How to Setup LightNVR Cloud for Multiple Client Sites

Overview: One instance per client site

The recommended architecture for MSPs is one LightNVR instance per client site. This gives you:

• Complete isolation — each client’s footage lives on their own server, never co-mingled
• Independent scaling — right-size CPU, memory, and storage per site
• Per-site billing — straightforward to bundle into your managed services contracts
• Easy offboarding — terminate a client’s instance without affecting others

Step-by-step deployment workflow

1. Create an instance for each client

From your LightNVR dashboard, click New Instance for each client site. Name them consistently (e.g., “ClientName-MainOffice”).

Choose resources based on the site’s camera count:

• 2-4 cameras: Starter (500m CPU, 512MB RAM, 20GB storage)
• 4-8 cameras: Standard (1000m CPU, 1GB RAM, 50GB storage)
• 8-16+ cameras: Professional (2000m CPU, 2GB RAM, 100GB storage)

2. Set up a WireGuard tunnel per site

Each client site needs its own WireGuard tunnel. Follow our WireGuard setup guide for each location. At each site, install the WireGuard config on the client’s router or a dedicated Raspberry Pi.

3. Add cameras at each site

Once the tunnel is active, add each camera using its local IP address. See our RTSP camera guide for details on finding RTSP URLs.

4. Use client tags for organization

Tag each instance with a client name to see per-client summaries on your dashboard. The dashboard’s “By Client” view groups instances automatically by tag, showing active count and monthly spend per client.

5. Monitor from your dashboard

Your MSP dashboard shows all instances across all clients. You can see at a glance which sites are active, suspended, and what the total monthly spend is.

Best practices for MSPs

• Use a naming convention — e.g., “ClientName-LocationDescription” makes it easy to identify instances
• Document the tunnel config — keep a record of which WireGuard config goes with which site, in case you need to reconfigure a router
• Right-size aggressively — start small and scale up only when needed. You can adjust resources at any time without downtime.
• Set up camera sub-streams — use the main stream for recording and the sub-stream for live viewing to reduce bandwidth at each site
• Consider bandwidth per site — each 1080p camera needs ~4 Mbps upload. Make sure each client’s internet connection can handle their camera count.
• Reach out for volume pricing — managing 5+ sites? Email support@lightnvr.com to discuss MSP-specific pricing.