Security Camera setup WITHOUT internet

[Gups]

Hi everyone - My first post! I am very new to all this, so bear with me if my questions sound naive.

I want to set up a few security cameras at my parents' house. The problem is that they only go there for a few weeks at a time and there is no reliable way of getting internet service there

The setup that I envision is this:

• A bunch of cameras (HD with night vision) set up at various entrance points. They would all be inside, with the lens facing a window which faces the outside. Outdoor cameras, I imagine are more expensive and more of a hassle to set up
• They would be on all the time
• We do not need remote viewing capability
• We only need to be able to view activity through a smartphone on demand when inside the house. For example, if someone is at the door, they would just view the camera stream from their phone to see who it is

I did some reading on this and understand that you could, possibly, connect the cameras to a wireless router WITHOUT an internet connection and then connect your phone to the same wireless network and that should allow you to stream the video while INSIDE the house and connected to the same wireless network. So, as long as all the devices were connected to the same network over a router, you would be able to view the camera from your smartphone.

Is this correct? If so, would any camera work?

I was thinking of getting a couple of these
Amazon.com : Baby Monitor, Super HD 960P Internet WiFi Wireless Network IP Security Surveillance Video Camera System, Pet and Nanny Monitor with Pan and Tilt, Two Way Audio & Night Vision : Camera & Photo

Or these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MF5X3TT/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=15ITL7I3NH6LM&coliid=IUBQAZ0T5L90Q

I am not sure I understand how this would work. If anyone has experience with such a set up, I would really appreciate suggestions and instructions. Thank you all in advance!

 

[Kawboy12R]

Those are junk and would be crippled by looking through windows. You're right that all cams could be viewed from an internal network that's not connected to the outside world. Get an NVR or DVR setup from Costco and mount the cameras properly outside. It'll come with a phone app that you can view the cams while inside the house. If you insist on not recording anything, then you can get Dahua turrets off AliExpress that're easy to set up for $70 each or under. Just plug them into a router, set them up with a laptop, then take the laptop with you and leave them with something like Tiny Cam loaded onto their phones/tablets so they can check knocks and bumps in the night. They'll regret not having a recording though if something ever does happen or if they can't get their phones turned on in time.

For 300 bucks though, even this analog low-end system gives them a bunch of 2mp cams plus recording. It'd do the job of door cams plus you'd have a bunch for other places. I prefer IP cams and a more advanced system, but for dirt cheap and simple it's hard to beat for $300 plus having that awesome Costco warranty and some phone support from QSee if you need it. Get it set up and running with the router and viewed from the phones before drilling/mounting things in case they don't like it or have troubles with setup and want to take it back.

Costco Wholesale

 

[tangent]

Since they "only go there for a few weeks at a time" it seems like keeping tabs on the place while they're gone would be a good idea (eg recording, possibly adding internet in the future to get alerts).

If your parents don't have internet, I think you may be overestimating their ability or interest to view the cameras in a manner that would make them useful. It doesn't exactly do much good if they're sitting inside fumbling with a tablet for 10 minutes trying to see the camera after the doorbell rings. A dedicated display may make more sense (I suppose this could be a tablet), NVRs/DVRs can be hooked directly to computer monitors and TVs.

As Kawboy said, don't make cams look through windows. You get reflections and glare and at night all the IR will reflect back into the room and you'll just see a crappy reflection of the room behind the window.

 

[Gups]

tangent and Kawboy12R - thank you both for your replies! The recording feature really is secondary at this point. What they are most interested in is being able to see who is outside the door when they are at home wihtout having an internet connection. I looked at the Costco Qsee system - looks great for the price. However, Is there an alternative which would be wireless, so as to avert the need for running cables? That really would be ideal.

Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[nayr]

wireless dont work for security cameras...

Can you mount a monitor for dedicated viewing? You can get a 22" IPS Display for pretty cheap that supports standard cheap wall mounts and they have a wide viewing angle so you can see whats going on from across the room.. With a dedicated display they can always glance over and see whats going on outside, great for watching/catching critters.

Otherwise you can plug NVR into main TV and have them switch inputs to see cameras; but switching inputs on a TV can take a few moments and someone could be out there without them knowing if they are watching something on TV.. so you proabibly need to record a bit and teach em how to playback.. which can all be done on the TV with a wireless mouse, no computer needed.. its a little clunky but very simple and easy to operate.

 

[Gups]

Thanks nayr - I can get a monitor, no problem. I don't mean battery operated cameras - I just meant ones which can communicate wirelessly with the router/NVR over wi-fi

 

[nayr]

I know what you mean; WiFi cameras are webcams.. once you hook it up to a NVR it will be streaming from that camera 24/7/365 and if you try that over wireless the video feed will drop out randomly.. because wifi is susceptible to environmental interference.

you gotta run a wire if you want to hook up a display thats always showing the camera.. and why setup a wifi network and all that crap if there is no internet, just get a NVR with built in PoE and run it standalone and manage it directly w/a display hooked up.. no computers or networking, just plug-n-play and no power outlets needed at your install points.

 

[Gups]

Thanks, nayr. What exactly does a PoE do? That QSee Costco system, which Kawboy12R mentioned earlier - is that what you are talking about?

 

[tangent]

Thanks, nayr. What exactly does a PoE do? That QSee Costco system, which Kawboy12R mentioned earlier - is that what you are talking about?

PoE = Power over Ethernet
it allows you to power a camera with the same cable used for data.

 

[Gups]

Got it - thank you.

Are there certain systems with the NVR/PoE that you would recommend over others?

 

[nayr]

Stick to the same brand NVR as your cameras so everything works together without hassle.

A Cheap 8ch PoE Dahua NVR and these should get you rocking: Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z)

 

[Kawboy12R]

My recommendation was just dirt cheap. It is not IP nor does it have Poe for the cameras because it doesn't need it. It isn't what I would recommend for a more serious security system but it has the advantage of being better than a system that doesn't record, is dirt cheap, and is simple for operation for people who are rarely there and I assume you will be there even less often to help. I know that many seniors often have a very limited budget . Nayr's recommendation is a bit more money for a 2 camera system but has much better cameras. It just kills my soul a little bit to see cameras up that aren't being recorded. Whatever you go with though, set it up at home and get the cameras running and learn the system before you travel and try and set it up and learn everything in front of people.

 

[Gups]

Thanks, nayr. I checked out the Dahua Turret model. With 4 of those, that would be out of my price range. Any cheaper systems you recommend?

 

[Gups]

Thanks, Kawboy12R. I appreciate the logic behind your suggestion. I guess the price on that system is hard to beat...

 

[Kawboy12R]

It's cheap, got warranty, great return policy, and some phone support for you or them if you aren't there. After that it's bargain basement 1080p and not as good a picture particularly at night when you need it most, nor as flexible as Nayr's recommendation.

 

[looney2ns]

It's cheap, got warranty, great return policy, and some phone support for you or them if you aren't there. After that it's bargain basement 1080p and not as good a picture particularly at night when you need it most, nor as flexible as Nayr's recommendation.

@Gups That Costco system is really hard to beat for your situation. Get a dedicated monitor for it and you're set.

And definitely what Kawboy12r suggested, get to know it at home for a several days before installing it at the remote location.

 

[tangent]

Also note, you could connect a DVR/NVR to BOTH a monitor and TV for more viewing options, but you'd have to run a long HDMI cable or use a wired HDMI extender. Many DVR/NVRs have VGA out and HDMI out or you could use an HDMI splitter like this to feed the HDMI signal to 2 devices: Blackbird 4K 1x2 HDMI® Amplifier Splitter - Monoprice.com

It is hard to beat something like that costco system price wise. There are some IP based options that are better than that qsee and cost less than the Dahua Starlights ~$70 USD / cam (at aliexpress pricing) + NVR + Spool of bulk cable + hdd (not included like the qsee).

 

[Gups]

Thank you all for your responses.

tangent, thanks for the splitter option. I think just one monitor will suffice for their needs. You did mention some cheaper options. How o the Dahua IPC-HDW1300 or the IPC-HDW1320S look? These are cheaper. Also, which Dahua NVR (with PoE) model would you recommend with these?

 

[tangent]

Thank you all for your responses.

tangent, thanks for the splitter option. I think just one monitor will suffice for their needs. You did mention some cheaper options. How o the Dahua IPC-HDW1300 or the IPC-HDW1320S look? These are cheaper. Also, which Dahua NVR (with PoE) model would you recommend with these?

I had something more like the IPC-HDW4431C-A in mind, a 4 camera system like this would be in the $500-600 range. The Qsee from costco is probably a better choice for simplicity, cost, and support, but I'd run Cat-6 cable with the provided BNC cables (make your own bnc if you need longer than the 60' the qsee comes with or use baluns on Cat-6). That way you've future proofed the install a bit.

 

[Gups]

WHat do you guys think of this? Amazon.com: Dahua OEM 8 Channel Package: Dahua NVR4108 W/2TB WD Purple HDD, 4POE + 4 x Dahua 3MP HDBW1320E Indoor/Outdoor Dome Camera, 2 years warranty, Local US Support: Industrial & Scientific

One of the reviews says that this is a pirated product - this same package is available on other websites, but am wondering if any of you have input on this