Skip to content
NovaVMS Manual

Pre-install site survey

A one-hour survey before install day catches 90% of the surprises that blow up an otherwise clean job: no spare PoE ports, a firewall that blocks outbound 443, a camera run that won’t fit through existing conduit. Do it with the admin or the site owner present.

Procedure

  1. Sketch the LAN topology. Note every switch, router, and access point, with uplink speed and PoE capability.
  2. Count PoE budget. Add up the PoE class of every new camera (af = 15.4 W, at = 30 W, bt = 60 W). The switch’s total PoE budget must cover this plus a 25% headroom.
  3. Identify the NTP source. The gateway and every camera must share one — drift over 5 seconds breaks clip alignment.
  4. Confirm outbound firewall rules. The gateway needs TCP 443 outbound to the cloud. See Ports and protocols.
  5. Decide on camera VLAN. A dedicated VLAN for cameras is best practice; confirm the gateway has a trunk port or routed access to that VLAN.
  6. Note any existing NVR or DVR. If it is still in use, check which cameras it locks (RTSP session limit, usually 2).
  7. Record the DHCP plan. Either the site’s DHCP pool reserves an IP by MAC for each camera, or you set static IPs on the cameras themselves. Pick one and document it.
  8. Walk every cable path. Measure each run from camera position to switch. Reject any run longer than 90 m of Cat6 or longer than the conduit allows with bend radius.
  9. Measure mounting heights and angles. Wall cameras: 2.5–4 m off the ground, aimed slightly down. Ceiling domes: 2.5–3.5 m.
  10. Confirm cellular signal at the gateway location. If the site falls back to LTE, test with a phone in the exact spot the gateway will sit.
  11. Photograph each camera position. Include a wide shot of the scene the camera will see.

Deliverables

Hand the site owner or admin:

  • A floor plan with every camera location numbered.
  • An equipment list: cameras, gateway, switch, cables, mounts, conduit, weatherproofing.
  • An IP plan: one row per device with MAC, IP, VLAN, PoE class.
  • A list of firewall rules to open before install day.
  • A list of risks (bad cellular, shared switch with no spare PoE, ceiling material you cannot drill).

If this didn’t work

  • If you cannot get into the network closet, stop the survey and reschedule with a site owner who can.
  • If the site refuses to open outbound 443, see Gateway cannot reach cloud.