mrshanes

I have one of the Vivotek FD8134 dome cameras installed by my front door and the connection pigtail has a couple wires on it I don't use. (I'm only using the network connection) Can I safely cut off the other wires to help conceal the connector a little better? Will that hurt anything? I'm using POE so I don't plan to use any of the other leads. Thanks

Thanks for the update. It seems to be working fine now. Not sure what I did to make it start working, but I'll play around some more and see what happens. Thanks for checking yours.

Strange thing... When I got home yesterday I checked the server and the motion detection is now working. It recorded several events during the day yesterday. Not sure what triggered it to start working though. Perhaps logging out of the live client saved some settings and it started working. Based on some of your replies I have questions. If I don't use the installation wizard to configure motion detection on the camera, how does the ST software know where to look for motion or does it just look in the entire FOV? And how does it know what sensitivity and percentage to use? Thanks for the replies.

Hi all. I could use a little help. This is my first jump into security cams and software and I'm struggling trying to understand the motion detection part. I'm hoping it's something simple I'm missing that you all can help me with. I've got the cam up and running and can access it through the web interface for configuration - no problems there. I recently installed Vivotek's ST7501 software and I'm having trouble getting the motion detection to work. I've configured the motion windows on the motion detection tab through the web configuration and they seem to work fine (I can produce movements in each of the windows and they sense the movement and turn red on the screen). I've also configured the motion trigger events in the ST7501 software for recording on this cam. Here's the tricky part: If I have the web configuration for the camera open and on the motion detection tab, motion detection in the ST7501 software kicks in and it records fine. If I change to another tab in the web configuration or close the web configuration all together, the motion trigger in ST7501 doesn't work at all. It won't sense the motion or record. Any ideas? I know there are other programs out there, but I wanted to try and get ST7501 to work since it's free. Thanks, Shane

So, I found this one on Amazon for $350. Netgear FS728TP. You're right it's much cheaper and probably a better switch than I currently have. The only reason I'd want to swap it with my current one is that I'm running out of space in my rack. By the time I add whole house audio, HTPC, NVR, etc... I won't have any room left. Thanks for the help guys!

If I swap out my existing rackmount switch for a POE switch, will that mess anything up already on the network?

My house is about 1 year old and I ran two cat6 and 1 18 gauge speaker wire to all locations I thought I might want cameras. I'm now doing research to get this system going. I plan to start by adding one camera at a time, but I need some other equipment up front to get it started. My initial question is how to power the cameras? I'm looking at Vivotek IP domes that have POE capability. The 16 port POE injector I found is $500. Since I have the speaker wire at each location for power, I could by a MUCH cheaper DC power supply and use power leads to connect to each camera. I have a rack in my basement with all my A/V gear, and like the idea of a rackmount power injector though. Are there any pros/cons with a power injector vs. a DC power supply? Help me decide! Thanks, Shane FYI... I'm talking about the Vivotek FD8134 and the Altronix Netway16M POE injector...

If I understand PTZ cameras, don't they require more power? I am only doing the low voltage wiring in my house. I could request the electrician to add electric to the proposed locations, but that might be getting into more than I want. Sure, the PTZ stuff would be cool to play with. Maybe even addictive! The price for these is probably a lot more too, right?

Thanks for replying. Sorry to disapoint you! I don't really feel there will be a crime threat in the area where we are building. This is really just something neat for me to do. A "toy" if you will. I don't want junk though. I'm willing to spend the money on some nice components to make it expandable and I can run all the wire I want now, so I can always add in the future like you said. I'll answer some of your questions and try to post the blue prints later today. The house will be located in a gated community. Only the entrance is gated though so there are plenty of ways in. The house will sit on 1 acre and is basically rectangular in shape with a driveway entry in front that goes to a side entry two car garage. No fancy cars in the garage - just your standard pick-up truck and family minivan. My hobby is at the airport! The house has a walk-out basement with patio in rear and a large deck above. There will be a 20'x40' pool behind with a 20'x20' cabana beside the pool. No grandkids, but I have three small children: ages 5, 3, and 6 months. The home is not water front, but has a pond about 500 feet behind it. There is no maid or butler, but a nanny is at the house with the children through the week. Most of the time it's grandma, but others help out when needed. We entertain occasionally, but just for fun, not for business. So, should I start with a standalone DVR system, or go the PC route so it can integrate into whole house automation? If I decide to go IP, I may not run the RG59 and 18/2. Would that be a mistake? Should I run it all anyway for flexibility? Again, I'll try to get the plans posted today. Thanks for all your help.

Hey folks. Getting ready to build a new house and wanted some advice on what type of system I should put in. I've been scouring the web and there is tons of info, but it's all starting to blur in my mind. My home is about 5000 sq ft and I'm looking for a simple CCTV system that I can play with. I'm not looking for state-of-the-art, but I don't want junk either. I want to be able to make out what's in the video. My requirements/specs: I'll have more than 4 cameras, but less than 8, so I guess I need an 8ch system. The house isn't built yet, so I can do any wiring I need. I'm planning on RG59, 18/2, and 2 cat6 to each camera location, so I can do analog or ip cameras. 4 cameras will be outside and 2 or 3 will be inside. The outside viewing distances will be anywhere from 10 feet to 60 feet. The longest cable run will be about 130 feet. I would like for this to be able to integrate into a whole house automation system either via RS-232 or LAN/WAN controllable. So, is there a complete system I can buy that meets my needs that isn't junk? Or do I need to piece-meal this thing? Should it be PC-based or a standalone DVR? Again, still in the design stages and the house isn't built, so my options are pretty much limitless right now. Budget? Under 2K. Is it possible? Thanks Shane