Remote cameras via wireless bridge.

B

Brian Malone

n3wb
Jun 18, 2018
4
3
Florida
Good morning everyone. I want to install cameras at 2 remote locations on my property. I currently have a wireless bridge running to both locations with enough bandwidth to support many cams back to the house.

My question is about installing an NVR ( specifically the NVR5216-4kS2 V2 ). I want to install the NVR at my home location for viewing/recording etc. My plan is to install one 8 port poe switch at each building. These switches will be plugged into the wireless backhaul from each building.

Will the NVR be able to "see" the cameras anywhere on the network?

Or do they have to be connected physically to the same switch as the NVR?

In addition can NVR's with existing poe ports on the back see other ip cams on the network? Or only the ones plugged into the poe ports on the back?

Anyone have any recommendations on a better NVR to use for this type setup?

Best,
Brian
 
Steve Bowman said:
Welcome - I am interested in your wireless bridge setup. What did you use?


Check out this thread - some of your questions should be answered.
Help a newb with Dahua NVR questions.


Probably.

No
Click to expand...

I used 3 of the Ubiquiti Nanobeam's to complete the bridge. They are super easy to setup and have excellent throughput. I have used the older version of these as well as Nanaostation M2's for other locations.

Thank you for the links. It look as though the cams can be anywhere on the network with a non-poe DVR.
 
As long as the station is connected to the same local network, you will be able to add your cameras to the NVR, and @Steve Bowman is correct, you can use the nvr with out using the PoE ports. You could probably save some dough if you bought an NVR without PoE, Maybe one with a dual NIC card so you could keep your cameras separate.
 
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bababouy said:
As long as the station is connected to the same local network, you will be able to add your cameras to the NVR, and @Steve Bowman is correct, you can use the nvr with out using the PoE ports. You could probably save some dough if you bought an NVR without PoE, Maybe one with a dual NIC card so you could keep your cameras separate.
Click to expand...

The wireless bridge also runs 2 wireless AP's over the bridge. I am guessing it would not be able to seperate the Dahua NVR and cams, and still have the AP's working on the existing network? I would have to set up 2 seperate bridges? One for the Dahua NVR and cams, and a second one for the AP's with internet access.
 
Brian Malone said:
The wireless bridge also runs 2 wireless AP's over the bridge. I am guessing it would not be able to seperate the Dahua NVR and cams, and still have the AP's working on the existing network? I would have to set up 2 seperate bridges? One for the Dahua NVR and cams, and a second one for the AP's with internet access.
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As long as you are not overlapping channels (so one beam pushes the other beam off the cliff), you are fine.

Tip-of-the-day: some high-tech burglars carry wifi jammers, which renders, in your case, your visibility to 0. My advise is to inject local SD storage to (some of) the camera's, at least the high-ground ones. They might carry valuable footage if your wifi bridge went down, for any reason.

Good luck!
CC
 
catcamstar said:
As long as you are not overlapping channels (so one beam pushes the other beam off the cliff), you are fine.

Tip-of-the-day: some high-tech burglars carry wifi jammers, which renders, in your case, your visibility to 0. My advise is to inject local SD storage to (some of) the camera's, at least the high-ground ones. They might carry valuable footage if your wifi bridge went down, for any reason.

Good luck!
CC
Click to expand...
Good advise here. If your cams have SD card slots, use them. Once you set up recording, check in on the recording periodically and make sure that everything is working properly, especially at night when it's dark.
 
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Brian Malone said:
I used 3 of the Ubiquiti Nanobeam's to complete the bridge. They are super easy to setup and have excellent throughput. I have used the older version of these as well as Nanaostation M2's for other locations.
Click to expand...

I second the Ubiquiti/Nanobeam solution.

Currently, I have an AP-AC-Pro in wireless mesh mode to connect to my garage until I spring when I can put up my Nanobeams. The throughput from AP-AC-Pro (hardwired inside house) to AP-AC-Pro (wireless mesh mode in garage) is acceptable for now. Depending on the distance and interference, the UniFi mesh may be too limited. It's just enough for my application, but only just.

In general, Ubiquiti makes amazing products. If you are even remotely tech savvy, check out their UniFi line. Blows the pants off any bridged AP solution from pro-sumer grade networking equipment. Trust me I've tried and they all are kinda shaky.
 
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Is there a big difference between the "nanobeam", "nanostation" and "nano loco" they offer? I'm not very familiar with this wireless bridging but was interested in getting internet and maybe a camera or two to my detached garage. I've been reading on some other site of some guy hating on the Loco but not sure why.
 
nbstl68 said:
Is there a big difference between the "nanobeam", "nanostation" and "nano loco" they offer? .
Click to expand...
I've installed eight Ubiquiti wireless Layer 2 Transparent Bridges over the last 6 years and all have performed flawlessly in that time despite rain, sun, power glitches and at least 2 dozen severe lighting storms.

I have not used the nanobeam so will defer to someone else. My rule of thumb: don't use more power than needed (a NS Loco has a tad less power than a NS) so don't install the NS if a NS Loco will provide the Signal to Noise Ratio you want. The power level can be decreased on either also. I have installed a NS and dialed back the power a tad anticipating a future need for more power as the environment changes for that customer (more vegetation, more crowding of the frequency, more background noise).

I use 5GHz between most points unless there is some loss of LOS (Line Of Sight) due to only slight vegetation. A 2.4GZ will punch through a slight amount of leaves, etc. just a tad better than 5GHz, 900 MHz even more but an ideal install would be totally clear LOS. If I'm out in a very remote area I may use a 2.4Ghz even where there's no loss of LOS depending on what the spectral crowding looks like. Therefore, it's always best to perform a field survey with the UBNT Tool to see what the site looks like and what it merits. You look at what other frequencies that are around, what the background noise is, etc.

nbstl68 said:
I've been reading on some other site of some guy hating on the Loco but not sure why.
Click to expand...
Probably wanted to save a few $$$ on the cheaper NS Loco and it didn't perform as he expected for his application so he blamed the Loco instead of his misapplication...probably should have used a NS, used the wrong frequency or misconfigured it. Too many great running, dependable UBNT bridges out there, both NS and NS Loco, both 2.4 and 5GHz to say it's totally the product's fault. That's just my 2 cents.

Here's what I have installed, 4 of them 5GHz (all Loco's) and 4 of them 2.4's (2 of those NS, 2 Loco's):

Ubiquiti_layer2_bridge-cams.jpg
 
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Thanks that helps. I also want to to Wifi in the garage....Would that be picked up from the nano signal being pointed at the garage or would I have to connect a wireless AP to the switch needed in the garage?
 
nbstl68 said:
Thanks that helps. I also want to to Wifi in the garage....Would that be picked up from the nano signal being pointed at the garage or would I have to connect a wireless AP to the switch needed in the garage?
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You're welcome!

I would install a wireless AP (or wireless router with static LAN IP and DHCP disabled) in the garage, its LAN port plugged into the switch as if it were a camera (at least as in my schematic). If there's no cams, eliminate the switch and plug that AP's LAN port into the LAN port of the POE injector.

With AirMax and WDS enabled and the 40MHz channel width of the AP/BRIDGE (house) side of the bridge, it could not be used by standard Wi-Fi devices in the garage due to the protocol and channel width. The house side radio can be set up to do that but if you can "see" and effectively utilize the Wi-Fi from the house-end, then it seems likely you would not need the bridge anyway.

If LOS is good between house and garage, then it's likely best to use 5Ghz radios for the bridge and install a 2.4GHz wireless AP (or wireless router configured as above) in the garage.
 
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I may be close enough to not need a bridge for wifi but then what device options would you recommend to just "point" my home's wifi signal to the garage...at least just for internet. I just assumed I needed one device on both ends.
 
I have 3 different Ubiquity links, one to the shop ~300', one to the garage, and one from the shop to a second property 5.8 miles away.
I ran them all on 5.8G links from airMAX LightBeem M5 for the 2 close links, and airMAX 5 GHz PowerBeam ac, PBE-5AC-620 for the long hop.
I have a mixture of cameras going into a DVR at each location and a couple 5Mp IP cameras going back over IP.
I have a Blue Iris at my home that connects to each location grabbing the cameras from the DVR's and also the IP cameras direct to them. With this setup I have the DVR as backup if the link goes down, or is jammed. IP cameras have a SD card. Also have the Blue Iris for backup if one of the DVR's die, like a hard drive failure.
All external DVR's and IP cameras are on the same network and I have cheap 2.4G Ubiquity access points in each location for local internet. House DVR is on separate network. I had a camera down at the gate over RG-6 coax for 20+ years, so when I put in the DVR at the house, I found an adapter on amazon that converts from ethernet to coax and back. This allowed me to put an IP camera at the gate. I do IT work all day, so like playing in the evening.
 
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LOS is clear. Why use 5Ghz? I always thoub the range was short for 5Ghz. I kniw my home router 5G signal does not make it nearly as far as the 2.4ghz..but may e its different with this type of equipment? Which device would you recommend? The building is nowhere near as far as Old Timer's. It is maybe 100 yards or so from the house.
 
nbstl68 said:
LOS is clear. Why use 5Ghz? I always thoub the range was short for 5Ghz.
Click to expand...
It's less crowded, less likely to have issues caused by interference with ambient neighborhood wireless signals.

nbstl68 said:
I kniw my home router 5G signal does not make it nearly as far as the 2.4ghz..but may e its different with this type of equipment?
Click to expand...
I doubt that your interior AP or wireless router has the radio transmit power and receiver sensitivity that the UBNT outdoor equipment does.

nbstl68 said:
Which device would you recommend? The building is nowhere near as far as Old Timer's. It is maybe 100 yards or so from the house.
Click to expand...

As stated in my post #11 above.
 
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bp2008 said:
Hey @TonyR are you making good use of UNMS? This is great software for people who manage a lot of Ubiquiti stuff!
Click to expand...
Wow, no I'm not but am going to check it out...thanks!
 
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