What an NVR install includes
- NVR hardware sized for your channel count and expansion room
- Storage sizing based on retention, resolution, frame rate, and codec
- Hard drives rated for 24/7 surveillance use (not consumer drives)
- PoE switch properly spec'd for your camera power budget
- Rack or wall mount — tidy, ventilated, labeled
- Network configuration — camera VLAN, secured remote access
- Remote viewing apps set up on your devices
- UPS backup to keep recording through short outages
Storage and retention, done right
Most "my cameras don't keep enough footage" problems come from undersized storage on day one. We calculate storage based on:
- Camera count and resolution (4MP, 8MP, 4K)
- Frame rate and compression (H.264 vs H.265)
- Motion-only vs continuous recording
- Target retention window (typical: 30, 60, 90 days)
Then we size accordingly — with headroom for camera additions.
Security and network hygiene
NVRs are a classic network weak point. Every system we install gets:
- Default passwords changed, admin accounts renamed
- Isolated camera VLAN where possible
- Secure remote access (no open ports to the NVR)
- Firmware updated on cameras and recorder
- Unused services disabled
Standalone, existing network, or new network
- Standalone — NVR with its own PoE, no interaction with business network
- Existing network — we coordinate with your IT for VLAN, addressing, and firewall rules
- New network — we install the switches and run the cable