Home security POE camera system?

[Shane]

I'm going to put hard wired POE cameras around my new house. I think just a plain bullet camera will work for most, if not all, the locations I want a camera. I'd like to have good image quality (day and night), ease of use with the computer and cell phone app, network security (run it on a VPN, preferably), and not spend a crazy fortune.

I already have a Ubiquiti Dream Machine SE running 4 access points for my network, connected to 1gb fiber internet. I will need 8 cameras, so I would have to add a switch to get 8 cameras connected to the Dream Machine. But I'm limited to only Ubiquiti/Unifi cameras on their system, and I don't think it will run on a VPN (correct me if I'm wrong). I didn't know that when I bought the Dream Machine SE. I probably overspent on that if I end up going with a different company/system for security cameras. Anyhow, I'm looking at other companies' camera systems. Geovision, Hanwha, Digital Watchdog.....

If I end up going with Ubiquiti, I think their G5 Bullet camera would suit me best, but I'm a rookie with all of this.

What would y'all recommend?

[RLUM]

We installed an 8 camera Lorex system in our house and love it.

[Artos]

tag...

[Samson]

If you are using the dream machine as your encoder and storage device, stick with the ubiquiti cameras. Accessing the cameras from your phone via vpn should work just fine. If you need more video rentention than what the dream machine gives you, a dell optiplex 9020 SFF running Blue Iris or Milestone VMS using off brand Dahua cameras from EmpireTech Andy on Amazon is hard to beat for the price. You can explore object recognition with the latter setup. If you go with cameras that arent Ubiquiti, make sure the poe type of the camera is comabitible with the standards your switch puts out. ( 802.3af, 802.3at, 802.3bt, etc...)

[Shane]

If you are using the dream machine as your encoder and storage device, stick with the ubiquiti cameras. Accessing the cameras from your phone via vpn should work just fine. If you need more video rentention than what the dream machine gives you, a dell optiplex 9020 SFF running Blue Iris or Milestone VMS using off brand Dahua cameras from EmpireTech Andy on Amazon is hard to beat for the price. You can explore object recognition with the latter setup. If you go with cameras that arent Ubiquiti, make sure the poe type of the camera is comabitible with the standards your switch puts out. ( 802.3af, 802.3at, 802.3bt, etc...)

Thanks. I was looking at Blue Iris. If I use anything other than Ubiquiti cameras, I’ll need something other than the Dream Machine to run them.

My equipment is in the attic (spray foam insulation), not in a closet in the a/c. I wonder if it would be too hot for a computer to run Blue Iris.

[AtTheWall]

Thanks. I was looking at Blue Iris. If I use anything other than Ubiquiti cameras, I’ll need something other than the Dream Machine to run them.

My equipment is in the attic (spray foam insulation), not in a closet in the a/c. I wonder if it would be too hot for a computer to run Blue Iris.

During the summer time - as long as the CPU doesn't run hotter than 150f, it will survive. You may need to check temps up there on our warmer days so you can find the baseline? It should be no hotter than 20 above the outside temp. 100 degree days, will send it to 115-120 and this will add heat to the CPU.

A small fan, with thermostatic on/off switch may be worth looking into?

The Blue Iris system has had cooling problems reported by users, using MotionEye settings and 5 plus cameras. Some have leaned on liquid cooled computers to help control temp.

Just setup a Hanwha ARN-1610S at work - 8 cameras. It's in the server room and run an environmental space temp/humidity monitor there.

Specs for the server, has to stay inside of 32-104f for environmental ambient server room temps.

[Shane]

During the summer time - as long as the CPU doesn't run hotter than 150f, it will survive. You may need to check temps up there on our warmer days so you can find the baseline? It should be no hotter than 20 above the outside temp. 100 degree days, will send it to 115-120 and this will add heat to the CPU.

A small fan, with thermostatic on/off switch may be worth looking into?

The Blue Iris system has had cooling problems reported by users, using MotionEye settings and 5 plus cameras. Some have leaned on liquid cooled computers to help control temp.

Just setup a Hanwha ARN-1610S at work - 8 cameras. It's in the server room and run an environmental space temp/humidity monitor there.

Specs for the server, has to stay inside of 32-104f for environmental ambient server room temps.

Thanks for the info, Rob. Dream Machine specs say the same about temps. Local networking shop says they have lots of them running in spray foam attics with no issues.

[Pedernal]

Señor Shane how do you like/rate the Dream machine SE? Curious about what your thoughts are on the ubiquity cameras? Obviously price point would be a huge consideration for everyone. Curious if you are seeing better price points in the other systems you mentioned? I am in the process of researching security/surveillance camera systems myself.

[RascalArms]

I installed this ZosiSmart system with 5 POE cameras in our new house a couple of years ago and it's worked great for us so far. It was an easy plug and play with a 1TB hard drive backup storage where we can go back and view anything for a long time. It can handle up to 8 cameras.
There are way better quality systems out there but this was a cheap date and the image quality is great. The app is very user friendly with zero costs associated.

The only thing I wish it had is 2-way audio which I would highly recommend. I thought the system I ordered had it but it didn't and I just didn't want to go through the hassle of having to uninstall all the cameras and returning it.

[sahunter]

tagged

[FCoDxDart]

Don't buy any POS no name system off amazon. That stuff is cheap and garbage. Get some stuff with somewhat of a "reputation". I have a full ubiquiti setup at home and it has been nearly flawless. I can log in from anywhere near instantly and view my cameras. I have a ubiquiti cloud key gen 2 with the standard 1tb drive and it holds all my data for 7 cameras for about 2 weeks.

It is absolutely worth spending more for them. Just buy a few cameras at a time until you get what you want. I wouldn't get the bullet cameras if your view is close, use the dome cameras and it will be a much cleaner look and better image. I have bullet cameras on my long driveway and one overlooking my backyard. If you want any specifics or help, I am and IT guy and can help you figure out what you need exactly.

Also I don't want to sound conspiracy theoryish but don't buy ubiquiti off amazon and any of those chinese products can be running code on your network to send that video elsewhere without you knowing. Buy straight from ubiquiti and if it has an issue work directly with them. They may get a poor rap for customer service sometimes but their RMA process is nearly no questions asked.

[bowhntrmatt]

Most of what you said is Greek to me, but I have 38 Alarm.com cameras on the premises at my office and a few at my house and have been very pleased with them over the last few years.

[AtTheWall]

Don't buy any POS no name system off amazon. That stuff is cheap and garbage. Get some stuff with somewhat of a "reputation". I have a full ubiquiti setup at home and it has been nearly flawless. I can log in from anywhere near instantly and view my cameras. I have a ubiquiti cloud key gen 2 with the standard 1tb drive and it holds all my data for 7 cameras for about 2 weeks.

It is absolutely worth spending more for them. Just buy a few cameras at a time until you get what you want. I wouldn't get the bullet cameras if your view is close, use the dome cameras and it will be a much cleaner look and better image. I have bullet cameras on my long driveway and one overlooking my backyard. If you want any specifics or help, I am and IT guy and can help you figure out what you need exactly.

Also I don't want to sound conspiracy theoryish but don't buy ubiquiti off amazon and any of those chinese products can be running code on your network to send that video elsewhere without you knowing. Buy straight from ubiquiti and if it has an issue work directly with them. They may get a poor rap for customer service sometimes but their RMA process is nearly no questions asked.

The system I put online, is tied to South Korea. To avoid RMON connectivity to the device, I setup firewall rules, Cisco Firepower AMP firewall, with ports open to their cloud system in S. Korea. After initial setup, I blocked further access to their data center, after the initial setup hand-shake registration.

The unit has a fixed IP inside the network with zero access in or out now. It run's autonomously, without outside network access to the WILD WILD WEST.

These units are self contained once they have the proper firewall rules and NAT set in place, to control their backdoor communication. And the ability to monitor the Private IP assigned at the Firepower, allows visibility of the network packets in or out of the device.

Always set them up, and reduce outside comms.

Even the mobile alerting to smart phones, I prefer to VPN into the network directly to the device, using an RDS Server host session in my control, to view the security server and images.

They all support a web access interface inside the firewall. It's better to remote into the network via Terminal Server access, on a box that you have hardened to gain access for Security information.

Mobile apps, are very appealing but, that data is streamed through unknown CLOUD data centers as well. So once it leaves to display onto that mobile device, other CLOUD service vendors/entities, are also in the data stream visibility loop.

[D4H]

We had to install cameras at our little rural country church due to pilfering and late night drug deals. A member donated 6 brand new Ring cameras and we are running them through Starlink wi-fi. We can identify car make and model but not the license plate Does anyone have any recommendations on a camera that we could integrate into this system to give the clarity to read license plates day or night?

[FCoDxDart]

The system I put online, is tied to South Korea. To avoid RMON connectivity to the device, I setup firewall rules, Cisco Firepower AMP firewall, with ports open to their cloud system in S. Korea. After initial setup, I blocked further access to their data center, after the initial setup hand-shake registration.

The unit has a fixed IP inside the network with zero access in or out now. It run's autonomously, without outside network access to the WILD WILD WEST.

These units are self contained once they have the proper firewall rules and NAT set in place, to control their backdoor communication. And the ability to monitor the Private IP assigned at the Firepower, allows visibility of the network packets in or out of the device.

Always set them up, and reduce outside comms.

Even the mobile alerting to smart phones, I prefer to VPN into the network directly to the device, using an RDS Server host session in my control, to view the security server and images.

They all support a web access interface inside the firewall. It's better to remote into the network via Terminal Server access, on a box that you have hardened to gain access for Security information.

Mobile apps, are very appealing but, that data is streamed through unknown CLOUD data centers as well. So once it leaves to display onto that mobile device, other CLOUD service vendors/entities, are also in the data stream visibility loop.

It definitely seems like you know what your doing. However I still wouldn't use this equipment and not just anybody is going to be able to do what you've done with a residential router and no networking knowledge.

Firewalling off the cloud portion removes some of the convinience of the system itself which is why I'd recommend getting something "reputable".