Bandwidth is the maximum rate at which a network link can carry data, usually expressed in megabits per second. It is a ceiling rather than a guarantee, because the usable rate depends on how many streams and devices share the link at once. A camera system needs enough for every stream it records or views.
Bandwidth is the number that decides whether a camera system feels responsive or sluggish. It is also the number most often quoted without saying which link it applies to.
Where bandwidth is consumed
Each camera stream, each remote viewer and each export takes a share of the path between devices. A recorder on a switch port shows one figure, the site’s internet connection another, and a virtual private network tunnel a third. The slowest link in that chain sets the experience.
Planning for the peak
Size for the busiest hour, not the average: a morning when every stream records while two managers review footage. Keep camera traffic on its own switch and virtual local area network, and cap remote viewing quality. Bandwidth planning is mostly a matter of deciding what shares a link.