2nd blown Zmodo NVR :( Wanna keep my Ethernet wiring. Any non Zmodo suggestions?

[Pjourson]

It’s the second Zmodo NVR which goes dark on me. I spent hours crawling through my attic and I’d like to keep my Ethernet wiring. I don’t want to pay any cloud subscription. I’m thinking about a set of WiFi PoE cameras with a good mobile app. Would prefer to spend less than $50 per cam. Is Zmodo notoriously bad or is it me? Any suggestion welcome! PJ.

 

[fenderman]

It’s the second Zmodo NVR which goes dark on me. I spent hours crawling through my attic and I’d like to keep my Ethernet wiring. I don’t want to pay any cloud subscription. I’m thinking about a set of WiFi PoE cameras with a good mobile app. Would prefer to spend less than $50 per cam. Is Zmodo notoriously bad or is it me? Any suggestion welcome! PJ.

Zmodo is crap and anything you get for 50 bux a cam will be the same crap. wifi is crap and "wifi poe" doesnt make sense, you already have the cable.

 

[Pjourson]

Zmodo is crap and anything you get for 50 bux a cam will be the same crap. wifi is crap and "wifi poe" doesnt make sense, you already have the cable.

Yep, thanks Fenderman. Having now RTFF a bit I’m hesitating between Amcrest PoE or Reolink. Originally I wanted WiFi to avoid using my WiFi repeater in the attic but I’ve changed my mind and will use it to connect the PoE switch to my router wirelessly. Can’t pull an Ethernet cable between the 2. PJ.

 

[TonyR]

Having now RTFF a bit I’m hesitating between Amcrest PoE or Reolink.

If you spend more time reading the Wiki and perform a search on this forum, you'll discover that Reolink is NOT highly favored and should be avoided.
Amcrest is rebranded Dahua and is OK but certain models with combination of the best low-light sensors and pixel count are not made for Amcrest and you must get from Dahua. Open up that wallet a bit and contact @EMPIRETECANDY of Empire Technology and get some pricing on POE NVR and 2MP POE turret cameras.

Originally I wanted WiFi to avoid using my WiFi repeater in the attic but I’ve changed my mind and will use it to connect the PoE switch to my router wirelessly. Can’t pull an Ethernet cable between the 2.

Wi-Fi is OK for your devices that do NOT involve your video surveillance. In other words, all cameras should be hard-wired to the POE switch, POE NVR or PC VMS (via POE switch) and not be connected directly to the router, wired or wirelessly.

EDIT: a thought occurred to me later; are those Ethernet cable you mentioned in the attic furnished by Zmodo? If so, they could very likely be CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum) and/or only 4 conductors, not solid copper CAT-5e or CAT-6 with 4 twisted pairs.

 

[looney2ns]

Yep, thanks Fenderman. Having now RTFF a bit I’m hesitating between Amcrest PoE or Reolink. Originally I wanted WiFi to avoid using my WiFi repeater in the attic but I’ve changed my mind and will use it to connect the PoE switch to my router wirelessly. Can’t pull an Ethernet cable between the 2. PJ.

Study the Cliff Notes and see the attachment to this post.

 

[mat200]

It’s the second Zmodo NVR which goes dark on me. I spent hours crawling through my attic and I’d like to keep my Ethernet wiring. I don’t want to pay any cloud subscription. I’m thinking about a set of WiFi PoE cameras with a good mobile app. Would prefer to spend less than $50 per cam. Is Zmodo notoriously bad or is it me? Any suggestion welcome! PJ.

Hi @Pjourson

" I spent hours crawling through my attic "
installing cables for a
"Zmodo ( which is ) notoriously bad" - Pjourson

Questions:
1) Did you use the same cable that came in the zmodo kit? i.e. the Notoriously bad one.
2) How much time did you spend running the cables? ( rough estimate )
3) How much did the kit cost?

4) If you did not use the cable from the zmodo kit, which cable did you use? ( brand, cost, vendor, did it have something printed on the cable? ... )

Please do not jump right into the next purchase take a moment to learn a bit more first so you can get a better setup.

 

[Pjourson]

Hi @mat200, to be honest I did all this 4 years ago,so my memory isn't as sharp as you'd like it to answer your questions. However, I'm pretty sure I used Zmodo ethernet cabling, I remember 2 long ones, 2 short ones. It took me approx 3 hours. The bad part wasn't running the cables but drilling and finishing the holes to the outside in order to isolate them. I'm pretty sure the whole kit with 4 cams and the NVR was in the order of $200. I have power in the attic but can't run ethernet from the router so I used a WiFi bridge. It wasn't all that bad for the price but never good enough either. I'm tempted to go Reolink (which I note some people here dislike) with SD cards, a PoE switch and no nvr, I'm trying to stay inside $200 for the 4 cams. PJ.

 

[Pjourson]

Study the Cliff Notes and see the attachment to this post.

Impressive set of advice nicely distilled

 

[mat200]

Hi @mat200, to be honest I did all this 4 years ago,so my memory isn't as sharp as you'd like it to answer your questions. However, I'm pretty sure I used Zmodo ethernet cabling, I remember 2 long ones, 2 short ones. It took me approx 3 hours. The bad part wasn't running the cables but drilling and finishing the holes to the outside in order to isolate them. I'm pretty sure the whole kit with 4 cams and the NVR was in the order of $200. I have power in the attic but can't run ethernet from the router so I used a WiFi bridge. It wasn't all that bad for the price but never good enough either. I'm tempted to go Reolink (which I note some people here dislike) with SD cards, a PoE switch and no nvr, I'm trying to stay inside $200 for the 4 cams. PJ.

SO @Pjourson

Q: Do you think zmodo included quality cables in that zodo kit you bought?
Q: How much is your time worth?
Q: Do you think it was worth the time to run zmodo cables when you find out they're really not good for other kits.
Q: Are you cash tight or time tight?

 

[Arjun]

Z is the last letter in the alphabet --- that means its the lowest of the lowest tier camera setup you can get. I wouldn't take their products for spin even it was given to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

 

[Pjourson]

OK I get it. When I purchased it 4 years it seemed OK and worked reasonably well for the price. I wasn't aware of the fact that Zmodo was notoriously bad. I am now worried that the cabling won't work. I will report back when I have tried. PJ.

 

[mat200]

OK I get it. When I purchased it 4 years it seemed OK and worked reasonably well for the price. I wasn't aware of the fact that Zmodo was notoriously bad. I am now worried that the cabling won't work. I will report back when I have tried. PJ.

FYI - we're attempting to encourage you to get a decent setup for what you need.

Do take some time to learn a bit more here, we've got a lot of good knowledge and experience being shared.