TVT73,
With my NVR (model in signature details below), 3 emails are sent for every event.
1) Event Start
2) Snapshot
3) Event end
Using Gmail filters, I only forward the 2nd email to my phone, to see the snapshot.
From my experience and research, Gmail is inconsistent. Sometimes all my snaps reach me, other times they don't. I'm not sure what the variable is. Sometimes, very stable. Other times, only 80% of snaps are forwarded to my phone.
I reduced latency on the NVR to 10 sec. (based on
@nayr's suggestion). So the 3 emails take 30 sec min, total. That improved dependability, but slowed things down. And snaps still get dropped, but much less frequently than before.
gDMSS pro (the paid version, 5 or 10 bucks) alerts my phone immediately, with a video clip. So fast, virtually immediate when an alarm is seen. That's what I rely on for quick notification of an Alarm Event.
Some folks said Gmail is the problem, and recommended I switch to more robust email vendors. I didn't investigate. gDMSS is dependable and fast enough.
It's a combo of a) your email service, b) interval between emails, and c) attachments (eg: snaps). I don't think I ever lost email #1 or #3. Just #2. Sometimes email #2 comes through, but the snap isn't visible.
Conclusion: I chose to not fight the email dark forces anymore. gDMSS gives me the video clips. If I later want more info, everything is recorded on the NVR. Choose your battles and struggles wisely!