My Plan - Input Appreciated!

Azsean

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First, I want to thank everyone who has been so generous and helpful with their input on this forum. As you may remember when starting this type of endeavor, it can be quite confusing with different form factors and technologies not to mention reputable companies that sell and make the products. This place is a breath of fresh air compared to other forums I frequent. I'll try to be as brief as possible.

Background:
In the last two months, there has been two break ins on our street that occurred between 1-3 PM. I live in an upper middle class neighborhood not known for crimes but in the last year, there has been a string of B&E's. It is likely that both homes were being watched so they knew the owners were away or they knocked and no one answered and then proceeded to kick in the front door. I work from home, watch my newborn and therefore don't answer my door because we get a lot of solicitors. Our front door is an opaque glass as well which doesn't allow me to see who it is through a peep hole, rather I would have to open the door exposing myself. I have a side yard to the north of the home, rear sliding glass door to the master bedroom and then, unfortunately, Arcadia doors at the rear of the home with entry to the great room. One more item to note, I live on a corner lot exposing my rear yard with my Arcadia doors being the closest entry to the souther wall facing a street.

Starting Point:

I would like to start my system with addressing 3 main entry points and then in the very near future address 2-3 more locations.
This is where I would love to have input, opinions, preferences, and anything else you feel like sharing and what I may not be thinking about. After ALOT of research, reading the forum, reading forums, etc, I am ready to purchase the "base" setup and get started.

Cameras: All Hikvision

I was originally going to just buy two of the 2332, 1 2.8mm and 1 4mm to see which worked better for my application but I thought I could always use one wireless option in the future.
Here is what I am looking at:

1- DS-2CD2132F-IWS - 4mm. First install location will be over the arcadia doors looking toward the back yard and wall that separates me from the street. I like this camera because of the Alarm and Audio I/O along with wireless option if needed. These are things my other camera options lack. I originally wanted to purchase all wireless because I rent and I am very limited in my installation options. That being said, I have crawled through the attic and I have found a way to make it work where I won't need to drill holes or cause noticeable damage and still be able to use PoE and wire all of my cameras.

1- DS-2CD2332-I - 2.8mm lens. Installation on the corner of my garage, monitoring the north side yard entrance, i.e. choke point. I'm getting this because of the EXIR, no cover, and because it has the 2.8mm option more coverage options in the future.

1- DS-2cd2432F-IW - I'm sure I will hear it about using this outdoors but I will take steps to protect it and honestly, it is worth a shot to try because I haven't found anything else like it for my front door. My front door entrance is extremely well protected, I live in the desert and there will not be any direct sunlight or even that will get anywhere near it. This camera fits two things that I need for my front door: two way audio and a small, non-intimidating form factor. They also have a gold-ish looking one that would be closer to the stucco walls that may be a better option. Do you think if this is mounted between 4.5 and 5.5ft in height, I need the 2.8mm or is the 4mm sufficient? I am still trying to find the 2.8mm but 4mm may work.

Guidance and Thoughts?

1. Supplier - Currently, I have all of these cameras in my shopping cart on Aliexpress from CCTV Cameras. Is that the best and most reliable option on Aliexpress? Anything I need to watch out for? I am considering the DHL option for shipping as it seems to be only $20 more for about 10 days less time.
2. Cabling - Is there a special cat5e cable that I need to use if I run it through the attic or should I run it through conduit due to it having power running through it? I don't want it be laying on a nail or something and cause issues due to expansion etc. Here is the product I am considering, Aurum Outdoor waterproof.
3. TP Link PoE Switch - I'll be going with this switch, TP-Link TL-SF1008P, and it should be sufficient from what I read.

Am I missing anything or is this fairly good to begin with? Thank you again and I appreciate all of your help!

Sean
 
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bp2008

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CCTV CAMERA CHINA is popular: CCTV CAMERA CHINA - Small Orders Online Store, Hot Selling camera insert for messenger bag,camera spares,camera case nikon coolpix and more on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

Though with any seller, if you get a defective product they usually expect you to pay return shipping which can be expensive going to China. So there is effectively no warranty. This is a risk you simply have to accept when buying from China. If the seller you chose has a good customer rating, then I'd say go for it.

The general requirements for cables are:
* Cat5e or Cat6
* If you are going to run it near 110v+ electric power cables then it is potentially worth the cost to buy shielded cable.
* Solid copper wire, not CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum). The Aurum cables you linked specify CCA which is probably why they are so cheap. CCA has poorer conductivity, generates more heat with PoE, and is more prone to developing connection issues requiring you to replace the cable! Not in My Network! Copper Clad Aluminum is a Recipe for Failure

I usually use Cable Matters shielded cat6a; you can get it in a variety of colors from Amazon and I've never had any trouble with them.

Good choice of switch and cameras, IMHO.

If you park any vehicles outside, you will want a narrower lens camera to be able to identify anyone who walks up to check the doors. Stealing from parked vehicles is an extremely common crime.

Also, I recommend at least one camera indoors. I have one of the DS-2cd2432F-IW in my kitchen above the cabinets and its PIR motion detection has been flawless. It keeps about a week of motion recordings on a 16 GB SD card though it only has about 10 GB of that allocated to video clips.
 

Azsean

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Thanks BP. I appreciate the input and catching that the cables I linked to are CCA. The little things make a difference and I am of the mindset that it is better to spend a little more upfront to avoid the need to purchase something better down the road.

Regarding the interior camera, I will check out your recommendation. I really like the thought of PIR, especially for the front door and interior application. I will be using Blue Iris for my software. I've been playing with it and I really like it so far. Does BI have any special setting for the PIR or would I just use the regular alerts within the camera setup?
 

bp2008

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Blue Iris can be configured to monitor a Hikvision camera's alert status (and therefore the PIR sensor, indirectly) but I've never set it up so I'm not sure how. I don't connect my indoor cam to Blue Iris except when I go on vacation and then I find BI's motion detection to be adequate.
 

Azsean

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I like the idea of the 2432 in the kitchen but I ran across this, Ezviz F1, and really like the form factor and the readout. I saw it on Aliexpress originally but I'm sure I would run into all kinds of issue with getting it set up.
 

Azsean

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Just a quick update, especially to BP which was a huge help. I ordered three cameras from CCTV Camera China. Now the waiting begins. I couldn't order the dome camera because they are now out of stock so I ordered two of the 2332's, one 2.8mm and the other 4mm so that I can see which works better. I also ordered the 2432F for my front door. Yesterday, I spent about an hour in my attic to find out how in the world I'm going to get these cables into the house with little to no visible changes made. I want to get a head start on this because by the time the cameras arrive, it will be extremely hot here in Arizona and better to plan now then spend an hour in a couple of weeks. I finally figured out that the wall in my office has no insulation on the interior was where my current cox drop is and that there is enough space for me to drop down 5-6 Cat6a cables as long as I don't have connectors on the end. I didn't think I was going to learn how to do that part of the job but heck, why not! Once the cameras ship, I'll order cable and start the running it so that it is ready to go when the cameras get here.

I did make one, possibly substantial, deviation from the original plan. I know that the TP-Link is a tried and true switch but I really, really wanted to make the most of my purchase by being able to utilize it for more than just the cameras. I have been wanting a gig switch for a couple of years now and yesterday, while in Fry's electronics, they had the Netgear GS108PE on sale for $80, normally $100. This has 8 total ports, 4 of them PoE, no fan so it should be silent, and since it is geared toward small business, a nice metal case. Coming from a IT consulting background, I like the ability to have some QoS, line testing, etc. I've never been a big fan of Netgear's interface and customer service but the price was right and it will serve its purpose. I most likely would have gone with the TP-Link if the Netgear was still $100 although I have read that some people have power issues with longer runs on the TP-Link so we will see if that issue happens with the netgear.

Thanks again for your help, this will be much easier because of this forum and BP's help!
 

bp2008

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Sounds good. I usually don't recommend gigabit PoE switches just because they are not as cost-effective as two separate switches. For instance you can usually get the TP-Link and a separate 8 port gigabit switch (both in metal cases) for just under $80. But then you have two switches which in many cases only adds to the clutter.

I hope your installation goes well. You can probably expect your cameras within 1-2 weeks if memory serves.
 
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