eno45

I just recently started looking into a basic security camera setup for around my home due to crooks making a presence in the area. I found this forum through AVSforums. I have been reading around but still kinda lost on where to start. If someone could point me in the general direction on where to start my research that would be great. I currently am using a temporary Logitech WiLife camera which I have loaded the software onto my Windows Home Server that runs 24/7. I use it to share files/printers and multimedia like BLURAY movies over my network at home. From what I have read a add on DVR card would be a great option for this server. I could dedicate a hard drive solely to the DVR function. Currently I like the idea of cameras recording to hard drive only when there is something tripping the motion sensor. I would like somewhere between 4-8 cameras. I figure if I can have the content stored on the server I then could view it througout my network or remotely w/ remote log in. Mostly starting with outdoor cameras and adding some interior models as well down the road. Thanks and hello to all. I will be trying to play catch up here in the next few weeks to learn this area. Links and direction to start would be wonderful.

For a 4 camera basic setup do you think the described current home server would work well? It just sits and idles all day so I would think putting it to work would make a better use for it.

Is it ok to talk in this post about this stuff or should I make another somewhere else in the forums? If ok, my WHS is a 2.8ghz Dual Core w/ 4gb of RAM. It doesn't hardly get used except for light file access and occasional movie playback. For start I would only think to get a few cameras 2-4 but someday maybe move up to more. This would be pretty much dedicated to the task and since it's a headless system I don't work from it. I could even drop a quadcore CPU in it. I do have a extra server case that I could someday put some hardware in but two servers running.. I would hope to make it work in my current server. Want to tap its ability more then a expensive basic home file sharing server. In light of that do you still think a seperate system? What is the common way people run them around their home? Powerline adapter like the current Logitech WiLife setup? Ethernet?, Composite? Wireless camera?