View Full Version : Wifi cameras/security systems?
Martinjmpr
10-30-2017, 17:54
Who here can help me out figuring a camera system for our suburban house? I'm looking at Ring and similar setups but don't know much about them.
Trying to do internet research but figure I'd see if anyone else had been down this road before I try to reinvent the wheel.
We moved from Englewood to the Columbine area in February, and while we're happy with our new home, it seems like there's more petty/property crime around here than the area we used to live in (off of Kalamath in old Englewood.)
All this culminated in yesterday (Sunday) when I went to fill my truck with gas and discovered afterwards that both my license plates were missing from my Pathfinder which I park in the driveway (no room in the garage, unfortunately!) Apparently there are a lot of little petty "opportunity" thefts like this around (close your garage doors!)
Anyway, I'm looking at adding up to 3 cameras (one on the front porch and two more to monitor the side/front of the house that are not easily visible from inside.) I understand that now all the signals can be sent via WiFi to either a home computer or to a web-based server that we can then watch from our phones with an app.
So I'm curious to know what others have done with this kind of technology.
I got arlo because Costco had it on sale.
Good: it picks up bugs and even a rabbit running. Sensitive. It is easy to use.
Bad:
Tons of false alarm, unless you make it cover smaller area.
Sensitive to sunlight and shadow.
Takes ~2 second after motion to record.
Some have arlo pro and they are happier than regular arlo.
My house is wired with hikvision. Takes a little more knowledge to set up but it records on a loop for 4 weeks and then also sends email notifications for motion marking the date and time. Also records audio. If you can set up a router you can set up a standard POE IP cam system.
Subscribing to this one.....
Subscribed. Been lookin at options for outside the house, most all of the one I have looked at have some fatal flaw in either hardware or software.
Fentonite
10-30-2017, 22:03
I got arlo because Costco had it on sale.
Good: it picks up bugs and even a rabbit running. Sensitive. It is easy to use.
Bad:
Tons of false alarm, unless you make it cover smaller area.
Sensitive to sunlight and shadow.
Takes ~2 second after motion to record.
Some have arlo pro and they are happier than regular arlo.
I have Arlo too. Ok as a minimalistic approach, nice in that the triggered recordings are instantly on the cloud, but not nearly as reliable as a continuous recording would be. I've caught some surprisingly sketchy stuff on video around my house, but I may look into Hikvision or another option.
DenverGP
10-30-2017, 22:44
i've got 3 of these cameras, they do a decent job:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G1U4MVA
I'll post of up a pic from them tomorrow. Nice picture during the day, acceptable night-vision mode.
Connected to a POE switch, with iSpy software running on a 5 year old machine. The iSpy software is free, but they charge a subscription to get access to your video feed from the internet/mobile phone. The iSpy software is open source, and I've downloaded it and am replacing their subscription features with free ones.
Blue Iris software on your computer and pick your poison on IP cams running on batteries, or PoE cams, etc.
Hard to beat if you want to get "tweaky" with it. Remote view/control app for your smart phone, etc. Has all the bells and whistles.
My wife likes to put a yard banner/flag out front and I can tune that little spot out, set pixel size detection, web access, etc. Highly tunable but maybe not for the non technical.
I only started with old cell phones and a free IP WebCam app, but need to step up to some better cameras. The frame rate capturing from the phones is too jittery.
Sadly, it doesn't work with Ring (ring's limit) but there's a few other doorbell cams out there that work with it, I just haven't picked one myself.
There's other folks here that use it way more than I do, Maybe they'll chime in. There was another thread it was discussed in as well if you can find it.
Blue Iris software on your computer and pick your poison on IP cams running on batteries, or PoE cams, etc.
Hard to beat if you want to get "tweaky" with it. Remote view/control app for your smart phone, etc. Has all the bells and whistles.
My wife likes to put a yard banner/flag out front and I can tune that little spot out, set pixel size detection, web access, etc. Highly tunable but maybe not for the non technical.
I only started with old cell phones and a free IP WebCam app, but need to step up to some better cameras. The frame rate capturing from the phones is too jittery.
Sadly, it doesn't work with Ring (ring's limit) but there's a few other doorbell cams out there that work with it, I just haven't picked one myself.
There's other folks here that use it way more than I do, Maybe they'll chime in. There was another thread it was discussed in as well if you can find it.Likewise with Blue Iris. Very flexible for your needs...mine is setup with 4 cameras with one partially capturing the garage door. It's nice to check to make sure it's down from their phone app. My cameras are all POE (power over ethernet--power comes from a switch the network cables plug into) and move the data back to a computer. User settings send you alerts from detected movement. It's all very configurable.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Blue Iris is the way to go if you have an extra pc. Plus you can also vnc in if your employer blocks typical hosting ports for security reasons. I use ddns.net as well for a free domain name. Just make sure you have your firewall set up properly.
ChadAmberg
10-31-2017, 21:48
I picked up a couple Reolink Argus cameras a while back and they've done a great job, especially for only 99 bucks a cam. https://reolink.com/product/argus/
I picked up a couple Reolink Argus cameras a while back and they've done a great job, especially for only 99 bucks a cam. https://reolink.com/product/argus/
Had to change the batteries yet?
Just picked up an NVR and 8 cameras from HIKvision for the office. After reading and talking to others they rate real well for the price.
Should be here Monday so who pulls cable? HaaHaa pull for $$ anyone?
Grant H.
11-10-2017, 17:56
I have installed POE cameras with Blue Iris, and with iSpy, and both can be made to work well. Blue Iris costs you $60 up front, but is easier to get up and running if you are a techy-type of person. iSpy is more capable, in some regards, but takes more tinkering. Currently I am tinkering with doing all this through ZoneMinder on my linux box, because it never crashes, and it's on the solar (Fiber modem, router, WAP, and linux machine are all on a small solar power solution. Maintain internet even when the power goes out in town).
It's not hard to fix, but be aware that Blue Iris and iSpy don't automatically start when you power on the computer. I have a friend that had a power outage, and then 2 weeks later had a break in. He hadn't ever gone to check Blue Iris since the power outage and as such had no video footage of the break in. Luckily it wasn't a big deal, but it was still a learning lesson for him and me.
If you don't want to run a computer, there are quite a few good options for POE camera NVR's. Some brands (Hikvision and Dahua that I know of and have tried), have their own, while others are made to support a list of different brands (and support more than they list assuming they use a standard POE Cam protocol). These may be more expensive in the long run, as many don't come with the storage hard drives, but they are simple and generally work well.
The cameras that I installed and handle at the church are not setup to record video, but instead take a string of pictures when motion is detected and then FTP them off to a raspberry pi running linux and an FTP server. Given the way this is going thus far, the 64gb SD card will be able to handle years of pictures before I have to worry about them getting too old. Next up, when time permits, is the function to delete them when they are 3 months old. If we haven't used them in 3 months, we won't ever need them. We have 6 cameras that provide high res images of all the doors in and out, so we have a record of who was there should something happen. The church cameras are Dahua, as are my house cameras currently (the company ended up with extras so we donated some to the church and put the others at our houses).
I have used Dahua, Hikvision, Axis, Mobotics, and some Panasonic cameras. I have also installed some of the early generations of Ubiquiti cameras, and would recommend everyone to stay well clear. Supposedly the new generation is better, but after the miserable failure of the first ones, I'm going to have to see a LOT more positive chatter about them before I try them again. As I said above, I currently have Dahua cameras installed, and do like the way they work. The one downside is that their web interface prefers IE, and requires a plugin to show the video. That's less of an issue since they are being fed into a central system, but is an annoyance if you don't have them brought to something that is easier to interact with.
In this day in age, go with 1080p capable cameras. You don't have to run them there, but at least have the capability. Built in NV illuminators will make a big difference in lowlight/dark situations.
I tend to stay away from wifi based cameras, because I want my wifi to be fast for my machines, and if you have a handful of cameras streaming data to a recorder, it takes a fair chunk of the bandwidth. This is a personal preference thing, but I would rather run CAT6 to all my locations and have gigabit access to all the cameras and leave the wifi alone. I understand the convenience of wifi, but unless you have battery powered cameras, you still have to run something to them. One solution to this is to set up an entirely separate wifi network to support the cameras, and can actually be a good idea. You can hide the SSID, and purposely select an different channel than your normal wifi AP, and it provides better performance for both systems. This is easier to do if you are running separate hardware for Router and WAP, which most don't, but it is an option.
I also tend to stay away from coax based cameras. I have installed a few, but generally I find their performance isn't as good, and then you are likely locked into using their recording device.
When you are mounting cameras, there are a couple things to consider.
1. Where you want to see (obviously) - What are you trying to cover? If you think you have a good location, test it before actually installing it. I run test cables and have someone hold the camera, and then I check it both during the day and at night. Take and old license plate and hold it a foot off the ground and see if it lights up enough to be visible.
2. Can criminals see it? Two schools of thought here. 1 - hide it, and then you get video of it. 2 - Plain view as a visual deterrent. I actually use both. I have inexpensive cameras setup to be visible as a deterrent, and then I have better cameras setup out of sight (or out of reach if out of sight isn't possible) to record anything that does happen.
3. If you are running POE, consider how to get the cables there. In lots of modern houses a fish tape and plenum rated Cat6 is easily fed through air ducts into many places. If the air ducts come up in strange places (my house has one about 2 feet from the wall in a bedroom) you can then run the cable under the carpet to get it out. Attics and basements are especially handy, but not always the easiest option (my attic has 2' of loose insulation in it now).
Final thought for now, is consider a VLAN for your POE cameras. This isolates them from the rest of your network, and if setup properly, prevents them from being seen if someone gets on your network that isn't supposed to be there. Honestly, any home automation should be vlan'd off from your normal network for security reasons.
Grant H.
11-10-2017, 17:59
Just picked up an NVR and 8 cameras from HIKvision for the office. After reading and talking to others they rate real well for the price.
Should be here Monday so who pulls cable? HaaHaa pull for $$ anyone?
Do you have drop ceilings in your office? If so, get a plant support stick and tape your Cat5/6 to the end and use that to pass "spear" the cable longer distances. I ran cables in a former employers office this way, and it's great. Once you get the hang of it, you can move 15-20+ feet every time you toss the line.
DenverGP
11-10-2017, 19:11
I got this kit from Harbor Freight. Made running ethernet cable in my unfinished attic (couple feet of blown-in insulation) pretty easy.
72505
https://www.harborfreight.com/3-16-inch-x-33-ft-fiberglass-wire-running-kit-65326.html
I don’t have drop ceilings but the majority of the cameras have crawl space available above, for the second floor and below for the first. Been thinking about paths to access the locations. Already have about 3 miles of cat6 for the network and want to install new (different color) cat6 for the cameras.
It's not hard to fix, but be aware that Blue Iris and iSpy don't automatically start when you power on the computer.
Lots of great info.
However, Blue Iris has an option to run as an installable service that starts with the system. I think I paid $40 for my license if you look around.
Reading and learning...thanks to all of you for sharing.
Deleted some items from the Amazon cart and changed out with others recommended.
Blowby, what are you using for storage?
4 TB HD. Here’s a list of my purchase.
http://powerstrokearmy.com/photopost/data/550/medium/A4914BD7-3E53-4B13-B1A6-8A02EB08AD0A.jpeg
Here’s a link to a disc space calculator. I set my frame rate to 15 for indoor and 25 for out door on the 2 4mp cameras. I estimated 16 hours continuous record and the remaining 8 motion detection. 6:00am to 10:00 pm since it’s a co-share work space. This will give me 4 weeks of storage. The NVR I purchased has room and can use up to 2, 6TB drives if I need more.
http://www.hikvision.com/us/download_more_82_i4692.html
Martinjmpr
11-29-2017, 10:48
Well, we went with the Arlo system. Nice thing about it is that it is 100% wireless. No power cables, no wires to connect the cameras, etc.
The iPhone app seems to work well, too. Now I just have to set it so it doesn't send me a text message every time it detects motion. Pictures are amazingly clear.
FWIW Best Buy is having a sale on the Arlo. We initially wanted 3 cameras but they had a 4 pack for $499 and we had a $50 coupon on top of that. Normal price for a 4 pack would be about $650.
BladesNBarrels
11-29-2017, 11:10
Well, we went with the Arlo system. Nice thing about it is that it is 100% wireless. No power cables, no wires to connect the cameras, etc.
The iPhone app seems to work well, too. Now I just have to set it so it doesn't send me a text message every time it detects motion. Pictures are amazingly clear.
FWIW Best Buy is having a sale on the Arlo. We initially wanted 3 cameras but they had a 4 pack for $499 and we had a $50 coupon on top of that. Normal price for a 4 pack would be about $650.
Thank you for following up.
Are you using icloud, dropbox, or something for offline storage?
What amount of storage are you anticipating?
Thanks again!
Martinjmpr
11-29-2017, 13:42
Thank you for following up.
Are you using icloud, dropbox, or something for offline storage?
What amount of storage are you anticipating?
Thanks again!
No offline storage at this point. The Arlo base option (free) will store data up to 7 days on their servers. My understanding is that I have the option of saving anything during that time to my computer. I believe I can also plug a flash drive into the base station and download to that, but it's not automatic.
Arlo also has plans that start at $100/year that offer up to 30 days/10gb of storage.
My thought is that if there's an "incident" I should know within 7 days and be able to retrieve the footage of that incident. Otherwise we'll be using it to do things like monitor the front door (so, for example, when a package gets delivered, we will get a "motion alert" along with video so we will know we have a package waiting and when it was dropped off.) At this point I don't see the need to keep a lot of recordings.
BladesNBarrels
11-29-2017, 14:10
Thank you.
I was thinking of the system for when we are on vacation - sometimes up to 4 weeks.
We may be out of cell coverage during that time and storage of activities would be nice.
Our current security system alerts the local police, but they will not respond unless the owner is present at the house (ain't that grand?)
Best Buy had advised we use Vivint system because they query the house, look at the video, and then tell the police that a real break-in has occurred and assured us that the police would respond.
I am thinking that I would like camera's and a doorbell response in the system so I can see who and what is happening at the front door.
Best Buy is endorsing Vivint and installing it. The neighbor got the system direct and had Vivint install it. He is glad he went that route.
Thanks again.
With tomorrow being Thief Thursday (stealing packages off porches from BF and CM orders), I'd like to see some success stories.
One advice for arlo is to spray some bug spray near the wall where camera is. Bugs will set off the arlo.
Yellow light attracts less bugs, and we use yellow led light for front/back of the house.
KevDen2005
11-29-2017, 19:02
I have Arlo and it works for now. I dislike it a lot. I want a permanent system that I can control and I can monitor from my phone. So hopefully in the spring I'll be upgrading to a better system. I'll have to get someone to install it because that seems a little more complicated than I need it to be.
I have Arlo and it works for now. I dislike it a lot. I want a permanent system that I can control and I can monitor from my phone. So hopefully in the spring I'll be upgrading to a better system. I'll have to get someone to install it because that seems a little more complicated than I need it to be.
Next time you are out, have Will show you his. Chinese, but functional. Mine is very similar.
Great-Kazoo
11-30-2017, 00:23
Thank you.
I was thinking of the system for when we are on vacation - sometimes up to 4 weeks.
We may be out of cell coverage during that time and storage of activities would be nice.
Our current security system alerts the local police, but they will not respond unless the owner is present at the house (ain't that grand?)
Best Buy had advised we use Vivint system because they query the house, look at the video, and then tell the police that a real break-in has occurred and assured us that the police would respond.
I am thinking that I would like camera's and a doorbell response in the system so I can see who and what is happening at the front door.
Best Buy is endorsing Vivint and installing it. The neighbor got the system direct and had Vivint install it. He is glad he went that route.
Thanks again.
I have foscam and amcrest. Movement happens it goes to email, no SD cards to remove, batteries to change, company to send monthly payments to.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.