Amazing; thank you for such a quick reply! World record!
New Reolink Wired POE Doorbell Cam ?
- Thread starter Elton Noway
- Start date
No Internet required. They talk to each other via RFI have a question and apologize ahead of time for only reading 20 of the 77 pages thus far so it may have already been addressed.
Will the Reolink DB (PoE) work with the included Reolink chime even if you block all internet access to the door bell? I am thinking about installing this Reolink door bell, adding it into BI and only caring to look at the video if I hear the doorbell chime. I understand that I give up the ability to speak to the person at the door by going this route since I won't be using Reolink app/servers but it also means that the video and data is mine and not sent to Reolink servers. I just want to make sure that the door bell will actually ring the door chime even without any internet access.
You can even add additional Chimes, only on the latest Version 2 though...from Reolink...
Reolink Chime – Digital Chime Perfect for Reolink Video Doorbell | Reolink Official
Reolink Chime is a digital chime wireless chime working with Reolink Video Doorbells. It can be effortlessly installed and easy to use. Control ringtones, volumes, and LED lights via the Reolink App/Client from anywhere, anytime.
reolink.com
Is there anyway to setup this Reolink door bell without any internet connectivity or more importantly without using Reolink proprietary tools (iOS/Android/Windows clients)? Like, can I simply plug it into a router that has DHCP server already to assign it an IP and then browse to the IP and it has some default username and password to go in and specify IP, change username/password, enable ONVIF, etc without ever downloading any Reolink apps/tools/etc?
Yes, disconnect your Router from the Internet when doing so...you will still need the client to get to the Reolink unless you can get to it through a browser via the (IP) Web interface that your router (DHCP) assigns...
I went a step further and created a local DHCP on my laptop, so I never touched my Router...but below is unnecessary, I just did it to see how to create a local DHCP without a Router...it works...
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As previously stated, yes. POE or Wi-Fi.
Kinda peeved you have to use one of their softwares for initial , password set up and turning on the web UI, but beyond that I am pretty happy with the camera.
I have all my cameras on an internet blocked vlan so I plugged the DB and it got an IP immediately. Then I spun up a quick windows VM image I keep laying around and downloaded the reolink software then move it onto the camera vlan. Software picked it up by IP address, not problem, then I was up and running with the WebUI.
So here here for a good poe doorbell camera with no cloud at all!
I have all my cameras on an internet blocked vlan so I plugged the DB and it got an IP immediately. Then I spun up a quick windows VM image I keep laying around and downloaded the reolink software then move it onto the camera vlan. Software picked it up by IP address, not problem, then I was up and running with the WebUI.
So here here for a good poe doorbell camera with no cloud at all!
This isn't specific for the reolink, but my (west facing) doorbell cams have always had a large amount of glare in the mid-late afternoon from the sunset which kills the image quality.
Has anyone tried a polarizing filter or some sort of glare hood to mitigate glare? Would be interested to hear your experiences.
Thanks!
Has anyone tried a polarizing filter or some sort of glare hood to mitigate glare? Would be interested to hear your experiences.
Thanks!
Sadly this actually is ReoLink's fault for not including WDF or BLC which helps in this background blasting of light. Not sure why they didn't in the Doorbell Camera which in alot of cases has your problem.
What’s WDR, BLC or HLC in CCTV/IP Security Cameras - Reolink Blog They obviously have this option in other cameras they sale.
When I had my ReoLink DB installed at our old house, I dealt with this. Our porch was not as open as yours but when the sun was blaring, all who came up to our porch was washed out. What I did was play with with the brightness/Contrast settings to focus in on when the person was within 5 feet of the DB. I was able to get a decent picture while someone was on/in our porch. My other camera (5442) would capture their footage in the walk up to the porch.
What was hard was the change of season, in other words, the positioning of the sun, during the Winter compared to Summer. I would have to readjust the settings.
So, sorry, no quick fix, or answer from me. Maybe a lens filter like you suggested can be tried. Was really hoping ReoLink would of already had a firmware fix for this.
Oh, the Hikvision DB I use to have did have WDR and BLC which fixed my issue. Our House faced mainly North, so no direct sun like yours but still alot of washout from too much sunlight...
Agreed. This is nearly a perfect doorbell cam in a lot of aspects, but the lack of software light balance is a really weird choice. My guess is they were focusing on stability of the doorbell which caused them to strip out some software functions. I'll write to them to see if it can be added in the future.
Even with my older WDR enabled doorbells though, direct or oblique sunlight was always a bit of an issue, just not as bad. I'll experiment with hardware methods and report back if I have any positive findings.
thanks for weighing in @David L!
Even with my older WDR enabled doorbells though, direct or oblique sunlight was always a bit of an issue, just not as bad. I'll experiment with hardware methods and report back if I have any positive findings.
thanks for weighing in @David L!
I would send them that pic you shared. Ask for help/suggestions and why they did not include WDR or BLC...
For those that might need to mount a Reolink doorbell without screws (apartment, concrete building, etc), the Mutuactor rubber-coated magnets with M4 threading work quite well. These are about 43mm in diameter and 6mm thick, which allows enough space for the ethernet cable to pass behind the doorbell. The M4 screw pictured isn't stock, as I replaced with stainless hardware. You can find these on Amazon, among others.
As an Amazon Associate IPCamTalk earns from qualifying purchases.
These kinda remind me of the magnetic standoffs I used for my Konnected Alarm system.
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I had no time to read all the replies in thread so sorry if this has been already discussed. I did find nowhere any explanation.
For some time I have been wondering why, according to the log of my switch, my 3y old Reolink PoE doorbell connects/disconnect from the switch more than dozen times a day. Just in my mind randomly. I have not found any reason for it doing so. At least from the hardware. The switch is in perfect condition. Other PoE/nonpoe devices works fine. After a change of ports Reolink does this same online/offline jumping in a new port.
So, last week I decided that this doorbell is unreliable (just because of the switch log) and bought a new similar one doorbell. And the greatest surprise was that this new one does exactly the same. According to switch log it connect/disconnect multiple times a day. So, today I tested a bit more of this. I put the new DB into a cabin connected directly to the switch with the short blue cable included in the DB package and waited until the switch log says that the DB has disconnected. I was wondering that does this DB go to sleep somehow or when there is no movement it just deside to get lazy. When, again based on the switch log, DB had disconnected I opened the cabin and made some movements near it (did not touch anything) and then close the cabin. I checked the status and it actually did record all my movements, and at the same time stamp when I opened the cabin and made the movements the DB connected again (according to log). Then I close the door and now after exactly 15 minutes the DB went offline (again according to switch log). Tested this only once so no idea what it does if I repeat this procedure many times.
There is no any sleep function in DB menus. At least I did not find any. Does anyone else has this same odd behavior? If there is a sleep mode it is obviously for power saving and maybe for cooling and it seem to shutdown the network electronic (not needed when there is no traffic?). Is that DB reliable when it is "disconnected" kind of semi-alive? It is not complete power standby mode because it seems to work and connects when needed (there is movement).
The DBs records triggered events 24/7 by FTP to NAS. No other connections. Nothing else.
Old DB fw: v3.0.0.4110_2410111120
New DB fw: v3.0.0.3215_2401272070
Is this normal? Can I trust that this DB records all events? Anyone?
For some time I have been wondering why, according to the log of my switch, my 3y old Reolink PoE doorbell connects/disconnect from the switch more than dozen times a day. Just in my mind randomly. I have not found any reason for it doing so. At least from the hardware. The switch is in perfect condition. Other PoE/nonpoe devices works fine. After a change of ports Reolink does this same online/offline jumping in a new port.
So, last week I decided that this doorbell is unreliable (just because of the switch log) and bought a new similar one doorbell. And the greatest surprise was that this new one does exactly the same. According to switch log it connect/disconnect multiple times a day. So, today I tested a bit more of this. I put the new DB into a cabin connected directly to the switch with the short blue cable included in the DB package and waited until the switch log says that the DB has disconnected. I was wondering that does this DB go to sleep somehow or when there is no movement it just deside to get lazy. When, again based on the switch log, DB had disconnected I opened the cabin and made some movements near it (did not touch anything) and then close the cabin. I checked the status and it actually did record all my movements, and at the same time stamp when I opened the cabin and made the movements the DB connected again (according to log). Then I close the door and now after exactly 15 minutes the DB went offline (again according to switch log). Tested this only once so no idea what it does if I repeat this procedure many times.
There is no any sleep function in DB menus. At least I did not find any. Does anyone else has this same odd behavior? If there is a sleep mode it is obviously for power saving and maybe for cooling and it seem to shutdown the network electronic (not needed when there is no traffic?). Is that DB reliable when it is "disconnected" kind of semi-alive? It is not complete power standby mode because it seems to work and connects when needed (there is movement).
The DBs records triggered events 24/7 by FTP to NAS. No other connections. Nothing else.
Old DB fw: v3.0.0.4110_2410111120
New DB fw: v3.0.0.3215_2401272070
Is this normal? Can I trust that this DB records all events? Anyone?
I have two of the first version/generation ReoLink Doorbells, both the WiFi and POE versions. I have had no disconnects, as you mentioned. Only issues I had is I found RTMP to be a more stable protocol than RTSP when streaming to Blue Iris. I was getting disconnects, in Blue Iris, when using RTSP.
So my experience has been good and I bought both of these when ReoLink first released them.
What model is your PoE switch? I would double check it's settings.
The switch is Ubiquiti USW-Pro-48-Poe with the newest firmware (and control software is also the newest publicly available version). All ports in use (48x1G+4x10G). 10+ ports are feeding PoE/+/++ power to devices.
These Reolink PoE doorbells are the only devices that does this connect/disconnect. Both this new one and the older one does this regardless of the connected port.
It is not also about power because I have tested with PoE and PoE+ and PoE++ connections. All other devices works fine like CCTVs in the same switch (Hikvision and Dahua).
Also it is not about the cable. Already tested this multiple times with multiple cables. The cables used are CAT7 sftp cables which are in perfect condition.
There is no port sleep ability in Ubiquiti switches, or timed PoE on/off ability. And still DB respond immediately when manually connected even when the log says it is disconnected.
I have noted that during those log claimed disconnect times no records are made to NAS either. Is there events to be recorded during those disconnect times is what I do not know and am worried about.
What I am worried is that what happens during those log claimed disconnected times. Is Reolink alive or not? Will all the events be recorded or not? How deep is the "sleep"? Is it the switch that interprete the device to go offline when there is no traffic?
What I know that if events happens often (like <15mins from event to next, dont know exact time) it does not disconnect (no makings to log). But if doorbell is inactive longer it goes offline (marking to log).
When in disconnect status (by switch log) when I connect directly to Reolink either by Reolink Android app or VLC/WinApp by Win11 computer it works fine immediately.
Either doorbell goes to active sleep (shutdown the connection/network) or markings in the log are faulty. Weird thing.