How many PTZ cams can I put on a gigabit network?

December 09, 2022

This depends on the streaming format being used (H264, H265 or MJPEG) as well as the bitrate and resolution selected, Constant Bit Rate (CBR) or Varialbe Bit Rate (VBR). .

When using the maximum the bitrate of the camera using H264 (8192kbps), we need to look at the backplane capabilities of the gig switch. As an example, the Dell Power Connect 6248P switches we use in house have a 10Gb backplane

If we had enough  switches and enough cameras on hand, we would be able to max the switches out with about 1,280 cameras. General network rules of thumb suggest to never consume 100% of your available bandwidth because bandwidth can fluctuate.

As long as the backplane is large enough, you should be able to handle a number of cameras.