Which home security camera system should you install?

Picking cameras from a catalogue is easy. Picking a system that works day and night, doesn’t drop offline and stays within the law is harder. This guide walks through the options for a home and the factors that most affect the result.

The three kinds of system

Wired IP cameras with a recorder (NVR)

Each camera runs on a network cable carrying both data and power — PoE (Power over Ethernet, standardised in IEEE 802.3). A recorder or video server stores footage on local drives and lets you watch from your phone.

• Pros: the most stable connection, no batteries, continuous recording even without internet, high image quality.
• Cons: you need a cable run to each camera.

Wi-Fi cameras

They join your wireless network and need a power socket nearby. They record to an SD card, the cloud or a compatible recorder.

• Pros: simpler to install where there’s no data cabling.
• Cons: they depend on Wi-Fi coverage, and several high-resolution cameras can saturate the network.

Battery cameras

Completely wireless; they wake up on motion and record clips.

• Pros: can go anywhere.
• Cons: no continuous recording, batteries to recharge, and usually cloud-dependent.

Criterion	IP + PoE + NVR	Wi-Fi	Battery
Reliability	Very high	Medium	Medium
Continuous recording	Yes	Model-dependent	No (event clips)
Installation	Cable to each camera	Socket nearby	Anywhere
Maintenance	Low	Low	Regular recharging
Works without internet	Yes (local recording)	Model-dependent	Limited

The features that actually matter

• Resolution and lens: more megapixels don’t help if the lens frames the scene badly. A wide lens covers more area with less detail; a narrower lens identifies people at a distance.
• Night vision: infrared for clear black-and-white footage, or low-light sensors and white-light LEDs for colour at night. Check the real range on the datasheet.
• Wide dynamic range (WDR): essential at backlit entrances.
• Smart detection: telling people and vehicles apart from branches or cats cuts false alerts.
• Weather and tamper resistance: an appropriate IP rating and impact protection in reachable spots.
• Storage: enough disk for the days you need — without exceeding legal retention limits.

How many cameras, and where

Think in routes, not corners:

1. Entrances: front door, garage and back doors.
2. Perimeter: access points from the garden or neighbouring land.
3. Valuable areas: parking, tool store, pool area.
4. Indoors (optional): only circulation areas and only when the alarm is armed, respecting the privacy of anyone living or working there.

Mount cameras high enough to make tampering difficult, avoid pointing them at the sun and test at night that lighting doesn’t wash out the picture.

What the law says in Spain

Video surveillance falls under the GDPR and Article 22 of the LOPDGDD. In short:

• Public space may only be captured to the minimum essential extent.
• Footage must be deleted within one month, unless there’s an incident.
• If you record other people (domestic staff, visitors, shared areas), you must display a sign.
• You may not record neighbouring homes or properties.

The AEPD summarises the obligations in its video-surveillance guide (linked in the sources).

Integration with alarms and automation

Cameras are more useful when integrated: an alarm that sends the snapshot of the moment, outdoor lights that switch on when someone is detected, or notifications only when the system is armed. See how to secure a villa with cameras, alarms and sensors.

Worked example: a terraced house with front and back gardens

For a typical terraced house, a sensible proposal might be:

• Camera 1: front door, with a lens that identifies faces at 2–3 metres and good dynamic range for backlighting.
• Camera 2: garage door and vehicle access.
• Camera 3: back garden, wide-angle, covering the kitchen door and rear fence.
• Local recorder with storage sized for a few weeks, within the legal retention limit.
• PoE switch in the comms cabinet plus a small UPS so recording survives short power cuts.
• Alerts: person detection only, and only when the alarm is armed.

Cameras are aimed so they don’t capture the street or neighbouring plots, and framing is checked at night before sign-off.

Common mistakes

• Buying Wi-Fi cameras for a large house without checking coverage.
• Installing lots of cameras without deciding what each one must show.
• Leaving default passwords or exposing the recorder to the internet unprotected.
• Recording the street or the neighbour’s house.
• Not testing cameras at night before signing off the installation.

Conclusion

For a home, an IP system with PoE and a local recorder is the most reliable foundation; Wi-Fi or battery cameras fill gaps where cable can’t go. What really matters is planning (what to see and from where), the network, night performance and legal compliance. For remote viewing, see how to view your security cameras from your phone.

Domolife designs and installs CCTV systems in Valencia. Ask us for a survey of your home.