Need advice on system and camera position

[emerb]

Hello there,

I’m new here and this is my first post so I apologize in advance if I’m posting on the wrong forum. I’m a software engineer and I’m really comfortable around networks and home automation but I know nothing about NVRs and security cameras so I need help figuring out the right system and which camera to install where.

My needs are simple:

• Cover the perimeter around the house (specially door and windows).
• Make sure resolution is good enough to identify anyone coming close to the house.
• Good night vision.
• Remote access throug mobile app.
• Keep a budget $900 for this first implementation (I might add more internal cameras later).

This is what I need now considering I don’t even know what a surveillance system can offer besides the live view and recorded content but I’m a techie person so i will figure out a way to leverage any feature I can get.

After reading through multiple threads and looking around online stores I found this NVR and camera but I’m still not sure if this is the best I can get for money:

• Dahua NVR4216-16P-4K 16 Channel 1U 16PoE 4K & H.265 Lite
• Dahua Bullet Camera HFW4431R-Z 2.7-12mm Motorized Lens 4MP IP Camera POE IP66 Outdoor ONVIF H.265

At this point I’m really looking for advice on whether above NVR or cameras will work, whether I should use different cameras to cover different areas around the house and stuff like that.

These are pictures from my house if someone want to share some ideas on camera type and position/location for cameras. I still can't figure out how to properly cover my front door.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mat200]

..

• Good night vision.
• ..
• Keep a budget $900 for this first implementation (I might add more internal cameras later).

Welcome emerb,

If you need good night vision you should look at the Dahua Starlight Turret IPC-HDW5231R-Z and use that as a comparison to other options. Your budget maybe a bit tight if you really want good night vision and good coverage. Suggest the following, as

It's easy to get swamped with information here, so I wanted to share some notes with you

Please check out @giomania 's notes:
Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z)

I have also made which are a summary of a lot of the reading I've been doing here,:
Looking for some advice and direction!

Also, before you buy from Amazon, do take a look at what Andy ( @EMPIRETECANDY ) here can help you with, as a number of us have purchased from him and really like his quality of service and quick shipping.

Have fun joining us here.

 

[djkprojects]

Hello emerb,

Welcome to the forum.

You are in the very situation I was a few weeks ago.

I was originally looking at Hikvision cameras but then found this forum and the Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z) mat200 mentioned. I was very hesitant at first buying anything from aliexpress (although I've know about it for years) but guess what, I did give it a try and bought two Dahua turrets from Andy and they arrived within 3 days !!!

- The cameras are very good indeed and offer an optical zoom so although they are only 2MP, if you set the zoom correctly you won't lose on image quality. They also have a built-in microphone and SD Card slot to record on directly but you can choose to record to SD/FTP/NAS etc. There are two cables coming out of the camera, one is LAN port and the other is power supply. You can power your camera directly from the LAN cable using a PoE switch or from a separate power adapter (does NOT come with the camera). PoE switch is the most common approach as it means that you only need to run one cable.

- I used CAT6A cable to connect these and I know all I needed was CAT5 (the cameras have 10/100 LAN ports which is a standard) but since I run them under the floors I wanted to make the installation future proof. All cameras connected via managed POE switch. You can use any switch you like as long as it supports PoE but make sure it provides enough power (this applies to any IP camera). Dahua cameras are classified as Class0 which means each LAN PoE port on the switch should be able to supply up to 15.4W of power (my Netgear switch however shows that these Dahuas only use 2.4W )

- The Dahua have a software called SmartPSS that works with their cameras for both Windows/Mac and mobile and it's really very good. Fast to connect and lots of options

- You can connect to the cameras directly as they are basically IP devices connected to your LAN. They have built in Web interface, just like your router. Also, remotely (if you have port forwarding on) via mobile app or IP directly, also Dahua provides basic DDNS for your cameras.

Note: For security reasons however port forwarding is not recommended. Use VPN instead.

- I have a QNAP NAS which I now use as a storage for camera recordings (I set it to 24/7 recording for now) but you can obviously buy a dedicated NVR.

It's not as difficult as it seems

All you need is:

- cameras
- PoE switch
- Ethernet cable
- NVR or NAS or any PC/Mac with a NVR software


As for positioning the cameras I just connected one to the LAN before the installation and then tested the best spot (using a mobile app). Make sure that you don't mount them too high. I was advised that the cameras should be installed out of the reach but somewhat on eye level so mine are about 2.5m from the ground.


Hope that helps

 

[EMPIRETECANDY]

Hello emerb,

Welcome to the forum.

You are in the very situation I was a few weeks ago.

I was originally looking at Hikvision cameras but then found this forum and the Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z) mat200 mentioned. I was very hesitant at first buying anything from aliexpress (although I've know about it for years) but guess what, I did give it a try and bought two Dahua turrets from Andy and they arrived within 3 days !!!

- The cameras are very good indeed and offer an optical zoom so although they are only 2MP, if you set the zoom correctly you won't lose on image quality. They also have a built-in microphone and SD Card slot to record on directly but you can choose to record to SD/FTP/NAS etc. There are two cables coming out of the camera, one is LAN port and the other is power supply. You can power your camera directly from the LAN cable using a PoE switch or from a separate power adapter (does NOT come with the camera). PoE switch is the most common approach as it means that you only need to run one cable.

- I used CAT6A cable to connect these and I know all I needed was CAT5 (the cameras have 10/100 LAN ports which is a standard) but since I run them under the floors I wanted to make the installation future proof. All cameras connected via managed POE switch. You can use any switch you like as long as it supports PoE but make sure it provides enough power (this applies to any IP camera). Dahua cameras are classified as Class0 which means each LAN PoE port on the switch should be able to supply up to 15.4W of power (my Netgear switch however shows that these Dahuas only use 2.4W )

- The Dahua have a software called SmartPSS that works with their cameras for both Windows/Mac and mobile and it's really very good. Fast to connect and lots of options

- You can connect to the cameras directly as they are basically IP devices connected to your LAN. They have built in Web interface, just like your router. Also, remotely (if you have port forwarding on) via mobile app or IP directly, also Dahua provides basic DDNS for your cameras.

Note: For security reasons however port forwarding is not recommended. Use VPN instead.

- I have a QNAP NAS which I now use as a storage for camera recordings (I set it to 24/7 recording for now) but you can obviously buy a dedicated NVR.

It's not as difficult as it seems

All you need is:

- cameras
- PoE switch
- Ethernet cable
- NVR or NAS or any PC/Mac with a NVR software


As for positioning the cameras I just connected one to the LAN before the installation and then tested the best spot (using a mobile app). Make sure that you don't mount them too high. I was advised that the cameras should be installed out of the reach but somewhat on eye level so mine are about 2.5m from the ground.


Hope that helps

Really helpful guides, most new guys don't know what they need for their security system. This can help them a lot.

 

[emerb]

If you need good night vision you should look at the Dahua Starlight Turret IPC-HDW5231R-Z and use that as a comparison to other options. Your budget maybe a bit tight if you really want good night vision and good coverage. Suggest the following, as

My initial budget was set based on some Kits I saw online and at stores such as Costo and Samsclub. I can stretch it a little if it means I'm getting the good stuff.
Thanks a bunch for your comments. Really helpful.

 

[emerb]

Hello emerb,

Welcome to the forum.

You are in the very situation I was a few weeks ago.

I was originally looking at Hikvision cameras but then found this forum and the Dahua Starlight Varifocal Turret (IPC-HDW5231R-Z) mat200 mentioned. I was very hesitant at first buying anything from aliexpress (although I've know about it for years) but guess what, I did give it a try and bought two Dahua turrets from Andy and they arrived within 3 days !!!

- The cameras are very good indeed and offer an optical zoom so although they are only 2MP, if you set the zoom correctly you won't lose on image quality. They also have a built-in microphone and SD Card slot to record on directly but you can choose to record to SD/FTP/NAS etc. There are two cables coming out of the camera, one is LAN port and the other is power supply. You can power your camera directly from the LAN cable using a PoE switch or from a separate power adapter (does NOT come with the camera). PoE switch is the most common approach as it means that you only need to run one cable.

- I used CAT6A cable to connect these and I know all I needed was CAT5 (the cameras have 10/100 LAN ports which is a standard) but since I run them under the floors I wanted to make the installation future proof. All cameras connected via managed POE switch. You can use any switch you like as long as it supports PoE but make sure it provides enough power (this applies to any IP camera). Dahua cameras are classified as Class0 which means each LAN PoE port on the switch should be able to supply up to 15.4W of power (my Netgear switch however shows that these Dahuas only use 2.4W )

- The Dahua have a software called SmartPSS that works with their cameras for both Windows/Mac and mobile and it's really very good. Fast to connect and lots of options

- You can connect to the cameras directly as they are basically IP devices connected to your LAN. They have built in Web interface, just like your router. Also, remotely (if you have port forwarding on) via mobile app or IP directly, also Dahua provides basic DDNS for your cameras.

Note: For security reasons however port forwarding is not recommended. Use VPN instead.

- I have a QNAP NAS which I now use as a storage for camera recordings (I set it to 24/7 recording for now) but you can obviously buy a dedicated NVR.

It's not as difficult as it seems

All you need is:

- cameras
- PoE switch
- Ethernet cable
- NVR or NAS or any PC/Mac with a NVR software


As for positioning the cameras I just connected one to the LAN before the installation and then tested the best spot (using a mobile app). Make sure that you don't mount them too high. I was advised that the cameras should be installed out of the reach but somewhat on eye level so mine are about 2.5m from the ground.


Hope that helps

This is great information, thanks a lot.
Based on your post it looks like I can have the camera recording straight to my NAS, which is really interesting.
2 questions:

1. Let's say you want to keep 10 days worth of footage, who purges the old files, cam the camera manage it or do I have to program some sort of job on the NAS?
2. Now that I have footage on the NAS, can I still leverage some Video Manage Software to go through that footage when needed, I mean, on a PC that not always on?

 

[djkprojects]

1. It depends on what NAS and NVR software you are using but most (if not all) have an option to set a fixed number of days to record and then overwrite oldest recordings or simply stop recording. Also, you can dedicate a HDD space for your recordings and instruct the NVR software to record until there is only x% space left and then delete old recordings. That would be set in the NAS NVR software unless you choose to record on the SD card of the camera, then you can set the overwrite in its web interface. There are a few options to be honest.

2. That's exactly what NVR software is for. If you have a NAS it's most likely it will have some Surveillance app available. The recordings are nothing but AVI/MP4 files (depends on NVR software of course) so you can view them in any Media Player. NVR software allows you to view ALL cameras at once, playback recordings, create recording schedules, set alarms, motion detection etc. You can do all that in the web interface of each camera but the advantage of NVR software is that you can manage all cameras in one app rather than logging into each camera separately + if you decide to record on NAS the camera's web interface won't be able to playback the recordings unless they are recorded on the SD card. The disadvantage is that some of the options available in the web interface may not be available in the NVR software unless it's by the same vendor.

Dedicated NVR is basically PC with NVR Software installed on it + obviously all the peripherals such as LAN ports and HDMI to connect to TV

 

[djkprojects]

Also, you mentioned $900 budget. Well, I spent:

CAT6A cable 50m - £50 (SFTP hence quite expensive)
CAT6 RJ45 connectors - £10.48 per 20
Crimping tool - £17
2 cams + brackets - £279.48 / $357.52 (IPC-HDW5231R-Z + PFB203W)
Netgear Switch - £111.28 (GS110TP-200EUS ProSAFE 8)

Total: £468 = $630

UK money so $900 should be enough unless you need more cameras

 

[djkprojects]

BTW - SmartPSS app on my Macbook looks like this:

 

[djkprojects]

My initial budget was set based on some Kits I saw online and at stores such as Costo and Samsclub. I can stretch it a little if it means I'm getting the good stuff.
Thanks a bunch for your comments. Really helpful.

what's great about this camera is that it's a great piece of device yet cheap

 

[emerb]

BTW - SmartPSS app on my Macbook looks like this:

This app looks great. Does "People Counting" requires any special camera for it to work?
Also you mentioned it is running on a macbook which I have to assume is not always on so where is the video stored on in this setup?

 

[djkprojects]

This is a Dahua client app that connects to your camera for live view and/or NVR device for playback. The actual recording happens on the NVR or NAS itself. Since I use NAS, the NVR software (call it NVR server) sits on the NAS and talks to the cameras. I cannot use Dahua client app to playback because I don't have a dedicated NVR. For that purpose I use NAS client app instead but I'm sure there are ways to set it up. I just can't be bothered to look into it

 

[looney2ns]

Get familiar with this: IPVM Camera Calculator V3 keeping PPF >100, tutorial upper right.

 

[emerb]

Get familiar with this: IPVM Camera Calculator V3 keeping PPF >100, tutorial upper right.

This things is great (and a lot of fun).
By walking around my house and playing around with this kind of tool I cannot figure a way to cover 3 sides of my home with less than 6 cameras.
Is it overkill or... going to make me look like a psycho? Sounds like a lot of cams.

Due to the way the home is designed I'm still left with 2 "blind spots" after placing 4 cameras. The problem is that each one of them has a window o them.
Maybe i'm overthinking this.

 

[mat200]

This things is great (and a lot of fun).
By walking around my house and playing around with this kind of tool I cannot figure a way to cover 3 sides of my home with less than 6 cameras.
Is it overkill or... going to make me look like a psycho? Sounds like a lot of cams.

Due to the way the home is designed I'm still left with 2 "blind spots" after placing 4 cameras. The problem is that each one of them has a window o them.
Maybe i'm overthinking this...

Hi Emerb,

Don't worry, be OK with have more cameras than you expect, and also remember to work on a alarms as well during this process.

iirc someone here posting that min 6-8 cameras are needed for a house, so do not be shy to have at least 8...

 

[emerb]

Don't worry, be OK with have more cameras than you expect, and also remember to work on a alarms as well during this process.

Thanks. When you say alarms are you referring to something involving the cameras and NVR or a regular alarm system?
I did install an alarm system with sensors on every entry point (including second floor windows).
I did notice these "alarm" terminals on some NVR models. If I can use the cameras as motion sensors and somehow integrate the DVR into my home automation system that would be great.

 

[mat200]

Thanks. When you say alarms are you referring to something involving the cameras and NVR or a regular alarm system?
I did install an alarm system with sensors on every entry point (including second floor windows).
I did notice these "alarm" terminals on some NVR models. If I can use the cameras as motion sensors and somehow integrate the DVR into my home automation system that would be great.

Hi Emerb,

I have not yet worked alarms into my system - certainly some NVR and Cameras has Alarm in / out connections and it looks like you can try some fun things like you mentioned. iirc there is an alarms thread / topics here.