Smart homes and businesses with a variety of WiFi-accessible gadgets are becoming increasingly popular these days. A security camera is an important part of every setup. However, many people remain skeptical about the use of WiFi security cameras due to all the bandwidth and data usage they consume. When planning to install one, it is a good idea to know how much data a wifi security camera typically consumes.
In the first place, you must be aware that wi-fi cameras always connect to the cloud, which enables them to stream and record video. This causes some camera brands to consume large amounts of bandwidth and data. WiFi security cameras can upload records to the cloud at speeds of up to 4 Mbps. If the video quality is good, the upload speed may even be higher. A WiFi security camera using high-quality recording will consume more data. For just a handful of wireless security cameras, some home security systems can consume up to 400 GB of data per month if not properly monitored.
If you are concerned about bandwidth and data limits, what can you do? In that case, you will need to be aware of the following factors that can affect a WiFi security camera’s data consumption:
Video Resolution
The video quality of security cameras should be higher. Even though the higher quality is preferred, it increases the wireless security camera’s data consumption. Most wireless security cameras are 1080p. It is better to set the camera’s quality a bit lower (typically 720p or 480p) if your data plan is on a tight budget. Some cameras switch between high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD), reducing the bandwidth and data that they require to store footage.
Frame Rate Per Seconds (FPS)
Frames per second describe the speed at which a camera displays frames. Cameras typically offer 30 or 60 frames per second. As with video resolution, the higher the frame rate is, the larger the data consumption rate of that security camera will be. Setting your settings to 30 frames per second will ensure that you capture great images with lower FPS. Your WiFi security camera settings allow you to change the FPS easily.
Footage Upload Frequency
A WiFi security camera uses a lot of bandwidth and data due to the frequency with which it uploads recordings to the cloud. WiFi surveillance cameras can require up to 60GB of data transfer per month, depending on the frequency of uploads. Setting recording and upload intervals so that the security camera doesn’t continuously upload recordings to the cloud is a good way to prevent around-the-clock uploads. In the vast majority of businesses, a motion/sound-based recording function with low sensitivity is preferable, which will begin recording only when motion is detected or sound is heard.
Moreover, you can get business security cameras integrated with artificial intelligence so that they do not record the movements of pets, plants, or passing vehicles. The data consumption drops to 10-20 GB per month if the security camera only records 10-15 seconds of intruder alerts.
Number of WiFi Security Cameras
This one seems pretty straightforward. You will consume more data as you install more wireless security cameras. It is likely your monthly data will be capped within a few days or weeks if you have a lot of WiFi cameras installed. Recording and uploading more videos mean more data consumption. Hence, it is best to limit the number of WiFi security cameras (do not go overboard) in order to avoid hitting your data limit.
Compression Level
Data consumption for WiFi security cameras is reduced due to the compression level of the recordings. Although setting a higher compression level may affect the quality of the video and images, it is best to do so if you have a smaller monthly data budget from your Internet service provider.
In Summary
How much data does a Wifi security camera use? You can look into these factors to determine this. To get the most accurate results, you need to plan out how much data it will consume correctly. On the other hand, if your internet plan has no data caps, you do not need to worry about your security system’s data consumption. However, with a tighter data budget, you need to find the best wireless security camera that will work with your internet plan and meet your security needs.
Are you interested in learning about different security solutions you can employ for your safety? Check out the rest of Be-Safe’s resources today!
Daisy is the engine behind Be-Safe.org — from content production to product reviews and more. What drives her is the passion to make home security information easily available.
