multiple blue iris installations

[m_knoblock]

So what I have to do is monitor the parking lot (1 or 2 cameras) at several small trailer parks we run. I have high speed internet at each park, with cat5 to each trailer.

I have two options:

1. wire every IP camera to its local router and monitor everything from home with BI over the internet

2. Install a PC with BI at each park, and from home remote desktop into each PC when I want to monitor.


I'd prefer to have a single BI instance at home that can see every camera but that sounds like a lot of port forwarding tricks at each router. Is there a third option, or a 'correct' way to do this?

 

[Edcfish]

For recording I would choose #2 without hesitation.
You could still have a remote monitor running Blue Iris using the camera substreams at a low quality/bit rate (ie: .5MP @ 1 fps) for easy 'live' viewing.
Then for any issues you would have high quality recordings available at the separate locations.
With #1 i would have concerns as if there are any internet issues you would not have coverage, in addition to the potential problems of constant/high bandwidth/data usage.
I would also use a separate (preferably managed) switch for the cameras at each location, not plugged directly into the router, and then VPN (openVPN) connections from the PC or firewall at the parks to your home PC/firewall.

 

[m_knoblock]

For recording I would choose #2 without hesitation.
You could still have a remote monitor running Blue Iris using the camera substreams at a low quality/bit rate (ie: .5MP @ 1 fps) for easy 'live' viewing.
Then for any issues you would have high quality recordings available at the separate locations.
With #1 i would have concerns as if there are any internet issues you would not have coverage, in addition to the potential problems of constant/high bandwidth/data usage.
I would also use a separate (preferably managed) switch for the cameras at each location, not plugged directly into the router, and then VPN (openVPN) connections from the PC or firewall at the parks to your home PC/firewall.

With this arrangement, could I not just quick-view each substream on my phone? Instead of another BI installation at home? The other thing I like about this method is that I don't need a PC powerhouse to have BI run 1 or 2 cameras.

 

[TonyR]

With this arrangement, could I not just quick-view each substream on my phone?

Yes and also should you decide to in the future you could also "Show cam stream from a Remote BI server on a Local BI server"