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Technical guides

Spec, sizing and install guides, grouped by topic and written against the stock we carry. Free calculators handle the sizing maths.

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Cameras

Best Security Surveillance Cameras UK 2026"Security camera" and "surveillance camera" mean the same thing in UK retail — the difference is marketing, not hardware — so the real buying decision comes…
Single Use Cameras vs CCTV: Why They Fail in 2026Single use cameras are made for party snapshots, not deterrence or evidence — they have no live feed, no timestamp metadata, no remote access, and the film…
Shielded CCTV Cameras: EMC/EMI Explained 2026A "shielded" CCTV camera almost always means EMC/EMI-hardened for high-field environments — substations, railways, test chambers — not the vandal- or…
Which Home CCTV Camera Do You Actually Need? Wired vs Wireless, Indoor vs Outdoor — A UK Decision Guide 2026The single most important decision you'll make before buying a home CCTV camera isn't brand or resolution — it's whether your property can take a cable.
Best Business CCTV Cameras UK 2026The best business CCTV cameras aren't determined by megapixel count or brand name — they're determined by what your premises actually demands.

Trade & Wholesale

Installation

Recorders & Storage

Kits & Systems

cctv for dark winter evenings uk

CCTV for Dark Winter Evenings UK: Night Checks 2026Most CCTV cameras can see in the dark, but showing movement is not the same as capturing a face or a number plate, and ProtectUK is clear that CCTV needs…

which nvr do i need for an anpr camera uk

Which NVR for an ANPR Camera in the UK (2026 Guide)Most ANPR cameras read the plate on the camera itself, so a standard PoE NVR can usually record the footage.

cctv cabling in winter

CCTV Cabling in Winter: UK Installer GuideFor CCTV cabling in winter, handle PVC-sheathed cable gently once temperatures drop below roughly 5°C, which is a working threshold rather than a hard limit.

cat7 vs cat6a

Cat7 vs Cat6a for UK CCTV CablingFor UK CCTV runs that need headroom beyond gigabit, Cat6a, shielded where the site needs it, is the right choice.

energy efficient ethernet

Energy Efficient Ethernet on CCTV: Does It Save Power? (2026)Energy Efficient Ethernet (IEEE 802.3az) lets a copper network link drop into a low-power idle state when no traffic is passing, but on a CCTV system that…

dvr meaning

DVR Meaning in CCTV: What a Digital Video Recorder DoesDVR stands for digital video recorder.

business cctv systems

Business CCTV Systems UK 2026: How to Choose the Right OneThe right business CCTV system depends on your premises type and risk profile, not on megapixels.

nvr meaning

NVR Meaning in CCTV: Network Video RecorderIn CCTV, NVR stands for network video recorder: a device that records and stores video streams from IP cameras over a network, rather than containing any…

nvr vs dvr

NVR vs DVR: Choose the Right RecorderChoose the recorder by the cameras and cabling, not the other way round.

ethernet splitters

Ethernet Splitters & PoE: Types and LimitsA passive ethernet splitter is not a network switch, and it is a poor fit for PoE CCTV cameras.

lan cable wire

LAN Cable Wire for CCTV: Solid vs StrandedFor permanent runs from an NVR or switch to a camera, use solid-core LAN cable.

cat6a vs cat5e

Cat6a vs Cat5e for CCTV: Which Cable?For a standard 1Gbps IP camera run of up to 100m, Cat5e is still rated to carry the link, since it is specified for 1Gbps at 100MHz over 100m.

anpr camera installation

ANPR Camera Installation: Angle, Distance & Light 2026A successful ANPR camera installation comes down to three interacting variables — mounting angle, standoff distance and illumination — not camera resolution…

digital video recorders

Best Digital Video Recorders 2026: DVR Buying Guide UKA digital video recorder (DVR) is a coax-based CCTV recorder that draws power and carries picture over separate cable runs, unlike a network video recorder…

cctv installation london

CCTV Installation London: 2026 Pricing GuideWhat London installers actually charge for CCTV comes down to one variable more than any other: how hard the cable run is, not how many cameras you're fitting…

cat6 vs cat6a vs cat6e

Cat6 vs Cat6A vs Cat6e: UK CCTV 2026Cat6e isn't a recognised TIA or ISO/IEC category, so the label alone doesn't establish performance — check whether the product and the completed link are…

cat6 vs cat6a

Cat6 vs Cat6a: Speed, PoE & When to UpgradeCat6 is the right cable for most single-camera and short-run CCTV drops; Cat6a earns its higher cost on long runs, dense multi-camera bundles, and 4K/PTZ…

cat5e cable 50m

Cat5e 50m for PoE CCTV: Limits, Voltage Drop 2026A 50m Cat5e run sits well inside the standard's rated distance and will typically carry Gigabit data and PoE without issue for a single fixed camera — the…

ethernet cable cat 6a

Cat6a Ethernet Cable for CCTV: 2026 UK GuideCat6a is the 500MHz-rated upgrade to Cat6's 250MHz, built to carry full 10GBASE-T across the entire 100m channel.

can cctv read number plates

How Far Can CCTV Read Number Plates? Distance & Camera TypesMostly, no — a standard CCTV camera gives you a crisp, watchable picture of a car but still renders the plate as a grey smear.

cat6 ethernet cables

Best Cat6 Ethernet Cable for CCTV 2026Buy Cat6 by the label and you'll eventually find yourself chasing dropped PoE cameras caused by copper-clad aluminium conductors hiding under a…

rj45 connectors

Best RJ45 Connectors for CCTV PoE 2026Get the connector wrong on a CCTV run and the fault won't show up as a dead camera — it'll show up months later as random dropouts your DVR logs blame on…

steel wire armored cable

Steel Wire Armoured Cable for CCTV: 2026 UK GuideSteel wire armoured cable earns its place when a run is buried, crosses a driveway, or carries mains power to an outdoor PTZ or pole-mounted enclosure.

Law & Compliance

CCTV Installation UK 2026: Costs & Legal StandardsThree installers can walk round the same building and come back with three wildly different quotes, and the camera hardware is rarely the reason why — cable…

Cabling & Connectors

Best Ethernet Cable for CCTV: Cat5e vs Cat6 GuideFor CCTV runs, Cat5e is the practical minimum, Cat6 is the sensible default, and Cat6a earns its cost only on long PoE+ runs or near EMI sources; always spec…

PTZ & Zoom Cameras

PTZ Camera & Controller: Pairing GuideA PTZ camera and controller only work as well as the weakest link between them: buy either piece without checking the protocol, and you'll end up with a…

Setup & Troubleshooting

ZTE MC888 Ultra 5G CPE: Setup Guide & Real CCTV Speeds 2026The ZTE MC888 Ultra will comfortably backhaul a small 2–4 camera NVR over 5G where signal is strong — but it's a consumer router at heart, not a CCTV appliance.

PoE & Power

Best 4K PoE CCTV Camera UK 2026Choosing the best 4K PoE CCTV camera for a UK install isn't just about megapixels — it's about matching real-world IR performance, PoE power draw, and H.265+…

ANPR & Number Plate

What Does an ANPR Camera Look Like? Visual ID Guide 2026An ANPR camera is built to do one job — read a number plate cleanly — and that engineering purpose makes it immediately recognisable to a trained eye.

Not covered here? Call or email the team — they work with this kit day in, day out.