Every installer has quoted a job, pulled the trigger, and then realized mid-install they forgot something. A PoE switch with not enough ports. Cat6 that runs short by 50 feet. An NVR with no hard drive included.
This is the complete parts breakdown for a standard IP camera system — what you need, why you need it, and how to avoid the mistakes that eat your margin.
The Five Components of Every IP Camera System
1. IP Cameras
The camera is where most of the buying decision happens, but it's actually the easiest part to spec. The main variables are:
- Resolution — 4MP is the current sweet spot for most jobs. 8MP (4K) for high-value commercial installs. 2MP is becoming hard to justify on new builds.
- Form factor — Turret for most indoor/outdoor, bullet for long-distance or perimeter, dome for ceiling mount where tamper resistance matters.
- Detection — Standard motion, AcuSense (human/vehicle AI), or ColorVu (full color night). See our previous post for the full breakdown.
- Lens — 2.8mm for wide angle (indoor, entry points), 4mm for general outdoor, 6mm+ for distance.
Rule of thumb for residential: 4MP AcuSense turret, 2.8mm, PoE. Every time.
2. NVR (Network Video Recorder)
The NVR is the brain. It receives footage from every camera, records it, and lets you review and export clips. Key specs to match:
- Channel count — must equal or exceed your camera count. Always go one size up (if the job has 6 cameras, quote an 8-channel NVR). Customers always add cameras.
- Resolution support — make sure the NVR supports the resolution of your cameras. A 4K NVR will handle 4MP cameras fine. An older 1080p NVR will throttle them.
- PoE ports built in — many NVRs have integrated PoE ports, which means you don't need a separate switch for smaller installs (4–8 cameras). Above 8 cameras, you're usually running a separate switch anyway.
- Hard drive — most NVRs ship without one. Don't forget to quote storage separately (see below).
Hikvision NVR kits (EKI series) include cameras, the NVR, and mounting hardware in one box — ideal for straightforward residential or small commercial jobs where you want everything matched and plug-and-play.
3. PoE Switch (for larger installs)
For anything over 8 cameras, or for installs where the NVR is in a rack and cameras are spread across a building, you'll want a dedicated PoE switch. This is also standard for any install where you're mixing surveillance cameras with other networked devices on the same infrastructure.
What to look for:
- PoE budget — total watts available across all ports. A typical IP camera draws 7–15W depending on model. Check your specific camera's power draw and size the switch accordingly.
- Port count — 8, 16, or 24 port are the most common for security installs.
- Managed vs unmanaged — unmanaged is fine for dedicated camera networks. Managed gives you VLAN capability, useful when cameras share infrastructure with client IT.
- Gigabit — non-negotiable in 2026. Do not spec Fast Ethernet PoE switches on new installs.
Hikvision's DS-3E0510P-E (8-port, 20Gbps backplane) is a clean choice for small installs. For larger jobs, TP-Link's Omada line gives you cloud management with solid PoE budgets.
4. Structured Cabling (Cat6)
This is where installers lose margin by underordering, and it's completely avoidable.
Always use Cat6 solid bare copper for in-wall and in-ceiling runs. Not Cat5e, not CCA (copper-clad aluminum — avoid it entirely, it causes PoE issues at longer runs), not stranded. Solid bare copper Cat6 is the correct spec for permanent installation.
SCP's Cat6 is 23AWG solid bare copper, meets ANSI/TIA 568.2-D and ISO/IEC 11801 Class E standards, and is UL CMR rated — the right spec for in-wall riser runs.
How to calculate cable:
- Measure your longest run
- Add 20% for routing (you never run cable in a straight line)
- Add 10 feet per termination for slack
- Round up to the nearest box (500ft or 1000ft)
Buying by the box is always cheaper than buying by the foot. A 1000ft box of SCP Cat6 solid bare copper from Surge covers most residential installs with room to spare.
Don't forget:
- Keystone jacks or RJ45 connectors (depending on whether you're running to a patch panel or direct to device)
- Cable staples or J-hooks for runs
- Conduit if the run is exposed
5. Storage (Hard Drive)
NVRs use standard 3.5" SATA hard drives. You need surveillance-rated drives — consumer desktop drives are not rated for the 24/7 write cycles that NVR use generates. Seagate SkyHawk and WD Purple are the two standard choices in the industry.
How to estimate storage:
Storage needs vary significantly based on scene activity, bitrate settings, resolution, and recording schedule (continuous vs motion-triggered). As a rough starting point at H.265+ compression with moderate scene activity, a 4MP camera recording continuously uses approximately 30–50GB per day. Use this as an estimate only — busier scenes or higher bitrate settings will increase that number.
Example at the midpoint: 8 cameras × 40GB/day × 30 days = ~10TB. Round up and go with a 10TB or 12TB surveillance drive for 30-day retention on an 8-camera system recording continuously.
Most residential customers want 30 days. Commercial customers often want 60–90 days, especially retail.
The Most Common Mistakes on IP Camera Installs
- Forgetting the hard drive — NVR kits sometimes never include one. Always add it to the quote.
- Underspeccing PoE budget — check the watts on each camera, not just the port count on the switch.
- Using CCA cable — looks identical to solid copper, causes PoE problems at longer runs.
- 8-channel NVR for 8 cameras — the customer will want to add cameras. Quote a 16-channel and look like a pro.
- Not accounting for run length — PoE over Cat6 is rated to 100m (328ft). Past that, you need a PoE extender or midspan injector.