Are Your Security Cameras Slowing Down Your Home Internet?

This guide is for Melbourne homes and small businesses that watch their cameras on a phone. It shows you how to find the real cause with a few simple checks, without switching off your protection.

Do security cameras slow down your internet?

Your home network and your internet connection are not the same thing. Wi-Fi and network cables carry video between your cameras, recorder and router. Your internet connection (nbn or similar) then links your home to the outside world. A problem at any one of these points can feel like “slow internet”.

Cameras that record to a recorder inside your home use very little internet. Reolink’s own guidance says a camera will not noticeably slow your internet unless you view it remotely. The slowdown usually starts when you open a live view from outside the house, or when a cloud backup is running.

Pick the card that matches what you see. Then follow that path through this guide.

How much upload speed do security cameras use?

Upload speed is how fast your home sends data out to the internet. Download speed is how fast it brings data in. When you watch a camera from your phone while you are away, the video leaves your home, so it uses your upload speed. Internet plans usually advertise download speed first, and upload is much smaller.

These camera figures come from Reolink’s published guide to its own WiFi and PoE camera bandwidth: 8192 kbps in Clear mode and 512 kbps in Fluent mode. Other brands differ, so check your own camera’s settings. Axis, another maker, says high-quality video at a high frame rate uses about 2 to 3 Mbit/s per device. Higher resolution cameras generally need more, as we explain in our Hikvision 6MP vs 8MP guide.

nbn lists a top upload speed for each home plan. nbn’s speed plans page shows Home Standard at 20 Mbps upload (5 to 20 Mbps on fibre to the node or building connections), Home Basic II at 10 Mbps (5 to 10 Mbps on those same connections) and Home Basic I at 1 Mbps. nbn also says actual speeds can drop below these top figures.

Here is a worked example on a Home Standard plan with a 20 Mbps upload speed. It uses Reolink’s maximum figures, so real use is often lower.

On Home Basic I, nbn’s top upload speed is 1 Mbps. That is less than a single Clear mode stream at its maximum.

The same figures show how much data a stream can use. If one camera streamed non-stop for 24 hours, Reolink’s maximum works out to about 88 GB in Clear mode and about 5.5 GB in Fluent mode. Most people watch for a few minutes at a time, so real use is far lower. Our guide on camera app mobile data covers what this means for your phone plan.

When Wi-Fi is the problem instead

A camera with a weak Wi-Fi signal can struggle to send a steady picture even when your internet is healthy. Distance, walls and busy Wi-Fi all play a part. Cameras, laptops and TVs share the same wireless airtime, so a speed test on a wired computer cannot tell you everything about the Wi-Fi link.

Test a phone or laptop near the router. Then test the same device in the problem area, doing the same task. If it is good near the router and poor at the far end of the house, fix the Wi-Fi coverage before you pay for a faster plan.

A mesh system can help, but each extra unit also needs a good connection back to the router. A unit placed deep inside a dead spot will not fix it. A network cable between units works better than Wi-Fi between units. Ask an installer to check placement and the real path the video takes.

Run a short test before you change anything

Choose a quiet time when you can repeat the same checks. Keep the cameras powered on and recording. Do not switch off cloud backup or recording to test, because you could miss footage or alerts.

1. Note the time, which devices are slow and whether it is only Wi-Fi.
2. Run a speed test on one device in one spot. Write down the download and upload results.
3. Repeat the test with an Ethernet cable if you have a computer you can plug in.
4. Close extra live views on your own devices, and ask your household if anyone is watching remotely.
5. Open one camera on your phone using mobile data, then test again.
6. Write down which single change helped, then put everything back to normal.

Use a lighter viewing stream before lowering recordings

Many systems have a lighter stream for live viewing and a better one for recording. The names vary by brand: Fluent, substream or standard. Where your system allows separate settings, choosing the lighter stream for the phone app makes remote checks easier and leaves your recordings alone. As the table above shows, the difference can be large.

Change only the viewing option in the app. Then look at some recent recordings to confirm they still have the detail you expect. On some equipment, a quality setting changes more than the phone view, so do not assume every quality control is safe for evidence.

Lower resolution or fewer frames per second can cut traffic, but you lose detail. Think about what that camera has to do. Recognising a person at your front door is different from watching a quiet back garden. Test any change at night too.

If you pay a monthly fee for cloud storage, that upload also uses your connection. Our guide to security cameras without monthly fees explains the local recording option. After any change, our camera recording checks show you how to confirm everything is still recording.

Check the cables and the recorder

If the problem also shows when you play back video on a wired computer at home, the fault may be in the recorder, the network switch or a cable. A damaged cable or an overloaded connection can cause trouble even when your internet plan is fine. The number of cameras alone does not tell you which part is struggling.

Ask where the video actually travels between the camera, recorder, router and your phone. Axis suggests looking at available bandwidth, shared traffic and the network path when you troubleshoot.

Do not unplug cables you cannot identify. One lead may power a camera, link an alarm communicator or connect another part of the house. Photograph any labels you can see and describe the layout instead. Leave ceiling spaces and permanent cabling to a qualified installer, and read about our professional CCTV installation if you are planning new cable runs.

A recorder that struggles to show many high-quality cameras at once can also make the app feel slow. That is different from your whole household losing internet speed. If your recorder is old, our guide on whether to keep or replace an old CCTV system can help, and our CCTV upgrade and NVR replacement page explains the options.

Pick the fix that matches what you found

• Only remote viewing is slow, but home browsing and playback at home are fine: start with the lighter viewing stream and check the connection at both ends.
• Household calls drop when a cloud backup or a multi-camera view is open: look at your upload speed and when the uploads run.
• One part of the house is always weak: fix the Wi-Fi coverage there.
• Speed tests show your plan is too small for normal use: ask your provider which upload speed each plan includes.

An installer may suggest a better router position, a network cable to a hard-to-reach camera, or a tidier network layout. Some routers have Quality of Service settings that give video priority, but they cannot create speed your connection does not have. Check that alerts and recordings still work after any network change.

A faster plan makes sense when your tests show normal household use is more than your plan can carry. Ask what upload speed the plan includes, not only the download speed. A new plan will not repair a failing cable or a weak link between mesh units.

Our guide to wired versus wireless security cameras explains how each type uses your network. If your internet goes down altogether, see how a home alarm works without Wi-Fi or internet.

What to write down before you call for help

A short, clear note helps an installer find the fault faster. “The office video call freezes when I open four cameras on mobile data” is far more useful than “the cameras ruined the Wi-Fi”. Include:

• The router and recorder models.
• Whether each camera uses a cable or Wi-Fi.
• The times you tested and your upload and download results.
• Whether playback at home works.
• Every change you made, and the result of each one.

For example, a family might notice that evening calls improve when the four-camera view on a phone is closed. That points to testing outgoing video, but it does not mean every recording setting needs to change. Another home might see the same problem only in an upstairs bedroom, which points to Wi-Fi coverage instead.

FAQ

Sources and further reading

• Reolink: What is the required bandwidth of Reolink WiFi and PoE cameras? (source of the 8192 kbps and 512 kbps figures)
• Reolink: Do IP cameras slow down your network?
• Axis: Troubleshooting guide for network connection (source of the 2 to 3 Mbit/s figure)
• nbn: Residential speed plans (source of the upload speeds for Home Basic I, Home Basic II and Home Standard)

Camera figures are the makers’ own published maximums for their own products, and your cameras may differ. nbn speeds are top speeds for each plan, and actual speeds can be lower. The worked example and data figures are our own arithmetic from those published numbers. Last checked 7 October 2026 by Sergi Sipko, licensed security installer, Security Adviser and Equipment Installer Licence Z47-808-30S.

Get the network and cameras checked together

If you still cannot find the cause, ask SIPKO about CCTV repairs and servicing in Melbourne or our wider security-system repair and maintenance. Send us your test results and tell us which jobs at home are affected. A good visit finds the slow point, keeps the recording detail you need and checks the result under normal use.

Serhii Sipko – Melbourne Security Installer

Serhii Sipko is the founder of SIPKO Security and a Melbourne-based security installer specialising in high-quality CCTV systems, security alarm systems, intercoms and integrated electronic security solutions for residential and commercial properties. Based in Melbourne, Victoria, Serhii works with homeowners, businesses, property managers, builders and commercial clients to design, install, upgrade and maintain professional security systems. His work focuses on reliable equipment, careful system design, professional installation and long-term performance rather than simply installing the cheapest available security products. Through SIPKO Security, Serhii provides security system solutions including CCTV camera installation, IP security cameras, network video recorders (NVR), security alarm systems, Ajax alarm systems, access control, video intercoms, security system upgrades, repairs, troubleshooting and ongoing maintenance. Serhii has particular experience with professional security technologies and regularly works with leading security brands and platforms used in residential and commercial security installations. He takes a practical approach to selecting security equipment, considering factors such as property layout, camera coverage, image quality, night-time performance, network infrastructure, alarm detection, remote access and the specific security requirements of each property. As a Melbourne security installer, Serhii provides services across Melbourne and surrounding suburbs, including premium residential areas and commercial locations throughout metropolitan Melbourne. His approach is focused on delivering discreet, professionally designed security systems that integrate effectively with the property and provide reliable protection. Serhii also shares practical security advice and technical knowledge through the SIPKO Security website and blog. His articles cover topics such as CCTV installation in Melbourne, choosing security cameras, security alarm systems, Ajax security systems, commercial security, residential security, intercom systems, security system maintenance and improving the overall security of a property. The SIPKO Security blog is written to provide practical information based on real-world security installation experience. Serhii's goal is to help Melbourne homeowners and businesses make informed decisions when selecting security equipment, planning CCTV coverage, upgrading existing alarm systems or choosing a professional security installer. Serhii Sipko is associated with SIPKO Security, a Melbourne security company providing professional security installation and electronic security services. His professional focus is on quality, reliability, technical knowledge and delivering security solutions that are appropriate for the individual property and client requirements. For clients looking for a professional security installer in Melbourne, Serhii Sipko and SIPKO Security provide CCTV installation, alarm systems, intercoms and integrated security solutions for residential and commercial properties across Melbourne, Victoria.

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