We get called out to audit CCTV systems several times a month. The vast majority of the "my cameras don't show the face clearly" complaints trace back to one of five installation mistakes — and most of them are completely preventable.
Mistake 1: Wrong camera placement. Mounting a camera too high (above 3 metres) gives you a great view of the top of an intruder's head and absolutely nothing useful for identification. Mount entry cameras at 2.1-2.4 metres for a direct face-level capture. For perimeter coverage, mix high-angle wide-view cameras with face-level cameras at gates and doors.
Mistake 2: Underestimating storage. A 4-camera 1080p system running 24/7 generates roughly 1 TB of footage every 30 days. Most installers default to a 2 TB drive and call it done — meaning your system is overwriting footage every 60 days. For anything serious, aim for 90 days of retention minimum, with cloud backup for critical cameras.
Mistake 3: Poor lighting planning. A camera is only as good as the light it captures. Infrared night vision ranges quoted on the box (often "80 metres!") assume a reflective subject in ideal conditions. In real-world darkness, effective IR range is usually 50-60% of the rated distance. Supplement with motion-activated white light for key areas.
Mistake 4: Ignoring network security. An alarming number of installations we audit have cameras accessible via default passwords on public IPs. Change default credentials, use WPA3 on the camera network, isolate cameras on a separate VLAN, and disable UPnP on the router.
Mistake 5: No one watches the footage. The biggest mistake of all: spending KES 200,000 on a system no one ever looks at. Modern AI analytics can flag suspicious motion, unfamiliar faces, or after-hours activity automatically, sending push notifications to your phone. If you're not using them, you're not getting your money's worth.
Get your system audited once a year. At SIFANET, we offer free audits for existing customers and discounted audits for non-customers — because a badly installed system is worse than no system at all: it creates a false sense of security.
