Dr3am

well the rack is 15 feet away from where the old CPU based DVR is located now and I need to rack mount the new stand alone DVR about 15 feet away from there to the rack. If the wires where already at the rack I would not need to extend them.

I think I will go with the ZyXel ES2108PWR due to the fact that I will be running 4- IPC-HFW3200C and 2- IPC-HDB3200C with one of the IPC-HFW3200C will be also be connected to a external mic and it will also give them the option to add 2 more IP cams in the future with plenty of power left. Another plus is that I can remote reboot it if any problems occur will save me a trip to the property to do a simple thing. Thanks to all for there input.

I want to use a Dahua IPC-HDB3200C with an external mic. Is it possible?

So I should expect about 6 max per camera with IR on? I know the indoor is 3 each I just want to make sure there is enough power cause I would rather have more power than not enough. Also I do not know what they want to add in later on but I would rather have enough reliable power even if they do not add more cameras or add 3+ MP cameras ans not have to change out the PoE switch.

I am just going by what Dahua website states under there spec sheet on the IPC-HFW3200C camera. I have never used it before but I do not want to under power them and have them hang or turn off if all three cameras IR turn on at the same time since they will be pointed all at the same walk way. I will take a look at the Zyxel switches, seems like a good deal.

Well from the posts I think I will give them a try. I have only used 2 brands of DVRs and cameras. Both have their ups and downs like any product. Most important to me is the reliability, firmware updates, technical support, and picture quality of recorded footage. According to the supplier I will be dealing with they have firmware updates in a private section of there dealer login for all the products that require updates and a 2 year warranty on DVRs and cameras. I mostly do home and small business installs (16 cameras or less) so I think it might be good for business as one of the 2 brands I use are kind of pricey for home installs and the other not the greatest quality for the small business but is a lot less in price. Thanks for all the input it always helps to hear it from the people who have used the equipment for a honest opinion. " title="Applause" /> " title="Applause" />

thanks for all the info guys. I hope I can figure it out.

I have installed about a dozen CCTV systems at hotels and convenience stores since I started installing cameras this year and all have gone without a hitch. I just installed a 4 camera system at a friends house with 3 dome cameras and a mini high speed PTZ in the front of the house with a 3 axis keyboard. The PTZ data connection goes to the DVR and then from the DVR to the keyboard. The DVR I am using is a CTRing H3004 and all the cameras are no name brand but Korean made. I am able to control the camera with the DVR remote and the keyboard just fine. I am able to use the the keyboard to access the OSD on the PTZ camera and make changes. My questions are about setting up a tour. I know I have to set the preset positions and label them 1,2,3 and so on but do I do this on the DVR or through the camera OSD? Once I have the presets programmed how do I start the tour? If the camera is on a tour and is disrupted by using the keyboard will it automatically go back on on it's tour?

i have the same domes setup that way with alarm detection as well. and the grouping setup works after any alarm activations have ceased What menu option do you go to to slow down the Pan and Tilt speeds?

Yes it must be able to be controlled remotely. I did see options in the PTZ setting where you put the protocol, bit rate, address, and baud rate on the DVR that ask for the command numbers for Menu, Preset, and one other option I can't remember but when I put 95 into the the Menu option I am able to call up the camera OSD using the DVR and remote. I tried to access the DVR earlier to see what the other option was using CMS but when I try to click on the option the DVR tells me "Remote Setup Not Supported". Any thoughts?

Thanks for the info. I will give it a try when I go back to his place. I hope it works

I will take a look through it again when I go back to his house. Do you think that if there are presets set on the camera itself and the DVR they may conflict with each other and cause it to do neither of them?

The ptz manual should provide the specific presets to start tours, scans, and patterns, as well as stop them. Depending on the controller or even the dvr's remote control, it may provide buttons to stop the tour. Or, stopping it may require you hit another preset specifically to stop it. It really depends on the dvr and it's software, or the keyboard you're using. When it comes to buttons for controlling ptz's, I'm finding it isn't always universal as far as control for all features. It depends on what you have and how it talks to each other and the camera. The manual is very poorly written in broken English. It has a list of numbers to launch certain commands but the only one that works is the command to launch the OSD. I know the presets positions are set cause I can call them up one by one.

Well I can say the build quality of the camera is very good. I have installed many of the other cameras & DVR's this company has to offer and those are all great compared to the cheap china made garbage that everyone sells online and ebay. For the price I paid for it it does the job well but the zoom is kind of useless. But for the wide area it needs to cover it's well worth it.( Parking lot lit up by LED lighting at night)

They are not bad for the price. Good for covering parking lots at 20 feet high or so. I wish the zoom was better.

I just got 2 of the one on the top on Friday as beta test units. I am installing them next week and I will post how it goes. The price is low but the quality of the camera is pretty good. All metal housing and a thick glass on the dome.