How to wire a PoE camera kit
A PoE kit is the simplest DIY CCTV path: one Cat cable per camera carries power and video back to the recorder. No power brick at every camera. This lesson is the day-one cable plan for a Dark X / Titanium PoE starter kit.
What you are connecting
- NVR — the recorder. Built-in PoE ports power cameras plugged straight into it.
- PoE cameras — each camera gets one Cat 5e/Cat 6 drop.
- Optional PoE switch — when you need more ports or longer runs than the NVR has (see When you need a PoE switch).
- Monitor / phone app — view live and playback after the NVR is on the network.
Cable plan (do this before you climb)
- Mark every camera spot (driveway, doors, yard corners). Count cameras — that is your channel count.
- Pick the NVR location: dry, indoor, near power and your router if you want remote viewing.
- Measure each run. Prefer solid copper Cat 6 for long outdoor pulls. Premade cables are fine for short, clean paths — see Cable vs premade.
- Leave slack at the camera and at the NVR. Do not stretch cable tight across a corner.
Wire it
- Mount the camera bracket. Feed the Cat cable into the camera (use a junction box if you want a clean weather seal — Hide camera wires).
- Run cable back to the NVR. Avoid sharp bends and staples that crush the jacket.
- Plug each camera into a numbered PoE port on the NVR. Cameras on built-in PoE ports usually appear automatically.
- Connect the NVR LAN port to your router for remote view. Power the NVR from the wall.
- On the NVR, confirm each channel shows video. Name the cameras (Front, Driveway, Yard) so playback is usable later.
If a camera does not show up
- Swap the cable on a known-good port. Bad terminations are the #1 DIY miss.
- Cameras behind an external PoE switch need a different add path — Add cameras on a PoE switch.
- Stuck after the gear arrives? Email diyprosupport@gmail.com.
Shop the kit that matches your count
Start with a complete PoE kit sized by camera count, then add networking if you outgrow the NVR ports.
Shop CCTV starter kits → · Lysora networking → · Back to DIY Academy