One thing I love about my smart wireless security cameras is how easy it is to connect and operate from anywhere around the world with an internet connection.
But, it’s truly frustrating when the recording lags.
I had to find out how to improve my IP camera’s video quality. You don’t need much data.
The minimum requirements are 5Mbps which will be good based on my experience.
According to industry experts, the ideal speed recommendation for security systems is 5 Mbps.
It is a lower resolution but a decent level for viewing the recordings. The video may not lag, but it will not be of high quality.
However, 10 Mbps ensures lag-free, smooth sub-streaming.
With that, how will you check your wireless cameras and the internet median needed for seamless recording film?
I’ll share my experience so you can follow it and save time.
Why Do Security Cameras Need to be of Good Quality?
A smart home needs a strong internet connection to stay updated on who’s coming inside the house and what’s going around the place.
You need good-quality footage so you can use it when necessary. That is why we use security cameras, right?
When the footage is hazy or blurry, it’s hard to see the faces or other details caught by your wifi security camera.
So, you need to conduct a speed test on your video devices to see if the current frame rate is decent enough to support the camera’s bandwidth requirements.
Besides, you also have to use updated CCTV cameras with the latest features to avoid grainy live streams when the camera is working.
One good option can be investing in high-quality cameras that don’t need high internet speed to perform well.
What’s the Ideal Internet Speed for my Internet Service Provider?
If you’ve figured out your internet isn’t providing much bandwidth for your CCTV system to work at its best, you need to contact your internet provider to upgrade your internet plan.
The package upgrade depends on the amount of data your smart home security devices need to operate. You can enjoy uninterrupted and flowy streaming services at a good speed.
Here’s a Closer Look at Internet Type and Speed:
| Type of Internet | Download Speed Requirements | Internet Upload Speed |
| Fiber | Up to 1000Mbps | Up to 1000Mbps |
| Cable | 500Mbps | 10 – 30Mbps |
| Cable | 200Mbps | 5 – 10Mbps |
| Cable | 50Mbps | 2 – 5Mbps |
| DSL | 15Mbps | .5 – 2Mbps |
| DSL | 5Mbps | .2 – .5Mbps |
Besides what’s obvious, the best ISPs should have 12MBps. This data is suggested by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission.
It is good when using 2-3 devices, but if there are more devices than a couple, the recommended internet speed you should go for is 25 Mbps.
How to Fix the Internet Speed for Remote Viewing?
If your data usage is less, but the camera recordings are still lagging, the first and obvious solution is to ask the service provider to look into the matter.
Another good idea is to try and see what’s wrong on your own. I’ll tell you how you can do so.
If your videos are lagging, try adjusting the substream to a lower resolution so it consumes fewer data and provides quicker frame rates and a polished video viewing.
I start by lowering the bitrate and tweaking segments of the videos, so the main video quality stays intact.
Here’s How You Can Fix the Remote Viewing on Wireless Network
- Remote viewing through mobile applications can work with a low or a minimum of 7 footage per second. It’s a good chance you’ll have to try substream and lower bit rate, but it works fine. It’s also light on your home network.
- When the first one doesn’t go as you expected, you will now try lowering the video resolution in general. It prevents lagging by reducing the transmission of recordings by several cameras from DA960 to 480P.
- Fixing the camera resolution reduces video bitrate, but the low video quality comes with it. So, if your security devices record footage in high definition, like Arlo cameras, then this will be a good try. If not, the video quality will be grainy and hazy.
These 3 steps will save you a lot of trouble if you can fix the camera settings to cope with the slow internet speed.
You won’t need much speed when using a good-quality camera. Try upgrading the model or the brand for higher resolution if nothing seems to work.
Viewing Recorded Footage on Mobile Smart Device
Please believe me if I tell you that it’s not always the camera’s or the internet’s fault for lagging or low-quality footage.
Sometimes the video lag when you view them on smart devices like your TV, computer, or mobile phone.
When a local network is connected to too many devices or has a user load, your mobile phone will not lead or live stream the footage as clearly as you’d like, but this is one thing.
The other thing is that your device can be slow, and you must pay close attention.
Your mobile phone can be one reason the security camera’s footage isn’t loading faster. How? Let me educate you on the subject.
How Your Smart Devices the Reason Behind the Video Lag?
A smart device like your mobile phone or laptop can be slow, which causes breaks in security video recordings.
Other apps are running and can take a share of the internet from smart security apps.
Another reason for slow footage viewing can be the system’s virus.
Your recorded video can have missing clips or broken videos when your system is corrupt.
To fix this, you can reset or restart your device, so it cuts loose from other wireless barriers and provides optimal recording.
Un-installing or cleaning your phone from extra applications will also lighten the loading burden for the device to film and show continuous video recording on the go.
Use applications like clean master or antivirus to keep your devices safe and free from the load.
Conclusion
The whole reason behind using a security camera is to keep a close eye on the larger areas of the house.
But without the right internet speed, using IP security cameras isn’t as useful.
What you can do here is to ensure your smart home gets the internet speed it needs.
Whether you are using Google Nest cameras or normal CCTV cameras, a high-speed internet connection is necessary.
So, upgrade the internet plan or switch to a better service provider.
I hope this guide helped you solve the slow internet and video lagging issue. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Learn more about Home Network Security
