Wifi Security Cams

[403ep3]

We currently have ADT with the usual security features. The motion sensor is a P.O.S and we keep getting false alerts which is being a pain as we have to leave work, ask family, ask friends to help check our house. The sensor went off from our 11lb dog and it shouldn't as well.

Today is pretty much the last straw and we are looking at adding a security cam inside our house that we can monitor from our smart phones.

Any suggestions? I've read about Canary and Drop Cam? Reviews?

Thanks

[killramos]

drop cam doesnt exist anymore, been rebranded as Nest Cam after being bought by google. They look pretty sweet though. But expensive .

[Kloubek]

Depends what you're looking for. If price is the main goal, I picked one up on eBay for $40 and it's been operational for about 3 years now without incident.

I bought it for the same reason - far too many false alarms which left me questioning what was going on at home.

[Thaco]

honestly wifi cameras suck, not reliable enough, i have a couple mid range cameras, one wired POE and one wirleess, the wireless one drops so much its almost not worth having (and its literally 10 feet above my router with only a brick wall between them), i will be hardwiring it next time i do renos and have the opportunity to put a hole in the wall.

[killramos]

^ You know brick is damn near the worst material to pass wifi through right? Bricks retain water which is extremely effective at blocking RF signals of any kind. Concrete is nearly as bad.

Just saying. I hate wifi to, but its good to know what actually affects its limitations.

[spike98]

Originally posted by Thaco
honestly wifi cameras suck, not reliable enough, i have a couple mid range cameras, one wired POE and one wirleess, the wireless one drops so much its almost not worth having (and its literally 10 feet above my router with only a brick wall between them), i will be hardwiring it next time i do renos and have the opportunity to put a hole in the wall.

I dont think your experience with wifi cams is typical based on the few i have tried. Obviously hardwired is superior but the wifi cams have been getting better and better every year. The new nestcam/dropcam-esque type are actually very reliable and produce good quality. The problem is price and the subscription fees.

[403ep3]

My main goal is to add extra eyes when I have ADT calling me and not having to drive home. I don't really need monthly subscriptions and just need to be able to view it right when ADT calls me.

Might check out the nest cam after work and see what it's all about. I hate ADT.

Edit: I was able to have a friend, that was off today, to go by my house and everything was good.

[nobb]

On the wifi vs hardwired point, has anyone considered how to protect against lightning strikes on a POE hardwired camera if it's outdoors? With a wifi setup you wont have to worry about power surges destroying the rest of your network.

[nykz]

With a wireless set up you still have to run power to the camera, just not a network cable. If you're already pulling the cable for power you may as well run a Cat5/6 for PoE.

[Thaco]

Originally posted by nykz
With a wireless set up you still have to run power to the camera, just not a network cable. If you're already pulling the cable for power you may as well run a Cat5/6 for PoE.

but at the same time the typical person does not have a POE router, so theres the added part of installing a POE router or infuser, so its 6 of 1 half dozen of the other.

[spike98]

Originally posted by nykz
With a wireless set up you still have to run power to the camera, just not a network cable. If you're already pulling the cable for power you may as well run a Cat5/6 for PoE.

Not anymore!

https://www.arlo.com/en-us/

[killramos]

Originally posted by spike98


Not anymore!

https://www.arlo.com/en-us/

So do they run on batteries? I don't get it lol. How can a battery last for months while doing H.264 compression and wirelessly transmitting.

[Thaco]

Originally posted by spike98


Not anymore!

https://www.arlo.com/en-us/

battery lasts 4-6 month with a recording or viewing average of 4 minutes a day.... so real world its gonna last 4 weeks.

[spike98]

Originally posted by killramos


So do they run on batteries? I don't get it lol. How can a battery last for months while doing H.264 compression and wirelessly transmitting.

Yup, batteries. Apparently it goes into low power mode and only transmits when there is motion. They say a typical 4-6 months depending on usage.

The issue i would think would be the batteries ability to hold a charge during our winter. The reviews are ok so far but i think the cold weather would make this product less attractive.

I am going with a few Foscam FI9900P's. Great reviews and cheap!

[schocker]

I have a nest and am very happy with it. I am hoping that since the API is out now that it will hopefully tie into smartthings for when I get my hands on one of the new hubs.

[taemo]

you can see my post about catching a B&E in our house in August thanks to the 2 D-Link DCS-932L that I installed in our house
thread here

One of the camera took a swim along my computer and one was found in his pocket, all still working and emailing me for any motion detected.

we installed ADT too afterwards for wive's peace of mind, had hiccups with the motion camera triggering too because of our dog so now we have to corner our dog whenever we go for work.

[The_Penguin]

A decent quality hard wired camera is the only way to go if you're even half serious.

I have a bunch of cameras, most are hard wired, 3 are wireless.
Guess which ones are flakey? Yup the wireless. 2 Trendnet 110s and a Dlink 930. And they were more expensive then the better cameras.

The most stable wireless one is a cheap Trendnet on our deck. It dies below -15C, and only a power reset will bring it back. My Hikvison 2032s are all fantastic. Even my cheap $15.00 Top201 wired cams are 200% better video quality than my Dlink 930. It's useable but after vieing video from the better cams, it's like watching an old 26" analog TV.

[brandon]

Originally posted by nobb
On the wifi vs hardwired point, has anyone considered how to protect against lightning strikes on a POE hardwired camera if it's outdoors? With a wifi setup you wont have to worry about power surges destroying the rest of your network.

When installed professionally your installer should be using a poe surge device on the line near the camera.

[revelations]

I used to have a cheap, eBay camera (Tenvis) on the roof of the house acting as a weather camera. It survived 2 winters on the roof and worked even in -30 and blizzards. I specifically looked at models that claimed -20c survivability (not sure how accurate the listings are anyway).

I set the frame rate to 1s and with 640x480 res it was enough for me to see in my basement office, what the weather was doing outside. I had a secondary WAP setup just for this cam and it only needed to be powered on/off 1-2 times a year.

It lasted until May of last year when a bolt of lightning hit a power pole in the alley behind our house and knocked out the power adapter (since have bought a new adapter).

[KPHMPH]

http://service.amaryllo.eu

I have the iSensor patio and it's awesome. I got it when it was a kick starter and it's been flawless for 6 months now. Power plug in but wifi. I always watch it from Fort Mac and I could be happier.

I'm thinking about getting the new one they have coming out that goes right into a light socket.