Some Proven Practices for Protecting Your CCTV and IP Camera Surveillance Systems and Network Equipment from Lightning
The following tips will help minimize the lightning effect on IP-based cameras and CCTV surveillance systems.
Traditionally, coaxial cables were used for transmission in these IP-based and CCTV camera surveillance applications. In recent years, these coaxial cables have been replaced by unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and fiber optic cables. Again UTP cables may pose certain challenges when it comes to transmission, due to technical reasons. This is where fiber optic cables can make a difference. They are designed for better-quality transmission, and are immune to lightning or other weather conditions and electromagnetic interference. In networks using UTP cables and fiber optic cables, the use of fiber optic converters is recommended. These converters convert the copper signals to optical and transmit them through the fiber optic cable, and at the other end, the receiver converts the signals back to electrical signals. Many fiber optic media converters provide isolation from lightning, ground loops, etc.
In addition to these, the following tips also work: Avoid mounting the camera directly to the metal pole, instead use power supply panels to power the cameras. Use security mounts to secure your camera and protect it from lightning and natural disasters like hurricanes, thunderstorms, hail, and so on. Choose IP66-rated cameras over regular CCTV cameras because they can withstand most of the challenges that the weather presents. Use a custom case to protect your camera and sensitive equipment.