IP camera bandwidth calculator.
Plan network and storage for your surveillance system. Estimate bandwidth for IP and ONVIF cameras across H.264, H.265, and common resolutions.
Frequently asked questions
Camera bandwidth, answered.
How is IP camera bandwidth calculated?
Per camera, bandwidth is the base bitrate for the resolution, multiplied by a codec efficiency factor, scaled by frame rate (relative to 30 fps). Total network bandwidth is the sum across all cameras. For example, a 4 MP camera on H.265 at 15 fps consumes roughly half the bitrate of the same camera at 30 fps.
How much bandwidth does H.265 save compared to H.264?
H.265 (HEVC) typically halves the bitrate of H.264 at the same visual quality. Vendor-enhanced variants such as H.265+ can reduce it further, to roughly 35% of an H.264 High Profile baseline, depending on scene complexity and motion.
How do I estimate storage from bandwidth?
Divide the total bitrate in megabits per second by 8 to get megabytes per second of write throughput, then multiply by recording time. As a rule of thumb, 1 Mbps of continuous recording consumes about 10.5 GB per day, so a 100 Mbps camera fleet needs roughly 31.6 TB for 30 days of continuous retention.
What assumptions does this calculator make?
Results use typical base bitrates per resolution tier at 30 fps with H.264 High Profile as the reference codec, continuous recording, and a single stream per camera. Actual bitrates vary with scene complexity, motion, and encoder settings, so treat results as planning estimates rather than guarantees.
Does ONVIF affect bandwidth?
ONVIF itself is an interoperability standard and does not change bitrate. What matters for bandwidth is which codecs the camera supports: ONVIF Profile T cameras support H.265 through the standard, which is how the codec savings reach your VMS without vendor plugins.