WiFi Security Cameras
How to choose a WiFi security camera
Indoors or outdoors
A wireless security camera and a WiFi security camera are the same product: it connects to your router rather than to a recorder by cable, and the battery and solar models need no power cable either. Outdoor cameras need a weather rating, and given how much of New Zealand sits within a few kilometres of the coast, salt tolerance matters more here than the specification sheet usually admits. IP66 or better is what you want anywhere exposed, mounted under an eave where you can. Signal is the thing that catches people out: WiFi reaches far less far outdoors, so if the camera is going more than about twenty metres from the router, test the signal at that spot first, or use a 4G camera instead.
Where the footage goes
Three options, and they cost different things. A card in the camera is free, works when the internet is down, and is gone if the camera is stolen. A local recorder keeps everything in the house on a hard drive and survives one camera being taken. Cloud storage survives the whole house being taken, and it is the one that carries a monthly fee. Check what a camera does without a subscription before you buy it.
Compare the types
 Indoor camera |  Outdoor PTZ |  Solar WiFi |  Doorbell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | Socket, with a battery on some | Socket | Panel and battery | Battery, or doorbell wiring |
| Covers | A room, pans to follow | A yard, with optical zoom | One approach, human and vehicle alerts | The front door and the step |
| Records | Card, and cloud on some | Card or recorder | Card | Card, no subscription |
| Suits | A hallway, a shop counter, a nursery | A driveway or a shed with power nearby | A fence line inside WiFi range with no socket | Parcels and callers |
| See | Single cameras | Auto tracking cameras | Solar WiFi cameras | Doorbell cameras |
Buying guides
Security Cameras NZ Buying GuideWiFi, 4G, solar, wireless systems or CCTV
WiFi Security Camera Buying Guide NZWhether your signal reaches
Security Camera System Buying Guide NZWhat powers the hub decides everything
4G Security Camera Buying Guide NZSolar, PTZ and zoom compared
Related
4G Security Cameras 4G Routers & WiFi Extenders Security Systems Wireless Security Systems Alarm Systems Security Cameras & Surveillance Equipment
Common questions
Does it record if the internet drops?
Most keep recording to a memory card and sync once the connection returns. Live view and alerts need the connection.
Can several people view the same camera?
Yes, on most models, by sharing access in the app.
Do I need a subscription?
Not for your own footage on a card or a recorder. Some models put cloud storage or extra features behind a plan, so check what a camera does without one before you buy.
What if WiFi does not reach the spot?
Move the router, add a mesh point or an outdoor access point, or run a cable. For a shed or a gate further out, a solar WiFi extender carries the house WiFi up to 150m, and on a site with no internet at all a solar 4G router makes WiFi from one SIM. Or use a 4G camera, which ignores WiFi entirely.
Is a WiFi camera the same as a wireless security camera?
Yes, in the way the words are used in New Zealand. Wireless means no video cable, which is every camera on this page. The battery and solar models go further and need no power cable either. A camera that needs no house network at all is a 4G camera, and cameras that record to a hub rather than through your router are on the wireless security systems page.
Do I need a sign for security cameras in New Zealand? NZ law
For a business, yes. The Privacy Act 2020 applies to any organisation collecting personal information, and the Privacy Commissioner's CCTV guidance expects a stated purpose, a sign saying who operates the cameras and how to contact them, footage kept secure and only as long as it is needed, and a way for people to ask for footage of themselves. Leave audio off unless you have a specific reason and have told people. Cameras at your own home for your own security generally sit outside the Privacy Act, unless the recording would be highly offensive to a reasonable person; point them at your own property, keep them out of neighbours' windows, and never into a bathroom or bedroom.