How to Wall-Mount a CCTV DVR or NVR (or Fit It Under a Desk)

A CCTV recorder doesn't need a shelf. It needs a spot where it won't get knocked, where the camera cables and the network cable reach, and where you can still get at the ports when a camera drops off at eleven at night. Fixing it to the wall, or under a desk, does all three. This guide covers how to mount a DVR or NVR on a wall or under a desk, using clamp brackets that adjust to the thickness of the box and spread apart to suit its size.

The short version

• Measure how thick your recorder is, rubber feet included. That one number decides which bracket set you need.
• 17–54mm: our standard adjustable brackets. That covers most compact 4- and 8-channel recorders.
• 22–87mm: the large adjustable brackets, for deeper multi-drive NVRs.
• Two brackets go on the bottom edge to carry the weight and one goes on the top edge to hold it in. A thumbscrew on each bracket presses the recorder flat against the wall. Nothing gets screwed into the recorder itself.

Plastic, not metal — we'd rather say so first

Our brackets are 3D-printed in PETG plastic, not pressed from steel. We print them on purpose: a printed bracket can be shaped to clamp a box of almost any thickness, and a folded metal cradle can't. They are rigid once fitted. If you are picturing a steel bracket, though, these aren't that, and we would rather you knew now than when the parcel arrives.

How the brackets work

Each bracket is an L-shaped arm. Its foot screws to the wall, and the arm reaches out and over the edge of the recorder. A plastic thumbscrew through the end of the arm tightens down onto the front of the box and clamps it against the wall. On thinner boxes, where the thumbscrew alone can't reach far enough to hold the box, a spacer screws securely onto the end of the thumbscrew and extends it.

The clamp adjusts, so one set fits any recorder within its range. You don't need a bracket made for your model, and you don't need a new one when the recorder is replaced. It only grips the thickness, so a wide or long recorder isn't a problem.

The three brackets are separate, so you place them wherever suits the box: closer together for a compact 4-channel DVR, spread wide for a long 16-channel NVR. That's the biggest difference from most recorder brackets, which are a fixed-width cradle or shelf. Those are fine if your box happens to match, and awkward when it's long or tall. Ours adapt both ways: the thumbscrews take up the thickness, and the spacing takes care of the length.

From one of our installs: each bracket's foot screws to the wall, the arm reaches over the edge and the thumbscrew presses the recorder against the wall. The vented side stays open to the room.

On the wall or under a desk?

When people search for how to mount a DVR vertically, they usually mean standing it on its long edge, with its biggest face against the wall. It's the position you'll see in our product photos. It takes the least wall space, and you can turn the box so the ports face up, down or sideways.

• Upright on a wall: neatest in a hallway, garage or comms cupboard. Turn the box so the rear panel faces the direction your cables come from, so they drop straight in without bending around the case.
• Under a desk: the same three brackets screw into the underside of the desktop instead of the wall. This is popular in offices and control rooms where the monitor sits on the desk.

An 8-camera DVR we fitted upright with its ports on top, so the camera cables drop straight in from above.

Fitting it, step by step

1. Choose the spot. You need power, a network cable and, if you use one, an HDMI cable to a monitor, all within reach. Leave a hand's width at the port end so you can plug and unplug without taking the recorder down.
2. Mark the bottom two brackets. Hold the recorder where it will go and mark the holes for two brackets under its bottom edge, roughly a quarter of the way in from each end. On a long recorder, spread them further apart.
3. Drill and plug. The wall plugs in the set are for brick and block walls. On plasterboard, use plasterboard fixings or find a stud. A recorder with a hard drive in it is heavier than it looks.
4. Fit the bottom pair and rest the recorder on them. Then mark and fit the third bracket over the top edge, in the middle or wherever there's a clear gap between the connectors.
5. Tighten the thumbscrews by hand. Snug is enough. You are holding the box against the wall, not crushing it. If a thumbscrew can't reach the front of a thin box, screw a spacer onto its end to extend it.
6. Connect and tidy. Plug everything back in and check every camera comes back. A couple of cable ties on the bundle stop the weight of the cables pulling on the ports.

Airflow and the hard drive

Before you pick a spot, look at where your recorder breathes. Most have vents or a fan on the sides or the back. Mounted on its edge, those sides stay open to the room, which is often better than sitting on a crowded shelf. Just don't put the vented side against a cupboard wall.

The hard drive inside doesn't mind being on its side. Drive makers rate their drives for horizontal or vertical mounting, which is why upright recorders and NAS boxes are normal. What drives dislike is heat, so a mounted recorder in moving air is better off than one shut in a sealed cabinet.

Under a desk

Fitting it under a desk is the same job turned upside down: the three brackets screw into the underside of the desktop instead of the wall.

The one thing to sort out first is the screws. The screws and wall plugs in the set are for walls. Desktops vary a lot in thickness, so we don't supply screws for them. Measure your desktop and buy wood screws short enough that they can't come out through the top.

A shelf you no longer need

Installers often reach for a component shelf or a wall-mounted cabinet because that's what the trade catalogue offers. For one recorder, it's a lot of steel for one box. A set of clamp brackets puts the recorder exactly where the shelf would have gone, without the shelf. If you already have a rack and spare rack space, use it. These are for when you don't.

Frequently asked questions

Will it fit my Hikvision, Dahua, Reolink or Swann recorder?

It comes down to thickness, not brand. From the manufacturers' own figures, a Reolink RLN8-410 is 41mm and a Hikvision DS-7208HGHI-K1 DVR is 45mm, both comfortably inside the 17–54mm range. A Swann DVR-5580 (53mm) and a two-drive Hikvision DS-7608NI-K2 (52mm) sit right at the top of it, so the large set is the safer choice for those. A four-drive Hikvision DS-7716NI-K4 is 71mm, which is large-set territory. Our size guide has a longer list.

Do I have to drill or modify the recorder?

No. The brackets clamp the outside of the case. Nothing is screwed into the recorder, and you can take it down by undoing three thumbscrews.

Are plastic brackets strong enough for a recorder with hard drives?

They're rigid and hold a typical 1U recorder securely once fitted. What makes the most difference is what the brackets are fixed into: a stud or masonry, rather than plasterboard on its own. We don't publish a weight rating, so if you have a heavy multi-drive unit, ask us first and tell us the model.

Which way should the ports face?

Towards your cables, usually down or to one side. Ports facing down keep dust and drips out and let the cables hang naturally.

Can I mount a NVR in a loft or garage?

Anywhere the recorder itself is rated to run, so check the operating temperature in its manual. A garage wall is usually fine. A loft in high summer is a poor home for any recorder, and for plastic brackets too.

What comes in the set?

Three adjustable brackets, three spacers, three screws and three wall plugs, enough to fix one recorder to a wall. For under a desk, you'll need wood screws to suit your desktop.

Related guides

• Which size bracket do you need? Measuring your box
• How to hide your broadband router without ruining your Wi-Fi
• How to mount a network switch or mini PC without a rack

Everything we make for recorders, routers and network kit is in For Security & Data Systems. UK orders are 3D-printed and dispatched from our family workshop in Bristol.

Got a box that doesn't fit either set? We take on custom design and printing work — send us the model number.

Hikvision, Dahua, Reolink and Swann are trademarks of their respective owners. Mars Outpost is not affiliated with any of them.