers 87° and identifies up to 3.9 m. Use 2.8 mm in garages and small yards and narrower lenses for gates seen from a distance.
How many days does a 1 TB hard drive record?
With 4 1080p cameras in H.265 recording all day, about 14 days; with 8 cameras, 7.2. Recording only on motion, the days go up a lot: with 4 cameras, close to 48. In H.264 files are about {h264} times larger.
Wi-Fi or wired camera?
A Wi-Fi camera is easier to install, but it depends on the signal where it sits, usually at 2.4 GHz, and it records to a memory card: a 128 GB card holds about 7.4 days of a 1080p camera. A wired camera (coax or PoE) is more reliable and records to a recorder with a hard drive. The planner estimates the Wi-Fi signal at each camera and warns you below −72 dBm.
What is the best Wi-Fi security camera?
We do not recommend brands. Compare data sheets: the lens's field of view, the resolution, the infrared range, whether it is rated for outdoors (IP66 or higher) and whether it has 2.4 and 5 GHz. Put those numbers in the planner and you see what the camera will cover where you plan to install it.