Large indoor CCTV deployments look simple on paper. You mount cameras, connect them to the network, configure the recorder and start monitoring.

But in reality?

Commissioning is where most projects succeed or fail.

Even well-designed surveillance systems can underperform because of small mistakes during installation, configuration, or handover. These errors often lead to blurry footage, storage failures, blind spots, network congestion or compliance risks.

And here’s the painful part: most issues are not hardware-related. They happen because of commissioning mistakes.

If you are deploying surveillance in airports, malls, factories, hospitals, data centres or large campuses, this guide will help you avoid the most common pitfalls and deliver a system that engineers, operators and auditors actually trust.

This article covers:

• Real-world commissioning mistakes
• Why they happen
• Practical fixes
• Engineering checklists

Let’s dive in.

Why Commissioning Matters More Than Installation

Installation is physical work. Commissioning is intelligence work.

You can install 500 cameras perfectly and still fail if:

• Streams are misconfigured
• Storage is undersized
• Bandwidth collapses
• Alerts don’t trigger
• Operators can’t find footage

Commissioning ensures the system is:

• Technically correct
• Operationally usable
• Scalable
• Compliant
• Future-proof

Skipping this phase is like building a data centre without testing the power backup.

1. Poor Camera Placement Planning

The mistake

Teams mount cameras based only on drawings or aesthetic considerations instead of real-world viewing angles.

Common problems:

• Cameras too high
• Overlapping views
• Blind spots near pillars
• Backlighting from windows
• Faces captured at wrong angles

Why it happens

• No site walk-through
• No test shots
• Rushed timelines

Impact

• Unusable evidence
• Identification failure
• Reinstallation costs

Fix

Always:

• Perform live view testing before final mounting
• Use ladder-based mock placement
• Validate pixel density (PPM/PPI targets)
• Check day + night lighting

Quick rule

For face recognition: ≥ 250 PPM
For identification: ≥ 125 PPM

2. Wrong Lens Selection

The mistake

Using the same lens type everywhere.

Many projects are installed:

• Wide-angle lenses for all areas
  OR
• Zoom lenses for all zones

Both are wrong.

Impact

• Wide lens → tiny faces
• Zoom lens → narrow coverage

Fix

Match lens to scene:

Commission each camera individually. Avoid “copy settings to all”.

3. Ignoring Lighting Conditions

The mistake

Testing only during the daytime.

Reality

Indoor lighting changes:

• sunlight through glass
• lights off at night
• emergency power mode
• shadows from forklifts or racks

Impact

• Noise
• motion blur
• ghosting
• false alarms

Fix

Commission under:

• Day
• Night
• Emergency lighting
• Power backup mode

Tune:

• shutter speed
• WDR
• gain
• IR levels

4. Network Bandwidth Underestimation

The mistake

Using rough estimates instead of actual calculations.

Engineers often assume:
“Network is gigabit, so it’s enough.”

Not true.

Reality

100 cameras × 8 Mbps = 800 Mbps constant traffic

Add:

• Overhead
• Spikes
• Remote access
• Analytics

Now you exceed limits.

Impact

• Dropped frames
• Recording gaps
• Latency
• System crashes

Fix

Always:

1. Calculate per-camera bitrate
2. Multiply by peak load
3. Add 30–40% headroom
4. Use VLANs
5. Enable multicast where needed

5. Incorrect Storage Sizing

The mistake

Sizing storage only for “average bitrate”.

What really happens

Bitrate increases with:

• Motion
• Crowd density
• Analytics
• Higher FPS

Storage fills faster than expected.

Impact

• Retention drops from 30 days to 8 days
• Legal non-compliance
• Lost evidence

Fix formula

Storage = (bitrate × cameras × hours × days) ÷ 8
+ 25% safety

Always test with real footage, not vendor charts.

6. Skipping Proper Camera Naming & Documentation

The mistake

Leaving default names:

• Camera1
• Camera2
• Cam_12

During incidents

Operators waste minutes searching.

Minutes matter.

Fix

Use logical structure:

BUILDING-FLOOR-ZONE-CAM#
WH1-AISLE3-ENT-01

Maintain:

• Camera map
• IP list
• Switch ports
• Rack layout

Good documentation = faster troubleshooting.

7. Default Security Settings Left Enabled

The mistake

Leaving:

• Default passwords
• Open ports
• No VLAN
• Outdated firmware

Risks

• Hacking
• Video leaks
• Ransomware
• Compliance violations

Fix

Mandatory:

• Change all passwords
• Enable HTTPS
• Disable unused services
• Firmware updates
• Segregated VLAN
• Role-based access

Treat CCTV like IT infrastructure, not just cameras.

8. No Failover or Redundancy Testing

The mistake

Assuming redundancy works without testing.

Questions to ask

• What happens if NVR fails?
• Switch fails?
• Disk fails?
• Power fails?

If you don’t test, you don’t know.

Fix

Simulate:

• unplug power
• disconnect link
• remove disk

Confirm recording continues.

9. Poor Time Synchronisation

The mistake

Cameras running on different clocks.

Impact

• mismatched evidence
• investigation delays
• court rejection

Fix

Use:

• NTP server
• time zone verification
• DST checks

Time accuracy is legally critical.

10. No Operator Training

The mistake

System delivered without user education.

Operators then:

• Miss alarms
• Export the wrong clips
• Misuse analytics

Fix

Conduct:

• Live training
• SOP manuals
• Drill scenarios
• Monthly refreshers

A smart system is useless without skilled users.

Commissioning Checklist (Quick Reference)

Use this before handover:

Technical

• Camera angles verified
• Bitrate tested
• Storage calculated
• VLAN configured
• Firmware updated
• Time synced

Operational

• Naming standardized
• Maps created
• Users trained
• Backup tested
• Export validated

Compliance

• Retention confirmed
• Logs enabled
• Access control applied

Note: Large indoor CCTV deployments are engineering projects, not just installations.

Success depends on:

• Precise planning
• Thorough testing
• Disciplined commissioning
• Strong documentation

Every mistake avoided saves time, money and reputation.

If you treat commissioning seriously, your system will:

• Perform reliably
• Scale smoothly
• Support investigations
• Meet compliance
• Earn operator trust

And that’s what real surveillance excellence looks like.

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