Wired cameras connect directly to a recorder via physical cable. This changes everything about how the system performs:

• Uninterrupted power. No batteries to change, no solar panels to maintain. The camera runs 24/7 without your attention.
• Stable signal. No WiFi interference, no dead zones, no neighbor's network degrading your feed. The video signal travels through wire, not air.
• No bandwidth consumption. Wireless cameras compete with your home internet. Wired cameras don't touch your WiFi at all.
• Higher quality at lower cost. Wired systems deliver 4K video at a fraction of what a comparable wireless system costs — and without the subscription.
• Harder to hack. A camera that isn't on your WiFi network has a much smaller attack surface. Physical cable access is required to compromise the feed.

Wired isn't always the answer. Consider wireless in these situations:

If you own your home and plan to stay for a few years, wired almost always wins on value. If you rent or need flexibility, wireless fills the gap.

The legacy CCTV standard, modernized. Analog HD cameras transmit video over RG59 or RG6 coax cable — the same cable type used in old CCTV installs. You can often reuse existing cable runs, making retrofitting easier and cheaper.

Best for: Retrofitting an existing analog system, budget-conscious installs, or properties where running new cable is difficult.

IP cameras are networked devices — each camera has its own IP address and connects via Ethernet (Cat5e/6) cable. PoE (Power over Ethernet) means a single cable carries both power and data. No separate power runs needed.

Best for: New installs, homes under construction, or anyone who wants the best video quality and the most flexible system. PoE is the fastest-growing wired standard for good reason.

Every wired system needs a recorder. The type of recorder you use depends on the camera type:

In 2026, 4K (8MP) is the mainstream standard for wired home cameras. Here's how the options stack up:

Recommendation: 4K is the sweet spot in 2026. Storage is cheaper than ever, and the extra detail makes a real difference when identifying people or reading license plates.

Most break-ins happen in low light. Evaluate night vision carefully:

• IR LED range: Measured in meters. 20–30m is standard; 50m+ for long driveways or large yards.
• EXIR / Starvis sensors: These sensor types perform better in low light than standard IR. Worth paying for if your cameras face areas with ambient light (street lamps, porch lights).
• Color night vision: Some cameras use a spotlights to capture full color at night. Useful, but drains the spotlight and can be triggered by wildlife.

The lens determines what the camera sees:

Varifocal lenses cost more but let you fine-tune the view after installation. Fixed lenses are cheaper and work well if you've measured your space correctly.

Local storage means buying the right hard drive upfront. Here's what affects storage consumption:

• Resolution: 4K uses roughly 4× the storage of 1080p.
• Frame rate: 30fps is standard. 15fps is fine for most security purposes and halves storage use.
• Compression: H.265+ (HEVC) compression cuts storage by ~40% vs H.264 at the same quality.
• Recording mode: Motion-triggered recording uses far less storage than 24/7 continuous recording.

Always buy a hard drive rated for surveillance (WD Purple, Seagate SkyHawk). Consumer drives will fail prematurely under 24/7 write loads.

Use this guide to make the right call for your situation:

• Buying the cheapest recorder with the most channels. A low-quality NVR with 16 channels will drop frames and struggle with 4K. Quality over channel count every time.
• Skipping the surveillance-grade hard drive. Consumer NAS drives fail under 24/7 CCTV workloads. WD Purple or Seagate SkyHawk only.
• Ignoring cable quality. Cheap Ethernet cable degrades over distance, especially outdoors in weather. Use pure copper Cat6, not copper-clad aluminum (CCA).
• Not planning for storage growth. Buy more hard drive capacity than you think you need. Storage fills up faster than expected once you start reviewing footage.
• Underestimating cable runs. Measure carefully. PoE works up to 100m per run — beyond that, you need a PoE switch extender or a different power strategy.