Is it worth the trouble using this

[JeffCharger]

depending on your dvr, you could likely add 2 more cameras to it, and connect to the router. BI can probably access the cameras on the DVR. It's easy to spend a lot of money on cameras. There are very knowledgeable people on this site. Read the Cliff Notes in the wiki. If you just want to tinker for now, pickup some foscam/amcrest IP cameras on the used market. If you want to get some additional cameras for the DVR you could probably find some cameras similar to the 2 you have, or maybe better models of the same manufacturer so your quality increases.

 

[trig]

You don't want to connect more than one or two cameras through a router. The backplane bandwidth of ISP routers is too low to support the never ending video streams without bogging it down pretty badly. You need a switch, normally a PoE switch, to connect the cameras and the BI PC to. Even better if that switch has a gigabit uplink port for the PC. That switch can then connect to the router as well to allow access to BI and the camera GUIs for access on other PCs, phones, tablets. BI has a built in web interface, UI3, accessed by using "BI PC IP address:81". It does need user login credentials as well.

Thanks for the great info. I got more reading to do.

 

[trig]

depending on your dvr, you could likely add 2 more cameras to it, and connect to the router. BI can probably access the cameras on the DVR. It's easy to spend a lot of money on cameras. There are very knowledgeable people on this site. Read the Cliff Notes in the wiki. If you just want to tinker for now, pickup some foscam/amcrest IP cameras on the used market. If you want to get some additional cameras for the DVR you could probably find some cameras similar to the 2 you have, or maybe better models of the same manufacturer so your quality increases.

Thanks

 

[trig]

depending on your dvr, you could likely add 2 more cameras to it, and connect to the router. BI can probably access the cameras on the DVR. It's easy to spend a lot of money on cameras. There are very knowledgeable people on this site. Read the Cliff Notes in the wiki. If you just want to tinker for now, pickup some foscam/amcrest IP cameras on the used market. If you want to get some additional cameras for the DVR you could probably find some cameras similar to the 2 you have, or maybe better models of the same manufacturer so your quality increases.

Samsung SRD-1654D is the DVR I have which uses the Siamese cables and from what I read the IP Cameras won't work but I could be wrong. Its about 7 years old which for some is old but for me its fine for now.

For now I just need two more cameras and at least 60 foot of cables that would work with this Samsung DVR.
I figured in the cost and if I did take my home PC with the 6th generation i5 with 8 gigs of ran to the shop, then bought the BI software, cables, cameras, switch , harddrive it would come in over my budget for now.

I have a desktop at my shop I built in late 2007 ( core 2 duo 4600 2.4 ghz ) with 6 gigs of ram with a SS drive that runs as good as the one I have here at home . It has had windows 10 on it but I put win 7 pro back on it and love it. I do understand its old and the BI probably now won't run on it without upgrading to a new system. I am also old lol
I am still reading and learning so maybe next year I might spring for the newer system but for now I got to stay within my $$$ range

 

[JeffCharger]

Samsung SRD-1654D is the DVR I have which uses the Siamese cables and from what I read the IP Cameras won't work but I could be wrong. Its about 7 years old which for some is old but for me its fine for now.

For now I just need two more cameras and at least 60 foot of cables that would work with this Samsung DVR.
I figured in the cost and if I did take my home PC with the 6th generation i5 with 8 gigs of ran to the shop, then bought the BI software, cables, cameras, switch , harddrive it would come in over my budget for now.

I have a desktop at my shop I built in late 2007 ( core 2 duo 4600 2.4 ghz ) with 6 gigs of ram with a SS drive that runs as good as the one I have here at home . It has had windows 10 on it but I put win 7 pro back on it and love it. I do understand its old and the BI probably now won't run on it without upgrading to a new system. I am also old lol
I am still reading and learning so maybe next year I might spring for the newer system but for now I got to stay within my $$$ range

I had a similar setup for my original BI installation. It consumed a lot of the cpu, but worked fine for a couple of years before I bought a refurbed HP unit as suggested in the "Cliff Notes". At that point I ran BI V4.

IP cameras would not plug into the DVR, but would be input to the BI system. The BI could also access the DVR cameras and pull it all together.

Given your technical skill tinkering ability and budget.... I would suggest just getting in there and installing the BI trial with your existing DVR and cameras. That'll give you an idea of what your dealing with. There's quite a learning curve to get everything working nicely.