How CCTV works · 3 min read
Does CCTV work
without internet?
Yes, if it's designed to. The recorder does the recording; the internet only carries the app. Here's what keeps working when the broadband drops — and how to make sure the important bit does.
What keeps working
- Recording — a PoE system records to its own drives. No internet needed, ever.
- Detection and the local siren/light — the camera's AI runs on the camera.
- Playback on a monitor at the property
What stops
- Remote viewing and push alerts — your phone can't reach the recorder until broadband returns.
- Cloud-only cameras — many consumer Wi-Fi cameras record nothing at all without internet.
Making alerts survive an outage
For businesses and higher-risk homes we add a 4G/5G router as failover: when the broadband drops, the recorder switches to mobile data for alerts and viewing. Cheap insurance for a warehouse or a second home.
It's cloud-dependent. A local recorder fixes that permanently — see system takeovers.
Your property decides. Not the logo.
Questions
Good to know.
Does the Hik-Connect app work without internet at the property?
No — it needs the recorder online. Recording continues regardless.
What about a power cut?
Recording stops unless the recorder is on a UPS. We fit small UPS units for commercial systems.
Can I use my phone's hotspot?
For a temporary fix, yes — the recorder needs a wired or Wi-Fi route to it.