Dahua wireless series

[Billyjack5]

Does anyone have any hands-on experience with either of these Dahua wifi cameras? Wireless Series

I'm well aware that wifi cams should be avoided if at all possible but for this particular application I don't believe any other option exists. I will be covering a smallish area (20x30 feet) and will have decent porch lighting at night. Just curious if these cams have proven more reliable than not in terms of connectivity and working with Blue Iris. This would be the only wifi network camera and the others would all be wired. Any insight appreciated.

 

[TonyR]

I don't have any experience with those particular cams but I do have a couple of non-essential cams on wireless, 2 Amcrest IP2M-841's (Dahua re-branded). My reason for posting is to say they have been very, VERY reliable with Blue Iris BUT...they do have their own dedicated wireless access point, nothing else on it but them.

It's an Asus wireless router that I configured to be strictly an AP (Disable DHCP, gave it a static IP in same subnet as the cams and outside of my Internet router's DHCP pool, basically anything above .199 is open to use for cams, etc.)

 

[sebastiantombs]

Neither of the two cameras listed on that link meet the minimum sensor size requirements for a 2MP camera. They're both 2MP on a 1/3" sensor. For reasonable night vision it takes a 1/2.8" or larger sensor. 1/3" is fine for 720P.

 

[flynreelow]

friends dont let friends use wireless cameras.

 

[The Automation Guy]

I would say with certainty - Do NOT use any of those Dahua wireless cameras. The crappy hardware (really small sensor, etc) isn't worth the cost.

You can always use a regular IP camera and then set up a wireless bridge to your wifi network. I have done this with a TV streaming device that wasn't wifi and the TV wasn't near a network plug. I actually used an old wifi router that had DD-WRT flashed on it as the hardware to create the wireless bridge. It connected to my Unifi wifi hardware just fine. Now I realize streaming devices generally use buffering to ensure solid performance, but honestly it worked great and I don't think the wireless connection was flakey at all.

I'm actually reexploring this option at my parents house. I recently got a PTZ camera that needs to be mounted on the rear of their house and until I can run dedicated network wires, I think I will run a wireless bridge. I can put the hardware in an outside closet that has power and is close to the camera location. It will be 100 times easier to run that setup that it will be to run a network cord. (Eventually I think I'll run a fiber line out to that closet where I will place a POE network switch because it will be easier to run future cameras to this same location vs trying to get wires to the inside network room).

 

[Billyjack5]

I would say with certainty - Do NOT use any of those Dahua wireless cameras. The crappy hardware (really small sensor, etc) isn't worth the cost.

You can always use a regular IP camera and then set up a wireless bridge to your wifi network. I have done this with a TV streaming device that wasn't wifi and the TV wasn't near a network plug. I actually used an old wifi router that had DD-WRT flashed on it as the hardware to create the wireless bridge. It connected to my Unifi wifi hardware just fine. Now I realize streaming devices generally use buffering to ensure solid performance, but honestly it worked great and I don't think the wireless connection was flakey at all.

I'm actually reexploring this option at my parents house. I recently got a PTZ camera that needs to be mounted on the rear of their house and until I can run dedicated network wires, I think I will run a wireless bridge. I can put the hardware in an outside closet that has power and is close to the camera location. It will be 100 times easier to run that setup that it will be to run a network cord. (Eventually I think I'll run a fiber line out to that closet where I will place a POE network switch because it will be easier to run future cameras to this same location vs trying to get wires to the inside network room).

Thanks, that's helpful. There's a 12v power source at the existing location and I'd like to run a powerline adapter with an injector but the cat5e will just be too aesthetically intrusive for this application, hence my desire to use the 12v cable as a power source which is very well hidden. The Amcrest versions of these cameras, at least the 2mp version, seem to be best of a not-so-good selection of wifi solutions.

 

[TonyR]

The Amcrest versions of these cameras, at least the 2mp version, seem to be best of a not-so-good selection of wifi solutions.

FWIW, regarding the Amcrest IP2M-841, a re-branded Dahua. It is ONVIF compatible, provides RTSP, is 1080p (Full HD), IR, 2-way audio, has pan/tilt/digital zoom, record to micro SD card, wired or wireless, great with Blue Iris, VLC, etc. Comes with wall/ceiling mount, 1/4"-20 tripod mount female insert on bottom. Available in black or white for under $40, can be mounted upside-down and the image inverted as needed.

I've installed 4 of the V2 versions, 2 of the latest V3 version and 3 of it's lower-res HD (720p) cousins in the last 4 years and all have functioned with no hiccups.

I currently use 3 of them with Blue Iris; 1 on front porch to look at deliveries, 1 in garage and 1 in sunroom to watch the dogs; two of the 3 is operating on Wi-Fi via a dedicated AP. I have also set one up with Tinycam Pro on a Sony smart TV (Android).