Looking for home camera security system

[davidg4781]

Hi. There's been a lot of crime in our area and we're looking to get a camera security system for the house. It's an older house so wireless may be best but we may be able to do wired also.

Can anyone maybe point me in the right direction? There are tons out there. I'm sort of thinking using one of the Macs in my signature to record everything. Of course I'd have to buy a new MacBook, I could also wait until Kaby Lake comes out on them (hint hint).

There's also an option of going with TimeWarner but I would think it'd be more expensive.

 

[dictoresno]

I use dlink cameras around my house and love them

 

[davidg4781]

Do these DIY ones come out less expensive than buying a kit or having a company come set them up? I'm assuming yes.

Someone at work said her mom got one from Best Buy for $500. Do they just have some recording box so no PC is needed? I think she said it had 5 cameras.

 

[bt22]

The Nest outdoor camera's look nice, I do not own any, but have watched several positive reviews on YouTube. You would have to subscribe to their service to have access to past events.

 

[jhsonderb]

Hi. There's been a lot of crime in our area and we're looking to get a camera security system for the house. It's an older house so wireless may be best but we may be able to do wired also.

Can anyone maybe point me in the right direction? There are tons out there. I'm sort of thinking using one of the Macs in my signature to record everything. Of course I'd have to buy a new MacBook, I could also wait until Kaby Lake comes out on them (hint hint).

There's also an option of going with TimeWarner but I would think it'd be more expensive.

If you are interested in a wireless system, take a look at the Netgear Arlo Pro cameras. Videos are stored on the Arlo website for free for up to five cameras with a basic subscription that deletes videos after seven days. You can download any videos you want to archive. I'm very happy after three months of use. Because the cameras are battery powered they record upon motion or sound detection. You can view using computer or mobile device.

 

[AlliFlowers]

We started with a cheap set that came with a DVR and four cameras. We're now up to nine cameras. Yes, it would undoubtedly have been cheaper to have had ADT or AT&T do it to begin with. I'm not convinced it wouldn't make life easier to do that now. OTOH, using Blue Iris, I can watch all the cams at any time from my phone or iPad, as can my husband on his Android tech. (I love snooping on my cats during the day.)

I dislike having to devote a computer as a server, but I don't want a monitoring company to be able to watch my cams either. The biggest pain was securing the DVR. You're screwed if someone steals that!

 

[campyguy]

I've used and pushed Lorex products in the past and still think some of their solutions are the best in that market. I just connected a couple of wireless camera units to my NVR, and can't offer any negative feedback. I use only their HD cameras, IMHO SD cameras are pretty much a "why bother" option - I've seen too many fuzzy pics of thieves walking away with delivered packages on the news. Lorex sells pretty much any kind of system you'd need and you can roll your own including NVR units, they're a subsidiary of FLIR.

 

[1 iron]

We installed several Nest cameras and have been very pleased so far. If you have solid wifi you may want to check them out.

 

[kjmff5]

I too have been on the market for home cameras since I got a dog. I was going to use Raspberry Pi to do it, but their camera does not have IR/night vision, so that was a bust for me. Then I came across this
http://www.safewise.com/resources/home-security-cameras

In reading some of the reviews on amazon, looks like some of them have privacy issues(the manufacturer can keep 6 seconds of video for themselves).

So far my top contender is the Netgear Arlo Pro, but its pretty expensive. I dont mind the hub part of it.

Let us know what you decide on!

 

[nph]

Check out Microseven as well. Great video cams, excellent support as well I have 2 and just got a third one.
A bit tricky to set up but the support compensates for it.

 

[arggg14]

It may be overkill, but I'd buy a symbology NAS, a few HDD's and cameras. There's little fuss in the set up and the iPhone app and overall package is well worth it.

 

[NorCalLights]

It may be overkill, but I'd buy a symbology NAS, a few HDD's and cameras. There's little fuss in the set up and the iPhone app and overall package is well worth it.

I use a Synology NAS and Foscam cameras for my system. They have great motion detection built into the camera, and the NAS can be set to record only when there is motion. I also get snapshots text messaged to my phone. It's a great system, but it did take a little DIY'ing to get working.

The price of the Synology NAS can't be beat, and their included Surveillance Station software is very good. 2 camera are free, and after that you can purchase upgrades for more cameras. Their website has a great breakdown of which NAS you'll need for how many cameras.

 

[sargein]

Tried Arlo (battery version, not pro) and they were pretty convenient to setup and use. However video quality was only so so. Ended up getting Amcrest IP2M-841 cameras, which have much better video quality and can record continuous or on motion detection (Arlo was only MD based). Needs more effort to setup, but once done has been pretty decent. Have it recording to Synology NAS for MD as well as to local 64 GB micro SD card continuous, working great so far.

 

[GoJames4]

Hi. There's been a lot of crime in our area and we're looking to get a camera security system for the house. It's an older house so wireless may be best but we may be able to do wired also.

Can anyone maybe point me in the right direction? There are tons out there. I'm sort of thinking using one of the Macs in my signature to record everything. Of course I'd have to buy a new MacBook, I could also wait until Kaby Lake comes out on them (hint hint).

There's also an option of going with TimeWarner but I would think it'd be more expensive.

Good question, I was about to ask the same one.

I have a stupid add-on question. If I install the camera in a visible location outside, would it not be easy for thieves to just steal the camera? Or am I being too paranoid....

 

[kschendel]

Whatever you get, make sure it's properly secured (software-wise, not just physically) and properly set up. This link is old but it gives you a flavor of what you can be letting yourself in for if you don't do it right:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/201...-the-world-of-unsecured-ip-surveillance-cams/

I believe that CCTV cameras were one of the prime targets of the recent Mirai botnet that caused a massive DDoS attack last fall. Just make sure that your camera doesn't become part of the problem!