Advice on wall mounting Swann 1080p IP bullet camera

[mikmort 0]

I bought a pair of the Swann 1080p bullet cameras from Costco. They are:

 

http://www.costco.com/Swann-1080p-2-Pack-HD-NVR-IP-Bullet-Cameras.product.100039914.html

 

I thought they would be easy to mount, as I have a bracket that I was planning on using that has 7/8 inch diameter round hole. This is of course plenty wide to fit any cables, but it turns out it is bit too narrow to fix the largish RJ-45 connector that is at the end of the cord of the Swann camera. I can think of a couple of options:

 

1) File the bracket to make it big enough to fit the hole (>1" round). However I'd then need a fairly sizable hole in my wall to match.

 

2) I could cut the RJ-45 connector on the Swann camera, run the cable, and then attach a new RJ-45 connector. This seems like the most elegant solution, but I'm nervous about cutting the built-in cable. I presume it is just regular twisted pair inside?

 

Has anyone else had challenges with mounting this camera or something similar? Any suggestions of brackets or alternative ways to make this work?

[MaxIcon 0]

This is a problem on many cams today. Short cables with fat connectors don't give you much flexibility.

 

It should be a standard RJ45 cable, so you could re-make it, but then removing the camera would require cutting it again unless you put on a smaller connector that would fit through the hole. Too many times removing the camera and you'd run out of cable!

 

I sometimes use a junction box for the cable ends, but that depends on where you mount it, again due to the short cable.

 

The latest Hiks have a smaller, round connector that comes with a waterproof connection, and they may fit through your existing hole better, but you'd have to find someone with that specific version in stock - it doesn't appear the Costco versions are there.

 

If it were me, I'd file the bracket and use a larger hole, but I always assume I'll have to move cameras at some point.

[SectorSecurity 0]

I would say just get yourself a waterproof junction box and plate cover, attach the camera to the plate cover and the plate cover to the junction box, then you can use an RJ45 coupler, or keystone jack to make the connection to the camera, and just run a standard CAT5e cable through a much smaller hole in your house.

[daveshoot 0]

Roger that. You can fit the RJ-45 through a half inch hole, but be advised, the locking lever will click and it will not fit back through easily. In my circumstance I have found it easier to route the cam cable in, from the outside. Then I go in the attic and grab it, and pull it through. I am making the final connections outside. Carlon PVC j-boxes are cheap.

[buellwinkle 0]

There's no easy answer other than making the hole about 1" square (bigger if round). Many of the new cameras from even higher end camera companies are coming with pigtails. Heck, the ACTi E44 required an even bigger hole than the Dahua IPC-HFS3300C that has like 7 items on it's pigtail. So it's getting worse, not better. So make the hole bigger first by making it square with a file. I've tried running an outdoor white plastic conduit box, but it doesn't look pretty and all the wires are a tight fit in that as well.

 

The easiest thing is to attach the camera to wall with the pigtail sticking out, run the Cat5 outside and wrap the connector with Coax Seal (available online for a few bucks). Certainly would not look much worse than the old school cameras (last years models) where you ran the wire outside to the camera.

[SectorSecurity 0]

Coax Seal:

 

http://worldwidesatellites.com/coax-seal-tape-p-313.html

 

I still prefer to run the pigtail into a conduit and connecting to it with an RG45 keystone, this means the only hole I need is big enough to route my CAT5 through.

 

I don't like pushing any type of premade cables through the wall.

[buellwinkle 0]

The issue is the jack on the end of the pigtail is too large. Are you proposing cutting the jack off on the pigtail and replace it with a keystone jack? Is that really smaller? Have you seen these jacks, I can post a picture if that helps. Frankly, I would be afraid to do this because a) may void a warranty, b) no specs on the wire colors, c) it's more than likely thin stranded wire, not fun to work with but maybe this is what the keystone jacks are better at.

[mikmort 0]

Thanks for the advice folks! I bought a small metal junction box and spray painted it to match the exterior wall. This seems to have done the trick.

[SectorSecurity 0]

No I was saying take the RJ45 connector on the camera and plug it into an RJ45 keystone jack, place all this in a junction box, now run your CAT5e through the wall, very small hole needed and wire the CAT5e into the keystone.

 

I am well aware a keystone jack is much larger then an RJ45 connector.

 

This allows you to mount the camera have the connection contained in a waterproof enclosure, and only drill a small hole in your wall.

[mikmort 0]

No I was saying take the RJ45 connector on the camera and plug it into an RJ45 keystone jack, place all this in a junction box, now run your CAT5e through the wall, very small hole needed and wire the CAT5e into the keystone.

 

I am well aware a keystone jack is much larger then an RJ45 connector.

 

This allows you to mount the camera have the connection contained in a waterproof enclosure, and only drill a small hole in your wall.

 

I think this is what I did (or perhaps I'm not understanding your suggestion). I attached the camera to a metal plate of a junction box, and in the box I attached the pigtail to a RJ45 coupler. I then ran the cat5e cable coming from the house through a small hole in the back of the junction box, which was in turned attached to the wall.

 

Was this your suggestion? If not, I'm sure I understand where you stash the wiring from the pigtail?

[SectorSecurity 0]

No I was saying take the RJ45 connector on the camera and plug it into an RJ45 keystone jack, place all this in a junction box, now run your CAT5e through the wall, very small hole needed and wire the CAT5e into the keystone.

 

I am well aware a keystone jack is much larger then an RJ45 connector.

 

This allows you to mount the camera have the connection contained in a waterproof enclosure, and only drill a small hole in your wall.

 

I think this is what I did (or perhaps I'm not understanding your suggestion). I attached the camera to a metal plate of a junction box, and in the box I attached the pigtail to a RJ45 coupler. I then ran the cat5e cable coming from the house through a small hole in the back of the junction box, which was in turned attached to the wall.

 

Was this your suggestion? If not, I'm sure I understand where you stash the wiring from the pigtail?

 

Yes that was my suggestion, and as a result you only had to drill a hole big enough to accommodate the ethernet cable.

 

I would also suggest caulking around the junction box just to ensure no water gets in.

[shockwave199 0]

Edit- I think I misunderstood. Carry on

Edited July 25, 2013 by Guest

[SectorSecurity 0]

I've drilled through with RJ45 connectors on the ends at home in the past and that ain't no small hole either! Bare wire is the way to go. And then I think it's best to get good at installing RJ45 crimp connections. Keystones are large and it adds more connection points to possibly cause problems down the line. Push bare wire through, crimp on an RJ45, plug it into the camera. No big keystone, no extra jumper needed. Direct and clean. My opinion of course.

 

I have to agree 100% I do like the EZ-RJ45's I was never good at getting all the wires to seat in a regular RJ45 connector.

 

I think the only problem here was the camera had an RJ45 pigtail thus why I suggested to use a keystone, it allows you to fish only the bare wire through the wall and allows you to make a secure connection to the pigtail.

 

And keystones are currently pretty cheap picked up my last ones for $1.50 a piece.

[shockwave199 0]

Oh, I see you responded! LOL! My brain is fried tonight- I was getting confused.