A surveillance system should be evaluated by the recordings it can reliably retrieve, not just the live images it displays. Maintenance covers camera views, storage, timestamps, networks, accounts and the process for preserving evidence. Use the planning guide to define the required outcome before changing equipment.
Diagnose the symptom before replacing hardware
| Symptom | Checks to document |
|---|---|
| No live picture | Power, switch port, cabling, device reachability, credentials and supported configuration |
| Live view but no recording | Recording schedule, stream selection, license, storage health and retention settings |
| Blurred moving subjects | Focus, lens, shutter, illumination, compression and subject distance |
| Night-only failure | Infrared reflection, dirty cover, light level, peak power and exposure settings |
| Missing timeline segments | Network events, recorder load, time synchronization, event rules and storage faults |
| Remote access failure | Approved access path, identity controls, service availability and network policy |
Routine inspection
Check camera cleanliness, mount stability and whether stock, trailers, vegetation or lighting changes obstruct the intended view. Review disk and device health alerts, available retention, firmware support and user access. Test an export on a separate authorized workstation. Keep inspection dates and unresolved exceptions rather than relying on memory.
Preserve evidence before service
If an incident may be relevant, follow the organization’s evidence-hold process before resets, disk replacement or recorder migration. Preserve source recordings and export details, including time zone and any known clock offset. Avoid a factory reset as the first troubleshooting step; it may remove configuration needed to understand the failure.
Plan an upgrade in stages
Inventory cameras, firmware, licenses, recording streams, cable tests, power and actual retention. Identify which equipment can remain supported and which introduces unacceptable risk or functional gaps. Verify compatibility in a pilot, then schedule cutover with a documented recording-continuity plan. Confirm account ownership, old archive access, configuration backups and rollback steps before changing the production system.
Acceptance after the change
Repeat day/night samples, moving-target checks, timeline review, permissions, exports and an authorized outage test. Verify the oldest available footage after the required retention period has elapsed. Update the camera schedule and network drawing. Compare replacements with the hardware hub and manufacturer guide.
Related NERSA reference
See NERSA’s video surveillance and legacy upgrade reference for the corresponding applied reference.