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Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2
NVR5432-16HP-EI2 — 32-channel NVR, 4 HDD bays, 16-port built-in PoE, 32 MP
SPECIFICATIONS · NVR5432-16HP-EI2
Full specifications
Specifications sourced from official manufacturer datasheet (link in hero).
About the Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2
The Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2 is a 17-32 channel NVR positioned where larger SMB and entry-level commercial installs live — building-scale rather than room-scale projects. High-capacity HDD bay count carries 60-180 day retention without external storage at typical commercial-camera bitrates, and supports RAID protection so single-disk failure does not lose footage. A single rack-unit slim chassis keeps the install footprint minimal and leaves headroom in the cabinet for a PoE switch, UPS and patch panel above it. Partial built-in PoE (16 ports for 32 channels) handles the closest cameras directly and pushes the remainder onto an external PoE switch. This split is common when the NVR sits near a cluster of cameras and the far cameras are reached through a switch in another room or floor.
Best use cases for this recorder
Multi-floor office, flagship retail, factory cell
32 channels absorb the per-floor camera count of a 3-5 story building, a retail flagship with stockroom and yard, or a factory cell with overhead and process cameras — without forcing a second unit on day one.
4K/8MP camera deployments
Native support for 32 MP per-channel recording matches it to current-generation 4K cameras — useful when the install plan calls for fewer-but-higher-resolution cameras (typical of perimeter, parking, and identification-focused layouts).
Long-retention archive & evidentiary recording
4 HDD bays at up to 20 TB each give the unit petabyte-class storage capacity, supporting 6-12 month retention windows mandated by some banking, retail-loss-prevention, and public-transport contracts.
Strengths
- •32-channel headroom absorbs phased expansion without forcing a second chassis
- •16 built-in PoE ports eliminate the need for an external switch on small installs
- •Smart H.265+ codec halves storage cost over H.265 at equivalent perceived quality
- •ONVIF compliance lets the unit record from third-party cameras, not just the same-brand catalog
- •384 Mbps ingest bandwidth supports the unit at full channel count at 4K resolution
Considerations
- •No RAID support — single-disk failure means losing all footage on that disk; plan retention policy accordingly
Storage planning
Running all 32 channels at the industry-typical 4 Mbps/channel H.265 CBR (15 fps, 4 MP scene complexity), the NVR5432-16HP-EI2 produces roughly 1350 GB of footage per day — about 9450 GB/week, 40500 GB/month, and 121500 GB across a 90-day retention window. Fully populated with 4× 20 TB drives the unit holds 80 TB raw — enough for roughly 2.0× the one-month archive at full bitrate before RAID overhead. These figures are deterministic — derived from your bitrate assumption, the channel count, and the calendar — not estimated from a marketing data sheet.
Estimates assume 4 Mbps per channel H.265 CBR continuous recording. Motion-only recording typically reduces storage by 40-70%.
Bandwidth headroom
Input (ingest)
Avg 12.0 Mbps per channel — enough for 4K H.265 at 4 Mbps/channel.
Output (playback)
Sets the ceiling for simultaneous remote playback streams to mobile and web clients.
Installation tips for the NVR5432-16HP-EI2
Install in a standard 19-inch rack cabinet on supported rack rails; allow at least 1U of clearance above and below the 1U for airflow and HDD-bay servicing.
Plan storage at roughly 1350 GB/day (≈40500 GB/month) for continuous H.265 recording at 4 Mbps/channel — match HDD capacity to the longest retention window the privacy policy or insurance contract demands.
Distribute high-power cameras (PTZ, heated housings) across the 16 built-in PoE ports — concentrating them on a single port group can exceed the per-port PoE budget even when the chassis total has headroom.
Place the recorder on a dedicated VLAN with the cameras — separating CCTV traffic from office VLANs avoids broadcast storms degrading recording quality during busy network hours.
Power & rack
Power draw sits at roughly 50 W idle and around 178 W under full load (4-bay HDD activity plus 150 W of PoE delivered to cameras). That dissipates approximately 607 BTU/hour of heat into the rack — size the comms-cabinet ventilation accordingly. Allow 1U of cabinet space for the chassis plus 1U of unobstructed airflow above and below; pair with a UPS sized for at least 15-minute hold-up so the recorder shuts down cleanly on mains failure.
Installer time & cost (rough estimate)
A typical EU integrator quotes 8-10 h of labour to commission the Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2 (approximately €360-€450 excluding hardware), broken down as physical install, HDD population, 32-channel discovery and IP/credential configuration, schedule + retention setup, motion / event rules per camera, mobile-app pairing, and a brief operator handover. Allow extra time for sites with non-standard network topology (multi-VLAN, multi-site bridges) or for migrations from a legacy DVR where camera streams must be re-addressed.
Indicative EU 2024-2025 pricing — actual quotes vary by region, network topology and migration scope. Excludes hardware, HDDs, transport, permits, and VAT.
Frequently asked questions
How many cameras can the Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2 record?
Up to 32 IP camera channels per chassis. Total ingest bandwidth is 384 Mbps, which sets the practical ceiling — running every channel at 4K (typically 8 Mbps each) requires 256 Mbps, so verify whether your camera plan fits inside the bandwidth budget.
Does the Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2 support third-party (ONVIF) cameras?
Yes — ONVIF Profile S/T support means the unit records from third-party cameras as well as the same-brand catalog. Most cameras supporting ONVIF 16.12 or newer plug-and-play; older firmware may require manual stream URL configuration in the NVR web UI.
How much storage does the Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2 need for 30-day recording?
At the industry-typical 4 Mbps per channel H.265 CBR (15 fps, 4 MP scene), all 32 channels recording continuously for 30 days produces approximately 40500 GB (39.6 TB) of footage. Motion-only or event-triggered recording typically cuts that by 40-70 % depending on scene activity. Plan HDD capacity for the longest retention window your privacy policy or insurance contract demands.
What HDDs are recommended for the Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2?
Use surveillance-rated HDDs — WD Purple, Seagate SkyHawk, Toshiba S300, or equivalent. Desktop / consumer drives (WD Blue, Seagate Barracuda) are not validated for 24/7 write workloads and typically fail within 12-18 months in CCTV use. Max 20 TB per bay across 4 bays = up to 80 TB raw capacity; populate matched pairs/sets if planning RAID.
Does the Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2 need its own PoE switch?
Not on small installs — 16 built-in PoE ports power and connect cameras directly to the recorder. On larger sites a dedicated managed PoE switch is still the cleaner architecture: separate failure domain, larger PoE budget, easier replacement.
What power and cooling does the Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2 need?
Plan for 50 W idle and ~178 W under full load, dissipating roughly 607 BTU/hour into the rack or cupboard. Size the UPS for at least 15-minute hold-up so the unit can flush write buffers and shut down cleanly on mains failure — abrupt power loss is the leading cause of NVR file-system corruption in commercial installs.
Is the Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2 suitable for evidentiary recording?
Depends on the retention and chain-of-custody policy. The 4-bay chassis supports basic mirroring on the install side, but lacks declared RAID 5/6 parity — verify with the vendor whether RAID is supported in newer firmware On the export side, ensure footage is hashed and timestamped before transfer to investigators.
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Helpful Tools & Resources
Storage Calculator
Match HDD capacity to your retention policy
Bandwidth Calculator
Verify your network can carry the ingest load
Camera Quantity Calculator
Match channel count to your site
UPS Sizing Calculator
Hold-up time for clean NVR shutdown on mains failure
System Budget Estimator
Hardware + install + commissioning cost
CCTV Storage Planning Guide
Bitrate, retention, RAID — the full math
Plan your CCTV layout with Dahua NVR5432-16HP-EI2
Use our free CCTV planner to lay out cameras feeding this recorder, match HDD capacity to retention windows, and generate a professional PDF report — no signup required.
Free until you outgrow it · No card · No install