Plan Camera Coverage
1-2 hoursMap entry points (doors, ground-floor windows, driveway), avoid pointing at neighbors' property, and identify power/WiFi needs.
Field context
This workflow is part of 4 niche fields
Free step-by-step home security camera setup for homeowners. Plan home security camera with calculators and checklists covering plan camera coverage, choose.
Map entry points (doors, ground-floor windows, driveway), avoid pointing at neighbors' property, and identify power/WiFi needs.
Compare PoE wired (reliable, no battery), wireless battery (easy install), and cloud vs local NVR storage.
Mount at 8-10 feet height, angle downward 15-30 degrees, test night vision range, and secure cable runs.
Set motion zones, notification preferences, shared access for family, and enable two-factor authentication on account.
Budget $100-$400 per camera for equipment. · Compare cloud subscription vs local NVR costs over 3 years.
Estimate power draw for PoE camera system.
Map property coverage zones for camera placement.
Entry points covered ÷ total entry points × 100 ≥ 100%. Overlap fields of view by 20% at property perimeter for blind-spot elimination.
NVR with local storage eliminates $120-$480/year in cloud fees — pays for itself in 1-2 years.
Cameras with default passwords are hijacked within minutes of going online — change immediately on setup.
Power over Ethernet cameras never need battery changes and stream more reliably than WiFi — best for owned homes.