Security Camera Bandwidth Calculator

Estimate the local network load created by IP cameras and how much data the same streams would represent over time.

What this calculator measures

For a local PoE/NVR system, aggregate bitrate represents traffic moving across your LAN. It does not automatically mean the same amount of internet upload is required. Cloud recording or remote streaming creates WAN traffic; local recording can continue entirely inside the property network.

How much headroom should you leave?

A camera network should not be engineered to live permanently at the theoretical limit of a shared link. Bitrate can rise during complex motion, darkness, rain and foliage movement. Playback and remote clients add more traffic. For a dedicated camera link, keeping normal sustained traffic comfortably below capacity is preferable to calculating an exact maximum.

Use actual bitrate when possible

Resolution labels are poor bandwidth predictors. If your camera or NVR reports the configured bitrate, enter that number. For planning a new system, use the expected bitrate range from the exact camera model and codec.

Related: how much bandwidth a camera uses and NVR hard-drive calculator.