security cameras

[village dreamer]

does anyone have a diy wirelss home security cameras , and how good are they ?? what brand did you use ?? thanks.

[villagetinker]

A word of caution on the wireless units. These were used by hackers to cause one of the recent large scale internet outages. It appears the units had minimal security, and default user names and passwords. There was a Russian site that had a large number of security camera IP addresses published that anyone could get to and 'spy' on the users.
So, if you decide to go wireless look into the following:
1. Make sure your network is fully protected, change ALL default passwords, ALL default user IDs, and do NOT transmit your SSID.
2. Make sure your cameras can have security patches updated (under your control only).
3. Make sure your remote login is very secure.
If any of this sounds over the top, remember, that if you do not do these steps, the bad guys could get access to your cameras, know when you are and are not home. Hire a professional if necessary to make sure your security settings are up to date, and to leave detailed instructions so you can periodically change passwords, etc.
Personally I do not trust wireless cameras (a slight degree of paranoia) so my preference is toward wired systems, remember you still need to provide a power supply to the wireless cameras, so with combination cables (coax and power) you only have to run one cable.
On the flip side, wireless are inexpensive ($100 per camera), and wired can be over $3000 for a 4 camera system.
I hope this helps, please do some research, especially on the security aspects of the wireless system.

[rjm1cc]

Used D-Link. Easy to set up. Options vary by camera. One camera will give me a 30 second video and 6 pictures about 2 seconds apart when it detects motion or sound (you get a choice and other controls to help adjust).
Security is a problem with anything you put on the internet. But if you are pointing them to the outside of your house I see no problem. I assume (but do not know) that if the camera was showing the interior rooms someone could hack them to see what is going on so I would not have them monitor any place I would not allow the public to see.
The video and pictures are sent to an email account so an intruder could not destroy the pictures.
Get night vision camera if you want to monitor after dark.

[lafoto]

Nest cam here. Used on exterior of house, image is great(night and day). One defect....if you loose power, you must unplug and re plug to reboot it. Hard to do if you are out of state. I am investigating a remote switch to use in front of the camera.

[rjm1cc]

Nest cam here. Used on exterior of house, image is great(night and day). One defect....if you loose power, you must unplug and re plug to reboot it. Hard to do if you are out of state. I am investigating a remote switch to use in front of the camera.
A timer might work. have it turn off and on once a day.

[village dreamer]

what I'm looking for, is something like a diy security camera like night owl and no internet hook up just dvr.

[villagetinker]

VillageDreamer, if you can get a cable to the camera and DVR location, Sam Club has a Samsung unit (2 or 4 cameras) that works very well. You have the option to connect the DVR to the internet, which then allows emails, viewing, etc. These units are very reasonably priced and much more reliable then units at Harbor freight. If you do some searching you will see to stay away from SWAN, and several other brands sold at low end stores. I have around 3 years of experience with the Samsung unit, and very good product. As I stated before, I do not have any experience with the wireless units, but if you do not have a weatherproof outlet near where you are placing the camera, you may need to run a cable anyway.
I have other ideas, send me a PM with your phone number and we can discuss offline.

[Bambi]

I have the Arlo completely wireless system....no need to locate by an outlet or wire to control base. I can take them with me if I move and they can be changed easily to another location that I want to monitor (just pick it up and move it). One drawback is replacing batters every few months- which I buy at Amazon.
Arlo is made by Netgear and available at Sam's. Up to five cameras have free cloud storage..no monthly repeating charges.
Recordings are kept in the cloud for one week before elimination.Easy to download any videos that you want to keep permanently on your phone or PC. Cameras are totally weatherproof and very easy to set up. You can even mount to a tree.
I have two outside and two inside. The inside ones are off unless I leave the house, and then I just flick them on with my iPhone.
Many options such as recording length, sensivity, and video quality are easily adjusted. Has night vision.
Short lag time when camera is activated so the one by the front door allows me to know who is there when the door bell rings.
Arlo makes a more expensive unit called the pro with rechargeable batteries,, voice and siren. They also make a wired one.

All their units work off the same base. If a camera is activated, I get an email or text within a couple of seconds and can watch activity.
Simple, relatively cheap, no monitoring costs, good quality video, no wires whatsoever to run, except connecting base to router a foot away. More than five cameras require paid cloud storage.
Been please so far.

[bobthegolfer]

We have Simply Safe and are very pleased with it. Easy to install and works perfectly. It also is highly rated.

[rc83086]

I use Blink wireless security cameras, completely wireless system, easy to setup and install. The cameras have been installed for over a year, AA batteries are at 90%. Highly recommend.

[Steve9930]

There are a number DIY Internet Cameras and security systems. Systems like IsmartAlarm and SimplySafe have a lot of options. Some have monthly fees and some do not. The first thing is to write down all the things you want to do with the system. Do you just want to record video or are you looking to do a whole security system? What are all the things you want the system to do for you? Today there is nothing you can't record or control remotely. Everything in your home can be controlled over the internet and I mean everything. Also everything on the internet can be hacked into by someone. Most packaged systems have some level of security. All these systems come with a default username and password which should be changed before you use them. A system that has a number of options is best because you can start small and then expand the system. Its not difficult to do with a system like IsmartAlarm or SimplySafe and they are expandable. If your looking for a security system to protect you at night or the property while your gone then there are multiple levels of security to look at. You want to scare these people away and recording them is only part of the solution. Start with motion lights outside to illuminate them. Then the next level is detecting their entry. Window and door sensors or Motion detectors inside the house. Then there are the cameras taking pictures as they approach the house or inside the house. Also do you want the system to send an alarm to your cell phone and maybe snap shots of the individuals via email? Once you know what you want today and what you might want in the future you can then find one that fits the task.

[MikeV]

We use SimplySafe with most options except freeze detection (of course) including wireless camera. Easy to install and monitoring is optional with 3 levels starting at $25 up to $25 a month with the higher including a remote APP.

[RedBaron]

We have Simply Safe and are very pleased with it. Easy to install and works perfectly. It also is highly rated.

We've also been using Simply Safe and like the simplicity and ability to add or subtract features as needed.

[Northerner52]

Xfinity offered me a package for 2 year/$99 for all three, Home security, Cable and Blast internet.

[Harry Gilbert]

Just a thought for those who use a cable or landline based system. Pay attention to where your cable or phone wiring enters the house, if it can be accessed on the outside of your home it can be cut and your system is rendered inoperable. If a cell connection is available it is much more secure.

[Steve9930]

Just a thought for those who use a cable or landline based system. Pay attention to where your cable or phone wiring enters the house, if it can be accessed on the outside of your home it can be cut and your system is rendered inoperable. If a cell connection is available it is much more secure.

An excellent point. I have all my services in rigid conduit. The Cell service is an excellent option. Its going to be more difficult to disable. It is also possible to disable the cell service by jamming it.

[Harry Gilbert]

An excellent point. I have all my services in rigid conduit. The Cell service is an excellent option. Its going to be more difficult to disable. It is also possible to disable the cell service by jamming it.

For the most part the bad guys want easy targets, Anything you can do to make life difficult for them (rigid piping) is a good thing. Just having an alarm co sign visible may be enough to move them on to another target. But if they're determined to get in a specific house not much is gonna slow them down

[Steve9930]

For the most part the bad guys want easy targets, Anything you can do to make life difficult for them (rigid piping) is a good thing. Just having an alarm co sign visible may be enough to move them on to another target. But if they're determined to get in a specific house not much is gonna slow them down

I agree. A professional knows how to get past much of this. You're looking to stop the amateur who is looking for a target of opportunity. I never keep anything in the house I'm not willing to possibly loose. Anything of real value is in a safe deposit box. If your going to put a good safe in the house, remember to bolt it to the floor well. Several years ago there was a break in in the area. They just picked up the safe and took it. The story I saw on the news which was disturbing were the two men who broke into a home even after they were confronted by the owner with one of these ring door bells. In that case, if your home, and some one trips the alarm and continues to break in, get out as fast as you can. This is never a good sign. Besides the feeling of insecurity you will have after a break in, the mess left behind is ridiculous. A simple sign in the yard or a locked screen door on the Lanai can do wonders. Even the pros are reluctant to try a house which is not a slam dunk. To those that believe buying a firearm is the answer, if you don't have something that trips off and wakes you up, you just might find that along with your wallet your firearm was stolen also. The best system is the one that convinces the thief to pass you by and move on to another house. Where I live all of my neighbors are nosy along with me. We all know when each of us are not home for a length of time. A good deterrent is a can of wasp spray next to the bed, or your car keys where you can press the panic button and make the car start to scream. Burglars hate loud noises.