The 24-hour monitoring is quite common nowadays, and we find it business locations, but also quite a lot in the urban areas.
If you’re thinking about installing one, you need to also think about the costs, as the list of equipment isn’t very short. You need to install a software on your home computer, to use a USB receiver, network-attached storage (NAS) devices or a DVR, and, obviously, you need the wireless security camera. The most cost-effective option is probably to buy a kit that includes a number of cameras, DVR and all the jacks and accessories necessary. Just add cables and some work, and the job is done. Of course, if you know what you’re doing :).
At glance, let’s say you may pay for two digital cameras with LCD monitor somewhere around $500, around $200 for the NAS equipment. If you’re contracting a licensed electrician, you should be ready to pay up to $400 for the job.
These prices are helping you to make a general idea, as there are so many options and settings you may decide to have. The software may be free if you’re using a company website to log in and see what’s your system records. If you’re willing to step up your game, you may get higher-priced packages that let you remote operation using your mobile phone or the laptop computer.
You also need to consider if you’re going to store the data recorded on a DVR or NAS. For IP video camera surveillance you should go with a NAS that is around $500.
One thing though has the strongest impact on your cost and that is the camera. A cheap camera is around $100, but you may also get one for $1000. Tilt and zoom, the ability to pan, the microphone, and the Wi-Fi functionality are all features that determine the final price of the camera.
Long story short? Prepare around $1000 for a good surveillance system and be ready to pay the extra buck if you want to get all the extras!