Summary

This article describes how to use the bandwidth calculation tools.

Calculating Bandwidth

To calculate bandwidth:

1. Log in to Cloud Portal. 
    
2. Navigate to OnCloud. 
    

3. Click the Building icon at the top right.
   
   
    

   NOTE: If you do not see this icon, you do not have permission to view the 
   dashboard.

    

4. Click Tools.
   
   
    

5. On the Tools page, create a new storage or bandwidth estimate. 
   You can also:

   - Search for existing estimates by name.

   - Sort estimates by type, creator, most recent modifier, and last modified date.

   - Set a custom date range.

   - Click the three dots on an existing estimate to edit, duplicate, delete, or print it.
   
   
    

6. Click Bandwidth Estimate.  
    
7. Follow the instructions on the left side of the page to create the estimate. The results are shown on the right side of the page.
   
   
    
8. Select a Subscription Plan. You can select 2MP, 4MP, 8MP, or Edge Recording.
   
   
    

9. Set the Video Bitrate(s) and the Number of Camera(s) for the bitrate, based on expected camera recording bitrate and user access assumptions. 
   
   Edge recording stores the video locally on the device. Viewing video remotely requires retrieving the video from the camera and streaming it over the internet in real time, consuming additional bandwidth compared to viewing the stream from the local network. For Edge Recording plans, you also set the following parameters:

   - Percentage of Cameras Accessed Remotely During Normal Use: Percentage of all installed cameras that are expected to be streamed over the internet on a regular basis, outside of special circumstances such as investigating an incident.

   - Amount of Hours Viewed Per Day: Hours per day that a camera will be viewed remotely. For example, a brief check-in might be 0.25 hours, but a remote employee monitoring for a shift would be 8 hours.

   - Percentage of Cameras Accessed Remotely During a Review of an Incident: Similar to Amount of Hours Viewed per Day, but during an active investigation of an incident where footage is stored remotely. For example, if a store has 20 cameras, and during an investigation 8 are used to review footage to trace the path of the person through the location, 40% of cameras are accessed.

   - Amount of Hours Viewed During a Review of an Incident: Similar to Amount of Hours Viewed Per Day, but the number of hours streaming from cameras during an investigation. This is likely in the 1-2 hour range, but may vary depending on the complexity of the investigation. 
   
   You can also enable estimating the bandwidth required for Cloud Backup.
   
   
    

10. Add additional subscription plans by clicking Add Subscription Plan and configuring the details for the new plan. 
     

11. To remove a subscription plan, click Remove.
     

12. Set the Remote Live Streaming Parameters. Each camera streaming to a viewing device should be counted.
    
    
     

13. Review the results pane. If the bandwidth requirements exceed your connection speed, you may need to adjust your plans by decreasing the video bitrate you plan to deploy. 
     
14. Once you have the results you want, click Save.
    
    
     
15. Name your bandwidth estimate, and click Save.
    
    
    
    
    The estimate is added to the list on the Tools page.
    
    
     
16. Edit, duplicate, delete, or print the estimate by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting the action to take.