Are AC Timers A Must For IP Cameras Should They Be Used?

[TheUberOverLord 0]

IMHO, I think AC Timers should be used and virtually are a required accessory for IP Cameras that are in places that you won't be able to get to for hours/days/weeks.

 

I say this because you can get AC Timers relatively cheap as low as $4.00 U.S. from Walmart and other places and they at least allow you to always know that your IP Camera will be forced to reboot at x intervals, when/if they ever get hung up and become inaccessible remotely.

 

Of course the downside is that while the IP Camera is rebooting ("Powering down/up") it can't capture anything during those timer cycles you set.

 

Curious what others think.

 

After seeing this subject posted about here in the Forum many times. I wonder if others use or have thought about using AC Timers or currently use AC Timers to force reset their IP Cameras at locations they can't get to on a moments notice. When/if their IP Cameras become inaccessible remotely.

 

For those camera owners that do use AC Timers with their IP Cameras. How often do you power cycle your IP Cameras?

 

Don

[buellwinkle 0]

Some cameras like Mobotix and Dahua by default have an auto-reboot so the concept is not new. I use managed switches so I can bounce power to one or more cameras remotely. The other downside is if the camera was in the middle of recording to an SD card, NAS, or FTP, you may corrupt something by just pulling power daily.

[thewireguys 3]

No never used them and never will.

 

Managed POE switches give you all the options that you need.

[Dirk_D 0]

if you're (I'm) not smart enough to figure out how to power cycle your (my) managed switch), you could try one of these:

 

http://www.digital-loggers.com/lpc.html or one of these http://www.digital-loggers.com/din.html

 

I saw them mentioned here a couple years ago, I have one on my desk right now I've been playing with.

[thewireguys 3]

If you have to worry about rebooting your cameras I recommend you spend your money on better cameras.

[dexterash 0]

If you have to worry about rebooting your cameras I recommend you spend your money on better cameras.

Very Good Point.

 

I'm a DAHUA fan, but I can state this: all DAHUA DVR's/NVR'S have software watchdogs - meaning if you somehow manage to kill the software that is behind these products, they will reboot (interval ranges from 2 to 5 minutes) if the software hangs/isn't present. They use off-embedded hardware electronics for this.

 

I can give more details about this feature, but I don't like to make it very public so it can be used as a tool for others.

 

Actually, a security video system is as stable as it's components - or the lowest link. Get a low quality/doubtfull link and the whole chain is useless.

[shockwave199 0]

To the OP- are you using timers and if so, how is it going? Any cheap dial timer I ever used doesn't have a fast enough flip flop and that would be too long to have a camera down, imo. I also don't think dropping power to a camera every day would be good for it over the long haul. I prefer to keep working networked devices on line, rather than interrupting it just because. The only time I did a daily reboot was with my last router. It had a schedule for rebooting or 'healing' as they called it, right in the software. I came to understand it was more because it was a crappy router in the end. My new router doesn't have a schedule for that...and hasn't needed it either. Also weird of me, with all that is networked in the home these days, it has shifted my love of thunderstorms. I love a good [manageable] thunder storm but I've come to only be annoyed by them sending everything off line or worse, the potential to fry things. So now I prefer my weather nice and quiet so nothing gets interrupted.

 

Managed POE switches give you all the options that you need.

That's the way to go to avoid unnecessary rebooting all the time.

[ssmith10pn 0]

I love the how easy it is to reboot an Axis camera