Many business owners picture video surveillance as just a few cameras and a monitor. But a working CCTV system begins not with the camera brand, but with proper design: which zone must be seen, by whom, from what angle and under what conditions. At ONYX, physical security is not a standalone product — it is planned as part of the corporate IT project, together with the network, server room and infrastructure. In this article we explain, in practical terms, how security cameras, perimeter security and access control systems are built correctly.
A surveillance project starts with intent, not the camera
The first step toward effective video surveillance is not choosing a camera, but reading the site and its risks. Each point has its own job: to identify a person, to detect motion, or simply to record the overall scene.
Every zone needs its own camera type
The entrance, the cash desk, the warehouse, the car park and the perimeter wall each demand a different camera type and mounting height. A narrow-angle camera is needed at the entrance to recognise faces clearly, while a wide-angle camera covers an open yard. Mounting a camera too high captures only the top of a person's head instead of their face — this is the single most common mistake.
Indoor and outdoor conditions are not the same
Outdoor cameras must have a weatherproof housing (with an appropriate IP rating) that withstands dust, rain, sun and temperature swings. Night vision is not magic either — the reach of infrared illumination and the surrounding light sources directly determine the result. That is why ONYX considers a separate day and night scenario for each camera during the design stage.
NVR, storage and retention period
Cameras are only the source of footage; the real question is where the footage is stored and for how long. Here, NVR (network video recorder) and disk-capacity planning play the decisive role.
Calculate retention in advance
How many days footage is kept depends on the number of cameras, the image quality and the frame rate. This figure decides whether the recordings still exist after an incident — so disk capacity is chosen by calculation, not by guesswork.
Do not stake reliability on a single disk
If a single-disk recorder fails, the entire archive can be lost. On critical sites, disk redundancy (RAID) and an uninterruptible power supply for the recorder increase the durability of the archive.
Centralise viewing and management
With several buildings or branches, the ability to review footage from one platform, manage user permissions and find an event quickly improves operational efficiency.
Connecting CCTV to the network correctly
Modern IP cameras are network devices, and their stability depends directly on the quality of the network. This is precisely why, at ONYX, surveillance is never planned separately from the network project.
PoE and a dedicated network segment
IP cameras usually draw both power and data over a single cable via PoE, which removes the need for a separate electrical run. Keeping cameras on a VLAN separate from corporate traffic is the right approach for both security and network-load management. Mikrotik or Ubiquiti/UniFi equipment makes this segmentation clean and reliable.
A real project: Şuşa Hotel
On the Şuşa Hotel project, ONYX built perimeter security with 60 Dahua cameras, covered the whole site with a UniFi-based Wi-Fi and network, and installed turnstiles and barriers at the entrances. This is a practical example of surveillance working not on its own, but as a single system together with the network and access control.
Access control: turnstiles, barriers and the perimeter
A camera records an event, but access control prevents it. Turnstiles, vehicle barriers and perimeter obstacles keep control over who enters, where and when.
Managing the flow of entry
Turnstiles regulate pedestrian flow and block unauthorised passage; barriers control vehicle entry. When these systems are linked to cameras, every passage event is documented both visually and as a log — a powerful tool for later investigation.
Construction and industrial sites
On the Technicon project, ONYX covered the construction site perimeter with surveillance and built the field-office infrastructure and a small server room — in an environment with around 90 people. An open area with a constantly changing environment and temporary infrastructure demands a different approach, but the principle is the same: security is an inseparable part of the IT project.
The ONYX approach: physical security as a single project
Instead of buying the camera, the recorder, the network and the access control from separate suppliers, ONYX plans, builds and supports them all as one project. This approach reduces compatibility problems, blind spots and the extra costs that surface later. You can see how this work is structured on our services and business solutions pages, and the vendors we work with under our partners.
Let us design your site's security
If you want to build video surveillance, perimeter security and access control as a single system, the ONYX team will assess your site and propose a fitting solution. Get in touch with us.