Do Wireless Security Cameras Need Power?

Yes, wireless security cameras need power. Security cameras are electrical devices, and all electrical devices need some sort of power. For security cameras, power is usually provided through a plug-in transformer. But some other security cameras can support power over ethernet (PoE).

Security cameras are a very important part of many home and business security setups. These devices are the only way to obtain video evidence of what exactly occurs while a person is away. But like any electrical devices, security cameras will require some type of power. There are a few different ways to provide power to a security camera.

Most cameras will receive simple power from a plug-in transformer. Although a security camera may be described as "wireless", it can still use a wire going to a plug-in transformer. The term "wireless" means that the camera communicates with the network wirelessly, usually through WIFI. This allows the live feed of the camera to be viewed through an interactive service, such as Total Connect 2.0 or Alarm.com.

Other security cameras may use power over ethernet (PoE) to receive power. This involves feeding power from the router using an ethernet cable. But again, this somewhat defeats the meaning of "wireless", as a hardwired ethernet connection will obviously require a wire. And since the camera won't connect with a WIFI network in this situation, it won't really be wireless at all. But this is another possible way for a security camera to receive power. One example of a camera that supports PoE is the ADC-VC726 Indoor/Outdoor Mini Bullet Camera.

In rare situations, a security camera may use battery power. But this is quite unusual considering the large amount of power that cameras require. In fact, we do not sell any of these cameras on our site. But it is not out of the realm of possibility for a camera to use battery power.