Security Camera solution and recommendations

[Molesy]

Hi All,

 

Not sure if this the correct sub forum for this please move it if required. 

 

So i am looking to get a security camera solution for my home to have that extra security. I have a few requirements but I cant seem to find an option that would work with these.  Please note I am in Australia so some of the options i have seen in the past are only based in US etc so those will not work. 

 

1. ability to have 4-8 cameras initially with a max of 12  but can also manage with 8 if that works better will be a mix of internal and external cameras ideally. 

2. no subscriptions to use the system or for remote access to view live view etc. 

3. IP based camera compared to traditional camera system - read these have better quality

4. NO WIFI / battery based cameras

5. Preferably POE cameras

6. App to view camera remotely via phone (android) (must be secure connection)

7. Local storage for min 24 hours  

8. ideally $200 AUD per camera can look at ones costing more if it meets more / all requirements 

9. 1080P or higher quality

10. Night vision - additional night security light nice to have but not a must

11. 2 way audio - nice to have but not a must 

12. auto notification if activity in hot zone nice to have but not a must

13. Happy to mix and match cameras / software  as long as it works

 

During my research into these i have found the following software that looks that could work but not sure how good it is.

Its called Luxriot EVO for soho use and seems to be free. https://www.luxriot.com/product/ip-camera-software/luxriot-evo/

The few concern is i wonder how good and stable it is ?  Also how much resources it will use? I have a PLEX media Server which also double as my backup server and data server. so i am not sure if just having a few cameras will saturate the 1GB/s NIC and drives i might have installed on the PC. The PC ii think is more than powerful enough to handle the encoding. But i think if its running camera system, PLEX, file server, backup software it will overload the system and everything its used for will suffer.  Unless the traffic it sends is so low that it wont affect other things. 

1. Not sure if Luxriot is good any one used them before?

2. do i need to a dedicated system to use it due to the load ?

3. would it be better to go for some other system or brand like swan that makes cameras but seem limited. 

4. any good places to check reviews or to see the cameras / quality of the system? 

 

Thanks !

 

[Dravinian]

If you are into DIY, there is a youtuber by the name of DIY Perks, who set up a home security system himself, using the cameras from old laptops (bought broken/not working so dirt cheap).

 

It might be worth you looking at it, if that is your thing, you get to set them up where you like, how you like, the image quality is pretty good - not HD good but laptop cameras are colour and not bad image quality. You can set them up on a machine to run as many as you like and the limitations of storage are entirely down to how much you spend on HDD/SSDs to store the footage.

 

I can't remember for sure, but I do think that the app he used allowed you to remote in to view, and it was of course, all dirt cheap or free.

It was something I was going to undertake in the near future, already started stripping down a few old laptops I had laying around.

 

 

[Deano727]

I use a standard cctv multichannel system for my external cameras that connects to the web and I use iVMS4500HD to remote access those 8 cameras. Internally I use old smart phones running the app Alfred Camera. No subscription unless you want the premium features. Its really great!

[steelo]

I don't know if this is what you're looking for but I have 2 $5 raspberry pi zero's running motioneyeos with 1080 webcams. It records any movement and you can also connect to them via smart phone or pc to monitor what's going on.

[Molesy]

Sorry for the super late response just been super busy. 

 

On 7/5/2020 at 1:29 AM, Dravinian said:

If you are into DIY, there is a youtuber by the name of DIY Perks, who set up a home security system himself, using the cameras from old laptops (bought broken/not working so dirt cheap).

 

It might be worth you looking at it, if that is your thing, you get to set them up where you like, how you like, the image quality is pretty good - not HD good but laptop cameras are colour and not bad image quality. You can set them up on a machine to run as many as you like and the limitations of storage are entirely down to how much you spend on HDD/SSDs to store the footage.

 

I can't remember for sure, but I do think that the app he used allowed you to remote in to view, and it was of course, all dirt cheap or free.

It was something I was going to undertake in the near future, already started stripping down a few old laptops I had laying around.

 

 

Deff a interesting option. I unfortunately don't have the time to go through creating all of these and would prefer to use some pre-made cameras and systems.

On 7/5/2020 at 1:35 AM, Deano727 said:

I use a standard cctv multichannel system for my external cameras that connects to the web and I use iVMS4500HD to remote access those 8 cameras. Internally I use old smart phones running the app Alfred Camera. No subscription unless you want the premium features. Its really great!

Oh i see i will check these out. what brand of CCTV system o you use if you dont mind me asking. does iVMS4500HD link up with any camera? or does it need to be an IP based camera? 

On 7/5/2020 at 1:42 AM, steelo said:

I don't know if this is what you're looking for but I have 2 $5 raspberry pi zero's running motioneyeos with 1080 webcams. It records any movement and you can also connect to them via smart phone or pc to monitor what's going on.

It sounds interesting but looks like it might take some time to configure and fine tune. but will look into it to see if it can work for me. 

[Dylan21]

So I actually work in this industry cameras are easy to find but great tech support is hard to find. When selecting a system I always recommend keeping the equipment congruent (one brand). Use as little switches as possible , cable is just cheaper to run and doesn't go bad as often as a switch. A standard NVR will do fine, you don't need (Luxriot EVO) for your home is just over kill unless you have a compound lol. I have plenty of recommendations that can answer all your questions, get you a system, tech support ect. I not try to do any marketing / advertising here so just ask me for help if you are still looking for a solution. 

[Molesy]

On 7/21/2020 at 2:34 AM, Dylan21 said:

So I actually work in this industry cameras are easy to find but great tech support is hard to find. When selecting a system I always recommend keeping the equipment congruent (one brand). Use as little switches as possible , cable is just cheaper to run and doesn't go bad as often as a switch. A standard NVR will do fine, you don't need (Luxriot EVO) for your home is just over kill unless you have a compound lol. I have plenty of recommendations that can answer all your questions, get you a system, tech support ect. I not try to do any marketing / advertising here so just ask me for help if you are still looking for a solution. 

Hello Dylan. I am still looking for a solution. Still open to ideas. please PM me so we can discus options that you think could work for me. 

 

Thanks !

[Pixel5]

if you also happen to have a use for a NAS server you may want to check out a synology unit, there you can scale your storage and camera setup as you want as long as you purchase enough licenses for all the cameras as there are only two included.

[Liam Gorham]

Highly recommend EZVIZ 1080P DVR, we upgraded to it from a swan unit, absolutely stunning quality and no issues since + really cheap + WD Purple drives included  

[Molesy]

On 7/23/2020 at 12:58 AM, Pixel5 said:

if you also happen to have a use for a NAS server you may want to check out a synology unit, there you can scale your storage and camera setup as you want as long as you purchase enough licenses for all the cameras as there are only two included.

I currently am using a windows PC as my server at the home. it is running my Plex server, acts as a daily backup storage and looking at add the camera function to it as well, since it's got the speeds and the memory to deal with it. I have used synology at our office for storage/ backup quote well so mabe will consider that in the future. 

On 7/23/2020 at 7:35 AM, Liam Gorham said:

Highly recommend EZVIZ 1080P DVR, we upgraded to it from a swan unit, absolutely stunning quality and no issues since + really cheap + WD Purple drives included  

I checked them out but they look to be only a US / Canada based company. dont seem them here in AUS  

[marknd59]

Have you had a look at hikvision ?

[Molesy]

20 hours ago, marknd59 said:

Have you had a look at hikvision ?

not yet. will check them out. looks like they have a few AUS providers. will check with them.

[Spurgt_Fuglen]

Am i missing something?

 

Nobody mentions Ubiquiti Unifi Cloud Key gen 2. - https://ubwh.com.au/Ubiquiti/UniFi-Accessories/UCK-G2-PLUS

Comes with a big enough hdd for 24 hours. 

Can support "up to 20 cameras", but i wouldnt use more than 13-14. 

Comes with a super handy app, where you can control everything. 

Only using PoE, with 1080p video and good sound.

 

I have this with 3 cameras, and i only use my phone to control them. (Setup from pc) - https://ubwh.com.au/Ubiquiti/UniFi-Video/UVC-G3-FLEX

 

I can strongly recommend checking them out.  

[Molesy]

On 7/28/2020 at 10:54 PM, Spurgt_Fuglen said:

Am i missing something?

 

Nobody mentions Ubiquiti Unifi Cloud Key gen 2. - https://ubwh.com.au/Ubiquiti/UniFi-Accessories/UCK-G2-PLUS

Comes with a big enough hdd for 24 hours. 

Can support "up to 20 cameras", but i wouldnt use more than 13-14. 

Comes with a super handy app, where you can control everything. 

Only using PoE, with 1080p video and good sound.

 

I have this with 3 cameras, and i only use my phone to control them. (Setup from pc) - https://ubwh.com.au/Ubiquiti/UniFi-Video/UVC-G3-FLEX

 

I can strongly recommend checking them out.  

that looks interesting. Have you used these before ? looks like there are 2 version one that can have a HDD and one without? 

do you know apporx how much of hours a 1TB hdd will store? is it a good idea to get a SSD for it or will that be an over kill ? 

 

i think we would at most over a the set up 8 cameras maybe 10.  i did see the app. looks quite good. is there any subscription fee to use it ? it is not mentioned on the site. 

how about audio and night vision. this does look very promising. I think the only concern i would have is that it uses a 2.5in HDD and i don't see any surveillance specific drives in 2.5in. 

 

look forward to hearing about your experience. and set up guidance. 

[Spurgt_Fuglen]

Hey Molesy,

 

15 hours ago, Molesy said:

Have you used these before ?

I have 3 G3 Flex in my appartment.

 

15 hours ago, Molesy said:

looks like there are 2 version one that can have a HDD and one without?

Yes. You need to get the Cloud Key Gen 2 with HDD.

 

15 hours ago, Molesy said:

apporx how much of hours a 1TB hdd will store?

I dont know the specifics. My cams will only start record when there is motion, and it will send me a notification when not at home.

In the settings i set it to save 3 days back.

 

15 hours ago, Molesy said:

i did see the app. looks quite good. is there any subscription fee to use it ? it is not mentioned on the site.

The app is completely free to use. No subscription. Just create a free unify account and you're good to go.

 

15 hours ago, Molesy said:

how about audio and night vision.

The nightvision (Black and white) has really good quality, also the audio i great. Although there is no speaker to talk in the other end.

 

15 hours ago, Molesy said:

I think the only concern i would have is that it uses a 2.5in HDD

I have been using the standard 1 TB HDD for nearly 1 and a half year now, and the playback function is just great. No lag or anything when streaming from work.

 

I can really only reccomend trying this setup. Maybe it wont do everything perfect, but it can do a ton of things with little to no hassle, whatsoever.

[Tech_Dreamer]

No explicit recommendation, But Hikivision a brand which you'll probably get recommended often as affordable & promoted with catchy discounts has been blacklisted by US due to internal security concerns. so should try to avoid that if you can.

[Molesy]

55 minutes ago, Tech_Dreamer said:

No explicit recommendation, But Hikivision a brand which you'll probably get recommended often as affordable & promoted with catchy discounts has been blacklisted by US due to internal security concerns. so should try to avoid that if you can.

I see. i noticed they appear to be a PRC based company so that was a bit concerning as well based on what happening around the world / news at this time. I will probs avoid them at this time as the Ubiquiti seems like it can work for me. 

[Molesy]

7 hours ago, Spurgt_Fuglen said:

Hey Molesy,

 

I have 3 G3 Flex in my appartment.

I see. looks good. that might also work for me. will check out their range and see what would work best for where i would plan to have them located. 

7 hours ago, Spurgt_Fuglen said:

Yes. You need to get the Cloud Key Gen 2 with HDD.

ok. how does the non HDD one work? i guess that would be stream only and no local storage i guess.

7 hours ago, Spurgt_Fuglen said:

I dont know the specifics. My cams will only start record when there is motion, and it will send me a notification when not at home.

In the settings i set it to save 3 days back.

ok. do you know what brand of HDD it comes with or do you get to chose one? Also is there a max height of the HHD. as some 2.5' ones are 7mm to 15mm. Looking at the seagate 5TB as a potential option.  or i can get the a 2TB Smasung 870 QVO haha. so porbs best to go for the seagate to get the max storage option. 

7 hours ago, Spurgt_Fuglen said:

The app is completely free to use. No subscription. Just create a free unify account and you're good to go.

That is awesome hopefully they dont charge in the future but that sounds great !

7 hours ago, Spurgt_Fuglen said:

The nightvision (Black and white) has really good quality, also the audio i great. Although there is no speaker to talk in the other end.

That's good. as long its clear to see the face that is all i really need. speakers would be a bonus but its all good. 

7 hours ago, Spurgt_Fuglen said:

I have been using the standard 1 TB HDD for nearly 1 and a half year now, and the playback function is just great. No lag or anything when streaming from work.

is it a 7200RPM or 5400 RPM? any specific brand you have?

7 hours ago, Spurgt_Fuglen said:

I can really only reccomend trying this setup. Maybe it wont do everything perfect, but it can do a ton of things with little to no hassle, whatsoever.

I think this system basically meets all the requirements i would like in a system. i think i just need to work out how i need to configure my network and ports to make sure it will wll work. 

 

Do you need to do any port forwarding to the Unifi device to be able to remote access or as long as you have internet it will work? and are you able to use any POE switch as long as it has enough power for the cameras and the unifi box? as the unifi website keeps saying 8011.af or basically uinfi switches. I am thinking of getting an un-managed cisco POE switch as i have had good reliability with cisco switches so far.

 

might need to run some lan cables around the place to get the cameras all hoked up via POE. 

[Spurgt_Fuglen]

14 minutes ago, Molesy said:

is it a 7200RPM or 5400 RPM? any specific brand you have?

It comes with this toshiba 1TB "Toshiba MQ01ABD100 1TB". Its only 5400, but i find it to be more than enough tbh.

 

14 minutes ago, Molesy said:

ok. how does the non HDD one work? i guess that would be stream only and no local storage i guess.

I guess you would just need a storage server / ftp server. Somewhere to store the recorded footage.

 

This is 1080p from my living room camera, during day time. (Note: you can do your own picture settings to fit your place with lighting etc.)

 

15 minutes ago, Molesy said:

Do you need to do any port forwarding to the Unifi device to be able to remote access or as long as you have internet it will work?

Im using a basic Asus router, together with a managed HP procurve 8port PoE switch. you can do dhcp or static. whatever works for you.

No portforwarding needed. You can select in the setup, if you want to allow access from the outside.

 

Dm me if you want.

[LSmithx2]

I have installed and setup cctv systems for a few businesses and homes and I have found that for business use HikVision systems are quite good but then again I have just installed a UniFi cctv system and that was very good and all cloud connected so you dont need to have a static ip address to connect to the system.

[Molesy]

On 7/31/2020 at 12:28 AM, Spurgt_Fuglen said:

It comes with this toshiba 1TB "Toshiba MQ01ABD100 1TB". Its only 5400, but i find it to be more than enough tbh.

 

I guess you would just need a storage server / ftp server. Somewhere to store the recorded footage.

 

This is 1080p from my living room camera, during day time. (Note: you can do your own picture settings to fit your place with lighting etc.)

 

Im using a basic Asus router, together with a managed HP procurve 8port PoE switch. you can do dhcp or static. whatever works for you.

No portforwarding needed. You can select in the setup, if you want to allow access from the outside.

 

Dm me if you want.

Thanks. yea. I have been looking at reviews of these. look like the new 4K ones look really nice but everyone said the HDD would be to slow for it so you would need to have a SSD if you want 4k. but I think the STD 1080p ones will work for me. going to see how many cameras i need first to see what will work and then the pricing. some of the cameras here are very pricey.  

 

look like the only 2 concern from me with unifi is 

1. HDD / SSD for the storage 

2. Can you install the app on multiple phones so multiple people at home can access the system remotely if needed. 

 

 

On 7/31/2020 at 9:09 AM, LSmithx2 said:

I have installed and setup cctv systems for a few businesses and homes and I have found that for business use HikVision systems are quite good but then again I have just installed a UniFi cctv system and that was very good and all cloud connected so you dont need to have a static ip address to connect to the system.

I see. yea this is for home use only. and would like a simple setup to run and manage. at this time looks like Unifi will work quite well. 

[Molesy]

On 7/31/2020 at 12:28 AM, Spurgt_Fuglen said:

It comes with this toshiba 1TB "Toshiba MQ01ABD100 1TB". Its only 5400, but i find it to be more than enough tbh.

 

I guess you would just need a storage server / ftp server. Somewhere to store the recorded footage.

 

This is 1080p from my living room camera, during day time. (Note: you can do your own picture settings to fit your place with lighting etc.)

 

Im using a basic Asus router, together with a managed HP procurve 8port PoE switch. you can do dhcp or static. whatever works for you.

No portforwarding needed. You can select in the setup, if you want to allow access from the outside.

 

Dm me if you want.

ok so based on the locations we want the camera. we are looking at getting a 3 pack g3 bullet and 1 g4 pro for that extra clarity to see licence plates, people who are approaching the property.  so now just need to look at the POE switch that will work for us and the getting the cabeling done. /

[Spurgt_Fuglen]

On 8/1/2020 at 6:01 PM, Molesy said:

look like the only 2 concern from me with unifi is 

1. HDD / SSD for the storage 

2. Can you install the app on multiple phones so multiple people at home can access the system remotely if needed.

Its possible for you to find a bigger HDD. If only 1080p i think HDD is fine, but for 4k you can go for an SSD.

 

Once the Unifi Protect is setup, you are ready to access everything from within the app. From there you can also invite other people to join your setup.

When you begin the setup, you just need to create a Unifi account.

 

Note, the picture i included only shows parts of the full picture. The full view is much bigger.