General > General Technical Chat
Cameras for home monitoring
c64:
I want to install few cameras in different areas around the house (outside). Never done it before. Total cameras needed I think around 8.
After searching the internets I think this should work.
- Router in the center of the house, Just plain standard home wifi router everybody have at home.
- Two unmanaged network switches (with PoE) located in each half of the house and connected to the router
- Four IP cameras (PoE) connected to each switch
- Dedicated computer/laptop connected to the router
No cloud crap required
All connections are wired. As I understand having Wi-Fi for this setup is not a good idea, right?
What software do I install on the computer? Prefer open source. Just want to view cameras individually or all together. Maybe record 24/7 as well. Cameras probably will be cheap without any ability to control them (no pan/tilt etc)
What keywords do I use when looking for cameras? IP camera / RTSP / ONVIF / anything else ?
Does it make sense to buy Network video recorder? Will NVR with 4 LAN inputs support 8 cameras like in my setup (with network switches in between)
Dan123456:
A good first question to ask yourself is, how serious do you want your security camera system to be / what role do you see it playing in the over all defence of your home and property?
I.e. do you have any reason to believe your home could be a high value target and want it to be always functional 24/7, even when the power goes out? Or more just something just to keep an eye out when you are away / something you can review on the rare occasion something were to happen?
Of course we all think of our homes and stuff as high value (and rightfully so) but what I mean by that is do you have any rare / extremely valuable cars, piles of gold bullion or million dollar artwork etc. in your home? Or do you live in a high crime area and expect someone breaking in to not be out of the question and want the resolution to be high enough to be able to identify the person even in pitch black darkness?
Obviously don’t answer that here but it is always good to just evaluate how strong each layer of your home’s security systems need to be so you can budget for and design a system to suit your needs :)
c64:
--- Quote from: Dan123456 on December 25, 2023, 03:11:48 am ---Or more just something just to keep an eye out when you are away / something you can review on the rare occasion something were to happen?
--- End quote ---
This. I think it's safe to say I have less valuable items than average person in this country
Dan123456:
--- Quote from: c64 on December 25, 2023, 03:21:48 am ---
--- Quote from: Dan123456 on December 25, 2023, 03:11:48 am ---Or more just something just to keep an eye out when you are away / something you can review on the rare occasion something were to happen?
--- End quote ---
This. I think it's safe to say I have less valuable items than average person in this country
--- End quote ---
Na, all good mate :) I am definitely with you there :P
It is always a good question to ask just to get people thinking about what they really need :)
In that case, Wifi cameras may not be a terrible idea :) I personally like them less then wired setups but they can be quite a bit cheaper and less hassle to set up and for a non-critical application, could be a good option for your needs :)
NiHaoMike:
You won't be able to beat ESP32 camera boards for lowest cost IP cameras that can easily run your own code. Can make a decent doorbell camera with the addition of a 3D printed case and a few support components. If that's not good enough, Raspberry Pi Zero with a camera is worth a consideration.
I'm surprised Homeplug IP cameras are not more common, more reliable than Wifi and still not requiring the installation of new wiring.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version