What is an IP camera? IP stands for Internet Protocol and is quickly becoming the preferred type of security CCTV camera for businesses and soon for homes.

The traditional and by far the most common type of camera is called an analog camera and the back-end/output signal typically uses a coaxial cable and BNC connector that can be easily viewed on any TV with a video input or any similar monitor.

An IP camera, on the other hand, used an Internet data cable and would have to be connected to a modem or switch or to a personal computer.

The benefit of a regular analog camera is that they are often much cheaper and have established technologies. Little goes wrong with standard type cameras and you can often add better lenses etc to them.

The benefit of IP cameras is that they can be much better quality, and if you’re IT savvy, they’re easy to set up, especially where a home or workplace network already exists. IP cameras still don’t have the same flexibility with lens options, but that’s changing fast.

Which of these is correct for you? It depends on how much you have to spend. IP cameras are around $500-2000 each, sometimes a little less or sometimes a little more. This price is a guide for cameras only and is not an accurate reflection of total hardware and labor costs. An analog camera is around $200-1000 and the same applies, sometimes more, sometimes less.

This is a very basic overview and comparison, but I hope it helps. Happy hunting, searching, buying and installing.

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