SOS flare sent from Indiana

[cam26]

Guys/gals,

Look. I get it. You guys get asked the same questions over and over again. There's dozens of Wiki's and Cliff's notes (most of which I've reviewed) and thousands of recommendations that wonderful folks have took countless hours to compile (with my undying appreciation), but it leaves my head spinning.

Here's the skinny- I've currently got a piece of junk starter Swann 7300 system with 4 cameras that, though it has generally left me satisfied, is lacking. It was a good starter system, but Swann's remote viewing is garbage, I have problems pulling and saving video if needed, and now the power adapter is out and instead of spending $25 on a new one, I'd rather invest in a new system in and around (or under) $1,000.

Here's what I want to do- I want to purchase a used Windows 10 tower (~$200) with at least an i5, 4-8gb of memory, a 2TB HDD and run it with Blue Iris. I want to then run (at least) four IP cameras using my current setup and be able to monitor them on-site as well as remotely via iPhone. I believe I want to use 2mp varifocal bullet cameras for good low-light recording that also have a microphone (ideally). I also want this system to be secure from hackers and intrusion. But...

I am not a computer whiz, but I'm also not technologically challenged. I do not know about network security. I've never built a PC. I do not know about low-lux levels, bitrate, compression, creating a VPN, etc. (I could go on and on and on). But I also know I DON'T want another Swann, or Lorex, or Q-See system. So I'm left in this spiraling vacuum of overwhelming information while at the same time thinking that, perhaps, I'm making this more complicated than it needs to be. I also do not know anyone personally who knows anything about this stuff and can offer recommendations.

But I understand that this forum is a wealth of information (which is mostly out of my league) and is my best resource for getting this planned out.

So I'm asking- in a step by step fashion from you guys who are more knowledgeable about this subject than I am, what do I need to do to make this system happen and what would you each personally recommend for quality components for an average homeowner who wants to be able to identify people and vehicles in and around his property during all conditions. From the initial tower, to easy LAN security, to what cameras (I've been looking at Dahua Starlight), through actually getting this thing up and running both on site and remotely, what would YOU do and what would YOU use while staying around a $1,000 budget.

I understand that this is subjective, that "well it all depends on...", I get it. But as I look at the two-dozen or so open tabs on my browser screen and this flood of information, somebody just please break it down for me.

 

[pozzello]

swann 7300 system is not so horrible. At least it comes with 3MP IP cams (which they probably run at only 1080p default).

Suggest keeping existing cams, as they will work fine with Blue Iris. Get yourself a reasonable BI machine (you've already got the jist of that,)
and a (used/cheap) PoE switch, and move the current cams over to that system. then add more cams of your choosing to fill in where you
feel you need more video coverage.

 

[aristobrat]

@pozzello’s suggestion is great. Tackle your build in separate phases and it should feel less overwhelming.

Get Blue Iris up and running locally with the cameras you already have. Then tackle safe remote access (VPN). Then start adding additional cameras.

Your Starlight varifocal plan sounds good. Starlights do great at night and varifocal will let you set the best image size for each of your locations. I prefer the turrets over the bullets, ... I like their look better and they’re a little harder for spiders (who love the IR lights) to make webs on. I know the 5231 varifocal turret has a built-in mic, but I’m not familiar enough with the bullets to know which models come with them. Be careful, some bullets come with mic inputs, but you have to buy the mics (and a way to power them) separately.

If you haven’t already played with it, spend some time on IPVM Camera Calculator V3 Pull up your house on the map, add a camera, change the model to a Starlight that you’re considering, then position it. You can move the little guy icon around and see what the image quality looks like at various distances. Since you’re considering varifocal, change the zoom and see what that does to both the image width and the image quality. It’s a great tool to help feel comfortable with camera choices before buying.

 

[cam26]

@pozzello Awesome idea. I hadn't even thought about using those cameras for this system. That would make it much more manageable. Should they just be plug and play into the BI/PoE system? I wasn't aware they were compatible with other manufacturers.

@aristobrat Good call with the turrets. I have major spider issues around the bullets I currently have. Also, that Camera Calculator is exactly what I was looking for. Now, with a BI system, am I able to mix and match cameras from different manufacturers (I think Swann is Hikvision but I'd like to use Dahua in the future)?

 

[aristobrat]

BI is great for mixing camera brands.

As long as the camera supports ONVIF, it’s usually pretty easy to add to Blue Iris... just type in the IP address, camera username and password, then hit the Find/Inspect button. BI will try and connect to the camera, figure it what they can do (varifocal? mic? speaker?), then configure BI to use them.

If the camera you want to add doesn’t support ONVIF, as long as it supports RTSP, there’s a good chance BI can be manually configured to use it.

 

[pozzello]

the Swann cams look to be OEM'd from Hikvision. Should work with BI no problem.
You could even have BI pull cam streams from the existing NVR, if you like to use them both.
yes, BI will work with Dahua and just about any cam that's ONVIF compliant or can pull an RTSP stream from...

 

[cam26]

Sounds great. Thanks @aristobrat and @pozzello

So first step for me is to get a desktop. Obviously, I'd like to purchase one with an i5+ (probably i7) processor, 8gb ram and Windows 10 installed. My question is (since I have no experience with purchasing a used desktop, especially from eBay), if I purchase one of these desktops from eBay that comes with Windows 10 but only with, say, a 500gb HDD, when I upgrade the HDD to a 2TB, will I lose the operating system or 1) do they typically come w/a key or 2) will I have to run a backup to an external HDD and pull the operating system from that?

Also, since it was mentioned that I can use my current NVR alongside BI, could I use the NVR only as the PoE switch and for the HDD while running BI off the desktop? That would save me having to purchase a PoE switch (although I found one, Netgear FS116NA, on craigslist for only $25) and an ~$80 HDD.

 

[SouthernYankee]

If windows 10 is installed. You will not loose the windows 10. You should do a clean install of windows 10. I would recommend a 120 gb ssd for the os and the bi installation. Then a 4tb WD purple drive for your recordings.

 

[fenderman]

the Swann cams look to be OEM'd from Hikvision. Should work with BI no problem.
You could even have BI pull cam streams from the existing NVR, if you like to use them both.
yes, BI will work with Dahua and just about any cam that's ONVIF compliant or can pull an RTSP stream from...

Unfortunately these 815 cams are not the OEM hiks (like many other swann cams). They are made by whoever makes reolink thus the iframe interval is not adjustable which will ultimately cause issues with blue iris.

 

[pozzello]

i stand corrected. didn't look close enuf at the cams.
(my neighbor has hik-based swann cams with his swann nvr...)
Is the 7300 NVR also non-hik, then?

 

[fenderman]

i stand corrected. didn't look close enuf at the cams.
(my neighbor has hik-based swann cams with his swann nvr...)
Is the 7300 NVR also non-hik, then?

Yes. If you look at the compatibility charts it will match certain cameras to nvr's. Its a mess. Even if they worked ok, while those cams were ok for its time, they are poor compared to the current offerings. They could still be used for continuous recording.

 

[cam26]

@fenderman are you saying that they could still just be used with the Swann system but not with the BI system?

 

[savoyardal]

Here's the skinny- I've currently got a piece of junk starter Swann 7300 system with 4 cameras that, though it has generally left me satisfied, is lacking. It was a good starter system, but Swann's remote viewing is garbage, I have problems pulling and saving video if needed, and now the power adapter is out and instead of spending $25 on a new one, I'd rather invest in a new system in and around (or under) $1,000.

This is so funny to me because I experienced the exact same thing a couple years ago with a Swann 7085. Power adapter failed after one year, the remote viewing software was trash, it took forever to get even a single video off of the NVR on to a USB drive, and their customer support was awful. What a waste of money.

 

[cam26]

Agree 100%. The only thing that system was good for was (after having to open/close the app multiple times) remote monitoring. But when it came to pulling video it was and still is useless.

 

[fenderman]

@fenderman are you saying that they could still just be used with the Swann system but not with the BI system?

it can be used with BI, you will just need to record continuously otherwise it will miss recordings or have tearing issues. That said, there are much better cameras now and it would be worth looking at the new offerings.

 

[cam26]

I see. At least they won't necessarily have to go to waste, so that's good news.

Pretty sure I'll get the 5321 turrets from Andy and get those sorted, then use the 815's to fill in some gaps as needed.

I'm curious, is there any way to easily set up a VPN on an ATT netgear router or anything you'd recommend?

 

[looney2ns]

Choosing Hardware for Blue Iris | IP Cam Talk
How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!) | IP Cam Talk

Me, I'd trash or sell the current cams and nvr on ebay.

If the Netgear router has Openvpn installed on it, then it shouldn't be an issue.
Purchase a Dell Optiplex Small form factor from Ebay, with a 5th gen processor or up.
Purchase this switch: IPCamPower IPCP-8P2G-AF2 8 Port POE Plus Switch W/ 2 10/100 Uplinks for IP Security Cameras - Nelly's Security
Purchase a minimum of a 4tb, Western digital PURPLE hard drive.
Small 120gb name brand SSD.
The 5231 turrets are an excellent choice.
Purchase a roll of Pure Copper solid 24awg Ethernet cable from a reliable source such as Monoprice.com.
The one's the came with the old kit, are possibly Copper Covered Aluminum, and will cause issues at some point, replace it.
Plenty of us here to help you along.
Plan on getting a GOOD backup ups for your computer and the poe switch.
Purchase the cams from our resident vendor @EMPIRETECANDY @ EmpireTech Andy
How close are you to Evansville?

 

[cam26]

Thanks for breaking it down @looney2ns. Makes perfect sense.

I'm about an hour and a half from Evansville.

I misspoke... my router is actually an Arris NVG589 (through ATT) and does not appear to have openvpn. I'd be happy to get rid of it and replace it with one I purchase that has openvpn capabilities, but I'm not sure if that's possible.

Do you have a relatively inexpensive ($50ish) router you would recommend?

 

[looney2ns]

Thanks for breaking it down @looney2ns. Makes perfect sense.

I'm about an hour and a half from Evansville.

I misspoke... my router is actually an Arris NVG589 (through ATT) and does not appear to have openvpn. I'd be happy to get rid of it and replace it with one I purchase that has openvpn capabilities, but I'm not sure if that's possible.

Do you have a relatively inexpensive ($50ish) router you would recommend?

You will need to keep the Arris and put it into what's called bridge mode. Doing so, it will no longer provide Wifi, which is no biggy.
Then you will connect a router to the Arris.
Then connect the POE switch to the router via one of the switchs uplink ports.
Then connect all cameras to the POE switch, also connect the BI computer to the POE switch as well.
The recommended router with OpenVPN included in the firmware is the Asus ac68U: https://www.amazon.com/Dual-Band-AiMesh-Router-AC1900-System/dp/B00FB45SI4/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2EQTZO83ZIO3V&keywords=asus+ac86u&qid=1550957756&s=gateway&sprefix=asus+a,aps,165&sr=8-2
When the time comes, there are folks here that have experience with getting an AT&T Arris setup in bridge mode that will help out.

 

[cam26]

Very good. I think getting the secure network figured out is #1 currently (since I can't really get anything up and running safely without it), so I'll be pulling the trigger on an AC1900/AC68U off eBay here shortly while shopping around for a desktop.

I appreciate everyone's help immensely and will probably be back with some more questions once I acquire the needed items.

Thanks again!