How much bandwidth is needed by an IP camera

ip camera

IP cameras for video surveillance are an affordable option for enhancing home security. With prices starting at around €50, it’s possible to obtain a camera that can monitor activities within our homes. Many users are curious about the bandwidth consumption of these devices. Depending on factors such as camera resolution, frames per second (FPS), and video compression level, the bandwidth requirement can range from 0.5Mbps to approximately 5Mbps. It’s essential to assess the bandwidth needs accordingly. If you’re interested in determining your internet speed and monitoring the consumption over the course of a day, detailed information is provided below.

When it comes to bandwidth consumption, IP cameras are among the most demanding devices in a home network, especially when accessing live video feeds through an application or storing recordings on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) server. However, when the IP camera is not actively in use or digitally “off,” the bandwidth usage is significantly reduced. Nonetheless, the camera will maintain an internet connection to facilitate communication with the associated cloud services.

Bandwidth needed by an IP camera

The bandwidth consumption of IP cameras is influenced by factors such as image resolution, frames per second (FPS), and video compression. To optimize bandwidth usage, higher-resolution cameras like 2K and 4K models often incorporate the efficient H.265 video codec.

For instance, let’s consider the example of a D-Link DCS-8302LH IP camera used for garage surveillance, which is continuously connected to a QNAP NAS server via the QVR Elite app. By utilizing the Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), the camera streams live video and audio directly to the NAS server. The server then saves the footage on its hard drive, allowing for the creation of a timeline with recorded events. In this particular setup, the bandwidth requirement is approximately 1Mbps.

The camera’s configuration in this scenario includes a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, the H.264 video codec, and a variable frame rate ranging from 25 to 30 FPS, as specified by QVR Elite.

While a bandwidth of 1Mbps may appear modest, it can accumulate to a significant amount when considering daily or weekly consumption. In this case, 1Mbps is equivalent to 0.125MB/s. Therefore, within one hour, the camera would consume approximately 450MB, and over the course of a day, it would consume around 10,800MB, which is approximately 10.5GB. Consequently, even with a seemingly modest bit rate of 1Mbps, the IP camera ends up utilizing a total of 10.5GB per day.

Consumption over a day and a week

By accessing the control panel of our EnGenius professional access points, we can observe that the specific camera mentioned in the previous example had a download traffic of 1GB and an upload traffic (to both the NAS and home automation system) of 33GB within a single day. The difference between this value of 33GB and the earlier estimate of 10.5GB lies in the fluctuating bitrate, which varies based on motion detection. Additionally, apart from being connected to the QVR Elite on the NAS, the camera is also integrated with our Home Assistant home automation system. These factors contribute to the increased upload traffic observed.

Upon filtering the traffic for the past week, we can observe a substantial increase in upload traffic, reaching a data consumption of 215GB. This indicates a significant amount of data being transmitted from the camera to both the NAS and the home automation system during this time period.

While it may initially appear that an IP camera requires minimal bandwidth (just 1Mbps for Full HD streaming), the reality is that this seemingly modest speed translates into over 10GB of daily data traffic. Consequently, if you intend to access your IP cameras via a 4G connection and do not have an unlimited data plan, it’s crucial to exercise caution. Without careful monitoring, you could quickly exhaust your monthly data allowance within a few days, leaving you with restricted or no connectivity for the remainder of the month.