Wireless Outdoor Security Camera

There are many pros and cons to choosing a wireless outdoor security camera over traditionally wired security cameras. Outdoor conditions usually make security camera installation a little more complicated that it would be to install indoors. Given the unpredictable and hardly controllable nature of the outdoor environment, there are many more things that require consideration when setting up an outdoor security camera. The use of wireless technology in the security surveillance field relieves at least one aspect of the installation and set up process.

A wireless outdoor security camera is essentially any security camera designed with two criteria. The first is that it is built to a higher grade of durability to withstand the harsh outdoor conditions whatever they may be. The second is that the camera transfers video across airwaves without a physical cable between the camera and the monitor.

There are two ways a camera can be wireless. The first is a security camera with built in wireless transmitter which sends the signal to the receiver end. The other way applies mostly to a camera that was not initially built with wireless capability in mind can be used wirelessly through the connection of a bridge. There are additional wireless transmitters and receivers that can be purchased as add-ons to the camera. This creates a wireless 'bridge' between the camera and the receiver allowing more flexible positioning of the camera since the restraint of a physical cable has been eliminated.

Eliminating a physical cable is probably the first reason most people opt for a wireless camera. Running new cables around the property could run up costs pretty quickly. Security cameras need the cables to be protected so they would most likely have to run inside walls and ceilings for maximum effectiveness. Buying cables and tearing up walls does not make installing new cameras a very fun project especially with analog cables that are not as scalable as a network security system. Also, analog cables lose quality over distance so depending on the level of image detail required there may be a physical limitation on how far the cables will run.

And while wireless cameras are limited by the range of the signal, there is still a lot of flexibility within range. The camera can be positioned anywhere, in any way, as long as there is a wireless signal. Without exposed wires, there is less chance of vandals tampering with the cables to disable the security camera.

Despite how great it may seem to be free of cables this is only in very limited cases. Many wireless cameras are still tethered by the power supply. Most outdoor security cameras still have much initial inconvenience because of the limited availability of power sources outdoors. There are no building codes that require power outlets on the outside of buildings and therefore rewiring is usually required. There are other options such as solar powered cameras for the outdoors but this would require a rather bulky battery pack.

Also, wireless range can be quite frustrating in areas that are not conducive to radio waves. Thick walls and large metal objects are some of the biggest inhibitors of wireless range. For optimal range there should be a clear path between transmitter and receiver otherwise the camera will be limited in where it can be effectively positioned.

One of the biggest cons of wireless outdoor security cameras is the security threat. Anyone with a wireless device and is within range of the area covered by the wireless network can get on the network and intercept the data being transmitted from the camera if the network is not secured. WEP and WPA/WPA2 are some technologies developed to prevent unauthorized access and to encrypt the data. WEP prevents unwanted people from accessing the network by requiring a pass code. However, WEP is no longer considered adequate in protecting a network because of several weaknesses and WPA uses encrypted keys to increase security and take care of some shortcomings of the WEP standard.

There are some basic security steps that can be taken to protect the data when using a wireless outdoor security camera. The first is to use the user-password login to access the camera itself. The encryption of wireless networks should be enabled before pass codes and credentials are created to prevent the information from being stolen. Finally, ensure that security protocols such as IEEE 802,1X and WPA/WPA2 are supported by the wireless security camera.

When installed properly, wireless outdoor security cameras make installing, positioning, and repositioning of the surveillance camera a little easier than having to run cables all the time. Properly securing the network is important for any project that uses a wireless network and there are network security experts if some technical details are too hard to understand yourself. There are many reasons why an area may require surveillance and wireless cameras offer another option for the owner.