Most people sign off on a camera installation by looking at a phone screen showing four live camera views in daylight, deciding it looks good, and paying.

Then three months later something happens and they discover the night footage is unusable, or the recording only kept four days, or nobody knows the password.

This checklist takes about twenty minutes and is worth doing while the installer is still standing there.

Check the night view, not just the day view

Daytime footage almost always looks fine. Night is where systems disappoint.

If the install finishes in the afternoon, ask to see recorded night footage from a test the installer has run, or arrange to check that evening and raise anything then. Look at each camera specifically for:

  • Whether a person at the distance you care about is actually identifiable
  • Whether there is a bright light in frame causing glare
  • Whether the infrared is reaching as far as you need it to
  • Whether headlights or a security light wash out the image

This is the single most valuable check on the list, because night is when the footage matters most and daytime testing tells you nothing about it.

A professional CCTV system installation should be tested in the conditions where you will actually rely on it, not simply demonstrated with a clean daytime live view.

Play footage back, do not just watch live

Live view working does not prove recording is working.

Have someone walk each camera’s coverage area, then go into the recorder and play that footage back. Confirm the timestamp is correct, the recording captured the whole walk rather than starting late, and the quality on playback matches what you saw live.

If the system records on motion, this is where you find out whether it is triggering reliably or missing the first few seconds.

Test remote access away from the house

Viewing your cameras on your phone while standing in the lounge room connected to your own WiFi proves nothing about remote access.

Turn WiFi off on your phone so it is on mobile data, and check that live view and recorded playback both work. Ideally test it again from somewhere else entirely.

Confirm you control the accounts

This one matters more than people realise.

Make sure the accounts, app logins and admin passwords are in your name and that you have them written down. Change any default passwords before the installer leaves. Confirm you can add and remove users yourself.

If an installer sets everything up under their own account, you are dependent on them for every future change, and if that relationship ends you can be locked out of your own system.

Walk the property and check the actual coverage

Stand where an intruder would approach from and check whether you are in frame. Walk the side path. Come through the back gate. Approach from the street.

You will often find a blind spot that was not obvious from looking at the camera views on screen, and it is far easier to adjust an angle while the installer is there with a ladder.

This is particularly important with a home security camera installation, where the useful coverage depends on the actual approaches to the property rather than simply how many cameras have been installed.

Ask the questions that matter later

  • How long will footage be kept at these settings?
  • What happens if the internet drops out, does it keep recording?
  • Is anything here dependent on a subscription, and what stops working without it?
  • Where is the recorder, and what happens if it is stolen?
  • What is covered by warranty, and for how long?

Write the answers down. In two years nobody will remember.

Any installer doing the job properly will be happy to walk through all of this with you. It is a reasonable request and it takes twenty minutes.

If an existing system is no longer recording properly, remote access has stopped working, or you are unsure whether the recorder is retaining the footage it should, CCTV maintenance and repair can help identify what needs attention.

For reference, AVsion holds Security Master Licence 000103421 and Security Operator Licence 000233371, and all installation work carries a 12 month labour warranty. Yariv does the installs himself, so the person who quotes the job is the person you are walking through the handover with.

Written by Yariv, Owner and Lead Installer at AVsion. 14 years installing AV, WiFi and security systems across Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

Frequently asked questions

What should I check before paying for a CCTV installation?

Test the night footage rather than just the daytime live view, play back recorded footage to confirm recording actually works, check remote access from mobile data rather than your home WiFi, confirm the accounts and admin passwords are in your name, and walk the property to check for blind spots. It takes about twenty minutes and any installer doing the job properly will be happy to go through it with you.

Why does my CCTV look fine in the day and bad at night?

Daytime footage looks acceptable on almost any camera. Night performance depends on sensor quality, lighting at each position, infrared range and whether anything in frame is causing glare. If a system was only checked in daylight, night problems go unnoticed until footage is actually needed. This is why testing night footage before final sign-off is the most valuable check on the list.

Does live view working mean my cameras are recording?

No. Live view and recording are separate functions, and a system can display live footage perfectly while recording incorrectly or not at all. Have someone walk each camera’s coverage area, then play that footage back from the recorder and confirm the timestamp is right and the whole walk was captured. Motion-triggered systems in particular can start recording late and miss the beginning of an event.

Should the installer keep the admin password to my cameras?

No. The accounts, app logins and admin access should be in your name, with default passwords changed before the installer leaves, and you should be able to add and remove users yourself. If a system is set up under an installer’s own account you become dependent on them for every future change, and you can be locked out of your own system if that relationship ends.

How do I test remote access to my security cameras?

Turn WiFi off on your phone so it is using mobile data, then check that both live viewing and recorded playback work. Testing while connected to your own home network proves nothing about remote access, because the phone is not actually going out over the internet to reach the system. It is worth testing again from another location entirely before you rely on it.

What questions should I ask my CCTV installer at handover?

How long footage will be kept at the current settings, whether the system keeps recording if the internet drops, whether anything depends on a subscription and what stops working without it, where the recorder is located and what happens if it is stolen, and exactly what the warranty covers and for how long. Write the answers down, because in two years nobody remembers.