New member has a concern

[Fishman57]

Hi
I have been reasearching home security cameras for a few weeks.An incident in my rural neighborhood prompted this Anyway I`ve read reviews, installation guides and pro and cons of various brands and configurations. After all this I `m torn between trying to do it myself or just hiring my alarm security company to do it. I have a Synology DS716+ NAS that has 2 licenses for cameras. I`m not sure if it really is as easy to use as as plug and play, as it was way more complex a unit than just a one touch storage and back up.It does come with the built in Surveillace Station. And I`m am not that tech savvy. After reading on these forums I realize most of you are way ahead of myself in these matters, and alot of topics and conversations are over my head so far . So I`m kind of asking if I should attempt installing 2 cameras using the Synology ?Am I limited to the type or resolution I can use? There a 2 10 TB drives in NAS now and both are WD Black. Would I need to change out to the recommended surveillance drives or could I use the WD for data etc.storage and Surveillance too? Second if I skip using the NAS, are the 4k "kits"with 4 cameras, NVR and Cat 5 from Nellys or Backstreet or any you can recommend easier to install and use for a low tech person.? Thanks Guys. I do enjoy the articles and any help you can give.If I decide to try it I`ll post my questions and results. Thomas

 

[Fishman57]

OK Just reading further I found the Cliff Notes. Didn`t see those before. I`ll spend some time with those. Looks very informative. I would like to avoid known issues and eliminate crap equipment and bad techniques if I try to install.

 

[SouthernYankee]

-------------------------
To run the Ethernet cable use a low voltage electrician. The same type of people that run the old phone wires.
Please read up on 4k cameras, they are not very good at this time in low light.
You can use the WD black disk drives are your load does not appear to be very high at this time.

Read,Study,Plan before spending money

-------------------------
My standard welcome to the forum message.

Please read the IP Cam Talk Cliff Notes and other items in the IP Cam Talk Wiki. The wiki is in the blue bar at the top of the page.

Read How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!) in the wiki also.

Quick start
1) If you do not have a wired monitored alarm system, get that first
2) Use Dahua starlight cameras or Hikvision darkfighter cameras or ICPT Night eye cameras (Store | IP Cam Talk) if you need good low light cameras.
3) use a VPN to access home network (openVPN)
4) Do not use wifi cameras.
5) Do not use cloud storage
6) Do Not use uPNP, P2P, QR, do not open ports,
7) More megapixel is not necessarily better.
8) Avoid chinese hacked cameras (most ebay, amazon, aliexpress cameras(not all, but most))
9) Do not use reolink, ring, nest cameras (they are junk), no cloud cameras
10) If possible use a turret camera , bullet collect spiders, dome collect dirt and reflect light (IR)
11) Use only solid copper, AWG 23 or 24 ethernet wire. , no CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum)
12) use a test mount to verify the camera mount location. My test rig: rev.2
13) (Looney2ns)If you want to be able to ID faces, don't mount cams higher than 8ft. You want to know who did it, not just what happened.
14) Use a router that has openVPN built in (Most ASUS, Some NetGear....)
15) camera placement use the calculator... IPVM Camera Calculator V3

Cameras to look at
IPC-HDW2231R-ZS Review-Dahua IPC-HDW2231RP-ZS Starlight Camera-Varifocal
IPC-HDW5231-ZE Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE
IPC-HFW4239T-ASE IPC-HFW4239T-ASE
IPC-T5442TM-AS Review IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED (Full Color, Starlight+)
IPCT-HDW5431RE-I Review - IP Cam Talk 4 MP IR Fixed Turret Network Camera
DS-2CD2325FWD-I
IPC-T5442TM-AS Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+ - 4MP starlight+
IPC-T2347G-LU Review of the Hikvision OEM model IPC-T2347G-LU 'ColorVu' IP CCTV camera. (DS-2CD2347G1-LU)

Other dahua 4MP starlight Dahua 4MP Starlight Lineup

My preferred indoor cameras
DS-2CD2442FWD-IW
IPC-K35A Review-Dahua IPC-K35A 3mp Cube Camera

If interested in Blue Iris and other setup items see the following post

Newbie Starter Guide to IP Cam System – VPN setup – Computer Hardware – Blue Iris – Dahua Cameras

This is an intermediate / newbie guide for people just starting out looking for a surveillance setup. I know this setup might not be for everyone and there are many options. You can find a lot of this information in the Wiki: IP Cam Talk Wiki | IP Cam Talk A great place to start in the Wiki...

ipcamtalk.com

Read,study,plan before spending money ..... plan plan plan
Test do not guess

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[mat200]

Hi
I have been reasearching home security cameras for a few weeks.An incident in my rural neighborhood prompted this Anyway I`ve read reviews, installation guides and pro and cons of various brands and configurations. After all this I `m torn between trying to do it myself or just hiring my alarm security company to do it. I have a Synology DS716+ NAS that has 2 licenses for cameras. I`m not sure if it really is as easy to use as as plug and play, as it was way more complex a unit than just a one touch storage and back up.It does come with the built in Surveillace Station. And I`m am not that tech savvy. After reading on these forums I realize most of you are way ahead of myself in these matters, and alot of topics and conversations are over my head so far . So I`m kind of asking if I should attempt installing 2 cameras using the Synology ?Am I limited to the type or resolution I can use? There a 2 10 TB drives in NAS now and both are WD Black. Would I need to change out to the recommended surveillance drives or could I use the WD for data etc.storage and Surveillance too? Second if I skip using the NAS, are the 4k "kits"with 4 cameras, NVR and Cat 5 from Nellys or Backstreet or any you can recommend easier to install and use for a low tech person.? Thanks Guys. I do enjoy the articles and any help you can give.If I decide to try it I`ll post my questions and results. Thomas

Welcome @Fishman57

Nelly's has a good reputation here with members. Do see them in the vendor section.

imho I would avoid backstreet as I've reviewed some of their video where they are purposefully misrepresenting the competition in comparisons with Backstreet cameras. Very dishonest FUD imho and thus I no longer can trust them.

 

[Fishman57]

Thank you. Its that measure twice and cut once thing. I will give it a few more weeks to try to get a grip on all the information you have provided. Can you tell me your opinion if I went for only 2 higher end ( no idea which ones yet ) turrets now could I run the 2 less than 100ft cables and use my NAS program to record 24/7 ? Just trying to decide if that is feasible and people here actually use theirs,however limited they might be or to focus on a NVR system with alot of future expansion possibilities. And are turrets a good choice for all areas or is a mixture of configurations used in most situations .I know I can and will find answers here eventually. Thanks .

 

[bank]

Hi
I have been reasearching home security cameras for a few weeks.An incident in my rural neighborhood prompted this Anyway I`ve read reviews, installation guides and pro and cons of various brands and configurations. After all this I `m torn between trying to do it myself or just hiring my alarm security company to do it. I have a Synology DS716+ NAS that has 2 licenses for cameras. I`m not sure if it really is as easy to use as as plug and play, as it was way more complex a unit than just a one touch storage and back up.It does come with the built in Surveillace Station. And I`m am not that tech savvy. After reading on these forums I realize most of you are way ahead of myself in these matters, and alot of topics and conversations are over my head so far . So I`m kind of asking if I should attempt installing 2 cameras using the Synology ?Am I limited to the type or resolution I can use? There a 2 10 TB drives in NAS now and both are WD Black. Would I need to change out to the recommended surveillance drives or could I use the WD for data etc.storage and Surveillance too? Second if I skip using the NAS, are the 4k "kits"with 4 cameras, NVR and Cat 5 from Nellys or Backstreet or any you can recommend easier to install and use for a low tech person.? Thanks Guys. I do enjoy the articles and any help you can give.If I decide to try it I`ll post my questions and results. Thomas

I also have a Synology DS716+ with 10 cameras running on Surveillance Station, using the Mac OS Client, and very happy with the performance and features.I would suggest purchasing on of the cameras recommended above and see how you get on, I think you'll find it easier than you expect.

 

[aristobrat]

Can you tell me your opinion if I went for only 2 higher end ( no idea which ones yet ) turrets now could I run the 2 less than 100ft cables and use my NAS program to record 24/7 ?

If this wasn't already in your considerations, you'll need a way to power your cameras. Most folks use PoE which sends power across the ethernet cable so that there's only one cable going to the camera. You'll need either a PoE network switch or PoE injectors to do that. If you think there's even the slightest chance that you'll grow to more than two cameras, I think the PoE switch route will likely be easier/cleaner than injectors (fewer wires and boxes needing to be plugged into AC).

The most popular cameras on the forum are ones that do the best in low-light (i.e. at night) and the two manufacturers that use the latest technology for those types of cameras are Dahua and Hikvision. We're lucky here on the forum to have a very awesome vendor (Andy, @EMPIRETECANDY) who resells Dahua OEM models. He makes ordering them super easy and his prices are usually the best around. Because of that, there's a wealth of knowledge and support for Dahua equipment on the forum here from folks that own the equipment. There's also Hikvision knowledge and support here, .. just a smaller pool of owners in comparison.

Surveillance Station is what I first started with when I set my system up. It did the basics decently. The frustration I ran into was that it didn't support Dahua IVS (or Hikvision Smart Events) which are "advanced motion detection" features built into those cameras that can significantly help reduce false "motion detection" alerts without significantly lowering the chances that the camera will miss detecting motion. The traditional struggle with "basic motion detection" is that as you tune it down to avoid false alerts the camera starts missing legitimate motion. The latest Dahua/Hik cameras have advanced motion detection that they're calling "AI" that can be set to look to see if the motion is coming from a person or a vehicle and only trigger if true. It's not 100%, but it's definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to reducing false alerts from shadows/lights and IMO it's a shame that Surveillance Station can't utilize those features.

If I were in your situation, I'd consider one of these two cameras from @SouthernYankee's list because they're some of the best when it comes to affordable low-light performance:
Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+
Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE

When you read the reviews above, remember point #7 on @SouthernYankee's post: "More megapixel is not necessarily better." The extra megapixels in 4K cameras might be helpful during the day, but these cameras do not usually do as well at night as compared to the 2MP/4MP cameras specifically designed for low-light (like the two models above). One of the biggest challenges with night-time video is trying to record the person moving around and not have it blur. Even with the 2MP/4MP cameras design for low-light, if the light is really low, this can be a challenge. A 4K camera would usually be considerably more challenging. Again, this all comes down to how much light you have around your place at night. I just wanted to mention this because you're probably going to think it's crazy that people are buying 2MP/4MP camera models in 2019, but that's why they are.

I'd also recommend that you start with SS, .. you already have it. See what you think of it. If you end up wanting better motion detection options, you can always move to a Dahua NVR or a cheap Windows PC running Blue Iris (that can be configured to put the recordings on your Synology NAS) later on.

 

[Fishman57]

I also have a Synology DS716+ with 10 cameras running on Surveillance Station, using the Mac OS Client, and very happy with the performance and features.I would suggest purchasing on of the cameras recommended above and see how you get on, I think you'll find it easier than you expect.

Thanks I was hoping for someone that was utilizing a Synology DS716+ . I am using windows 10 .Could you go a little more into your set up ?I had no idea 10 cameras could be plugged into it. I need to research a POE switch which I guess can power multiple cameras that my DS716+ cannot do. How are your cameras powered? Did you get most of your installation help or instructions specific to this model NAS here ? Did you have to buy 8 more licences from Synology ? I am still just beginning to figure this option out as I already own the NAS. Thanks for your response to my question

If this wasn't already in your considerations, you'll need a way to power your cameras. Most folks use PoE which sends power across the ethernet cable so that there's only one cable going to the camera. You'll need either a PoE network switch or PoE injectors to do that. If you think there's even the slightest chance that you'll grow to more than two cameras, I think the PoE switch route will likely be easier/cleaner than injectors (fewer wires and boxes needing to be plugged into AC).

The most popular cameras on the forum are ones that do the best in low-light (i.e. at night) and the two manufacturers that use the latest technology for those types of cameras are Dahua and Hikvision. We're lucky here on the forum to have a very awesome vendor (Andy, @EMPIRETECANDY) who resells Dahua OEM models. He makes ordering them super easy and his prices are usually the best around. Because of that, there's a wealth of knowledge and support for Dahua equipment on the forum here from folks that own the equipment. There's also Hikvision knowledge and support here, .. just a smaller pool of owners in comparison.

Surveillance Station is what I first started with when I set my system up. It did the basics decently. The frustration I ran into was that it didn't support Dahua IVS (or Hikvision Smart Events) which are "advanced motion detection" features built into those cameras that can significantly help reduce false "motion detection" alerts without significantly lowering the chances that the camera will miss detecting motion. The traditional struggle with "basic motion detection" is that as you tune it down to avoid false alerts the camera starts missing legitimate motion. The latest Dahua/Hik cameras have advanced motion detection that they're calling "AI" that can be set to look to see if the motion is coming from a person or a vehicle and only trigger if true. It's not 100%, but it's definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to reducing false alerts from shadows/lights and IMO it's a shame that Surveillance Station can't utilize those features.

If I were in your situation, I'd consider one of these two cameras from @SouthernYankee's list because they're some of the best when it comes to affordable low-light performance:
Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+
Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE

When you read the reviews above, remember point #7 on @SouthernYankee's post: "More megapixel is not necessarily better." The extra megapixels in 4K cameras might be helpful during the day, but these cameras do not usually do as well at night as compared to the 2MP/4MP cameras specifically designed for low-light (like the two models above). One of the biggest challenges with night-time video is trying to record the person moving around and not have it blur. Even with the 2MP/4MP cameras design for low-light, if the light is really low, this can be a challenge. A 4K camera would usually be considerably more challenging. Again, this all comes down to how much light you have around your place at night. I just wanted to mention this because you're probably going to think it's crazy that people are buying 2MP/4MP camera models in 2019, but that's why they are.

I'd also recommend that you start with SS, .. you already have it. See what you think of it. If you end up wanting better motion detection options, you can always move to a Dahua NVR or a cheap Windows PC running Blue Iris (that can be configured to put the recordings on your Synology NAS) later on.

.

 

[Fishman57]

If this wasn't already in your considerations, you'll need a way to power your cameras. Most folks use PoE which sends power across the ethernet cable so that there's only one cable going to the camera. You'll need either a PoE network switch or PoE injectors to do that. If you think there's even the slightest chance that you'll grow to more than two cameras, I think the PoE switch route will likely be easier/cleaner than injectors (fewer wires and boxes needing to be plugged into AC).

The most popular cameras on the forum are ones that do the best in low-light (i.e. at night) and the two manufacturers that use the latest technology for those types of cameras are Dahua and Hikvision. We're lucky here on the forum to have a very awesome vendor (Andy, @EMPIRETECANDY) who resells Dahua OEM models. He makes ordering them super easy and his prices are usually the best around. Because of that, there's a wealth of knowledge and support for Dahua equipment on the forum here from folks that own the equipment. There's also Hikvision knowledge and support here, .. just a smaller pool of owners in comparison.

Surveillance Station is what I first started with when I set my system up. It did the basics decently. The frustration I ran into was that it didn't support Dahua IVS (or Hikvision Smart Events) which are "advanced motion detection" features built into those cameras that can significantly help reduce false "motion detection" alerts without significantly lowering the chances that the camera will miss detecting motion. The traditional struggle with "basic motion detection" is that as you tune it down to avoid false alerts the camera starts missing legitimate motion. The latest Dahua/Hik cameras have advanced motion detection that they're calling "AI" that can be set to look to see if the motion is coming from a person or a vehicle and only trigger if true. It's not 100%, but it's definitely a step in the right direction when it comes to reducing false alerts from shadows/lights and IMO it's a shame that Surveillance Station can't utilize those features.

If I were in your situation, I'd consider one of these two cameras from @SouthernYankee's list because they're some of the best when it comes to affordable low-light performance:
Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+
Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE

When you read the reviews above, remember point #7 on @SouthernYankee's post: "More megapixel is not necessarily better." The extra megapixels in 4K cameras might be helpful during the day, but these cameras do not usually do as well at night as compared to the 2MP/4MP cameras specifically designed for low-light (like the two models above). One of the biggest challenges with night-time video is trying to record the person moving around and not have it blur. Even with the 2MP/4MP cameras design for low-light, if the light is really low, this can be a challenge. A 4K camera would usually be considerably more challenging. Again, this all comes down to how much light you have around your place at night. I just wanted to mention this because you're probably going to think it's crazy that people are buying 2MP/4MP camera models in 2019, but that's why they are.

I'd also recommend that you start with SS, .. you already have it. See what you think of it. If you end up wanting better motion detection options, you can always move to a Dahua NVR or a cheap Windows PC running Blue Iris (that can be configured to put the recordings on your Synology NAS) later on.

I have new LED motion lighting installed. I`m thinking if it is triggered there will be alot of light. Will this lighting help me choose the camera? I would like to take advantage of the latest technology. But compatibility with Synology DS716+ is something I have to clarify. I will probably try to purchase 2 cameras for the front spaced about 75ft apart.whether I also do the back or add any inside is another decision. The road /end of driveway is about 40ft from the garage doors /and front porch. I need to find out more about using the NAS as you suggest. And see how that works out. Is there a specific wire run from the camera directly to the NAS,or is the wiring and power more involved.. . Sorry, I`m getting ahead of myself. I`ll try to find out as much as I can ,first then ask questions when I am closer to purchase. Is the recommended seller on this forum AliExpress in China? Does that cause any warantee or update or compatibility issues?

 

[aristobrat]

Two things to consider with motion lighting is that if the camera depends on the light to get good image quality, footage recorded before the light comes up may not be useful, and when the light comes on the camera will usually take 1-2 seconds to adjust to the light (and the footage during that time is usually unusable).

Regarding compatibility with Synology, look for cameras that support ONVIF (which is an open standard that lets video surveillance products from different manufacturers communicate, at least for the basic functions). Advanced camera features like the better motion detection (IVS/Smart Events) likely won't work, but Synology should be able to record video and use the cameras basic motion detection with any ONVIF camera. Surveillance Station had its own built-in motion detection when I ran it a few years ago, but it wasn't any better than the cameras (and it put a noticeable load on the NAS processor), so I didn't use it for long.

Wiring is pretty easy (logically, anyway -- physically running it can be a PITA). Do you currently have a network switch in your house, or does everything plug into the router? If everything plugs into the router (and you're still considering a PoE switch), one way to connect would be to plug the PoE switch into your router, then plug your cameras and your Synology NAS into the PoE switch. Simply run an ethernet cable from the PoE switch to each of the cameras and that's about it for wiring. The PoE switch will take care of putting power on the ethernet cables going to the camera. It will NOT put power on the ethernet cable going to the Synology, so no worries there.

Once you have one or two camera models in mind, try out the IPVM Camera Calculator V3 tool. Type in your address and let it pull up a Google Maps image of your property. Add a camera to the image, set the camera model, then drag the camera to a location around your house. There will be a little digital person you can then move around your house. As you move that around, the tool will show you an estimate of what the image from the camera would look like. It also shows you a number value for a measure called PPF (pixels per foot). You want to keep that value to 100 (or higher) at any location you're hoping to identify someone. IMO it's super important that you understand the "views" and quality you'll get from your camera before you buy them. It's not uncommon to figure out during this stage that a particular model you were considering isn't a good option. It's much better to discover that before you buy!

The recommended seller (Andy, @EMPIRETECANDY) has a shop on AliExpress, Amazon, and you can also send him an email with an order and he'll send you a PayPal invoice. I'd recommend the email route to start with because that gives him a way to talk with you if there are any questions about your order. He sells the OEM version of Dahua equipment, which means if you have any warranty or support questions you need to go through him, not through Dahua directly. Also keep in mind that if you look at Dahua's "US" website, they only offer a small selection of Dahua's overall models ... and they give them all different model numbers. Andy can get most things from Dahua's "international" website, and folks here use the international model numbers when talking about models. So if you research on Dahua's website, I recommend keeping the location set to "International".

 

[Fishman57]

Two things to consider with motion lighting is that if the camera depends on the light to get good image quality, footage recorded before the light comes up may not be useful, and when the light comes on the camera will usually take 1-2 seconds to adjust to the light (and the footage during that time is usually unusable).

Regarding compatibility with Synology, look for cameras that support ONVIF (which is an open standard that lets video surveillance products from different manufacturers communicate, at least for the basic functions). Advanced camera features like the better motion detection (IVS/Smart Events) likely won't work, but Synology should be able to record video and use the cameras basic motion detection with any ONVIF camera. Surveillance Station had its own built-in motion detection when I ran it a few years ago, but it wasn't any better than the cameras (and it put a noticeable load on the NAS processor), so I didn't use it for long.

Wiring is pretty easy (logically, anyway -- physically running it can be a PITA). Do you currently have a network switch in your house, or does everything plug into the router? If everything plugs into the router (and you're still considering a PoE switch), one way to connect would be to plug the PoE switch into your router, then plug your cameras and your Synology NAS into the PoE switch. Simply run an ethernet cable from the PoE switch to each of the cameras and that's about it for wiring. The PoE switch will take care of putting power on the ethernet cables going to the camera. It will NOT put power on the ethernet cable going to the Synology, so no worries there.

Once you have one or two camera models in mind, try out the IPVM Camera Calculator V3 tool. Type in your address and let it pull up a Google Maps image of your property. Add a camera to the image, set the camera model, then drag the camera to a location around your house. There will be a little digital person you can then move around your house. As you move that around, the tool will show you an estimate of what the image from the camera would look like. It also shows you a number value for a measure called PPF (pixels per foot). You want to keep that value to 100 (or higher) at any location you're hoping to identify someone. IMO it's super important that you understand the "views" and quality you'll get from your camera before you buy them. It's not uncommon to figure out during this stage that a particular model you were considering isn't a good option. It's much better to discover that before you buy!

The recommended seller (Andy, @EMPIRETECANDY) has a shop on AliExpress, Amazon, and you can also send him an email with an order and he'll send you a PayPal invoice. I'd recommend the email route to start with because that gives him a way to talk with you if there are any questions about your order. He sells the OEM version of Dahua equipment, which means if you have any warranty or support questions you need to go through him, not through Dahua directly. Also keep in mind that if you look at Dahua's "US" website, they only offer a small selection of Dahua's overall models ... and they give them all different model numbers. Andy can get most things from Dahua's "international" website, and folks here use the international model numbers when talking about models. So if you research on Dahua's website, I recommend keeping the location set to "International".

Thanks . Hopefully I will get some time to spend reasearching on this project this weekend. Thanks for the Synology,and Dahua tips.No network switch . I think with a monitored alarm system ,dog and LED motion around the whole house, I`m not that worried about nightime .Is there a recommended PoE switch? Is it possible to plug in more than 2? Do you know if I have to get licenses for any more than 2 cameras which would possibly be at a later time anyway. , and would that effect the switch capacity? I am still behind the curve. First time using a PoE switch. That V3 tool sounds really cool. I think after trying to learn about all the related issues the wires will be the easier part! Regards

 

[aristobrat]

Two things affect a PoE switches capacity -- the number of ethernet ports the switch has (you can't plug 6 cameras into a four-port PoE switch, although if you ever wind up in that situation, you can plug another PoE switch into the first PoE switch and expand that way) and the switches power rating. If you buy a PoE switch that has 16 ports but is only rated for 60W of power, there's a chance you could exceed the power rating before you run out of ports. Most cameras "tech specs" will mention the cameras maximum power draw, so it's fairly easy to guesstimate how much power your switch will need. Remember to subtract two ports from your PoE switch -- one to connect to your router, the other for your Synology NAS. The remaining ports can be used for cameras. You'll want to connect the Synology to the same switch as the cameras to keep the constant data flow between the cameras and the Synology off of your router. No point burdening the router with extra work (of watching the camera traffic) if it doesn't need to do it.

There are some forum threads around that review PoE switches and make some recommendations. Amazon has a bunch of PoE switches, so reading reviews there can be useful too.

99% of folks new to the site here start "behind the curve", so don't worry about that. The only time that's usually a problem is when they need to buy a system ASAP and don't have any time to read up first.

The only extra licenses you'll possible need would be for the Synology NAS. I'd recommend you stick with two cameras (since you have two free camera licenses) until you have a good feel for how Surveillance Station works and are sure you're happy with it.

 

[bank]

Thanks I was hoping for someone that was utilizing a Synology DS716+ . I am using windows 10 .Could you go a little more into your set up ?I had no idea 10 cameras could be plugged into it. I need to research a POE switch which I guess can power multiple cameras that my DS716+ cannot do. How are your cameras powered? Did you get most of your installation help or instructions specific to this model NAS here ? Did you have to buy 8 more licences from Synology ? I am still just beginning to figure this option out as I already own the NAS. Thanks for your response to my question




.

I have a mix of Hikvision and 4 X Lilin LR7022 cameras, mostly powered from POE switches or POE injectors. The help file with Surveillance Station is pretty good, so I didn't need any extra help. Yes I had to purchase 8 additional licences.

 

[looney2ns]

For the amount of money you will spend on additional license's, you'd be MUCH better off using Blue Iris on a stand alone PC.

Choosing Hardware for Blue Iris

Buy refurbished. Don't build or buy new. The most cost-effective Blue Iris computers are refurbished business-class systems such as "HP EliteDesk" and "Dell OptiPlex". You can usually get a good deal by searching [URL='http://www.ebay.com/']Ebay[/URL] for specific CPU model numbers, and...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[Fishman57]

For the amount of money you will spend on additional license's, you'd be MUCH better off using Blue Iris on a stand alone PC.

Choosing Hardware for Blue Iris

Buy refurbished. Don't build or buy new. The most cost-effective Blue Iris computers are refurbished business-class systems such as "HP EliteDesk" and "Dell OptiPlex". You can usually get a good deal by searching [URL='http://www.ebay.com/']Ebay[/URL] for specific CPU model numbers, and...

ipcamtalk.com

Is there a reason to use a standalone PC? I have a high end Dell and 4K monitor. Does the surveillance program use alot of the system.I do have another older box with Win 7 on it. The more I get into this the more things pop up! Thanks for your response.

Two things affect a PoE switches capacity -- the number of ethernet ports the switch has (you can't plug 6 cameras into a four-port PoE switch, although if you ever wind up in that situation, you can plug another PoE switch into the first PoE switch and expand that way) and the switches power rating. If you buy a PoE switch that has 16 ports but is only rated for 60W of power, there's a chance you could exceed the power rating before you run out of ports. Most cameras "tech specs" will mention the cameras maximum power draw, so it's fairly easy to guesstimate how much power your switch will need. Remember to subtract two ports from your PoE switch -- one to connect to your router, the other for your Synology NAS. The remaining ports can be used for cameras. You'll want to connect the Synology to the same switch as the cameras to keep the constant data flow between the cameras and the Synology off of your router. No point burdening the router with extra work (of watching the camera traffic) if it doesn't need to do it.

There are some forum threads around that review PoE switches and make some recommendations. Amazon has a bunch of PoE switches, so reading reviews there can be useful too.

99% of folks new to the site here start "behind the curve", so don't worry about that. The only time that's usually a problem is when they need to buy a system ASAP and don't have any time to read up first.

The only extra licenses you'll possible need would be for the Synology NAS. I'd recommend you stick with two cameras (since you have two free camera licenses) until you have a good feel for how Surveillance Station works and are sure you're happy with it.

Thanks for that info. Sticking with the 2 is probably what I`ll do. Really I thought this was a pretty simple thing, but there are a lot of factors involved. I am learning,,, thanks to you guys on here mostly.

 

[Fishman57]

Hi
Can anyone tell me if I purchase 2 of these: IPC-HDW5831R-ZE from Andy what it means that "stream 3 from them is not supported" by Synology NAS DS718+ ? Does it mean they are not usable or compatible or functions won`t work because of this?I was trying to avoid the brands / sellers mentioned in comments here as undesirable or unreliable. I am trying to get 2 of the newest and better turret cams mainly for the daytime because of alot of motion lights installed for nightime. and use my NAS Surveillance Station as I already have it running, and 2 licenses. .I will test various positioning after recieving them . Obviously I`m am new at thisand have been getting totally overwhelmed by the amount of information available here and online. I was trying to research everything first before a purchase, now it seems like I need 2 cameras ( I did try the app recommended to see the FOV )and read alot about different types and MP . ) a POE switch ahead of the NAS ,some Cat 6 and the NAS.If I can get that running I`ll work on learning how to use Synology SS. If that dosent work out I`ll go with an NVR to match the cameras. Does anyone think this is not a great idea? Comments positive or negative are welcome as an invitation to reread the Cliff Notes and the Synology tutorials many more times before purchasing or posting.There is no rush for these to be installed as its getting colder here in CT. But I think with some help I can do it. Thanks!

 

[SouthernYankee]

the camera can output 3 streams of video at different characteristics at the same time., different frame rates, iframe, resolution. I have never had a use for the second stream, no less the third stream.

Record the main stream at high resolution main steam.

 

[Fishman57]

Thanks for your quick response!Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Fishman57]

Can someone recommend the best wires to use for my cameras? I see Cat5 to Cat8 round and flat available. Is one brand or specific type best for best quality signal and durability?I`ll probably go with premade lengths. Thanks

 

[SouthernYankee]

The most important thing is to have solid copper wires, Not copper clad aluminum (CCA)

The cat 5 to cat 8 is unimportant, as the camera speeds for network traffic are relatively slow. I use cat 5E.