CODE4

ACTi TCM-1231 mounted on the SE corner of my house for a view of my front yard, access to front door, and driveway. IR is on of course. Will update with some day pictures when I get them.

Thank you, sir!

Great to hear - In Tampa here and will plan on sealing that area with silicone.

I have found this item with the help of a vendor - RJ45-ECS by Laird. It passes the ethernet connection through a weather tight connection. Negates the need for using a conduit in applications where it is not practical. Any experiences with this item in installs?

How are you guys installing the ethernet/power cables to various IP cameras? After inspecting the back plate and compression fitting on the TCM-1231 I thought the compression fitting would supposedly tighten around existing cables run through the back cover. Obviously that was not going to happen as the hole is just big enough to pass an ethernet cable through. I measured the opening of the rubber grommet and it is pretty close to 0.5". Is it expected that an installer run a flexible conduit to house the cable(s)? If that is the case my train of thought is to run a 12" length of conduit, aluminum or non metallic, as available from Home Depot to another compression fitting assembled on my roof soffit to tidy it up. Suggestions or comments on this?

How are you guys installing the ethernet/power cables to various IP cameras? After inspecting the back plate and compression fitting on the TCM-1231 I thought the compression fitting would supposedly tighten around existing cables run through the back cover. Obviously that was not going to happen as the hole is just big enough to pass an ethernet cable through. I measured the opening of the rubber grommet and it is pretty close to 0.5". Is it expected that an installer run a flexible conduit to house the cable(s)? If that is the case my train of thought is to run a 12" length of conduit, aluminum or non metallic, as available from Home Depot to another compression fitting assembled on my roof soffit to tidy it up. Suggestions or comments on this?

So after reading a bit more on the ACTi TCM-1231 Specs, it lists the power requirements as PoE(IEEE802.3af) or 12volts - it comes with its own power brick and block connector. As I am not well versed in PoE and such matters, I assumed that getting a PoE injector and feeding it with a 12 volt adapter and appropriate barrel plug would feed the camera appropriately. As I mentioned the camera would not power up - after looking up PoE(IEEE802.3af) standards the input voltage should be around 44 volts. I assumed the camera would pull the voltage out of the CAT5/6 and use it directly rather than regulate/step down on its own. So I need to feed the injector with 44 volts if I want to continue to use it, otherwise I need to find a product such as this: http://poeinjector.com/ Thoughts? Am I on the right track?

Appreciate the replies! It is an ActiveX plugin that is required via use of Internet Explorer unfortunately. The TCM-1231 IP Camera did come with ACTi NVR software - I need to install it and play with the settings but from what I have gathered the video stream can be accessed via the NVR software. I have found instructions for QuickTime and VLC use - further configuration is necessary. On a side note, the PoE injector I bought is not working Not sure if it is a bad crimp job on the ethernet cable but it is not passing the network connection through. Contacted the vendor and manufacturer so I will see how soon I can get a replacement enroute.

My TCM-1231 Arrived and I have had plenty of time to dink around with. I am not a networking guru and am having difficulty passing on the ports through my Linksys E2000 wireless router. ACTi camera is accessible via the Web Configurator but I am unable to access the port to stream the video. After attempting to reach 10.0.0.17:6002 (default port for stream) via LAN I get a connection error. When looking though the log on the ACTi Configurator I find this message: Starting Streaming Server... [sTREAM] Accepted 10.0.0.12:18693, failed auth (GET / HTTP/1.1 Accept: image/gi). [sTREAM] Accepted 10.0.0.12:18949, failed auth (GET / HTTP/1.1 10.0.0.12 is my Windows Laptop that I am attempting to access it with. I have attempted my external IP with the same results so I know my port forwarding is working accordingly - I enabled DMZ to see if that would work but I get the same results. Again networking is not one of my strengths - if someone can help me out I feel that I am missing something simple. EDIT: I am on latest firmware. Again I can get the feed through the Configurator but not via the streaming server port. Am I missing something in my url syntax?

I appreciate the links, sir. I should clarify that the HTPC is not only for the camera surveillance recording but also for movies, media, etc. for the house. I wanted it to double as an NVR. The 1 - 2 TB is not solely dedicated for footage recording. I agree, too, that if I record on motion that the write time will not be any more than normal use. Power supply and PoE injector arrived, still waiting for my CAT6 and the camera & bracket.

Thank you for the input gents! I appreciate it. I am happy to hear that some of you have been using consumer grade HDD for recording. My intent is to record only on motion activation. I need to look more deeply into how certain recording software will interact with the ACTi TCM-1231. I downloaded the user manual and firmware manual from ACTi and apparently the camera has three zones that the user can adjust the dimensions for motion activity. How that activates the recording I am not sure - like I said I will need to look into that when the camera arrives and I can play around with it. Regarding the use of IE only as per ACTi - I think that is pretty crappy that it requires the use of a single browser but I have found an IP camera application for android OS.

I have an android OS phone. I was under the impression that an IP camera with the appropriate ports forwarded would be accessible via the Internet - and viewable by smart phone. I should have been more specific - I am not interested in control via mobile device. Only viewing and receiving email/SMS notification of activity. I have read that appropriate HDDs are necessary as consumer grade are not designed for 24/7 operation. I may look into SSDs as an alternative if they can withstand that type of use.

Moved into a new rental house in a sub-five year old neighborhood. Planning on installing one IP Camera on a front corner with an oblique view across the front door access and drive way. I am interested in having mobile access on my smart phone to video and notification on motion. Currently on the way: ACTi TCM-1231 http://www.acti.com/product/detail/Bullet_Camera/TCM-1231 PoE injector http://www.rfelements.com/PasivePoeInjector.html 12v power supply for injector, and CAT6 running from soffit across attic and down the stud to where my cable modem and router sit. Also spec'ing a HTPC to act as NVR. Been searching and reading on NVR software - seems many here favor Milestone. The HTPC will have at least a couple terabytes of storage if needed. I may expand with a few more cameras to cover the rest of the perimeter after I see how well the first one works. Reason sparking my desire for front yard coverage is misc. trash ending up under my garbage can after the garbage men have taken the full can and turned it upside down. Other small weird occurrences that I wish to have eyes on, you know? Any input is welcome.

Hello! My name is Dave and joined up to learn more about IP camera systems, NVRs, and their application in a residential environment.