New system advice..

[Douglas 0]

Greetings everyone!

 

I want to put together a modest 4 camera system at my home. I recently bought a Nightowl system from Costco but have decided it's basically a big box of plastic junk. I do not have any existing security camera wiring in the house so I will be working from a clean slate. I am open to using an IP camera setup, but am a bit concerned about bandwidth consumption. I am on DSL and it's all fiber optics to my house. It's extremely reliable/stable but my speeds are 50 mbps download and 10 mbps upload. I've used various calculators to try and figure bandwidth use but the results seem to vary. So, I am open to suggestions on which way to go.....IP cameras or analog. I have been reading here that if you are starting out fresh, that IP is the way to go. I'm just concerned about my modest internet speeds. Unfortunately, I'm using their fastest speed package so upgrading to a faster speed isn't possible at this time.

 

I have done a lot of cabling at my home for TV antenna, phone, home theatre, etc so I know the daunting job that it's going to be fishing wires to the cameras through the walls. It's one of the reasons I'm returning this cheap Costco set up. I'm not going to do all the cable management work using their cheap included cables. My logic is that I want the cabling to be a permanent/robust install since it's going to be a time investment doing the work. So I want to use good quality cables.

 

My budget is $1,200.00 give or take. This will be a business write off so if it takes a little more.....I'm ok with that.

 

Thanks for any help!

[tomcctv 190]

Hi. $1.200 is a good budget.

 

If starting from scratch then yes IP is best and is better future proof

 

Your internet speed has nothing to do with your system. But is only used to give you the option to view your system over the Internet. So does not matter if you go IP or analog HD

 

This is a good system and is colour day and night with extra channels to upgrade

 

https://www.lorextechnology.com/hd-ip-security-camera-system/8-channel-security-camera-system-with-6-hd-surveillance-cameras/LN10804-86W-1-p

[Douglas 0]

Thanks for the reply Tom!!

 

I see I was wrong about the IP system using bandwidth. So you only take a bandwidth hit when viewing remotely over the internet?

[tomcctv 190]

Thanks for the reply Tom!!

 

I see I was wrong about the IP system using bandwidth. So you only take a bandwidth hit when viewing remotely over the internet?

 

 

Hi. Yes your right ..... Only for remote viewing away from your home over Internet. ..... And that system allows you to lower bandwidth

[Douglas 0]

Thanks for the reply Tom!!

 

I see I was wrong about the IP system using bandwidth. So you only take a bandwidth hit when viewing remotely over the internet?

 

 

Hi. Yes your right ..... Only for remote viewing away from your home over Internet. ..... And that system allows you to lower bandwidth

 

Do you know the quality of the included CAT 5 cable? With the amount of work it's going to take fishing cables, I really want the cables to be (hopefully) a permanent install.

[tomcctv 190]

Hi. I never use supplied cables ........plus they are never long enough

I would buy a reel of good cat5 or 6

 

And also put in extra runs for other devices in the future..

 

Run car5 to camera locations and add cat5 to TVs you might want to view NVR on..... Even to doorbell and get alerts when pushed.

 

Nice to see you are doing your homework as regards to cable ..... Your right it saves time in the future.

[Douglas 0]

After hours of research, it seems all I find on the topic of security cameras is snake oil. Everyone has an angle with fancy photos, and claims that theirs is better. Even the Lorex bundle shown above is bad mouthed......and Lorex in general is considered crap. I don't have a problem spending the money. I just wish there wasn't so much controversy.

[tomcctv 190]

After hours of research, it seems all I find on the topic of security cameras is snake oil. Everyone has an angle with fancy photos, and claims that theirs is better. Even the Lorex bundle shown above is bad mouthed......and Lorex in general is considered crap. I don't have a problem spending the money. I just wish there wasn't so much controversy.

 

 

Don't read old reviews....... lorex is now owned by flir and flir are licences to build dahua systems

 

Reviews ..... are bad in everything if you believe everything you read on them

[Douglas 0]

After hours of research, it seems all I find on the topic of security cameras is snake oil. Everyone has an angle with fancy photos, and claims that theirs is better. Even the Lorex bundle shown above is bad mouthed......and Lorex in general is considered crap. I don't have a problem spending the money. I just wish there wasn't so much controversy.

 

 

Don't read old reviews....... lorex is now owned by flir and flir are licences to build dahua systems

 

Reviews ..... are bad in everything if you believe everything you read on them

 

Thanks for the reply. After doing some reading on Flir, it makes me feel much better about the Lorex system you recommended above. Flir appears to be a top notch company.

[Douglas 0]

Can you recommend a reputable online source for CAT 6 cable?

[Douglas 0]

This might be a dumb question, but if the above Lorex system is Power-over-Ethernet, then why does it include six power adaptors?

[tomcctv 190]

Hi. The cameras if ordered by themselves they would also come with a power supply.

 

It also gives you the option to not use the Poe or if you are using a switch or router along your network.

[Douglas 0]

Okay, placed my order this morning on the above Lorex system. Time to break out the steel fish tape and do the hard part!

[Douglas 0]

Just got in from surveying camera placement on the house. My plan is to attach the cameras under my soffits. (Keep in mind I due not have attic access do to the fact this is a manufactured home.) My soffits are furred in with plywood so it will provide a good anchoring point. My original plan was to remove the steel soffit vents close to where I want to place each camera. Reach up inside and drill a hole in the top of the exterior wall. Then use a fish tape to go down to the bottom of the wall where I would cut out the sheetrock inside the house. Then go under the house and drill a hole in the bottom wall plate and continue feeding the wire through to the crawl space. Then repair the sheet rock. This would be the cleanest way, but the most work especially since the walls are insulated.

 

So anyway, I think I came up with a plan that will be much easier.....just not as discreet. I could use 1/2" EMT steel electrical conduit and run it right behind my gutter downspouts, secured against the corner trim. It would go right up into the plywood soffits on the upper end, and into the ground and through my foundation into the crawl space on the other end. I could switch to plastic where it goes underground. Then I can use my fiber glass fish rods and run all my cabling through the soffits. As I mentioned, I have easy access to the inside of the soffits by removing the screwed in vent screens. This would be way easier and an almost invisible solution. I could paint the steel conduit the same color as the trim and gutter downspouts.