Home Security

[Zambeezy]

Does anyone use home security cameras/monitoring/etc? Any brands or services you recommend?

 

I'm not really looking for a full-service monitoring solution like ADT. I just don't feel that the price is worth the value provided. I'm more interested in security cameras, window/door entry sensors, etc. I don't mind paying for a subscription if the value is there (e.g. I don't feel like paying $20/month for 30 days of video backup is worth it, but $3 might be. If it includes real-time monitoring via a call center, $20 may be a fair price).

 

I'm a Data Analyst, so technology is a big part of my life and something I'm very interested in. Don't always have to have the newest gadget but for things like smart motion detection that doesn't send false alerts for leaves blowing in the wind, I'm all about it.

 

Looking at the eufyCam 2 because I have a Eufy robovac and it's been great, and I've been happy with Anker products (sister company) for years. Customer service has always been good and the product cost has been reasonable for the value and quality provided.

 

Any thoughts from those who have installed a system, or who looked into it and decided against it?

[derf]

I'm looking at doing the same thing.  I'm moving into the new house on Friday and that's one of the things I want to set up.

 

I'd prefer to use a wired camera setup though.  Jamming a wireless camera is far too easy.

[Torq_Shep]

I have wired POE cameras from Anran. The cameras are great, the NVR is garbage. We use Amcrest at work and it is a lot better. 

 

With that being said I havent had any more thefts from my yard since the cameras went up. 

[Zambeezy]

22 minutes ago, derf said:

I'm looking at doing the same thing.  I'm moving into the new house on Friday and that's one of the things I want to set up.

 

I'd prefer to use a wired camera setup though.  Jamming a wireless camera is far too easy.

Glad you found a good one! Down in Castle Rock?

 

I'll admit, I'm not an expert on InfoSec but these Eufy cams seem to use high-quality encryption that I presume would make it more difficult to access and/or jam. At this point, I'm pretty set on wireless due to ease of use and the ability to easily move components around.

 

Congrats again on the house! I know I still owe pictures from my house hunting thread, I'd love to see yours as well!

[derf]

Yep.  I'm at Castle Rock right near the outlet malls.  Easy access to I25 for the offices in Lone Tree.  If I have to go to Waterton, I just head up Santa Fe.  And I have everything I need just blocks from the house.  Very convenient.  Best part is that it's technically an unincorporated area and has no HOA so I have more freedom to do what I want.

 

Thing about wireless is that it's a fixed set of frequencies.  All you need is an easy to build transmitter to broadcast noise on the channels and your wireless is down.  No amount of encryption will prevent the underlying radio frequency from being overwhelmed where no data can get through, encrypted or otherwise.  Encryption only matters when it comes to breaking in to the channel.  But if you just want to bring down wireless cameras without hacking them, it's pretty easy.

[Zambeezy]

15 minutes ago, derf said:

Yep.  I'm at Castle Rock right near the outlet malls.  Easy access to I25 for the offices in Lone Tree.  If I have to go to Waterton, I just head up Santa Fe.  And I have everything I need just blocks from the house.  Very convenient.  Best part is that it's technically an unincorporated area and has no HOA so I have more freedom to do what I want.

 

Thing about wireless is that it's a fixed set of frequencies.  All you need is an easy to build transmitter to broadcast noise on the channels and your wireless is down.  No amount of encryption will prevent the underlying radio frequency from being overwhelmed where no data can get through, encrypted or otherwise.  Encryption only matters when it comes to breaking in to the channel.  But if you just want to bring down wireless cameras without hacking them, it's pretty easy.

I read about it quite a bit but haven't seen anyone mentioning this as an issue. I'm sure technically it wouldn't be that difficult to build something that transmits noise on the channel but I, maybe naively, don't think most people would do that and would instead just go to the next house on the block. I guess to me, the flexibility of a wireless system outweighs that potential negative, at least right now.

[Zambeezy]

28 minutes ago, Torq_Shep said:

I have wired POE cameras from Anran. The cameras are great, the NVR is garbage. We use Amcrest at work and it is a lot better. 

 

With that being said I havent had any more thefts from my yard since the cameras went up. 

Sorry, not familiar with these terms.

 

POE? NVR? Anran? Amcrest?

[Pete M]

whatever you go with, maybe add a handful of fake cameras in the mix too.    giant monstrosities that no one can miss. 

 

the reason behind security cameras is 2-fold:  discourage the bad guys so they hit someone else's house, or identify the bad guys so the cops might be able to get some of your stuff back.  what does a good job at one, may not succeed at the other. 

[Torq_Shep]

24 minutes ago, Zambeezy said:

Sorry, not familiar with these terms.

 

POE? NVR? Anran? Amcrest?

POE = Power-Over-Ethernet which IMHO is superior to regular wired cameras. You just run an ethernet wire to each camera. 

NVR = Network Video Recorder. With POE cameras you have to have a POE network switch, which in most systems is built into a DVR (digital video recorder) 

 

Anran = Some crappy chinese camera company 

Amcrest = Some other camera company

 

NVRs do have the ability to record on motion trigger or record all of the time, most of them can also text you recorded clips, etc. My 8 camera 2TB system records 1 week of video on all cameras. 

[derf]

I already have a new box of 1000' of cat6 ethernet wire to run a couple of things in my house anyway so I'm planning POE cameras since I'll be in the attic pulling cable anyway.

[Torq_Shep]

I did this... 8 cameras, 14 ethernet ports. What a PITA.

[Smokeyyank]

F ADT......What a joke. We had them in our house in englewood and that was a rip off. 

 

Another thought if you are tech savvy is using raspberry PI for wiring up cameras and the rest. 

[NHMJXJ]

[olddude]

I like Smith & Wesson  they appear to be the best in home security.  I installed a system my brother-in -law supplied. I first have to say I am definitely not a IT guy but I was able to get it none,. Running the cat 6 was the worst part. I used a HIKVISION system plug 'n play NVR, that's what he recommended. Six cameras and I monitor it with a small flat screen. You can monitor it with a iphone but I do not want it on the internet.  Works really well. I suppose you could buy this or a comparable system from a dealer.

[89 MJ]

I like Glock security systems and Remington’s 870 style security system. 

[Dzimm]

I personally purchased the Zosi 8 camera kit off Amazon and bought the HDD separate for it because the bring your own HDD kit was cheaper than the plug and play one.  It's super easy to use and has motion detection with mobile alert that I've never tried.  I have the views showing the street slightly so I worry if get notifications for every passing car.  Ours is just setup behind the living room entertainment center and has an HDMI input I can select and see anytime on the TV.  No sort of monitoring service or emergency contact service but has a mobile app that you can view/playback anywhere.  Only cost is the initial purchase of the kit. Wiring has video and power in one cable, need a power strip wherever the DVR is located for power.  2 cameras per power brick.

 

I also purchased some additional signs/window stickers politely letting anyone know that they would be met with deadly force upon entry.  .40S&W on the hip, plenty more firepower within reach.

[Zambeezy]

I ended up pulling the trigger on the Eufy wireless cams and hope to get them installed this weekend. Worst case scenario, I'll end up putting them in the garage or something and get a more robust system for the exterior.

 

Honestly, not too concerned with signal jamming and overall not too concerned with break-in/theft, but if it prevents one occurrence or leads to the arrest and return of property even once, they'll be worth it. Cheap-ish insurance I guess, as much as I hate that phrase.

 

I'll let you guys know how they are. Reviews were solid

[yxmj]

I bought this for a puppy cam to help in kennel and house training while we are at work…..has all the features, I can view and control right from my phone. Pan and tilt just buy swiping the phone screen. Has 2-way audio so I can speak and be spoken to. HD color and Black and white infrared. You can take pictures or videos from your phone as well.

 

https://www.amazon.com/VStarcam-Wireless-Multi-Users-Security-Detection/dp/B01IQO8LZC/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=327SFMSLZ20M&dchild=1&keywords=genbolt+camera&qid=1593187351&sprefix=genbolt%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOEdKRVc1SVFCOTgmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAzMjc2NzUyM1lKNjlGS045VkY2JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4MzUxMDQxUjlUSzdHWllQMzJUJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

It also has all the security features that allow you to set up to notify me if any motion is detected and record or take pics as I program it. I can even grid the screen to set it to only notify me if certain areas are activated.

 

Here are some screen shots from my phone....Daytime.....Pitch black at 6am.....Occupied Kennel.....and the end result.......she has a rough life.....

[jdog]

any update on this?

[Zambeezy]

21 hours ago, jdog said:

any update on this?

I'm using the eufycam 2 system and it's been good, not great. Battery life is pretty decent actually. Video quality is so-so, just 1080p so not the clearest that's for sure. You can set up activity zones, and those are pretty good at triggering only on motion within those zones but occasionally I'll get some erroneous activity (or maybe it's so sensitive that it's picking up grass/leaf movement).

 

I've considered getting a few more to add better coverage around the house but I'll probably save my money and just get a good wired system, since you get get a 4k 8-camera system for a reasonable price at Costco. Just have to convince myself it's worth it to run the cable all over the house.

[kook911]

I’ll give you my two cents on this. My first system was a nite hawk. Simple 4 channel 720 system. It did its job to scared people away but other then that it was a no frill system. Had to run the wires but simple enough to do. When I moved I left the system with the house. 
 

On my next house the blink just happened to come out. I though hmm wireless and can view by my phone. The system is ok but not great. It doesn’t pick up everything I want it to and there is a delay.  If your home WiFi is junk just stay away as the system will not work.  I used the outdoor cams and I don’t have any indoor cams. So I got rid of of the blink bc I was tired of not seeing what was going on at my house. I went with reolink 4K POE system. Hands down better then the blink. You will have 24/7 recording and crystal clear picture. Has all the bells and whistles you could ask for. Yeah you have to run cat5/6 wire but once you run it you can always swap out the cameras. You will be about 400-500 out of pocket but your getting a quality system.  

[ghetdjc320]

This is my main line of work actually. I do home security, automation, surveillance systems and a/v. 

[Limeyjeeper]

I have a Reolink DVR CCTV system. Been rock solid. Very user friendly. For alarms I have Simplisafe. If you jam the Wifi it loses connectivity with the sensor and the Central Station and sends you a text or email. The bad guy has to know you have a WiFi based system. Cellular based transmitters are easy to jam too. Phone lines can be cut. Nothing is undefeatable. Line monitoring which comes with pretty much every alarm system protects you from losing connectivity to the base station or panel. It is very user friendly and extremely reliable. I like the Glock 19 security system but it only works when you are in residence!!