IP video network planning

CCTV Camera Bandwidth & Network Calculator

Estimate average and peak camera traffic, remote-view uplink demand and a user-selected network headroom target from actual bitrate values.

Enter your values

Example values demonstrate the method; they are not product recommendations.

Your result

Enter measured or nameplate values to calculate.

Method

Traffic is the sum of entered stream bitrates. Peak camera traffic does not use the duty-cycle reduction; headroom is applied to peak LAN and remote-view uplink separately.

Important limits

Resolution alone does not determine bitrate. Codec, frame rate, scene motion, noise, VBR peaks, camera model, switch overhead and other traffic must be verified.

Technical reference

Use this calculator to estimate CCTV recording bandwidth, viewing bandwidth and recommended network headroom from the camera bitrate and camera count you provide. Use values that match the intended system instead of relying on a generic camera label.

What to enter

Confirm the number of cameras and the configured bitrate for each planned stream before calculating. Keep the units consistent. The template controls the actual inputs and calculations; this supporting copy does not replace its labels, formulas or result logic.

How to read the estimate

Review recording traffic and viewing traffic as planning estimates, then allow the recommended network headroom shown by the calculator. Real traffic can vary with camera configuration, stream use and simultaneous viewing, so an estimate is not a throughput guarantee.

Before choosing network equipment

Verify the supported throughput and port limits of the actual cameras, recorder, switches and router. Confirm the final topology and operating conditions with a qualified CCTV or network professional before purchase or installation.