Let’s be honest, nobody wants to find out their cameras aren’t working after something happens. This checklist will help you stay one step ahead, with simple proactive steps to make sure your system is always ready when you need it.
Weekly
Check for camera obstructions (such as dust, debris, vandalism)
Once a week, take a quick walk through your space and check each camera to make sure nothing is blocking its view. Dust, spider webs, packaging materials, or even intentional tampering can sneak up on you, especially in high-traffic or outdoor areas. A clear lens means a clear line of sight when you need it most.
Confirm live feed quality and resolution
Hop into your system and cycle through your live feeds. Are the images crisp and clean? Is anything looking fuzzy, delayed, or glitchy? If so, it might be a sign of hardware wear, bandwidth issues, or software hiccups that you’ll want to deal with before they affect your footage.
Test remote access functionality
Whether you or your team need to monitor video offsite or after hours, make sure your remote login works properly. Test access from a phone or desktop just like you would during an actual event. If something’s broken – like outdated credentials or network issues – it’s better to find out now, not in an emergency.
Verify time and date stamps are accurate
Pull up a few clips and check that the timestamps are correct. Even a small misalignment can make footage hard to us, or worse, inadmissible in legal cases. Weekly checks help ensure everything’s in sync across your system and can save you major headaches later.
Monthly
Clean camera lenses with non-abrasive wipes
It’s important to give each lens a quick clean using a microfiber cloth and proper cleaner. Even a thin layer of grime or moisture can blur your footage and reduce visibility when it matters most, especially outdoors or in kitchens. Keeping lenses clean ensures you’re getting the image quality you paid for.
Inspect cables and connectors for wear
Look behind your cameras and around your wiring routes. Check for frayed cords, exposed wires, or connectors that have come loose over time. These silent failures can disrupt your footage without setting off any alarms, so it’s worth the monthly scan.
Review motion detection settings
Take a moment to look at your detection zones. Have you rearranged the space, moved furniture, or added shelving? Even small layout changes can throw off detection accuracy and cause you to miss important activity, or drown in false alerts.
Test alerts/notifications and verify footage storage
Once a month, trigger a test alert and confirm it’s being delivered to the right people, at the right time. Then double-check that footage is being saved to the proper place, whether that’s your cloud system or local server. This small step can save you from the worst-case scenario of missing footage when you need it.
Quarterly
Review camera placement and field of view effectiveness
Do your camera angles still align with your security goals? Have new displays, signage, or equipment changed the layout? Are high-risk areas still in full view? This is a great time to tweak positioning before a blind spot causes problems.
Confirm all firmware/software is up to date
Firmware and software updates are more than just bug fixes, they often include critical security patches and performance improvements. If you’re using Solink, these updates are handled automatically in the cloud, so you’re always running the latest version without the IT headache.
Conduct spot checks of playback performance
Choose a few random clips from the past month and watch them back. Are they smooth and easy to access? Any lag, corrupted files, or missing frames could be early warning signs of bigger system issues.
Run power backup system tests (battery or UPS)
Protecting your business when you have no power is critical. If you’re relying on a backup battery or uninterruptible power supply (UPS), now’s the time to simulate a power outage. Check that your system stays up long enough to keep recording. If it doesn’t, you’re at risk of losing crucial footage during an actual emergency.
Annually
Audit storage retention policies
Look at how long you’re keeping footage and whether that matches your business needs and legal requirements. Are you storing enough to meet insurance or compliance standards? Are you holding on to more than you need? Getting this right can save space and reduce liability, and also dramatically impacts both costs and efficiencies. Finding the right balance between cloud and hardware is absolutely essential when it comes to managing your video.
Reassess privacy and security compliance (such as GDPR or CCPA)
Once a year, it’s smart to make sure your video practices align with current privacy laws. Check if you’ve posted the required signage, whether your data storage meets compliance, and who has access to what. Software solutions like Solink can make this easier with features like role-based access controls and audit logs.
Perform a full system test (including alerts, sensors, recording and access)
Treat this like a fire drill for your security system. Simulate a real incident – maybe a break-in or after-hours door opening – and make sure every piece of the system works as expected. This includes recording, alerting, and accessing video afterward.
Review footage access logs and user permissions
People change roles, leave your company, or get new responsibilities. Review your access permissions to make sure only the right people can view or download footage. Having a centralized dashboard via a video management system makes this review quick and clean.
