What Is Bandwidth?

Bandwidth is the maximum data rate of available information capacity on a physical communication link. Bandwidth is equivalent to the maximum available bitrate and usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps).

The higher the bandwidth, the more data can be sent simultaneously across your network. For example, if you are streaming video from your security camera, then a high-bandwidth connection will ensure that there is no lag or buffering when viewing footage.

How To Calculate Bandwidth for Security Camera Systems

Calculating your security camera’s required bandwidth is essential for ensuring smooth and reliable performance. The formula for calculating the total required bandwidth for your security cameras is as follows:

Total Required Bandwidth = Frame Size x Frame Rate (FPS) x Compression factor (MJPEG/h.264/h.265)

Frame Size is the information stored within each image frame. It mainly depends on the image resolution. Frame rate of security cameras is typically arround 30 FPS. Video compression reduces the bandwidth of video streaming significantly.

Conclusion

Bandwidth is an essential part of any security system setup as it determines how much information can be transmitted over a network at any given time. This article provided an overview of what exactly bandwidth is and how you can calculate the total required bandwidth for your specific security camera system using three key factors – Frame size, frame rate (FPS), and Compression factor– so that you can make sure you have enough available bandwidth for optimal performance.