View camera feed by multiple apartment tenants.. possible?

[R083RT 0]

I manage a 6 unit apartment building and we have seen petty theft and car break-ins on the rise. I would like to install a security system that also allows tenants to participate. Ideal solution is to have 4-5 hard-wired cameras around the building plugged into a DVR. Tenants should be able to view the camera feed through their computer (or maybe even smartphone)

 

The tricky part

is how do you allow tenants of the building to view the feed. This feed should NOT be publicly available and hidden behind a password. Tenants should be able to view some OR all the cameras (still deliberating if tenants should view all camera feeds or just some).

[Boogieman 1]

With almost any nvr/dvr you can have remote access set up. Its no big deal..

If you are installing new, go with an IP HD system...most of these utilize power over ethernet (POE) so you just need to run a single cable to each camera and dont have to worry about powering them..

http://www.costco.com/Q-See-4-Channel-HD-NVR-Security-System-with-1TB-HDD-and-4-1080p-Cameras.product.100149972.html

http://www.costco.com/Q-See-8-Channel-HD-NVR-Security-System-with-2TB-HDD-and-6-1080p-Cameras.product.100128993.html

[R083RT 0]

I see. I was under the impression that remote access was an administrative view. In other words I wouldn't want the tenants to change around settings, etc. Tenants should ONLY view the feed.

 

Also, is there a way to set it up behind a password?

 

Thanks for the POE tip.

[Digiscan 0]

You can expose remote access in a number of ways:

 

1) Web access to the camera or DVR's admin screens

2) Thick app (e.g. downloaded to android or iOS) that logs into the camera

3) One of the free IP Camera products (I know there is a decent one for IOS).

 

In all cases these are passworded. The easiest thing for you to do is give tenants read-only (no historical data access) to the cameras and then change the password every once in a while. The obvious risk, and it's a significant one, is that they will share it with family, and start leaving windows up at work and what not. It could be very burdensome on your network.

 

Thus, a simpler approach and one that locks down things much tighter is to have a simple web page that takes a picture every few seconds and uploads it. Even that uploading will take up a few mbps as you get several cameras and keep the intervals fairly tight, but this way you don't get people trying to pull multiple HD streams remotely. You'd keep all the full footage at high FPS and historical data on your end, and rely on the tenants as just watch dogs.

 

I suppose you've contacted the tenants to see if they are okay with other tenants having access to this. It's all public of course and ultimately they cannot say no, but it might be a good idea to ask anyway

[Owain 0]

Even simpler is to forget the computer and smartphone stuff - which WILL require your CCTV system to be connected to the internet - and provide hardwired access to a composite video output from the DVR, either by modulating the video and injecting it into the communal TV distribution system, or for only 6 apartments use a 6-output video distribution amplifier and just run cables.

 

However after the novelty wears off I doubt tenants will spend much time watching the screens. I'd concentrate on capturing evidential-quality video that can be retrieved after an event is reported.

[Karmadhi 0]

open guest accounts for your tenants. in this way they can check the cameras but cannot change the configurations.

[Logan005 0]

I have used a channel Plus quad modulator and some filters to insert security channels into the cable, easy fix and old analog modulators are cheap these days. if your cable has gone digital, there are other similar options although much more expensive. I am trying to decide on an upgrade to my distribution system, HD-SDI thru house coax with hdmi converters or a QAM digital modulator. so far price has been a brick wall. I agree with previous comment, best to concentrate on good quality recording as many lose interest in watching. there are lot's of ways to look if your looking.