Security cameras have beneficial use cases in a variety of settings beyond businesses and residential homes. With increasingly frequent break-ins of equipment sheds, hunting cabins, vacation homes, cottages, or wilderness visitor centers, it’s important to understand how a security camera system can prevent or prosecute intruders that steal or cause damage. Even in remote areas, a surveillance system can be extremely useful for prosecuting thieves or for liability purposes.
If you’re interested in a security camera system for your farm or barn, check out our Barn Security Camera System guide. Otherwise, if you're interested in shopping for one of the systems we discuss in this post, please click on banner below.
What is a standalone security camera system?
A standalone security camera system is defined as a CCTV system that operates without an internet connection. Most wilderness and rural areas do not have internet or cell phone service, and if they do, the connection is rarely fast enough for video streaming. The misconception that IP or PoE surveillance systems require an internet connection may discourage people in these areas from purchasing the latest security cameras. The good news is that an internet connection is not required to install and use CCTV Camera World's PoE camera systems. While most online home consumer-grade systems connect to cloud storage and require internet access, ours don't. We specialize in professional standalone security camera equipment; as long as you have power, the systems keep recording.
Standalone security systems store their recordings on an internal hard drive for future review. When considering a camera system for your remote location, make sure that you account for how long you will be away from the system. An adequate hard drive configuration combined with motion detection or Smart Detection recording can result in a few months of footage to review.
Smart Security Cameras provide a better way to accurately detect and record humans or vehicles rather than triggering motion activation on shadows, leaves, or small animals that are common in the wilderness. You can witness the setup and activation of a digital tripwire in the video below. Compared to conventional video-based motion detection, digital tripwires perform significantly better by only triggering when large objects, such as humans or vehicles, pass through them.
Some standalone IP PoE security cameras also feature the ability to install a microSD card that can be used for short-term recording by themselves or as a failsafe if the recorder is damaged or stolen.
Common questions about standalone security camera systems
Do I need electricity?
Yes, hardwired 110V or 220V AC power is required for a standalone surveillance camera system.
Can I use solar panels or batteries with equipment from CCTV Camera World?
You can do it if you have the technical expertise. However, our warranty does not cover such sources of power. We also do not provide support or insight into how to implement solar power or batteries.
Do you need an internet connection for a PoE system or NVR system?
Our systems do not require an internet connection or subscription fee to use. Consumer-grade products found on popular websites or in retail stores cannot match the freedom our systems offer.
Can wireless security camera systems be standalone?
Yes, they can. You can use any of our WiFi cameras as standalone devices on a local computer network. While WiFi networking is typically a concept for professionals, simply put, you can use our prepackaged wireless systems to set up a wireless system where the signal goes directly from the camera to the NVR. Alternatively, if you set up a standalone router without internet, you can pair our WiFi security cameras to it and use a wired NVR for a hybrid system.
What are some choices for a standalone security camera system?
You can use an IP camera system or HD analog system in a standalone application. You can use both types of systems in a cabin or vacation home without an internet connection. The type of system you purchase for your home away from home will be dependent on your budget and what type of picture clarity you are looking to achieve.
The system's cost is determined by a variety of factors, including the quality of the picture from the cameras, the distance a face can be seen, and advanced features such as video analytics (smart detection).
There are two main differences between the two types of systems: the type of cabling and the power source for the cameras.
IP camera systems use Ethernet cable to provide Power over Ethernet for power and data all over the same cable. We recommend using PoE camera systems for new installations or homes and cabins where coaxial cable will be difficult to run.
HD over coax cameras use BNC-tipped coaxial cable and are powered by external power supplies. We recommend using an HD over coax camera system for homes or cabins that are large and require cable lengths over 300 feet, or already have coaxial cable run from an older system.
Another honorable mention for standalone security is a single IP camera that has the ability to record to a microSD card inside of the camera. A single SD card recording camera can be used for short-term recording of a couple days or as a failsafe in case the NVR is stolen or damaged during a break-in.
To learn more about what type of cameras to choose for your vacation home, hunting cabin, or wilderness cottage, we recommend reading our comprehensive Security Camera Buying Guide.
How do you set up a standalone surveillance system for a cabin or vacation home?
Our technicians provide an overview of the installation procedures for an IP PoE camera system in the following videos. Below the videos is a written overview of the steps required to install an IP camera system.
Here's what you need:
- IP Cameras also known as PoE Cameras
- NVR (Network Video Recorder)
- Ethernet Network Cabling
- You can configure the system and view recorded footage on a computer monitor or HDTV. A small monitor may be useful for hiding somewhere.
- In case of theft, you can also use a backup recorder or dummy recorder. Here's our article on how to do live backup to another recorder in the local network.
Here’s how you install a PoE camera system:
- Before installing anything, bench test the cameras and recorder to verify that all of the equipment works.
- Power the NVR and connect it to a monitor; also connect the USB mouse.
- Connect cameras one by one with Ethernet network cabling.
- Wait for the cameras to connect and power on. The cameras are plug-and-play, thanks to IP PoE camera technology.
- After the bench test, install the cameras at their final destinations and reconnect them to the NVR.
- Complete setup by configuring Motion Detection or Smart Detection rules and a recording schedule.
- You can learn how to manage the system by watching the video guides on our Security Camera System User Guide for Avalonix Premium Series Systems
What if I need remote viewing? Is it possible?
If you need remote viewing, then a hardwired internet connection with at least 1 Mbps upload speed is required. For smooth and HD remote viewing, we recommend an upload speed of at least 5 Mbps. If there is an internet connection at your remote location but the connection is really slow, read our guide about Watching Security Cameras with a Slow Internet Connection.
Using a mobile data hotspot or satellite-based internet connection
If you decide to use a satellite-based internet or mobile hotspot-based connection, make sure that you account for data outages and usage caps. Our systems connect to the internet to check themselves in with servers that facilitate remote viewing. Interruptions in connections can cause issues that may require maintenance before remote viewing works again.
While setup with satellite-based internet such as Starlink is simple with a modem or router, using a hotspot is more complicated. Most hotspots do not have a hardwired network connection to connect a DVR, NVR, or camera. For hotspots that do not have a hardwire connection, you can convert the NVR to a wireless connection using a professional wireless radio. A wireless radio conversion requires additional wireless transmitter hardware and networking assistance, which are available for purchase.
