RETROFIT & UPGRADE · BRISBANE · KEEP WHAT WORKS

Retrofit Your Existing CCTV Without Ripping Out the Cabling

If your old CCTV system is failing but the cabling runs are still good, we can upgrade your cameras and NVR while reusing what's already in your walls. Built for Brisbane body corps, commercial property managers, and single-business owners who don't want a rip-and-replace.

ONVIF
Standard Protocol
30-50%
Typical Labour Saving
1-2 days
Residential Cutover
Coax+CAT
Cabling We Work With
190+
5☆ Google Reviews
QLD
Class 2 Security Licence

What's Worth Keeping, What's Worth Replacing

Before any retrofit, we walk every cable run with you and test continuity, length, and signal quality. Here's the typical pattern of what survives versus what needs to swap.

Keep

Existing cabling & conduit

If your CAT5e/CAT6 runs are intact and within length (90m max for PoE), or your RG-59/RG-6 coax tests clean, we reuse all of it. We also keep your conduit, mounting brackets, junction boxes, and ceiling/wall penetrations. That's where the labour savings come from.

Replace

Cameras & NVR

This is the upgrade. Cameras swap to current-gen Dahua 4K IP units with AcuPick AI or TiOC active deterrence. Your NVR swaps to a modern Dahua AcuPick recorder with H.265 compression so the same hard drive holds 2-3x more footage.

Sometimes

PoE switches, hard drive, monitor

If you have a budget PoE switch from 5+ years ago we'll often swap it for a managed Gigabit unit. Same for any spinning-disk drives older than 3 years — we'll quote a Purple/SkyHawk surveillance-grade replacement. Existing monitors stay.

How a Retrofit Actually Works

Four-step process. Most residential retrofits finish in 1-2 days. Multi-building body corp jobs run as phased cutovers, one block at a time, so the property never goes fully offline.

01

On-site assessment

We walk every cable run, test continuity with a cable certifier, measure run lengths, check PoE budget, and document NVR cabinet space. Free of charge across Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast.

02

Compatibility report

You receive a written report: what's reusable, what needs replacement, expected camera positions, and a fixed-price quote. No surprise day-of costs.

03

Cutover day

Pull old cameras, mount new ones on existing brackets, terminate cables, install and configure new NVR, test every channel, and verify night vision plus AI detection zones.

04

App + handover

DMSS app setup on your phones, push notifications configured, AI rules tuned to your property, training on remote viewing and playback. Ongoing remote management available via dealer portal.

How Retrofit Actually Saves Money

Four specific technical features that make retrofit cheaper than a full rip-and-replace install — without compromising the upgrade.

ONVIF

Manufacturer-agnostic protocol

ONVIF is the open IP camera standard. A Dahua NVR can record from any ONVIF-compatible camera, including Hikvision, Axis, Bosch and most generics. We can mix and match if some of your existing cameras are still solid.

COAX

Coax-to-IP transceivers

Old RG-59/RG-6 coax can carry full IP camera signal via EoC (Ethernet over Coax) converters or HDCVI Dahua cameras over the existing BNC runs. No new cabling, no new conduit, no patching ceilings.

PoE

PoE+ over existing Cat5e

Modern PoE+ injectors deliver up to 30W per port over CAT5e at 100m. Your 8-port PoE switch becomes a 16-port managed one, no recabling. Cameras get power and data on the same wire.

AJAX

Add wireless alarm overlay

If your old alarm panel is also failing, we can layer an AJAX Hub 2 wireless system over the existing hard-wired sensor runs using AJAX Transmitter modules. Keep the wires, add cloud monitoring.

Common Retrofit Questions

Can I keep my old cameras and just upgrade the NVR?
Sometimes — it depends on resolution and protocol. If your existing cameras are HD-CVI or analog, they'll connect to a new Dahua tribrid NVR that handles legacy formats. If they're IP/ONVIF, they'll connect to any Dahua NVR. We'll test compatibility on the assessment day. Honest answer: if your cameras are 8-10+ years old, the picture quality is usually the bottleneck regardless of NVR upgrade.
What if my cabling is too old or damaged?
We test every run with a certifier before quoting. CAT5e is rated for 100m PoE; we typically still get reliable signal at 90m if the cable is in good condition. RG-59 coax handles HD-CVI to about 300m. If a specific run fails the test, we replace just that run — not the whole site. You only pay for what actually needs replacing.
I'm on a body corp committee — do you handle multi-building retrofits?
Yes. Multi-building retrofits are mapped out as phased cutovers so the property never goes fully offline. We do block-by-block, working with the building manager on access windows and post-hours installs where needed. All work is documented for committee minutes and warranty records.
What's the typical cost saving versus a full replacement?
Cabling labour is typically 30-50% of a new CCTV install. Retrofitting reuses that labour cost. Hardware costs are roughly comparable (you still need new cameras and a new NVR). Overall, expect 25-40% savings versus a full from-scratch install — depending on how much cabling is reusable.
Can my existing third-party monitoring centre connection be kept?
Yes — most monitoring centres accept IP/SIP signal routing or work via dialer cards that plug into a new Hub. We coordinate the cutover with your monitoring provider so there's no gap in coverage. If you're moving away from a legacy centre, we can route an AJAX Hub 2 to a current Grade 2 EN 50131 centre instead, you choose the provider.

Get a Free Retrofit Assessment

We walk your property, test every cable run, and provide a written compatibility report with a fixed-price quote. No obligation. Available across Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Ipswich.

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QLD Security Provider Licence - Class 2 - Licence No. 4546326 - Jarrod Edwards

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QLD Security Provider Licence · Class 2 · No. 4546326

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