Bravo52 0 Posted December 10, 2014 Newbie here and I wanted to get some opinions. Here is my situation. I would like a commercial DIY kit to start my adventure in home security cameras. I realize that this will not prevent crime, but may act as a minor deterrence and probably provide some entertainment value… I don’t have access to my modem directly so I’ll have to set up a router bridge (ceiling is vaulted where the modem is located). The Wi-Fi is an Xfinity cable modem (Arris / TG862G/CT) and I have a Linksys N (E3000) router. My assumption is I can connect the DVR to the Linksys and bridge that to the Xfinity cable modem. Ultimately I’d like to have a system as versatile as Blue Iris types but would like to start off easy! I’d rather not use a “service” like a cloud and connect directly to my system via internet (wifi or phone apps). One problem I have is I’d like to monitor the driveway. It’s close to the house and short and fat (30` by 32`) so I’d assume I’d need a wide-angle camera to get as much of the area as possible. Motion detection would be nice and would love for the motion detection area to be customizable. I've read all the post and used them as a basis for my "wants" but didn't find a good match. I wish there was a "sticky" with a CCTV for dummies. Thoughts? 1. Off the shelf DIY (all in one kit or parts and pieces) 2. 8 Ch 4 cameras (PoE) 3. IP based 4. Remote view (no “cloud” if possible) 5. Wide angle if available camera Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dalepres 0 Posted January 30, 2015 Is the router already connected to the cable modem? The WAN port on the router should connect to the LAN port on the modem - but that's a issue for your home network and not a video surveillance issue. If your home network is working, including wireless, don't change anything based on what I said; I'm just saying how it should already be based on what little info we have. So, if your network is working then you just need to connect your NVR and cameras to the network. If you're only going to have a couple cameras there's no real need for a separate video network. If you're going to have several cameras then you will want a separate network. Assuming you will put the surveillance system on the primary network, you have a couple options. If your router has a built-in switch (extra Ethernet jacks on the back) then you can plug the NVR and cameras into the router directly. A better option is to purchase a new EThernet switch and plug an Ethernet cable between any port on the new switch to any available port (other than the WAN port) on the router. Then plug the NVR and the cameras all into the new switch. Other than running the cable, setting up a simple video network is that easy. AS for cameras, I would not start with wide angle cameras. People think they are doing the best thing by starting with a couple of wide angle cameras covering a lot of territory. The problem with those cameras is that you have only a few pixels of face and you need all the face pixels you can get. Get the right lens, depending on how far the camera is from the target, and target your entrance and choke points. You don't have to catch them wandering around your yard; you need to catch them coming into or out of your house with your stuff. Wide angle, general coverage, comes later. This wide-angle-cover-the-whole-yard-with-two-cameras notion is used to sucker the inexperienced with pre-packaged systems. Cover the doors. Cover the hallways. Cover the windows. Basically in that order, depending on your own house design. Generally, around here, you're going to get recommendations to go with Hikvision or Dahua. I'll throw in Cloud2000 from SecurityCameras2000.com or any compatible camera - the boards are all manufactured by tpsee.com regardless of who's selling them. YOu can go with the SC2000 cameras or search AliExpress for http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?SearchText=outdoor+ip+camera+uc+software and find a bunch of other similar cameras. I've used the SC2000 versions and several from AliExpress. For an NVR, I would not recommend using a kit NVR. I have two of them sitting in my junk pile. There's a thread here about mini-NVRs and you could find several good choices there. THe cheapest way, if it works for you, is to have all your cameras from the same company (Hikvision, Dahua, tpsee (UC2)). That way you can use the software that comes with the cameras on your PC and don't really need an NVR to start. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boogieman 1 Posted January 30, 2015 This is an old thread...there are lots of great prepackaged systems at costco... http://www.costco.com/Lorex-8-Channel-HD-NVR-Security-System-with-2TB-HDD-and-4-1080p-Cameras.product.100153138.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dalepres 0 Posted January 31, 2015 Well, they can use that if it works for them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
