--- title: "IP video surveillance on a managed network | DataRoad IT" description: "CCTV bought by guesswork fails when it matters. IP surveillance with a clear purpose, its own VLAN, VPN-only access and GDPR in order. No-obligation proposal." language: en url: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/ip-video-surveillance-business-network/ source: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/ip-video-surveillance-business-network/ publisher: DataRoad IT (DataRoad - IT Services and Consulting), Portugal --- > CCTV bought by guesswork fails when it matters. IP surveillance with a clear purpose, its own VLAN, VPN-only access and GDPR in order. No-obligation proposal. # IP video surveillance on a managed network: footage that proves At a glance For decision-makers short on time. - 01 Define the purpose first: deter, identify, check processes or keep evidence. - 02 Framing, light and retention days decide whether the footage is any use. - 03 Cameras on their own VLAN and the recorder never exposed online; access by VPN only. - 04 CCTV is personal data processing: signage, retention periods, logged access and limits. ### In this article The moment you discover a CCTV system is useless is always the worst one: after the theft, when the footage shows shapes and no faces. Or after the cyber intrusion that came in through the camera forgotten on the laptop network. **IP video surveillance** is often the only technical system a company buys by eye. Properly designed, on a managed business network, it protects people and assets without opening a new door to attackers. ## What does the system need to prove? Before talking about the number of cameras, define the purpose. Each one calls for a different design: - **Deter** Visible devices at points of passage. A few are enough, if they are in the right place. - **Identify** Face-height framing at entrances, with adequate resolution. A wide shot of an entire warehouse never recognises anyone, however many megapixels it has. - **Monitor operations** Loading bays, dispatch, tills: angles that show the action, not just the space. - **Keep evidence** Above all, enough days of recording and export in a usable format. **The most common waste:** filling the building with wide-angle cameras and realising, on the day they are needed, that nobody is recognisable. Two cameras pointed at the doors do more than ten filming empty corridors. ## Which decisions separate useful footage from useless footage? ### Framing It is decided on site, never on a floor plan. A camera facing a window gives silhouettes in the late afternoon, and only someone standing there notices. ### Light Exteriors, car parks and loading bays require low-light equipment. The difference between ranges shows precisely at night, when footage matters most. ### Days of recording How many days must you keep? That number, times the cameras, times the quality, gives the storage required. This is where many systems fail, deleting exactly the period you were looking for. ## Why does the network decide the project's success? Every IP camera is a computer connected to the company network. When the design ignores that, the problems last for years. - **Cable and power**: cameras use the same [structured cabling](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/structured-cabling-installation/) as the rest of the company and are powered over the cable itself (PoE). The switch must have power to spare; without it, random restarts appear that are hard to diagnose. - **Dedicated VLAN**: cameras isolated from workstations and servers. Video generates heavy, constant traffic, and these devices have historically been among the least updated. On an unsegmented network, a compromised camera opens a path to everything else. ## How do you protect the CCTV itself against attack? Recorders and cameras are favourite targets for those hunting easy victims on the internet. Four rules remove almost all the risk: - **Change every factory password**: cameras included, not just the recorder. - **Keep the recorder off the internet**: remote access only via VPN or the manufacturer's platform with strong authentication. Port forwarding, never. - **Update firmware**: almost nobody does, and that is where the fixes for known vulnerabilities are. - **Individual accounts**: everyone with their own access, no shared credentials, and a log of who viewed footage. ## What legal obligations does the company have? Filming people in a business context is processing personal data. Without replacing legal advice, there are minimums every company must meet: - **A visible notice** Before each filmed area. - **A retention period** Set and respected; keeping footage forever is not allowed. - **Prohibited areas** Rest areas, changing rooms and places with an expectation of privacy are excluded. - **Controlled access to recordings** With a log of who saw what. - **An entry in the record of processing activities** Within the data protection documentation. When workstations fall within the field of view, the case should be validated legally: the purpose can never be to monitor employee performance. ## How does DataRoad do it? We design and install IP video surveillance as part of the network infrastructure: its own VLAN, correctly sized PoE, secure remote access and [managed firewalls](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-firewall-services-portugal/) protecting the perimeter. Afterwards, the system stays under management on the same contract, with firmware and access kept under review. ## Next step: a review of your CCTV, with no commitment **More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and telephone support.** Call +351 211 459 950 * or write to sales@dataroad.pt. **Call to a Portuguese landline.* Chosen by respected and international companies ★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews ★★★★★ 5,0 · 52 Google reviews DataRoad ## Related articles [Networks and cablingManaged SD-WAN: multiple stores and offices without outagesA store without internet cannot sell or invoice. With managed SD-WAN, every site has two links and switches over on its own, so one ISP fail…12 October 2026 · 5 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/managed-sd-wan-multi-site-networks/)[Networks and cablingBlackout-proof networks: autonomy and redundant internet for SMEsOn 28 April 2025, Lisbon was without power for more than 8 hours. 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It is the cheapest insurance for infr…15 August 2026 · 4 min read](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/certified-structured-cabling-report/) Numbers you can verify **11** years in business **232** clients **< 10 min** average response time **15+** IT vendor certifications **10+** Countries with clients supported **5.0 ★** 52 Google reviews Transparency ## What many providers hide, we publish. [See plans and prices →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/it-unlimited/) - **Prices upfront** Essential from €395/month + VAT, Premium from €750 and Premium 365 from €1,200. - **No lock-in** Annual contract, no lock-in and no joining fees. - **Everything in writing** What is included, the scope and the price, before you sign. - **Support without counted hours** Remote and phone in every plan; on-site support from Premium. Partners and certifications DataRoad · Business networks and Wi-Fi ## One StepAhead of IT. The best network is the one nobody notices, because it never stops. Certified cabling, Wi-Fi 7 designed to the metre and every device monitored. - **15+** IT vendor certifications - **Failover** redundant internet and power autonomy - **10+** Countries with clients supported We do **IT** right. DataRoad IT Unlimited ## Does your IT depend on a single person? Documentation, inventory and one contact who answers for everything. [Request a proposal, no commitment →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/#contact)+351 211 459 950 **Call to a Portuguese landline · More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and phone support[Not sure what you need? Talk to the assistant →](https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/#assistente) --- Versão HTML desta página: https://www.dataroad-it.com/en/ip-video-surveillance-business-network/