CCTV Cameras Live: Your Best Guide to View & Make It Hack-Proof

CCTV cameras live tells us what is happening out there with simple clicks on the mobile phone or PC. However, some websites could easily access thousands of CCTV cameras live online, without the camera owners’ knowing, and by contract, some camera users have to labor their wits on how to watch the CCTV camera live on mobile or PC and end up in failure. So today, let’s address all your concerns and questions about CCTV cameras live.

You may need to know the information below before reading this article:

How to Avoid CCTV Cameras Live Being Hacked

If you Google CCTV cameras live you may be surprised at the ample and top ranked resources of the hacked live CCTV cameras around the world, both the public IP cameras live streaming and the private one.

How could the CCTV cameras live get hacked, you may wonder.

It could be a relief to know that those CCTV cameras live online mainly gets hacked because of their default passwords. The sites can easily ping all the devices on the net and try if one of the common default passwords works, and this is the most common trick to gain access to CCTV cameras live feed.

Some more sophisticated hackers may take advantage of the security vulnerabilities in data transmission. But you don’t need to worry too much about it. Today the CCTV camera encryption technology can already well deal with it.

Here we summarized 7 things you can do to keep your CCTV cameras live secure:

#1. Buy security cameras with CCTV cameras live stream encryption (SSL, TLS, WPA2-AES)
#2. Secure your security camera password, and change it frequently.
#3. Secure the home network router with more powerful password.
#4. Limit devices to access your home network and the CCTV cameras live.
#5. Upgrade CCTV camera firmware to the latest version.
#6. Install firewalls and antivirus software to protect your CCTV cameras live against the malware.
#7. Check the list of unsecured security cameras that often fall into the password traps.

Watch CCTV Live Cameras Online

Thinking about putting the CCTV cameras live on your webpage and opening the stream to the public?

That’s totally another thing. These days, many security cameras could easily realize the security cameras live on the Internet. Here is a Youtuber using the Reolink RLC-823A IP camera for watching his cars.

And some public CCTV cameras live enables you to watch the street conditions, beach weather, etc., online. For example, through simple clicks you can access the Reolink RLC-810A, and learn what’s happening in the Hardbrücke Nord area.

How to View CCTV Camera Live on Mobile and PC

CCTV cameras live view is one of the most important features and advantages of IP cameras.

Attention, it is IP cameras we are talking about, which have built-in web servers to send out the encrypted live streaming to your phone and PC, so that you can get IP cameras live view from there.

Typically, you can access the CCTV cameras live via either software or web browser locally and remotely.

#1. Watch Security Cameras Live via Software

These days, most quality IP cameras are P2P enabled which makes the CCTV cameras live setup much easier. For example, you can get the security camera live stream in 3 simple steps with Reolink RLC-810A:
Step 1. Download the Reolink App or Client to your phones or computers.
Step 2. Launch the app and enter a unique ID number (UID) to add the camera device.

Step 3. Click the camera and you can see the CCTV cameras live inside and outside home network.

Well, although it’s advised to use the manufacturer customized live security cameras app, like Reolink app, to access the camera, you may want the option to integrate the camera to some third party software to check the CCTV cameras live. In that case, check this tutorial.

Are CCTV cameras live stream secure in P2P server?

To keep your security camera live secure via P2P, the most important thing is to pick a reliable security camera brand with video stream encryptions between the P2P cameras and the viewing client.

For example, the SSL encryption, WPA2-AES encryption, and SSL-TLS are important to ensure the stream can’t be hacked or eavesdropped by someone.

Together with the strict P2P server authentication which must be done by at least 2 servers to ensure the safety and connectivity, those CCTV cameras live from reliable brands will have little chance to get hacked online.

#2. Watch IP Cameras Live View via Web Browsers

To view CCTV cameras live via a web browser, you will need to do port forwarding. And below is the most general steps needed to get it done. For detailed guide with screenshots, refer to our previous post.
Step 1. Find the IP camera address.
Step 2. Find the “HTTP port” and “RTMP port” of the camera.
Step 3. Log into your router and set up the port forwarding rules.
Step 4. Check the WAN IP address of your router.
Step 5. Enter the IP camera URL address in the address bar.

CCTV Cameras Live Without Internet

I'm trying to use a high definition CCTV camera for live feed, but the space doesn’t have Internet.

Good news is that you can watch CCTV cameras live on mobile and PC even without Internet!

Actually, there are many ways to do it, depending on your specific situations.

#1. Have No WiFi Network? Try 4G LTE Cameras

In fact, this is the best option for CCTV live view without WiFi network, especially if you want to gain remote access to the security cameras live stream. For example, keep tabs on your remote summerhouse with real-time pictures.

Independent from the WiFi network connection, the 4G cameras can send out CCTV cameras live stream with cellular data from a SIM card, supported by AT&T, T-Mobile, and other major mobile network service providers.

Actually, this type of security camera is born for occasions where the WiFi is out of reach and you need CCTV cameras live and push notifications to make sure it is safe.

#2. Want Local Live Stream Without Network? Try IP Cameras

Have bought IP cameras already and looking for a way to view the CCTV cameras live from a nearby monitor without the Internet connection?

No problem. You can view CCTV cameras live in the local area networks (LAN), which is typically within your home area, with all types of IP cameras.

Just plug your IP cameras into a router and power them up, you can see the CCTV cameras live on mobile or PC, even though there is NO active Internet connection.

That’s to say, you only need a router connection, instead of an Internet connection.

The thing is that the router is capable of assigning security camera IP address, which is the key you need to find the camera and gain access to its CCTV live view. The cameras will talk to your router, and then your router broadcasts the security cameras live streams on its wireless network.

#3. Want PC/TV Live Video Without Network? Get an NVR

The CCTV camera system works in a similar path, with the network video recorder (NVR) doing the job of assigning IP cameras.

So there will be a private network between the NVR and devices connected to it, where the CCTV cameras live streams can be transmitted. Just connect the NVR system to a monitor with HDMI or VGA cable, and then you will be able to see the IP cameras live view – No router connection is needed.

Or you may simply connect your security camera with your PC to gain direct CCTV cameras live view, without an NVR or DVR, without a router network, without WiFi, and without any fees or complicated configuration.

Follow instructions here to set up PC for CCTV cameras live view easily and quickly.

Best IP Cameras for Live Streaming

Looking for security cameras with live streaming?

Here are the top picks that are easy to install and direct high quality CCTV cameras live video to your phone and PC.

CCTV camera live video from Reolink Argus 3 Pro (Choose high resolution at settings to get the best clarity):

Editor’s Note: The battery powered cameras only support CCTV camera live stream in mobile and PC software. And that’s because if you watch the battery CCTV cameras live streaming on the web browser, the battery life will drain in a few hours.

So if you want a network live IP video camera with web browser access, a non-battery powered security camera will suit you better. For example, the plug and play Reolink RLC-810A would be a budget pick.

Hot Q&As About Security Cameras Live View

CCTV cameras live online can be unstable sometimes and make you crazy, just like one poster brings up in a security camera forum:

Whensecuritycamera is live streaming on my home network withiPadapp, any type of motion is blurred. Looking at the time stamp, you sometimes see a delay of a second or two.

Actually, the security cameras live feed has much to do with the camera video settings, like the camera resolution and the frame rate.

So next time you find the surveillance cameras live feed to be slow and unstable, try to use the substream to view at a lower resolution and set the frame rate higher and see how it works.

If this fails to address the surveillance cameras live stream issue, you may specify your problems by leaving us a comment, and I will get back to you ASAP.