A great tool for anyone concerned about the security of his or her home or business is a wireless camera system. They can be as easy as a lone camera aimed at the front door. It can also combine several cameras into an all-inclusive surveillance system that monitors what is going on in all parts of a property or building.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both electricity and battery run cameras. If a system is powered entirely by batteries it is much simpler to mount outdoors, anywhere electrical outlets may not exist. Batteries must be recharged or changed, however many people installing a wireless security camera system indoors desire to plug them in. For anyone concerned about power outages, a number of plug-in models come with added battery back-up.

Outdoor security camera systems are a form of closed circuit television system (CCTV) that transmits its signal to a receiver. The audio and video can be viewed and/or recorded and saved for later examination, once the signals have reached the receiver. Wireless cameras perform best when there is a direct line-of-sight between the receiver and the camera, meaning that outdoor cameras typically have a much longer range than indoor ones.

There are two basic types of wireless security camera systems: digital and analogue. Analogue cameras usually have a broadcast range of up to 300 feet and broadcast their signals using radio frequencies. Many have a preference for analogue cameras because the signals can be picked up by several receivers and the equipment is cheap. The main drawback to using an analogue camera is that the signals are unsecure. Household items such as routers or microwaves can create interference and the signal can be picked up by anyone who has the proper receiver. The audio and video quality is not as clearly defined as digital.

Digital cameras are entirely secure and will not suffer from interference of other devices nor cause interference. Digital audio and video is of a much better quality and tends to have clearer details than analogue. Digital cameras can communicate equally between the camera and receiver, and also have longer transmission ranges of up to 450 feet, meaning that the camera can itself be controlled through the receiver. The cost is the main disadvantage to a digital system, which is more expensive than a comparable analogue system. Regardless of the camera used or the signals sent, a wireless camera system can bring peace of mind and security, which is truly precious.