Across hundreds of site surveys, we documented 7 recurring mistakes — mistakes that render a 50K SAR system useless at the first incident.
Mistake 1: Wrong mounting height
Above 4m = blurry face. Under 2.2m = vandalizable. Sweet spot: 2.5-3m, angled 15° down.
Mistake 2: Ignoring backlight
Camera facing window/sun = black image. Solution: WDR from Hikvision or Avigilon.
Mistake 3: Unsegmented network
Cameras on the corporate LAN = breach risk. Dedicate a separate VLAN, ideally a separate router.
Mistake 4: 7-day storage
Most incidents discovered 14-30 days later. Get an NVR with 30 days minimum, 90 for sensitive sites.
⚠️ Saudi law mandates 30-day storage for commercial sites. Less = violation + legal liability.
Mistake 5: Not testing the install
75% of cameras never night-tested. Ask installer to test each camera at 3 times: day, dusk, night — before sign-off.
Mistake 6: Forgetting updates
Unupdated 6 months = known vulnerabilities. Sign a monthly maintenance contract including updates.
Mistake 7: Audio-less recording
Audio resolves 60% of criminal cases. Modern cameras record audio — enable it (with bilingual legal notice).