Hikvision DS-7608NI-E2/8P 8-Channel 8-PoE NVR

The DS-7608NI-E2/8P is an 8-channel Hikvision recorder with a PoE port for each camera, so every IP camera runs on a single network cable. It suits homes, shops, clinics, and small offices.

It takes eight IP cameras with 80 Mbps of incoming bandwidth, and its HDMI and VGA outputs show live view and playback at up to 1080p. The PoE ports supply up to 120 W in total, enough for standard IP cameras on every port.

Two SATA bays hold the recordings, a gigabit network port connects it to your router for remote viewing, and a USB 3.0 port speeds up exporting footage for the police or insurers. It supports smart events from compatible Hikvision cameras.

This is an earlier Hikvision generation. For 8 MP cameras and 4K output, the DS-7608NI-Q2/8P is the current choice; for adding cameras to an existing E-series system, this model matches well. We size the hard drives to how many days of recording you need to keep, and connect the recorder to a UPS or inverter so it keeps recording through power cuts.