IP Camera Bandwidth Calculator
Add your camera groups and see the total video bitrate in Mbps and MB/s. Then check it against a 100M, Gigabit or 10G link. Results update as you type.
Camera groups
One group per mix of resolution, frame rate and codec.
Whole number, 1 to 999.
Will it fit?
Links are designed to 70% of their nominal speed.
- Fits
Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps)
25% of 70 Mbps usable
- Fits
Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps)
3% of 700 Mbps usable
- Fits
10 Gigabit Ethernet (10000 Mbps)
<1% of 7000 Mbps usable
Bandwidth results
Total network load
17.6Mbps
Data rate
2.20MB/s
Cameras
8
- Video streams
- 16.0 Mbps
- Protocol overhead (+10%)
- 1.60 Mbps
Estimated data volume
Per hour
7.92 GB
Per day
190.1 GB
Per 30 days
5.70 TB
Per camera
2.20 Mbps
How to calculate IP camera bandwidth
Multiply each camera's bitrate by the camera count, add up the groups, then add protocol overhead. The result is your total network load in Mbps.
Per-camera Mbps = base rate × (fps ÷ 30) × codec factor
Group Mbps = per-camera Mbps × cameras
Total Mbps = sum of groups × (1 + overhead ÷ 100)
MB/s = total Mbps ÷ 8
The base rate is H.264 at 30 fps for each resolution. Frame rate scales it in proportion, and the codec factor lowers it for H.265 and H.265+. Overhead is added once, to the sum of all groups. Turning Mbps into MB/s is a separate step: divide by 8 after overhead, not instead of it.
Worked example: 8 cameras at 4MP, H.265, 15 fps
The calculator opens with this setup, and the figures below come from the same model.
- Per camera: 2.00 Mbps (0.25 MB/s)
- 8 cameras: 16.0 Mbps
- Protocol overhead at 10%: 1.60 Mbps
- Total: 17.6 Mbps, or 2.20 MB/s
- On a Fast Ethernet link the total uses 25% of the 70 Mbps you should plan for.
Once the network side fits, size the recorder: the CCTV Storage & HDD Calculator turns the same bitrates into terabytes and days of retention for your NVR or DVR.
Bitrate per camera by resolution and codec
Figures are Mbps per camera at 15 fps, before protocol overhead.
| Resolution | H.264 | H.265 | H.265+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1MP | 1.00 | 0.50 | 0.35 |
| 2MP | 2.00 | 1.00 | 0.70 |
| 3MP | 3.00 | 1.50 | 1.05 |
| 4MP | 4.00 | 2.00 | 1.40 |
| 5MP | 5.00 | 2.50 | 1.75 |
| 6MP | 6.00 | 3.00 | 2.10 |
| 8MP | 8.00 | 4.00 | 2.80 |
| 12MP | 12.0 | 6.00 | 4.20 |
How many cameras fit on a network link
Camera counts assume 2.20 Mbps per camera, the worked example's rate including overhead, on a link planned to 70% of nominal speed.
| Link | Usable at 70% (Mbps) | Usable (MB/s) | Max cameras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) | 70 | 8.75 | 31 |
| Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps) | 700 | 87.5 | 318 |
| 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10000 Mbps) | 7000 | 875.0 | 3181 |
Frequently asked questions
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