contactpatch 0 Posted January 2, 2017 Hi, all, forum newb here. I have an off grid cabin in central WA that I visit about once a month. I have a fairly robust power system, but very limited Internet bandwidth. My only connection to the outside world is a Verizon tower 5 miles away. We have a 3G/4G booster and a Wi-Fi hotspot, and on a good day we get 5mbps down and 1mbps up. On a bad day it's like dial-up (remember that?). What I want is a CCTV system with 4 cameras. I want to monitor two control panels, and two exterior views. To preserve bandwidth, what I would like is for the DVR to record as normal, but every day at noon, post a single quad-split image to the cloud, so I can view it and see what's going on. I'm not really interested in video. Is there a DVR that will serve up this composite still image every day? I can't get a static IP from Verizon, so I'd really like for the device to upload to a cloud server, or just email me the image. Is there a simple solution? Maybe a low power PC? Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
almelst 1 Posted January 2, 2017 Hikvision's and many other DVRs/NVRs and IP cameras support cloud recording. Also, almost every IP camera supports sending a picture to FTP server or email in regular intervals or on specific event. I suggest using IP cameras with SD cards for local recording to minimize power consumption and cloud recording and/or FTP/email sending. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
comsci 0 Posted January 25, 2017 If you can FTP the images out you could try the IP Camera FTP and remote viewing service I'm currently developing. Run the demos or create an account at https://app.comsci.co.uk/camac Many advantages over a simple dumping area for your files and currently free while in development: Simple to access historical events Your data is safe and secure. (Encrypted via HTTPS and FTPS) Access from anywhere with Internet and a browser. No router configuration required. No static IP or dynamic proxy requirements. No vulnerabilities from open network ports No software or plugins to install No DVR video recorder required. Data is preserved in the event of camera theft, damage or power disconnection Performs better than other remote viewing solutions where bandwidth is limited (E.g. poor wireless or mobile signal) Automatically deletes old pictures to maintain disk quota Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
contactpatch 0 Posted January 25, 2017 Thanks for your replies. I am limited to 1mbps upload. I didn't want to fool with an FTP server, and cloud recording is right out. Any kind of remote viewing will probably not work. The solution that I have arrived at is a handful of temperature and other sensors, and an industrial process controller (Controlbyweb.com) which will send me an email daily with the states of those sensors, plus alerts if any are out of range. My primary concern is water pipes freezing. Pictures of the displays in the house, and a couple of exterior shots (snow depth, tracks, etc.) would be nice. comsci: Your app sounds interesting. Is your company hosting the data with the idea of marketing this as a service? How is this different from any other FTP implementation? Seems like I could do this with an FTP server on my home computer, it just seemed like too much trouble. How does the IP camera programming work? The cameras I've looked at all seem to want to serve video. They might take a snapshot on local memory, but I didn't see any that would serve a snapshot out on schedule. I want the data on schedule, not on alert. Thanks for engaging , all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
comsci 0 Posted January 26, 2017 comsci: Your app sounds interesting. Is your company hosting the data with the idea of marketing this as a service? How is this different from any other FTP implementation? Seems like I could do this with an FTP server on my home computer, it just seemed like too much trouble. Yes, we are planning to offer this as a service. Probably a monthly subscription and at a cost that is less than the cost of the electricity to power a DVR 24x7. Currently it's free as it is under development although getting close now. Just need to add multiple camera support and give the interface some TLC. It is like an FTP server, but with the added benefit of a web interface that handles event notification and makes reviewing the historical images easy. It also automatically deletes old data and can generate email alerts. So if you create an account, you don't need to have a PC switched on at home all the time. You don't have to setup and configure your own FTP server. (You would need to configure the camera FTP client to connect to your account). You can access the historical data at whatever broadband rate you're browser is connected at (i.e. not limited to your 1Mbps). Also, no need to open up any ports in your router so avoiding any related security issues. We have taken particular care over security and all connections are via an encrypted HTTPS link and FTPS is also available if your camera supports this mode. Feel free to try it out and let us know how you get on. Comsci Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
