Totally agree, so we are talking about a PC which runs windows, BI software and cameras. What are the good quality cameras and will wifi provide a decent quality ?
New to smart home
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BORIStheBLADE
Getting comfortable
If you are looking to start with four cameras then expand. You might want to consider skipping wifi cameras. Unless you want to run separate wifi just for the cameras.
Hoping you can run 8 wifi cameras with good quality video on a home shared network is pipe dream..
Hoping you can run 8 wifi cameras with good quality video on a home shared network is pipe dream..
Stay away from wifi cameras. They are ok for watching the dog or wildlife, but will not cut it for surveillance.
Cameras connected to Wifi routers (whether wifi or not) are problematic for surveillance cameras because they are always streaming and passing data. And the data demands go up with motion and then you lose signal. A lost packet and it has to resend. It can bring the whole network down if trying to send cameras through a wifi router. At the very least it can slow down your entire system.
Unlike Netflix and other streaming services that buffer a movie, these cameras do not buffer up part of the video, so drop outs are frequent. You would be amazed how much streaming services buffer - don't believe me, start watching something and unplug your router and watch how much longer you can watch NetFlix before it freezes - mine goes 45 seconds. Now do the same with a camera connected to a router and it is fairly instantaneous (within the latency of the stream itself)...
The same issue applies even with the hard-wired cameras trying to send all this non-buffer video stream through a router. Most consumer grade wifi routers are not designed to pass the constant video stream data of cameras, and since they do not buffer, you get these issues. The consumer routers are just not designed for this kind of traffic, even a GB speed router.
So the more cameras you add, the bigger the potential for issues.
And don't mistake these cameras for consumer cameras like Ring that are cloud based - they highly compress the video and are not streaming 24/7.
Do a search here for how many people come here after an incident and their wifi camera either missed it completely or the video was unusable.
Here is a thread I created that shows the importance of focal length over MP, complete with camera recommendations based on the distances to be covered to IDENTIFY:
ipcamtalk.com
Cameras connected to Wifi routers (whether wifi or not) are problematic for surveillance cameras because they are always streaming and passing data. And the data demands go up with motion and then you lose signal. A lost packet and it has to resend. It can bring the whole network down if trying to send cameras through a wifi router. At the very least it can slow down your entire system.
Unlike Netflix and other streaming services that buffer a movie, these cameras do not buffer up part of the video, so drop outs are frequent. You would be amazed how much streaming services buffer - don't believe me, start watching something and unplug your router and watch how much longer you can watch NetFlix before it freezes - mine goes 45 seconds. Now do the same with a camera connected to a router and it is fairly instantaneous (within the latency of the stream itself)...
The same issue applies even with the hard-wired cameras trying to send all this non-buffer video stream through a router. Most consumer grade wifi routers are not designed to pass the constant video stream data of cameras, and since they do not buffer, you get these issues. The consumer routers are just not designed for this kind of traffic, even a GB speed router.
So the more cameras you add, the bigger the potential for issues.
And don't mistake these cameras for consumer cameras like Ring that are cloud based - they highly compress the video and are not streaming 24/7.
Do a search here for how many people come here after an incident and their wifi camera either missed it completely or the video was unusable.
Here is a thread I created that shows the importance of focal length over MP, complete with camera recommendations based on the distances to be covered to IDENTIFY:
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...
DanDenver
Getting comfortable
You can find articles like this all the time about wifi jamming:
DanDenver
Getting comfortable
I understand. We never really covered what you are trying to protect or what your budget is.
If ring is an introduction for you to this wonderfully mind calming world of security cameras, so be it.
Just go in with eyes wide open and expectations levelset against reality.
If ring is an introduction for you to this wonderfully mind calming world of security cameras, so be it.
Just go in with eyes wide open and expectations levelset against reality.
What usually happens with the people that get the wifi and battery operated cameras are once the batteries need charged, they never charge them. All of my neighbors with those types of cameras loved it only took 10 minutes to hang the arlos up, but now they are dead as doornails hanging on the house.
It really isn't that hard to run the ethernet wires. The cameras need power anyway, and ethernet solves it by running the data and power on the same cable. Or worse case you hire a low voltage technician to run them.
But if you do use plug in cameras to electrical outlets, at least consider better cameras and use powerline adapters to run the data thru the existing electric wiring - far better than wifi.
Plus the quality is just not good with consumer grade cameras, most of which are wifi:
The Typical picture of a Perp on Nextdoor-type Apps with Consumer Grade Cameras like Ring, Nest, Arlo, Canary, Wyze, etc.
Love these posts on Nextdoor type apps LOL. This thread will be used for members to post the poor quality consumer grade type camera images that we see people post to the Nextdoor type apps. Can anyone make out this person that went thru their cars LOL.... And this thread is where members...
Is there a way to run data on the power line instead of running power on the data line (POE)What usually happens with the people that get the wifi and battery operated cameras are once the batteries need charged, they never charge them. All of my neighbors with those types of cameras loved it only took 10 minutes to hang the arlos up, but now they are dead as doornails hanging on the house.
It really isn't that hard to run the ethernet wires. The cameras need power anyway, and ethernet solves it by running the data and power on the same cable. Or worse case you hire a low voltage technician to run them.
But if you do use plug in cameras to electrical outlets, at least consider better cameras and use powerline adapters to run the data thru the existing electric wiring - far better than wifi.
Plus the quality is just not good with consumer grade cameras, most of which are wifi:
The Typical picture of a Perp on Nextdoor-type Apps with Consumer Grade Cameras like Ring, Nest, Arlo, Canary, Wyze, etc.
Love these posts on Nextdoor type apps LOL. This thread will be used for members to post the poor quality consumer grade type camera images that we see people post to the Nextdoor type apps. Can anyone make out this person that went thru their cars LOL.... And this thread is where members...
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
You can purchase i5-8500's for approximately $200 on ebay.
Flintstone61
Known around here
Amazon.com: TP-Link AV600 Powerline Ethernet Adapter(TL-PA4010 KIT)- Plug&Play, Power Saving, Nano Powerline Adapter, Expand Home Network with Stable Connections: Computers & Accessories
Amazon.com: TP-Link AV600 Powerline Ethernet Adapter(TL-PA4010 KIT)- Plug&Play, Power Saving, Nano Powerline Adapter, Expand Home Network with Stable Connections: Computers & Accessories
www.amazon.com
whether these would would work in all your scenarios would be anybody's guess.
but I had a pair of these at an Apartment where we could not run ethernet.
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Yes, as I mentioned with a powerline adapter that runs data over your existing electric lines.
Sybertiger
Known around here
I recently built a BlueIris system for my parents. I went with a used Dell Optiplex 7060 Mini-Tower with a i5-8500. Likely, you can, as others suggested, go with a older processor if you want to save a few bucks but in my parents case they have a rather large house which meant more cams and there were too many unknowns with regard to expandability therefore I went with a more robust system than I personally have (Dell Optiplex with i7-6700). With the Mini-Tower it's easy to add another HDD if need be and/or a graphics card for AI if need be.
I use a powerline adapter on my personal system to connect my BI system (in my home office closet) to my WiFi router. The reason being is that the interior wall to run cat6 down to the router was more of a challenge than I wanted to tackle at the time and using a powerline adapter was just too simple. I have opened up walls to run cat6 on a few occasions and do that when necessary. It's not a big deal if you know how to do drywall repairs and touch-up paint. Using a powerline adapter for each cam isn't really cost effective. Also, keep in mind that the powerlines are very, very noisy and anything with a motor (refrigerator compressor, etc) can really cause noise chaos depending on your environment. You might find that some of your powerlines are so noisy as to cause data problems.
I use a powerline adapter on my personal system to connect my BI system (in my home office closet) to my WiFi router. The reason being is that the interior wall to run cat6 down to the router was more of a challenge than I wanted to tackle at the time and using a powerline adapter was just too simple. I have opened up walls to run cat6 on a few occasions and do that when necessary. It's not a big deal if you know how to do drywall repairs and touch-up paint. Using a powerline adapter for each cam isn't really cost effective. Also, keep in mind that the powerlines are very, very noisy and anything with a motor (refrigerator compressor, etc) can really cause noise chaos depending on your environment. You might find that some of your powerlines are so noisy as to cause data problems.
I am a wiring installer when the sun is up. Ask questions. Many other folks are wiring installers as well. This site has a variety of folks to help you with questions and guidance.
In regards to purchasing a SFF. I ran one for a couple months. Yes, it's the slower CPU version than it's big standard motherboard brother. Could not add a 2nd HD but that was ok because I had the M.2 slot for my windows C: drive and 8TB HD for my storage. I mean...it worked. Some slowness but hay, it works. If you can financially afford a SFF I say go for it with the expectation that in a year or two down the road, you will want to swap it out to something more substantial.
Yes.
And I've had great success with these (a pair in the kit) ==> TP-Link Powerline Ethernet Adapter Starter Kit - AV1000 Gigabit Port, Plug&Play, Ethernet Over Power, Nano Size, Ideal for Smart TV, Online Gaming, Wired Connection Only (TL-PA7017 KIT)
As an Amazon Associate IPCamTalk earns from qualifying purchases.