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It has come to my attention very recently that my neighbor has installed a high resolution security camera and it’s pointing directly at my patio and into my garage and my driveway and my front lawn! I now have ZERO privacy in front of my house. I cannot have a conversation without that audio...

Why should firmware upgrades be a major time suck (if you do the multi-step approach and the manual config) with the fear of bricking the camera? This seems so ridiculously antiquated. Okay, I get the value quotient but why all the pain and suffering? No other network device that I've worked...

Is there a clean, native way to stream live video from any DAHUA IP CAM when I'm logged in directly? I have tried Safari, Firefox, and Chrome... Also, Smart PSS and ConfigTool, apps.... no video streaming.... of course I can see video via SecuritySpy but that's it. I feel like I had this...

Back in 2018, the 5231ZE was all the rage, especially night performance. Now in 22, what are the 5231-killers to consider? Thanks! R

With a Ring Doorbell Pro (wired for direct connection with one doorbell with less than 25' circuit), I'm looking at an Elk transformer that will plug into an outlet inside the house. Which model would you suggest and why? 24VAC 40VA VS 16.5VAC 45VA? The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is, requires a...

When I last researched this field nothing seemed to work reliably. I have installed a few Ring doorbells for clients but I prefer to not have a recurring cost. I do enjoy various Ubiquity products and the G4 Pro looks interesting to me. So, if you are not too concerned about cost, what are the...

I have two Dahua 5231ze cams and I have a need to properly mount them on the soffit of my home.... So, can I simply screw these to the soffit or do I need the junction box (PFA130-E)? Thanks, R

Have any of you integrated your surveillance system with Control 4 or Savant Automation?

Is there a certain doorbell or two that stands above the rest? It would be great to see a shootout amongst the top contenders.

Any chance that this NVR will allow integration with existing Dahua ipcams like the 5231 or 5442? Thanks!

I always thought that a motion-activated flood light would seriously blow out the IPcam image for a while (possibly critical moments) as the auto-iris corrects. So, is there a way to make this work? I see that Dahua has this Floodlight cam, and as I mentioned I always thought these two items...

On a typical corner of a home, I suspect that it's optimal coverage to have two cams mounted, with different views. Is there a single Dahua cam that fits two 5231 or 5442 level cams in a single housing? I think it might look better cosmetically. Thanks, R

My UNIFI switch was showing one of my POE devices as “Zhejiang 38:21” with a vendor label as “Zhejiang”. Have you ever noticed that on your Dahua cams? I do see that name associated with Dahua but I was surprised to see it.

So, I know I’ll be burned at the stake for mentioning this but, do you like the UNIFI cams? Do you have experience with that ecosystem? I’m tempted to buy into the system just to test it so that I’ll fully know how and when to deploy. Is there something really appealing about UNIFI Protect and...

Just out of curiosity are there Dahua cams intended for the North American market that directly match the specs of the now famous 5231 EZ (turret) and the new 5442 that some say replaces or competes well against the 5231? Are the same exact cams in NA but sold under a different model number and...

Can you please tell me the difference between Dahua Logo Vs No Logo? Also, why are the firmware versions different?

When I first setup my 5231 cam 2 years ago, I think I just used "Sync PC". I think this changed and it was off by 20 years! What settings do you use? Do you favor a certain name server? Thanks, R

I have a 5231 turret cam, and I see that it is set to PAL and I want to change it to NTSC. Can you help me change this? Thanks, R

The procedure for Dahua firmware upgrades really sucks. Jumping through the hoops..... 1) locate the firmware and DL; 2) Log into cam GUI; 3) save config; 4) reboot cam; 5) install new firmware; 6) factory reset; 7) find your cam on a subnet you are not normally using; 8) update settings...

Where can I fetch the latest dependable firmware for the IPC-HDW5231R-ZE? I’ve had this cam since 2018 and I’m finally ready to mount it and thought it would be wise to update the firmware. Thanks, R

When mounting a turret style Dahua cam such as the 5231, would you mount direct to the soffit or use a junction box?

I'm about to order some network goodies from Graybar, and I need more network cable. I have a box of 5E that will do gigabit but I wanted all new purchases to be Cat-6 or better. So, is there a certain brand or certain model of UTP Cat-6 cable that you prefer? Yes I will run POE: access points...

For high quality night vision, is the IPC-HDW5231R-ZE still the undisputed world champion? it’s been a couple of years now, I expect it to be refreshed or to have some competition at some point.

I noticed that in China they have software that dies facial recognition and AI and other fancy stuff. They instantly know who’s who and what they are wearing and the license plate and car make/model and your government identification, etc. What software would analyze the video like this and...

With the state of affairs that we have at the moment with the coronavirus the world is being reminded how much were overly dependent on China and I wanted to consider what ip cams might you consider that are not manufactured in China? Thanks, Robert

Just more than a year ago I bought a couple of updated 5231 models where everyone seem to rave obout the low light capability and that 1080p was the way to go for these turrets. So, has the lineup changed in the last 9 months or so? Does the 2mp 5231 have some competition from a 4K camera yet...

Can I have two 3.5” HDDs in the SSF EliteDesk? Assuming G2/G3 or newer, can I have the ssd and 2 3.5” drives installed? Would it require extra wiring or brackets? If so are those parts available? Thanks, Robert

Many of the recommended business class PCs suggested for BI have DisplayPort video output and no hdmi port. I’m told that this can be adapted and I see that passive cables are available as well (DisplayPort to hdmi). If you’re buying a new PC the third port can be configured as hdmi (instead of...

@fenderman as I recall your recent favorite PC for BI is an HP EliteDesk. I spent a couple of hours studying the different models and searching the net... is there a certain sweet spot model? I assume 800 G4 is too new and the G1 is too old. What would you be looking for today for your personal...

Although I have no idea how many cameras I will have in the end, I’m starting with 2 and can see having at least 8. Assume 2mp, 15fps, h264, continuous recording and 30 days of retention if possible and with some room for growth. Perhaps the motion clips are saved for 30 days and the continuous...