Multi Camera Home Security Systems ??

[billt]

I co worker of mine has one of these, and they're really nice. He can use his smart phone and see in every room in his house in real time. That would sure give me peace of mind, to know my home is secure when I am away. Does anyone have one of these systems? How do you like it? What are the advantages and disadvantages? How difficult was it to install, and what was involved? I see these things advertised in places like Costco all the time. But I'm not very tech or computer savvy. I don't even currently use a smart phone. What is the approximate total cost of these things? I'm more concerned about monthly fees, than outright purchasing, because I'll be retiring at the end of the year. I'd like to hold monthly costs to a minimum. Thanks in advance.

 

[actaeon277]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break-room/270157-home-camera-system.html

Maybe this will help?

 

[Brandon]

Mine has no monthly fee. I have a low end system but it works good enough for me.
I have a couple of pan tilt zoom cameras that I can operate from my phone as well.

If you want to use them outside or in the dark, the advertised distance they see in the dark with little light to no light is total bs. on lower end cameras expect it to be about 1/3 of what they advertise.

Get cameras with the highest tv lines you can find. You want no less then 700 tv lines.

Running all the wires for the cameras was the hardest part for me. Keeping them all inside made for some fun times in the attic. Changing a few settings in the router was also fun.

You can have alerts sent to your phone or email when a camera detects motion.

 

[Dead Duck]

Mine has no monthly fee. I have a low end system but it works good enough for me.
I have a couple of pan tilt zoom cameras that I can operate from my phone as well.

If you want to use them outside or in the dark, the advertised distance they see in the dark with little light to no light is total bs. on lower end cameras expect it to be about 1/3 of what they advertise.

Get cameras with the highest tv lines you can find. You want no less then 700 tv lines.

Running all the wires for the cameras was the hardest part for me. Keeping them all inside made for some fun times in the attic. Changing a few settings in the router was also fun.

You can have alerts sent to your phone or email when a camera detects motion.

What system did you get?

Reviews online are always misleading. Would like an opinion from a "Real" person........You are Real....Right?

 

[Brandon]

I have Swann.
It isn't the highest quality, the night vision usually dies after about 2 years or so.
I've been buying them online for alot cheaper than in the store... Swannstore USA - USA's #1 Online store for Swann Security Products

 

[billt]

My situation is this. I'm retiring at the end of the year. After that we will most likely be moving to western Arizona, and get out of the Phoenix metro area. That is when I intend to do this. Right now I'm trying to educate myself about these things. For me, programming a DVR is a major undertaking, so I want to educate myself before jumping in, so to speak. Many thanks for all the replies.

 

[JollyMon]

I use a camera system that will alert me via my cell phone if movement and send me an email as well. I set it up using the Foscam 8910w wireless cameras with the Blue Iris software. It works really well and also allows me to pan and tilt the cameras so I can patrol the room if I desire. No monthly fee and no need to run wires. Only drawback is if you lose power or your computer restarts (if you dont have it so the software automatically opens).

 

[jontylercole]

How much do those systems cost?

 

[cosermann]

Personally, I stay away from the wireless options for video surveil. Wired only for me. Too exposed to hacking/interception for my risk tolerance.

Latest recent example: Hacker hijacks baby monitor - Cincinnati News, FOX19-WXIX TV

 

[DrWin]

If you're into doing the DIY sort of thing, you could consider trying something like this: Raspberry Pi as low-cost HD surveillance camera. Main idea is to just get a cheap computer with networking (like the Raspberry Pi) and buy your own camera(s). There are free programs like ZoneMinder for the actual camera interface. You can be more flexible with the set-up, but this kind of project takes time and the monetary savings will vary. On the plus side, the only cost is the initial capital cost. The biggest problem I've had is finding a good camera with sufficient quality and night-vision capabilities that isn't too expensive.

 

[Leo]

There are several websites documenting a problem with these systems. The actually have pictures that they have downloaded out of homes and businesses. They have video clips of sleeping babies, etc. In this world, I am sure that soon after you get the system running, someone will hack the feed, and watch your house, maybe while you are watching it on your phone.

They even showed a public water utility that had their controls as well as cameras able to be manipulated from a smart phone. Some prankster changed some settings and flooded the whole place. The prankster never was caught.

Something to consider.

 

[churchmouse]

There are several websites documenting a problem with these systems. The actually have pictures that they have downloaded out of homes and businesses. They have video clips of sleeping babies, etc. In this world, I am sure that soon after you get the system running, someone will hack the feed, and watch your house, maybe while you are watching it on your phone.

They even showed a public water utility that had their controls as well as cameras able to be manipulated from a smart phone. Some prankster changed some settings and flooded the whole place. The prankster never was caught.

Something to consider.

Every one of my family see the hacking thing as an issue. If you can see it then some teen aged net guru can see it as well. The AT&T deal they are pushing so hard is a hackers dream come true.

 

[padawan]

I'm running Blue Iris - Home on an I5 PC with a mix of IP and analog cameras. The analog cams are connected via a Axis 4 channel box. The Axis box takes an analog cam signal and puts it on the network.

BI is very easy to setup with sms or email alerts. You'll need a dedicated internet connection for live access.

The only issue I had was I put the BI PC on the DMZ of my DSL router for remote access. Being a little too 'trusting', thinking no-one would 'see' my PC from the outside world, I left the web server setting to port 80. Bad idea, the BI access log kept showing someone trying to log in at night. I reverse looked-up the IP and it went to Beijing. I called my telco and they said they see port scans all the time. So, the moral of the story is DON'T use port 80 (default for http) set it to something else only you will know.

 

[billt]

I just wish I was more knowledgeable in electronic tech equipment. I'm a blind man in a dark room when it comes to this kind of stuff. That makes me easy prey because I'm not sure if the guy is telling me something legit, or just jerking me to get me to buy something. I do agree with hard wiring the cameras over wireless. That's common sense that the signal would be more difficult, if not impossible to intercept.

 

[padawan]

I just wish I was more knowledgeable in electronic tech equipment. I'm a blind man in a dark room when it comes to this kind of stuff. That makes me easy prey because I'm not sure if the guy is telling me something legit, or just jerking me to get me to buy something. I do agree with hard wiring the cameras over wireless. That's common sense that the signal would be more difficult, if not impossible to intercept.

For the occasional CAT5 cabler... this will save your sanity putting ends on cable...

Platinum Tools EZ-RJ45 Product Information

The cost of the crimp tool alone is worth it.

 

[cosermann]

... I called my telco and they said they see port scans all the time. ...

QFT.