USB plug in router for video storage?

[Safari]

I watched a video on youtube that said if your router has a USB port you can insert a USB drive and everyone connected to that network has access to the files on a USB drive.

Is it possible to have video footage recorded directly to the routers USB drive, or transfer the recordings from a nvr or the cameras sd card to that USB dtive?, considering I can get a 2tb USB thumb drive for $40

 

[wittaj]

I think you would find that you will bog your router down very quickly trying to pass that much data through it. Same reason we suggest not to connect cameras to a router but instead a switch. Obviously the number of cameras and resolutions and bitrate play into that. My 4MP camera stores 3.9GB every hour or so, and that would probably bring a router to a crawl trying to pass it to a USB drive.

If looking to give everyone on the network access to the files, that would be better accomplished allowing access to the media files on the computer.

 

[SouthernYankee]

A year ago, I have a Asus RT-AC66U as an Access point (not a router). I had a 2 TB hard drive attached to it on a USB 2.0 port. I used it for over a year as a backup drive , where i did direct continuous writes from BI for my clone cameras, for a real time backup. I had 8 2MP cameras writing 15 FPS, vbr, about 700 kB/s. The clones are set up as write only, no motion processing, the cameras are hidden so no viewing.

I now have a simple NAS.

 

[Safari]

I think you would find that you will bog your router down very quickly trying to pass that much data through it. Same reason we suggest not to connect cameras to a router but instead a switch. Obviously the number of cameras and resolutions and bitrate play into that. My 4MP camera stores 3.9GB every hour or so, and that would probably bring a router to a crawl trying to pass it to a USB drive.

If looking to give everyone on the network access to the files, that would be better accomplished allowing access to the media files on the computer.

Didn't consider that bottle neck. I concluded I'm getting a NVR system because its cheaper than buying sd cards for 4 cameras. But I'm assuming I will be able to periodically transfer videos I want to save to the USB drive from the NVR. Yes?

 

[Safari]

A year ago, I have a Asus RT-AC66U as an Access point (not a router). I had a 2 TB hard drive attached to it on a USB 2.0 port. I used it for over a year as a backup drive , where i did direct continuous writes from BI for my clone cameras, for a real time backup. I had 8 2MP cameras writing 15 FPS, vbr, about 700 kB/s. The clones are set up as write only, no motion processing, the cameras are hidden so no viewing.

I now have a simple NAS.

I'm still confused on the difference between a router and a access point
My system will be offline/CCTV local viewing only. Do you think a NVR attached to a access point would suffice in my situation?

And I'm getting 1tb hd, so the USB drive would only be for specific videos I dont want written over.

 

[SouthernYankee]

I do not known about transferring files from an NVR to a USB hard drive. The USB on the router will be able to support file writes for files transferres.

You previous statement (file write) is completely different than you initial statement (continuous record directly write )

 

[wittaj]

Periodic transfers of something you want to save probably wouldn't be a problem.

The router is what most will call the wifi box or the first device after the modem (unless it is a combo modem/router) and acts as the "hub" of your internal network and sets up the LAN IP address range and manages all of the devices and communications to it. An access point is a device within the LAN that provides another location for devices to connect to and enables more devices to be on the network. Many will use it as a way to extend your wifi network that is usually better than a range extender as you usually will connect it from router to access point with an ethernet cable. But some will also use it as a switch with the wifi capability turned off.

 

[Safari]

Your previous statement (file write) is completely different than you initial statement (continuous record directly write )

Correct. I actually thought about that after I responded to you. First, I wanted to know about both scenarios because I may need one wifi camera recording directly to the USB drive, and four poe cameras recording to the NVR. And the option to transfer files from the NVR to the USB drive.

Also. Wittaj said having that many cameras writing to the USB drive would bog down the system.

I have already determined I need a NVR, so 5 cameras writing to the USB isn't a necessity. I just needed to know if both options were possible.

 

[Safari]

Periodic transfers of something you want to save probably wouldn't be a problem.

The router is what most will call the wifi box or the first device after the modem (unless it is a combo modem/router) and acts as the "hub" of your internal network and sets up the LAN IP address range and manages all of the devices and communications to it. An access point is a device within the LAN that provides another location for devices to connect to and enables more devices to be on the network. Many will use it as a way to extend your wifi network that is usually better than a range extender as you usually will connect it from router to access point with an ethernet cable. But some will also use it as a switch with the wifi capability turned off.

Mainly what I want is wireless access (via my phone) to the live local video feed and access to the recorded videos on the NVR. I dont need remote internet access. Therefore do I need a wireless router, or can I use a wireless access point to stream locally to my phone and view recorded video on my phone? ,( viewing will always be in close proximity to the wireless router/access point)

 

[wittaj]

A lot depends on camera load. Someone like @SouthernYankee understands that chasing megapixels and 60 FPS is not needed on surveillance cameras. Too many newbies come here and buy 8 cameras that are 4k and want to run them at 60FPS and their network comes to a halt because they ran them through the router and the router isn't capable of pushing that much through it. And then add wifi cams to the mix and it is a recipe for disaster.

I believe it was @SouthernYankee that did a test a while back on wifi cams and 4 wifi cams brought the router to its knees.

Having an NVR and you have the occasional video you want to pull off so you have it before the NVR writes over it is fine. However, most NVRs also have the ability to plug an external storage device to it and that would provide the fastest download of a video file.

So to review your footage on your phone, your NVR is going to have an IP address assigned to it. Then you just download whatever app the manufacturer of the NVR provides and you download it and plug that IP address in and you are off to the races.

However, keep in mind that probably also then gives you remote access and thus also the potential to be hacked, so if you truly do not care about viewing outside of your local wifi, you will want to lock down the NVR in the router settings from being able to talk to the internet. If you want access remotely, then I suggest you look at the wiki for VPN solution.

 

[Safari]

However, most NVRs also have the ability to plug an external storage device to it and that would provide the fastest download of a video file.

Didn't know that. That would be easier. I dont care about 60fps, 20 is fine. I dont have internet at work other than my phone, so the wireless router will only be used for connecting my phone to the NVR so I can watch live feeds and recorded videos, I dont want to use a monitor. That's why I'm wondering if I could use a wireless access point to achive the same goal.

 

[Dingoboy]

Didn't consider that bottle neck. I concluded I'm getting a NVR system because its cheaper than buying sd cards for 4 cameras. But I'm assuming I will be able to periodically transfer videos I want to save to the USB drive from the NVR. Yes?

You should be able to transfer files at will from your NVR to a USB drive, however, the process will be driven by the resources of the NVR which pretty much equals a snails pace depending on the size of the file you want to copy and the Achilles heel of the NVR in my opinion. I had one request for 6 hours of footage from 11- 2MP cameras (approximately 19G of data) take just over 3.5 hours to copy to flash drive. Now the NVR that was being used was by no means top of the line, but something to keep in mind.

 

[wittaj]

If you are not connecting to the internet, then just about any wifi router will work. Whether you call it a wifi router or access point is the same thing at that point. Just buy a cheap wifi router or use a spare one you have laying around.

And @Dingoboy makes a great point - I recall from your other thread that you are looking at doing this as economically as possible. Not all NVRs are created equal, and the cheaper ones are not capable of a lot of passing a lot of data. Some of the all-in-one box kits like Lorex and Amcrest cap out at 80Mb/s, so trying to pass a lot of data (these camera files can get big quick depending on settings), and it will be going at it for a long time. The external option on the NVR would be a better choice at that point.

 

[SouthernYankee]

a cheap good router to use as an access point $25+ship

OpenVPN server installed Asus RT-AC66U 802.11 AC wifi router with

I have a ASUS RT-AC66U with latest ASUSWRT firmware which has OpenVPN Server installed. Super easy to setup VPN with this router. Can be use with cable or DSL. $25 + shipping from AZ 85204. I can accept paypal.

ipcamtalk.com

 

[TonyR]

FWIW, I frequently use a decent wireless router as a wireless access point:
Turn off DHCP, assign a static IP on the same subnet as the existing LAN's router (if you want to be able to log into it's webGUI to modify later), an IP that is outside of the existing LAN router's DHCP pool and connect one of it's LAN ports to one of the existing router's LAN ports.

The LAN ports on this created WAP (Wireless Access Point) can now function as a simple LAN switch also.

 

[Safari]

FWIW, I frequently use a decent wireless router as a wireless access point:
Turn off DHCP, assign a static IP on the same subnet as the existing LAN's router (if you want to be able to log into it's webGUI to modify later), an IP that is outside of the existing LAN router's DHCP pool and connect one of it's LAN ports to one of the existing router's LAN ports.

The LAN ports on this created WAP (Wireless Access Point) can now function as a simple LAN switch also.

Good to know, thanks. I remember seeing routers advertised as both access points and routers, so maybe it has the software to simply make those changes. The next problem will be to find software that allows me to view live and saved footage on my phone via the LAN wifi. I have no place to setup a monitor

 

[wittaj]

The NVR you purchase or the cameras should have an app that makes that possible.

 

[Safari]

The NVR you purchase or the cameras should have an app that makes that possible.

I have emailed to over 5 camera companies, and all of them claim their apps wont work offline. Chinese made security camera apps have an incessant need to constantly "phone home". Even for CCTV systems.

 

[TonyR]

@Safari ,

Do you know your NVR's LAN IP?
If so, from a PC on that same LAN, not a tablet or phone, open a browser, type in that IP into the URL and hit <enter>.
Anything come up?

 

[wittaj]

And that is very possible as well unfortunately.

My suggestion is buy one on amazon that allows for a free return (watch because not all will allow returns) and then try yourself. It may simply mean they think you want to access it while not in the building, which isn't what you are looking for.