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Security camera installation looks simple from the outside. A few small cameras tucked under the eaves, an app on your phone, done. But a CCTV system is only as good as the wiring and connections behind the wall. That’s where most of the actual work happens, and it’s also where most jobs go sideways.
We recently ran a full Lorex camera system install from start to finish and filmed the whole thing. Here’s what actually goes into a job like this, step by step.
Step One: Test the Wires Before You Hang a Single Camera
Before a single camera goes on a bracket, every run gets terminated and tested with a network cable tester. Terminate both ends, plug in the tester, and confirm the run passes. It’s a simple sequencing choice, but it saves real time: there’s nothing worse than mounting a camera, running the whole system, and then discovering a bad connection is preventing one camera from appearing in the app. Test first, hang second.
Step Two: The Hole Size That Actually Matters
When a wire has to pass through siding, hole size isn’t a minor detail. A quarter-inch too small and the cable gets pinched at the edge, which doesn’t just look sloppy. It puts unnecessary stress on the conductors right where they enter the cable jacket, increasing the chance of connection problems over time. As a general rule, we drill a 1¼-inch hole for camera wire pass-throughs to provide enough clearance without pinching the cable.
It’s also worth leaving a service loop, meaning extra slack coiled inside the wall, at every camera location. You may never need it, but if a camera ever gets swapped, relocated, or a connector needs to be re-terminated down the road, that extra few feet of wire is the difference between an easy fix and cutting into a wall.
Step Three: Terminating Cat 6 the Right Way
Every Cat 6 termination follows the same wire order, checked twice: white/orange, orange, white/green, blue, white/blue, green, white/brown, brown (T568B). The important thing isn’t whether you choose T568A or T568B; it’s using the same standard consistently at both ends of every cable.
A pass-through connector makes this easier to get right the first time. It holds the wires in the correct order before crimping, so you can visually confirm the pattern before committing to the crimp. Combined with a quality dedicated crimping tool, it helps produce a reliable termination and reduces the likelihood of intermittent connection issues later.
Step Four: Camera Orientation Isn’t Optional
Every camera has an “up” marking on the housing, and the mounting bracket has a matching set-screw position. It sounds obvious, but it’s an easy step to rush. Clip the camera onto the bracket without checking the marking, tighten the set screw, and the logo (and the image) ends up upside down. Before final tightening, always check what the camera is actually seeing, not just how it looks mounted on the wall.
Step Five: Sometimes Upside Down Is Correct
Here’s a detail that surprises most homeowners: some cameras get mounted intentionally upside down. It’s not a mistake. It’s about moisture. Depending on the camera design and mounting location, water can pool on top of the housing and work its way toward the lens and seals over time. Flipping the orientation lets water run off instead of collecting, and the camera can electronically rotate the image so it displays right-side up regardless of how the housing is mounted.
Step Six: Placement Is a System, Not a Single Decision
One camera rarely tells the whole story. A well-planned system layers coverage: a camera on the entrance angled to catch anyone approaching the door, one covering the driveway from one direction, and another covering the same driveway from a second angle so a single blind spot doesn’t leave a gap in the footage. Angled brackets get used specifically to tip a camera’s field of view where a flat mount wouldn’t reach.
Why the Small Details Are the Whole Job
None of these steps are complicated on their own. But a security camera installation is only as reliable as its weakest connection, its worst-drilled hole, or its one mis-mounted camera. Testing wires before hanging cameras, sizing holes correctly, terminating cleanly, and thinking through placement as a system rather than a series of individual cameras: that’s what turns a camera system into something you can actually trust during the one moment you need the footage.
If you’re planning a security camera installation as part of a new construction electrical project, or adding a system to an existing home through our residential electrical services, reach out to our team and we’ll walk you through camera placement, wiring, and what a clean install actually looks like for your property.
