SITE SURVEY / FOXBYTE SYSTEMS
CCTV Installation and Physical Security in Kenya
Define what your cameras need to show before choosing a camera count. A useful CCTV plan connects coverage, recording, playback and the people authorised to use the system.
Start with the view you need
| Location or purpose | Question for the survey |
|---|---|
| Entrance | Do you need to recognise a visitor, read a specific detail or simply see activity? |
| Counter or service area | What event must be visible without unnecessarily capturing private information? |
| Yard or perimeter | How do distance, lighting, weather and obstructions change the view? |
| Recorder location | Who can physically access the recorder, network and power equipment? |
| Remote viewing | Who needs access, from which devices, and who removes access when roles change? |
Plan a complete recording path
Illustrative process — agree the actual scope before implementation.
- Camera viewAgree the scene, detail and relevant lighting conditions.
- Connection and powerCheck cable routes, network capacity and power arrangements.
- RecordingSpecify recording settings and storage against the required use.
- Playback and exportShow an authorised user how to find and export a representative clip.
Make the quotation specific
A camera bundle cannot resolve every site condition. Ask the quotation to identify equipment, installation work, cabling assumptions, storage, access configuration and the tests included at handover. Any reuse of old equipment should be supported by compatibility and condition checks.
- Mark agreed camera positions on a site sketch.
- State how recording capacity will be assessed; do not assume a hard-drive size guarantees a retention period.
- Identify the devices that need power backup if continuity is required.
- Separate remote-viewing setup from an ongoing human monitoring service.
- Confirm who owns administrator accounts and future maintenance.
Commission for the actual conditions
| Check | Useful acceptance evidence |
|---|---|
| View and lighting | Inspect each agreed view in representative operating conditions. |
| Recording | Confirm a named camera records and that a relevant clip can be played back. |
| Time | Check date, time and timezone so incidents can be located. |
| Access | Demonstrate the permissions of an authorised ordinary user and administrator. |
| Handover | Record equipment identifiers, account ownership, agreed settings and the support route. |
A live image on a phone is only one part of acceptance. The system also needs usable stored footage and a person responsible for checking that it continues to record.
Respect the people being recorded
The organisation operating the cameras should define the purpose, authorised viewers, retention and disclosure process, taking appropriate privacy advice for its setting. Avoid unnecessary views into neighbouring or private spaces. Technical installation is not a blanket legal-compliance certification.
For a first enquiry, share a general site description and the areas of concern. Do not send sensitive security layouts, access codes or footage through an open contact form.
CCTV planning questions
How many cameras will my site need?
The survey should answer this from the required views, layout and obstructions. Floor area or a generic camera count cannot establish coverage by itself.
Can I keep existing cameras or cables?
Possibly, subject to condition and compatibility checks. Reuse should be explicit in the quotation and acceptance plan.
Will cameras keep recording in a power cut?
That depends on backup power for the relevant cameras, recorder and network path. Agree continuity requirements before equipment is selected.
Does installation include live security monitoring?
Do not assume it does. Recording, remote viewing and staffed monitoring are separate responsibilities that require an explicit service agreement.
Plan the views, then the equipment.
Share the site type, location, priority areas and any existing system for a scoped survey discussion.
Foxbyte Insights
Prepare for the decision.
CCTV & Physical Security
Prepare a CCTV site survey around the views you need
Prepare a CCTV survey by defining what each view needs to show. Camera quantity follows the purpose, site conditions and evidence requirement; it should not be the first and only decision.
Foxbyte InsightsPublished Updated
Read the guide: Prepare a CCTV site survey around the views you needCCTV & Physical Security
Estimate CCTV storage without promising a retention period
CCTV storage depends on the recorded bitrate and duration, not only the camera count. Use a calculation to estimate capacity, then verify actual recording behaviour and usable retention in the installed system.
Foxbyte InsightsPublished Updated
Read the guide: Estimate CCTV storage without promising a retention periodCCTV & Physical Security
A CCTV picture is not proof that useful footage was recorded
A live CCTV image proves only that a view is available at that moment. A useful recording check must show that the right camera’s footage can be found, played and exported by an authorised person.
Foxbyte InsightsPublished Updated
Read the guide: A CCTV picture is not proof that useful footage was recorded