Wireless cameras, vs wired / switch / wifi bridge?

[Javik 0]

I'm trying to help someone set up a small 10-20 camera rural CCTV system amongst several separate buildings about 300 ft apart. In general my plan is to install cameras under the roof eaves around the building edges. They don't want to be trenching cable or stringing wire on poles, though they do understand the need for at least power wiring to each camera.

 

In general, which of these will be less expensive and more reliable?

 

All-wireless solution:

- All wifi IP cameras, but running power cords to each camera

- Omnidirectional wireless range extender / bridge boxes at nearest corners of buildings

- NVR connected to a central access point for the wifi

 

All-wired solution:

- All wired POE IP cameras

- Wired POE switches in remote buildings

- Wired to wireless bridge extenders to span between buildings

- NVR on main wired network

 

I expect that an all-wired IP POE route will be both less expensive and more reliable, than trying to use wireless-everything.

 

The all-wifi omnidirectional route seems to have the potential for random dropouts that cannot be diagnosed, plus also the possibility of spectrum saturation if say more than 20 cameras are used.

[skomo 0]

all depends on budget,

 

i would go for a small nvr at each site and then wireless link back to main site for remote monitoring.

that way if the wireless goes down, cameras are still recording...

[Securame 0]

I agree with skomo; i would not want to depend on wireless/bandwidth for the recordings. The best way is to record on each site, even if that means having several small NVRs instead of just a big one. Having 10-20 IP cameras being recorded wireless seems like a bad idea.

[Razer_SE 0]

I agree with the above, but if they do not want or can't do two systems then use Ubiquiti Nanostation M5 devices for the link. They work great, and for the ones I'm using, are dead nuts reliable so far.

 

I also hooked up a set of Ubiquiti Nanobridge devices yesterday and connected 5 1mp cameras with no issues at all. Both solutions work the best that I've used for this type of purpose, and they are surprisingly inexpensive at around less than $100 for either solution!

 

 

Configure it, hook it up and mount it, connect it to a POE switch and connect the cameras, super simple.