First Time Building out a System and found this awesome community

rollintoy

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I am in the process of building a home and I will be running the low voltage wiring. I know that I want exterior cameras but I don't think I will have them before the house is completed.

Any suggestions on how to elegantly pre-wire on the outside of the home? On the inside, it's easy (at least I think it is) just install a mud-ring and put a blank cover on it. However, I'm stumped on what to do on the outside. Obviously, I can't have a wire just hanging out of the wall or soffit. A single gang box won't look good (won't pass wife test) and it seems most cameras won't mount to that type of box anyway.

I'm at a loss and don't have much longer before I will have to do something or lose the window during construction.


-Matt
 

SouthernYankee

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:welcome:
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Drop more ethernet wires than you think you need. Run at least two wires to each location.
Do not mount your cameras to high. No more than 8ft. Two cameras on the garage, at least, one on each side no higher than the top of the door. I have at least two cameras on all doors external mounted. I have one camera on each door internal.

Run the wire for a good alarm system. Open door sensors, break class sensors, window open sensors.....

If you are going to mount the network equipment PC/Router/UPS in a closet, make sure the closet has AC cooling. Make sure the closet has multiple A/C plugs.

Get the wire run before the wall go up. Do not worry about the cameras or the actual alarm system now.
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My standard welcome to the forum message.

Please read the IP Cam Talk Cliff Notes and other items in the IP Cam Talk Wiki. The wiki is in the blue bar at the top of the page.

Read How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!) in the wiki also.

Quick start
1) If you do not have a wired monitored alarm system, get that first
2) Use Dahua starlight cameras or Hikvision darkfighter cameras or ICPT Night eye cameras (Store | IP Cam Talk) if you need good low light cameras.
3) use a VPN to access home network (openVPN)
4) Do not use wifi cameras.
5) Do not use cloud storage
6) Do Not use uPNP, P2P, QR, do not open ports,
7) More megapixel is not necessarily better.
8) Avoid chinese hacked cameras (most ebay, amazon, aliexpress cameras(not all, but most))
9) Do not use reolink, ring, nest cameras (they are junk), no cloud cameras
10) If possible use a turret camera , bullet collect spiders, dome collect dirt and reflect light (IR)
11) Use only solid copper, AWG 23 or 24 ethernet wire. , no CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum)
12) use a test mount to verify the camera mount location. My test rig: rev.2
13) (Looney2ns)If you want to be able to ID faces, don't mount cams higher than 8ft. You want to know who did it, not just what happened.
14) Use a router that has openVPN built in (Most ASUS, Some NetGear....)
15) camera placement use the calculator... IPVM Camera Calculator V3

Cameras to look at
IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED Review IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED (Full Color, Starlight+)
IPC-T5442TM-AS Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+ - 4MP starlight+
IPC-HDW2231R-ZS Review-Dahua IPC-HDW2231RP-ZS Starlight Camera-Varifocal
IPC-HDW2231T-ZS-S2 Review-OEM IPC-T2231T-ZS 2mp Varifocal Starlight Camera
IPC-HDW5231R-ZE Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE
IPC-HFW4239T-ASE IPC-HFW4239T-ASE
IPCT-HDW5431RE-I Review - IP Cam Talk 4 MP IR Fixed Turret Network Camera
DS-2CD2325FWD-I
IPC-T2347G-LU Review of the Hikvision OEM model IPC-T2347G-LU 'ColorVu' IP CCTV camera. (DS-2CD2347G1-LU)
N22AL12 New Dahua N22AL12 Budget Cam w/Starlight -- low cost entry

Other dahua 4MP starlight Dahua 4MP Starlight Lineup

My preferred indoor cameras
DS-2CD2442FWD-IW
IPC-K35A Review-Dahua IPC-K35A 3mp Cube Camera

If interested in Blue Iris and other setup items see the following post

Read,study,plan before spending money ..... plan plan plan
Test do not guess
 
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mat200

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I am in the process of building a home and I will be running the low voltage wiring. I know that I want exterior cameras but I don't think I will have them before the house is completed.

Any suggestions on how to elegantly pre-wire on the outside of the home? On the inside, it's easy (at least I think it is) just install a mud-ring and put a blank cover on it. However, I'm stumped on what to do on the outside. Obviously, I can't have a wire just hanging out of the wall or soffit. A single gang box won't look good (won't pass wife test) and it seems most cameras won't mount to that type of box anyway.

I'm at a loss and don't have much longer before I will have to do something or lose the window during construction.


-Matt
Welcome @rollintoy matt

What stage of the construction are you in right now?
What will the exterior walls be made of?
1-story? 2-story?

I actually like a good deep sturdy single gang box flush to the outside wall and with a stud or other sturdy material to screw the camera / junction box / wall mount into next to the box. ( I dislike "vertical mulch" board and like quality plywood better... - I prefer steel / metal electrical boxes.. as i have seen plastic ones not hold up to drywalling crews and renters... )
 

K175un3

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Hello rollintoy, look into electrical conduit solutions.

It'll make managing cabling much easier, neater and if you use metal conduit it'll be hardened against physical attacks.
 

rollintoy

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Wow, thanks everyone for the responses so far. I've got some reading to do.

Framing on the house has not started but could it begin any day so I'm trying to have my homework done so I'll be ready. The house will have a brick/stone foundation with cement board (Hardy) above that. It will only be 1 level but it is on a slope such that the rear of the home will be pretty high off the ground which definitely rules out eave mounted cameras there. I might be able to get away with them up front.

Any suggestions on how to elegantly terminate/hide the cables before camera installation. From what I've read, under the eaves might not be good due to height but having a cable just sticking out of the hardy board won't look good. Maybe I'm making this too hard though. Maybe I should just go ahead and buy/mount cameras that way I don't have to worry about hiding cables. If I do that any tips/suggestions on making it aesthetically pleasing? Ideally the cameras will just blend in and not be something that draws the eye.

Thoughts on Unify Protect?

I kinda like the idea of Blue Iries b/c I think I can integrate with Samsung Smartthings which is something you can't do with Unify's product.
 
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Search these forums for some of the install picture threads where homeowners have taken the time to prep and paint their cameras to match exterior of the house.

Show those to your wife. That should relax her to see that running the cables cleanly now leads to a nice finished product in the end. Even cameras eye level don’t have to be eye sores, and to most the will hardly be visible.

Decide if you want to flush mount, mount cameras to boxes (order those if you do for the cameras you like, they are cheap), or the mounts that stick out from the wall may also be an option as well.
 

K175un3

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Nicely planned conduiting will give a slight air of commercial or industrial, but it will look purposeful and somewhat elegant.

And some manufacturers make surface mount boxes that will work with metal conduit tube and you can mount cams on as well, such as Dahua with the DH-PFA130-E.

And I like the idea of NVR or monitoring and recording solution in a room as close to the attic as possible, then it's run cable to attic with plastic conduit in the walls, attic could be metal tray type conduit and then run down to cameras with metal conduit tube.

But it's just a thought or idea.
 

mat200

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Wow, thanks everyone for the responses so far. I've got some reading to do.

Framing on the house has not started but could it begin any day so I'm trying to have my homework done so I'll be ready. The house will have a brick/stone foundation with cement board (Hardy) above that....
Hi @rollintoy

Time to chat with the contractor.

Definitely do not mount too high. Go for no more than 8 feet high for best results.

I would try to have a 1 gang opening flush with whatever wall surface you end up with. ( Hardy board - I am assuming they're putting something on top of that.. )
Also ensure that the cavity is larger than the shallow 1-gang boxes. I really like the deeper 1-gang boxes for this, or even a 2-gang box with a lid that reduces to a 1-gang opening.

Also I would have 2-3 cat6 cables to the front door area - have 2 drop to the doorbell location, and one at eye level.
Cover the driveway / garage with at least 2 cameras - one on each side of the garage.

Do you have the floor plan? If so, then put dots where you want to place the cameras and share in the Camera Installation Questions section. ( iirc that would be an appropriate section for it.. )
 

K175un3

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+1 on the wiring diagram or plan mat200, it's always useful to really think these things out instead of just throwing things in wherever they'll fit and then create a load of issues and much longer wiring runs than necessary.

And an IP Camera doorbell may be a good addition to the system as well.
 

K175un3

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And stone or concrete ornaments can be very useful for secreting satellite cameras (ones that are away from the property) from prying eyes.

You don't want everyone to uncover your nefarious plans.
 

triplec

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Home builder here and new to the forum as so many folks want this now so studying up to offer better product and retrofit for my own home. What we do in new construction is set a 2x4 in the soffit area from the end of truss outlooker if vinyl soffit then hang a weatherproof junction box and pull cat 6 to this then cover with a blank. Its seamless and blends with the soffit well. We do the same if were running hard soffit but use a different style or rapid install junction box as the framing is already there for the stuccoed soffit. Bad explanation probably but weather proof boxes and covers are inexpensive enough and gives the option of later install.
 
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rollintoy

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Home builder here and new to the forum as so many folks want this now so studying up to offer better product and retrofit for my own home. What we do in new construction is set a 2x4 in the soffit area from the end of truss outlooker if vinyl soffit then hang a weatherproof junction box and pull cat 6 to this then cover with a blank. Its seamless and blends with the soffit well. We do the same if were running hard soffit but use a different style or rapid install junction box as the framing is already there for the stuccoed soffit. Bad explanation probably but weather proof boxes and covers are inexpensive enough and gives the option of later install.
@triplec, Could you sent me a link to the type of junction box you are referring to for the vinyl soffit?
 

rollintoy

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So, I have been doing a lot of research and here's what I am thinking and I would love everyone's thoughts?

I think I have settled on the IPC-HDW5231R-ZE camera and use the EmpireTech PFA130-E junction box to mount. Initially, I will only be purchasing 3 cameras to cover the doors on the house. However, in order to take advantage of running wire during construction, I plan to mount some junction boxes without camera but with wire pre-ran for future use?

Before I actually mount, I will do some testing with a bucket and 2x4's to ensure placement. Unfortunately, I can't use the IPVM calculator since the house isn't built yet.

Thoughts?
 

SouthernYankee

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Good approach. Running the Ethernet cable is the hardest part. More is better

Think about point inside the house. I have door covered by inside cameras.

I wish I had installed Ethernet points inside. As the house is old now I have three phone jacks in each room.
Put power plugs in the closets.
I now have Ethernet connects on the top of the built-in media center cabinets. Also on top of the kitchen cabinets. I have about the same number of cameras inside as out side. Need to keep an eye on the dogs.
 
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