Will CCTV Work Without Internet?

Will CCTV work without internet, you ask

The short answer is yes.

If that’s all you wanted to know, then my job here is done.

But, since you’re asking the question, I’m guessing you’re a layman. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I wouldn’t profess I know how a car works.

It’s a very common question as you can see for yourself:

How Will CCTV Work Without Internet Access?

Well, we first have to learn that there are two ways CCTV works.

The first and traditional way is by way of analogue connections. It’s called CCTV because historically it differed from analogue television in that it was a Closed-Circuit Television signal. That means the signals from the cameras isn’t broadcast publically.

These systems predate the internet.

As you might imagine, the internet is and was never required to operate such a system.

The second and modern way CCTV systems work is by Internet Protocol (IP) connections. I suspect this is the source of confusion for many and the reason for the question.

It’s in the deceptive, albeit correct, classification used to describe the format of data sent over the internet or another network.

Just because IP means Internet Protocol, doesn’t mean the internet is a pre-requisite for its use.

As you can see from the example above, we can remove everything connected via Ethernet and still have a functioning system.

Modern systems work by assigning each connected device an IP address.

The cameras and recorders talk to one another this way.

That system requires no internet to function.

You can access your cameras over the internet only if you explicitly allow it. So, it’s in essence still a closed circuit.

A process called port-forwarding facilitates connectivity between an internal network and an external network like the internet. Port forwarding needs a router, or gateway, to function.

Now let’s turn the question on its head.

Can I Access My Analogue Camera System Over The Internet?

Well, yes, of course.

Today’s digital video recorders (DVRs) all have a network interface card (NIC).

It connects to the internet using the Internet Protocol, if necessary.

Be sure to ask questions in the comment section below.

Further Reading

Server Density has a nice article explaining the TCP/IP protocol and briefly touches on UDP.