Camera System/NVR Setup Recommendations

conner05

conner05

Young grasshopper
Apr 2, 2022
31
18
United States
Hey everyone, I'm new to this space and have been trying to do a lot of research to inform myself of the options for a camera system for my home. My wife and I moved into a new home about 2 years ago and now we're looking to get a camera system setup for in and outside of our home.

After talking with my wife these are our requirements:
MUST HAVES
  • two-way audio (not every camera location, but at least by doorway accesses)
  • person and vehicle detection
  • 24/7 recording
  • local storage
  • mobile alerts (outside of LAN as well)
  • easy to use mobile app
  • camera access outside of LAN (preferably VPN or some kind of port forwarding)

NICE TO HAVES
- at least 1-2 cameras w/ good enough quality to capture license plates driving ~20-30mph @ 40-80 yards

After doing some research, it appears there are no "out of the box" solutions that offer what we're looking for. I'm thinking of companies like SimpliSafe, Vivint, etc. We would be willing to pay for such a service, but I had no luck finding one.

For me, it kind of came down to three systems: Reolink, Unifi, or a custom Blue Iris + Deep Stack AI setup. Now, we are already about to install a Unifi Dream Machine Pro, 48 PoE Switch, and two WiFi Pro 6 APs (the Lites are all sold out) in our home, so we will have the PoE ports available for the number of cameras we're looking for. Also, I wanted a prosumer network at home, anyway.

In the end it came down to either Reolink or the custom BI setup. Now, we have a toddler and my wife stays at home. So, she is not thrilled about my spending an entire weekend setting up a BI camera setup. I told her it would likely take at least that long, but I also feel like we're not really going to get what we want unless go with the BI setup.

I spec'd out what I believe we would need. Please take a look and tell me what you think.

Locations (as viewed from street)
  • Front right
    • 4K bullet camera facing rear of house (East)
    • 5MP bullet camera facing front of house (West)
  • Front awning
    • 5MP dome camera facing door
  • Front left
    • 4K bullet facing neighbor's house across street (West)
    • 5MP bullet facing diagonal neighbors' houses (North)
  • Rear left
    • 5MP bullet camera facing NorthEast
    • 4K bullet camera facing rear parking, garage, and back door
  • Rear right
    • 4K bullet camera facing driveway (South)
    • 5MP bullet camera facing grill area and tree (backyard)
    • 5MP dome camera facing neighbor's garden area and open parking (South East)
  • Garage
    • 5MP dome camera facing door
      • Must perform well in low light
  • Rec room
    • 5MP dome camera facing garage door
  • Dining room
    • 5MP dome camera in daughter's corner
  • Living room
    • 5MP dome camera in corner left of fireplace
Devices & Cost
Cameras total: 14x $980
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thoughts on this setup? My wife is also weary that I'm missing something and will order all of this stuff only to leave something out. Pointers on that? Also, we'd pay to have it installed. Any ideas on how to find such a person?
 
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Welcome. Good thing you found this site BEFORE you went the reolink route!

These are all budget cams for those chasing MP over quality. You would be better off with an even cheaper 2MP camera...

If you want low light performance, these cameras are all on the wrong MP/sensor ratio.

You need to identify the areas you want to cover and pick a camera designed to cover that distance. In some instances, it may be a 2MP or 4MP that is the right camera. DO NOT CHASE MP!!!

It is why we recommend to purchase one good varifocal and test it at all the proposed locations day and night to figure out the correct focal lengths and cams.

A few other tips....and this is worth repeating....It is simple LOL do not chase MP - do not buy a 4MP camera that is anything smaller than a 1/1.8" sensor. Do not buy a 2MP camera that is anything smaller than a 1/2.8" sensor. Do not buy a 4K (8MP) camera on anything smaller than a 1/1.2" sensor. Unfortunately, most 4k (8MP) cams are on the same sensor as a 2MP and thus the 2MP will kick its butt all night long as the 4k will need 4 times the light than the 2MP... 4k will do very poor at night unless you have stadium quality lighting (well a lot of lighting LOL).

To identify someone with the wide-angle 2.8mm lens that most people opt for, someone would have to be within 13 feet of the camera, but realistically within 10 feet after you dial it in to your settings.


1642128622427.png


My neighbor was bragging to me how he only needed his four 2.8mm fixed lens 4k cams to see his entire property and the street and his whole backyard. His car was sitting in the driveway practically touching the garage door and his video quality was useless to ID the perp not even 10 feet away. Meanwhile my 2MP varifocal optically zoomed 60 feet away to the public sidewalk provided the money shot to the police to get my neighbors all their stuff back. Nobody else had video that could provide anything useful, other than what time this motion blur ghost was at their car.

The proper MP/sensor ratio is the most important component. The correct focal length for the area to be covered is next.

Here are my general distance recommendations, but switch out the Dahua 5442 series camera to the equivalent 2MP on the 1/2.8" sensor or equivalent Hikvision works as well. All the cameras proposed below are on the appropriate MP/sensor combo:
  • 5442 fixed lens 2.8mm or the 4K/X - anything within 10 feet of camera OR as an overview camera
  • T5449H-ASE-D2 2.8mm fixed lens - anything within 10 feet of camera where the object would be in a backlit condition at night
  • 5441F-AS-E2 (AKA Boobie cam) or E3241F-AS-M- great choice for a front door camera. The boobie cam can have one lens pointed down for packages
  • T5241H-AS-PV - Great little active deterrence camera with two way talk. Good for anything within 10 feet of camera or as an overview camera
  • 5442 ZE or 5831R-ZE- varifocal - distances up to 40-50 feet (personally I wouldn't go past the 30 foot range but I like things closer)
  • 5442 Z4E - anything up to 80-100 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 60 feet but I like things closer)
  • 5241-Z12E - anything from 80 feet to almost 200 feet (personally I wouldn't go past 150 feet because I like things closer)
  • 5241-Z12E - for a license plate cam that you would angle up the street to get plates up to about 175 feet away, or up to 220 with additional IR.
  • 49225 PTZ - great auto-track PTZ and in conjunction with an NVR or Blue Iris and the cameras above that you can use as spotter cams to point the PTZ to the correct location to compliment the fixed cams.

You need to get the correct camera for the area trying to be covered. A wide angle 2.8mm to IDENTIFY someone 40 feet away is the wrong camera regardless of how good the camera is. A 2.8mm camera to IDENTIFY someone within 10 feet is a good choice OR it is an overview camera to see something happened but not be able to identify who.

One camera cannot be the be all, see all. Each one is selected for covering a specific area. Most of us here have different brands and types, from fixed cams, to varifocals, to PTZs, each one selected for it's primary purpose and to utilize the strength of that particular camera.

So you will need to identify the distance the camera would be from the activities you want to IDENTIFY on and purchase the correct camera for that distance as an optical zoom.

If you want to see things far away, you need optical zoom, digital zoom only works in the movies and TV...And the optical zoom is done real time - for a varifocal it is a set it and forget it. You cannot go to recorded video and optically zoom in later, at that point it is digital zoom, and the sensors on these cameras are so small which is why digital zoom doesn't work very well after the fact.
 
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:welcome:

Read the Wiki in the blue bar at the top of the page. Enough material there to keep you busy for a few days that covers all aspects of video surveillance.

Do not chase megapixels. Period. End of story.

Didi I say not to chase megapixels, yet? Chase sensor size versus resolution. 5MP cameras are generally on a 1/2.8" sensor. That sensor is fine for 2MP but in a 5MP camera it will take two and a half times as much light to be able to see at night when compared to a 2MP camera. The next thing to chase is focal length of the lens. A nice wide sweeping view sure is pretty but when it comes to identifying who did what they are totally useless. Start with one good varifocal like the Dahua 5442T-ZE and use it to test each location during the day and night. The focal length can be varied and then a calculation can be made to approximate what the focal length actually is for each location. Remember you need to be able to actually identify both day and night. That means actually have enough detail to truly determine identity and not recognize by knowing who it is in the video in the first place.

In terms of Reolink, NO, and a very emphatic NO to Reolink. Their night vision is basically useless.

The three basic rules of video surveillance cameras-

Rule #1 - Cameras multiply like rabbits.
Rule #2 - Cameras are more addictive than drugs.
Rule #3 - You never have enough cameras.

Quick guide -

The smaller the lux number the better the low light performance. 0.002 is better than 0.02
The smaller the "F" of the lens the better the low light performance. F1.4 is better than F1.8
The larger the sensor the better the low light performance. 1/1.8" is better (bigger) than 1/2.7"
The higher the megapixels for the same size sensor the worse the low light performance. A 4MP camera with a 1/1.8" sensor will perform better than a 8MP camera with that same 1/1.8" sensor.

720P - 1/3" = .333"
2MP - 1/2.8" = .357" (think a .38 caliber bullet)
4MP - 1/1.8" = .555" (bigger than a .50 caliber bullet or ball)
8MP - 1/1.2" = .833" (bigger than a 20mm chain gun round)

Don't believe all the marketing hype no matter who makes the camera. Don't believe those nice night time captures they all use. Look for videos, with motion, to determine low light performance. Any camera can be made to "see" color at night if the exposure time is long enough, as in half a second or longer. Rule of thumb, the shutter speed needs to be at 1/60 or higher to get night video without blurring.

Read the reviews here, most include both still shots and video.

Avoid Reolink, Foscam, SV3C, Nest, and all the other consumer grade cameras. They all struggle mightily at night and never get anything useful on video. Here's a link to a whole thread debunking Reolink in particular.

Compiled by mat200 -

Reolink: Deconstruction of a dangerous misleading youtube review "Finding the BEST 4K Security Camera NVR Package (Reolink vs Amcrest vs Swann)"

Executive Summary: DO NOT be a sheep. Ask what a reviewer can be missing, ask if a reviewer is using hype words to sell the cheapest product. Test your cameras and kits right away. Just do a bench test. Test real world conditions. Test moving suspects. Test at night, test at day. Use a test rig...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com

Avoid WiFi cameras, even doorbell cameras. WiFi is not designed for the constant, 24/7, load of video that a surveillance camera produces. At best, with two cameras on WiFi, they will still experience dropouts multiple times daily. Murphy's Law says that will happen at the worst possible moment.

Lens size, focal length, is another critical factor. Many people like the wide, sweeping, views of a 2.8mm lens but be aware that identification is problematic with a lens that wide. Keep in mind that it may take two cameras, or more, to provide the coverage you need or desire. Another factor that effects view angles is the sensor size. Typically larger sensors will have a larger field of view in any given lens size.

The 5442 series of cameras by Dahua is the current "king of the hill". They are 4MP and capable of color with some ambient light at night. The 2231 series is a less expensive alternative in 2MP and does not have audio capabilities, no built in microphone, but is easier on the budget. The 3241T-ZAS has similar spcs as the 2231 and has audio. There are also cameras available from the IPCT Store right here on the forum and from Nelly's Security who has a thread in the vendors section.

Review - 8MP 1/1.2" sensor full color camera

Worlds First Review - Dahua - IPC-Color4K-X / DH-IPC-HFW5849T1-ASE-LED - Full Color 4K Camera

Intro I’m excited to be doing another Worlds First Review. this time as I mentioned in the full color thread, I’ve been testing the new Dahua full color 4K camera. This was provided courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY for a fair, honest, no holds barred, unbiased review. I’ll attempt to answer any and...
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2021 Full Color 2.0 Has a Fantastic New Dual Lens Camera

Hey guys The full color 2.0 has been released. Most cams I already posted here. Like: IPC-Color4K-X Bullet 4MP Motorized Full color. Today I bring a secret model, 1st release for the Dual-Lens Full color model in the world. Dual-lens Camera( Sample at Early Sep ) Ø Dual light fusion...
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5442 Reviews

Review - Loryata (Dahua OEM) IPC-T5442T-ZE varifocal Turret

Review-OEM Loryta IPC-T5442T-ZE Varifocal 4mp camera (Dahua)

IPC-T5442T-ZE Varifocal from @EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret Varifocal Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk store: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price Approximately US $200.00...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com

Review - OEM IPC-B5442E-ZE 4MP AI Varifocal Bullet Camera With Starlight+

Review - OEM IPC-B5442E-ZE 4MP AI Varifocal Bullet Camera With Starlight+

All, thanks to Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY ) we have a new 4MP AI camera for testing. This camera has been provided by Andy in exchange for a fair and honest review. This camera is using the OEM model number of IPC-B5442-ZE which is the equivalent of the Dahua IPC-HFW5442-ZE for reference. The IPC-B...
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Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+ Turret

Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+

Dahua OEM IPC-T5442TM-AS from EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk store: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price Approximately US $160 Link to camera...
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Review IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED (Turret, Full Color, Starlight+)

Review IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED (Full Color, Starlight+)

Dahua OEM IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED from EMPIRETECANDY 4MP WDR Turret AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Andy's Email: kingsecurity2014...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com

Review: IPC-HDBW5442R-ASE-NI - Dahua Technology Pro AI Bullet Network Camera

Review: OEM IPC-B5442T-ASE-NI 4MP Pro AI Starlight Full-color Fixed Bullet

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2231 Review
Review-OEM IPC-T2231RP-ZS 2mp Varifocal Turret Starlight Camera

Review-Dahua IPC-HDW2231RP-ZS Starlight Camera-Varifocal

Again courtesy of @EMPIRETECANDY EmpireTech Andy we have a new cam to look over. Its a new model in Dahua's new Lite H265 Series of cam's. Available for purchase here: Aliexpress.com - Online Shopping for Electronics, Fashion, Home & Garden, Toys & Sports, Automobiles and more Price is approx...
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3241T-ZAS Review

Review-OEM IPC-T3241-ZAS 2mp AI Lite series Varifocal

IPC-T3241-ZAS from EMPIRETECANDY 2MP WDR Turret Varifocal AI Network Camera Review unit courtesy of Andy (@EMPIRETECANDY) in exchange for a fair and honest review. Purchase in the IPCT Store Andy's ipcamtalk vendor forum: link Andy's AliExpress store: link Andy's Amazon store: link Price...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com

Less expensive models -

Budget Dahua Cams or china alternatives under $100?

Well here we go. I dont see anywhere more approriate to discuss this. Ive been messing around with putting together a cctv system for close to 3 years now. Ive bought everything i needed and also bought 2 cheap cams from a third party seller on walmart. Those cams cost me a grand total of $50...
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VPN Information Thread

VPN Primer for Noobs

The internet is a force of nature; no video surveillance system made was designed to be exposed to those forces.. NEVER FORWARD PORTS to your NVR or Cameras, doing such things not only exposes you to severe security problems, but everyone else on the internet too.. Hackers dont want your video...
ipcamtalk.com ipcamtalk.com

Dual NIC set up

Dual NIC setup on your Blue Iris Machine

In making your system more secure this is a great option to eliminate your cameras calling home / connecting to the internet This is a great place to start to setup a bit more secure network and learn more about IP/Subnets etc. before adding dual NICs: Router Security - Subnets and IP addresses...
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Stop Win10 Updates
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Here is a post I made recently demonstrating the importance of focal length for the area trying to be covered.

For the cameras you selected, if you want to IDENTIFY anything beyond 10-15 feet, especially at night, they are the wrong cameras.

The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection

At the urging of several folks here, I created a thread to show the importance of focal length and how focal length can be more important than megapixels (MP). I mentioned some of this in the post regarding The Hookup’s latest video demonstrating different cameras, including one sold from a...
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wow. It seems I have a lot to learn. Thank you so much for your responses. I'm not opposed to learning myself, but we would love to get this setup complete before we go on vacation at the end of the month. Do y'all have any recommendations for finding technicians (maybe freelancers) in my area whom I could pay to help out with this? It's clear to me now that I would need to spend a minimum of 4-6 hours to pour over the information you've shared and then select cameras accordingly. And, while that may not seem like much, it's quite a time crunch for me.
 
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Frankly, there's no way you're going to be able to get it all figured out, installed, up and running as well as getting all the cameras tuned, adjusted, for each camera location. Video surveillance is more complex than plug and play as portrayed on TV and in the movies IF you want it to actually accomplish something, unless you have you're own special effects department.
 
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You will find that unless you want true simplicity to simply be able to know when something happened, you will always be tweaking. But this simplicity comes at the cost of IDENTIFY. It sounds like your family wants it more than just knowing when someone comes by the house.

Finding someone to run the wires for you by the end of the month could be a challenge - nobody works and they could be several months out. Or you get lucky in your area and someone has availability. Look for a low voltage electrician. Probably expect $300 or so per camera drop

The biggest issue is placement. The preferred method is to set up a test rig at each location and test day and night for any issues like a porch light blinding the camera or infrared bounce off a soffit or wall.

However many don't do that and simply run wires and then deal with a less than ideal outcome.

Many make the mistake of putting all the cams on the 2nd story soffit and then find out they can't IDENTIFY as all the identify distance is lost vertically.

Ideally the cams should be less than 8 feet high (preferably 4-7 feet) so that you stand the best chance of not getting just tops of heads. They shouldn't be right next to lights that can screw with exposure. Varifocals and PTZ can get away with higher installs as they can see further and "flatten" the curve.

The cameras I suggested (most of which are in @sebastiantombs post) are all tested and known to work for those distances by many members here.

Can you circumvent time by skipping steps. Yes. Just recognize that some things may not be ideal.

But if you follow these suggestions we have gave you in this thread and the wiki, you will minimize spending and extra effort.

It is great you have a wife that has an interest in making sure this is done right. I'd suggest getting one varifocal like the 5442-ZE and test it out at all proposed locations. Maybe you don't do a 24 hour test, but you test each spot in the day moving it around and then at night moving it around.

Then you can start to figure out for each view what is the most important thing to capture and then select the right camera for it.

For inside, you can probably get by with some of those amcrest as you will benefit from infrared reflecting off walls, but outside look for cams on the proper MP/sensor ratio.
 
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Yes I had Reolink and night performance is shit thank goodness I found this site, really opened my eyes and everyone here helps out heaps. Still learning i am and will still make mistakes but now at least i know i can go somewhere and get some help. Living in the country in a town where nobody knows anything and all salesman have no knowledge other than to sell you something that doesn't work properly is a real issue, so stick with these guys advice they know what they are talking about
cheers and thanks guys
 
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It sounds like this sort of thing is best done in increments as opposed to all at once.

what do you think about this plan?

Install my new Ubiquiti network and run 2 cat6 cables to each location I’d want a cam, such as all four corners of our home, each entrance, and the locations inside, too. Then purchase one or two of the cam you suggested and start testing it out.

Does that sound like a solid plan?

Should I go ahead and get Blue Iris and get it setup as well? I’d also need to go ahead and get the PC to run it, too.
 
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Yes, increments is much better. Get a skeleton system up and running and spend some time learning and then growing from there.

Too many of us like me got lured into the big box kits and install all at once and then realize over time that more cameras doesn't necessarily mean better coverage. If it is the wrong camera for the job, then it is almost useless.

The two pulls to each location is good! Have them leave enough extra in case after install you find out it needs to go higher or lower or left or right.

Regarding a PC, you do not need to build one or buy new. Do you have sitting around collecting dust? A 3rd or 4th gen sitting around can be a capable machine.

If not then look to find a refurbished computer coming off business lease. Many of them are brand new. Mine didn't have a scratch or piece of dust in it.

It is great to see the approach you are going. Too many people, like me once upon a time, come here after the fact when we are not happy with the cheap system we bought. I listened to the advice and suggestions here and have a very solid system now. But I am still tweaking and adding lol.
 
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Welcome @conner05

Original thoughts: "For me, it kind of came down to three systems: Reolink, Unifi, or a custom Blue Iris + Deep Stack AI setup. " - Conner05

Reply:
No on the Reolink, No on the Unifi.
Most member prefer Blue Iris + good cameras which meet IP standards well.

Original thoughts: "Now, we are already about to install a Unifi Dream Machine Pro, 48 PoE Switch, and two WiFi Pro 6 APs (the Lites are all sold out) in our home, so we will have the PoE ports available for the number of cameras we're looking for. Also, I wanted a prosumer network at home, anyway." - Conner05

Reply:
If you are cabling right away, feel free to post a picture of the front of your home with ideas of where you think you want to place the cameras and we'd be happy to review your thoughts and give you feed back from our personal experiences. ( N+1+ )

In general over cable while you can, you will want to put up more cameras than you expect to meet you requirements.


Original thoughts: "what do you think about this plan?

Install my new Ubiquiti network and run 2 cat6 cables to each location I’d want a cam, such as all four corners of our home, each entrance, and the locations inside, too. Then purchase one or two of the cam you suggested and start testing it out.

Does that sound like a solid plan?

Should I go ahead and get Blue Iris and get it setup as well? I’d also need to go ahead and get the PC to run it, too."

Reply:
In general a good plan .. I'd hold off on cabling the outside locations until you've evaluated the locations and placements of the cameras. Too often you do not get the results you want in the original locations you plan. ( lights also often reduce the effectiveness of cameras at night as well as poor angles to suspects .. )

SO I would get 2 good IP cameras + a small PoE switch + used business class PC to run blue iris and 2 long good cat5e/6 cables to test with. ( buy bulk cables for the real runs when ready )

Search for the test rig here.



conner05 said:
Hey everyone, I'm new to this space and have been trying to do a lot of research to inform myself of the options for a camera system for my home. My wife and I moved into a new home about 2 years ago and now we're looking to get a camera system setup for in and outside of our home.

After talking with my wife these are our requirements:
MUST HAVES
  • two-way audio (not every camera location, but at least by doorway accesses)
  • person and vehicle detection
  • 24/7 recording
  • local storage
  • mobile alerts (outside of LAN as well)
  • easy to use mobile app
  • camera access outside of LAN (preferably VPN or some kind of port forwarding)

NICE TO HAVES
- at least 1-2 cameras w/ good enough quality to capture license plates driving ~20-30mph @ 40-80 yards

After doing some research, it appears there are no "out of the box" solutions that offer what we're looking for. I'm thinking of companies like SimpliSafe, Vivint, etc. We would be willing to pay for such a service, but I had no luck finding one.

For me, it kind of came down to three systems: Reolink, Unifi, or a custom Blue Iris + Deep Stack AI setup. Now, we are already about to install a Unifi Dream Machine Pro, 48 PoE Switch, and two WiFi Pro 6 APs (the Lites are all sold out) in our home, so we will have the PoE ports available for the number of cameras we're looking for. Also, I wanted a prosumer network at home, anyway.

In the end it came down to either Reolink or the custom BI setup. Now, we have a toddler and my wife stays at home. So, she is not thrilled about my spending an entire weekend setting up a BI camera setup. I told her it would likely take at least that long, but I also feel like we're not really going to get what we want unless go with the BI setup.

I spec'd out what I believe we would need. Please take a look and tell me what you think.

Locations (as viewed from street)
  • Front right
    • 4K bullet camera facing rear of house (East)
    • 5MP bullet camera facing front of house (West)
  • Front awning
    • 5MP dome camera facing door
  • Front left
    • 4K bullet facing neighbor's house across street (West)
    • 5MP bullet facing diagonal neighbors' houses (North)
  • Rear left
    • 5MP bullet camera facing NorthEast
    • 4K bullet camera facing rear parking, garage, and back door
  • Rear right
    • 4K bullet camera facing driveway (South)
    • 5MP bullet camera facing grill area and tree (backyard)
    • 5MP dome camera facing neighbor's garden area and open parking (South East)
  • Garage
    • 5MP dome camera facing door
      • Must perform well in low light
  • Rec room
    • 5MP dome camera facing garage door
  • Dining room
    • 5MP dome camera in daughter's corner
  • Living room
    • 5MP dome camera in corner left of fireplace
Devices & Cost
Cameras total: 14x $980
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thoughts on this setup? My wife is also weary that I'm missing something and will order all of this stuff only to leave something out. Pointers on that? Also, we'd pay to have it installed. Any ideas on how to find such a person?
Click to expand...

conner05 said:
It sounds like this sort of thing is best done in increments as opposed to all at once.

what do you think about this plan?

Install my new Ubiquiti network and run 2 cat6 cables to each location I’d want a cam, such as all four corners of our home, each entrance, and the locations inside, too. Then purchase one or two of the cam you suggested and start testing it out.

Does that sound like a solid plan?

Should I go ahead and get Blue Iris and get it setup as well? I’d also need to go ahead and get the PC to run it, too.
Click to expand...
 
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mat200 said:
Welcome @conner05

Original thoughts: "For me, it kind of came down to three systems: Reolink, Unifi, or a custom Blue Iris + Deep Stack AI setup. " - Conner05

Reply:
No on the Reolink, No on the Unifi.
Most member prefer Blue Iris + good cameras which meet IP standards well.

Original thoughts: "Now, we are already about to install a Unifi Dream Machine Pro, 48 PoE Switch, and two WiFi Pro 6 APs (the Lites are all sold out) in our home, so we will have the PoE ports available for the number of cameras we're looking for. Also, I wanted a prosumer network at home, anyway." - Conner05

Reply:
If you are cabling right away, feel free to post a picture of the front of your home with ideas of where you think you want to place the cameras and we'd be happy to review your thoughts and give you feed back from our personal experiences. ( N+1+ )

In general over cable while you can, you will want to put up more cameras than you expect to meet you requirements.


Original thoughts: "what do you think about this plan?

Install my new Ubiquiti network and run 2 cat6 cables to each location I’d want a cam, such as all four corners of our home, each entrance, and the locations inside, too. Then purchase one or two of the cam you suggested and start testing it out.

Does that sound like a solid plan?

Should I go ahead and get Blue Iris and get it setup as well? I’d also need to go ahead and get the PC to run it, too."

Reply:
In general a good plan .. I'd hold off on cabling the outside locations until you've evaluated the locations and placements of the cameras. Too often you do not get the results you want in the original locations you plan. ( lights also often reduce the effectiveness of cameras at night as well as poor angles to suspects .. )

SO I would get 2 good IP cameras + a small PoE switch + used business class PC to run blue iris and 2 long good cat5e/6 cables to test with. ( buy bulk cables for the real runs when ready )

Search for the test rig here.
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Thanks for your thoughts! Something I didn’t mention was that I am getting AT&T Fiber installed and according to them they will run all the Ethernet I need. I explained I may need a lot all around the house and they said they would do it during the install. So, if that is true I am going to take full advantage of it. I planned on doing three drops on each corner of the house and four drops at the front entrance and another four at the rear entrance. I have 32 PoE ports on the switch I ordered so I should have plenty. We also plan on putting some drops inside the house, too. I’ll try to take some pics this week and share them here for some more insight.
 
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conner05 said:
Thanks for your thoughts! Something I didn’t mention was that I am getting AT&T Fiber installed and according to them they will run all the Ethernet I need. I explained I may need a lot all around the house and they said they would do it during the install. So, if that is true I am going to take full advantage of it. I planned on doing three drops on each corner of the house and four drops at the front entrance and another four at the rear entrance. I have 32 PoE ports on the switch I ordered so I should have plenty. We also plan on putting some drops inside the house, too. I’ll try to take some pics this week and share them here for some more insight.
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Nice .. very nice.. "AT&T Fiber installed and according to them they will run all the Ethernet I need."

Many of us like to put cameras at the door of our garage doors, at least one on each side of the top of the garage door to watch the driveway ..

For the front door I like a camera at face level ( mini-dome wedge ), and a camera covering the package drop area ..

So a cable on the front door to the doorbell .. one to face level .. and one to a location for a camera that can cover the package drop zone .
 
That seems difficult to run through the wall like that. I guess I can ask. Otherwise we have a good local electric company that I’d trust to run that sort of cable. Do you have any video references or a Poe doorbell like that?
 
That is just it - there isn't a good doorbell out there yet, much less one that is POE. Dahua has one planned for later this year, so hopefully we start to see some. But the biggest issue is most do not have POE available at the door, so if you can talk them into it, go for it LOL.
 
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conner05 said:
That seems difficult to run through the wall like that. I guess I can ask. Otherwise we have a good local electric company that I’d trust to run that sort of cable. Do you have any video references or a Poe doorbell like that?
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hmmm .. if this is old school telephone run your cable .. let's drill holes where we like and staple along the wall ... - well, i'd just rather do the work myself instead of having them do that sort of job with cat5e/cat6 ..
 
I was going to comment that Verizon is an "eye level" wiring company...all surface runs and holes through the wall, inside to outside. Be careful with them, you may be very disappointed.
 
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