Reolink Cameras and NVR Issues

[barbie007]

I am looking to purchase my first PoE camera and NVR set for my new house. I am capable of running the ethernet cables and have a place where the NVR can be located out of the way. The issue I am running into is connecting the NVR to my router in a different room. My internet is fiber optic and provided through AT&T. The fiber optic cable runs in my attic and comes down in the laundry room where it seems to be converted to an ethernet cable and that then runs back into the attic and comes out in the main living space where it is connected to the AT&T provided router/modem combo. I was going to have the NVR placed in the same laundry room as the fiberoptic converter but am unsure how to connect it to the router. Also am looking for suggestions if the camera/NVR set up I picked out is quality for the price.

Camera: Reolink RLC-811A (2 of them)
NVR: Reolink RLN8-410

Any and all help would be welcomed. Thank you.

 

[mat200]

I am looking to purchase my first PoE camera and NVR set for my new house. I am capable of running the ethernet cables and have a place where the NVR can be located out of the way. The issue I am running into is connecting the NVR to my router in a different room. My internet is fiber optic and provided through AT&T. The fiber optic cable runs in my attic and comes down in the laundry room where it seems to be converted to an ethernet cable and that then runs back into the attic and comes out in the main living space where it is connected to the AT&T provided router/modem combo. I was going to have the NVR placed in the same laundry room as the fiberoptic converter but am unsure how to connect it to the router. Also am looking for suggestions if the camera/NVR set up I picked out is quality for the price.

Camera: Reolink RLC-811A (2 of them)
NVR: Reolink RLN8-410

Any and all help would be welcomed. Thank you.

Welcome @barbie007

In general most of us do not recommend Reolink .. you can search the forum for more on this topic ..

Search results for query: Reolink

ipcamtalk.com

 

[wittaj]

You either connect the NVR to the router with an ethernet cable or if you are saying you have a fiberoptic line drop in the laundry room, then put a converter on it.

Is all you care about is knowing what time something happened? Because reolink cannot provide good captures at night.

Avoid Reolink, especially at night they are horrible.

What you mean a missing hand isn't normal LOL (plus look at the blur on the face and he is barely moving and this should be ideal indoor IR bounce and it struggles):

How about missing everything but the head and upper torso

The invisible man, where can he be. Thank goodness he is carrying around a reflective plate to see where he is LOL (hint - the person is literally in the middle of the image at the end of the fence)

I've seen better images on an episode of ghost hunters

And of course, this is an example from Reolink's marketing videos - do you see a person in this picture...yes, there is a person in this picture.... Could this provide anything useful for the police other than the date and time something happened? Would this protect your home? The still picture looks great though except for the person and the blur of the vehicle... Will give you a hint - the person is in between the two visible columns:

Bad Boys
Bad Boys
Watcha gonna do
Watcha gonna do
When the cameras can't see you


Here is the unofficial Reolink page where people have provided their best nighttime image captures. As you will see, they are basically useless.

Reolink: Deconstruction of a dangerous misleading youtube review "Finding the BEST 4K Security Camera NVR Package (Reolink vs Amcrest vs Swann)"

Executive Summary: DO NOT be a sheep. Ask what a reviewer can be missing, ask if a reviewer is using hype words to sell the cheapest product. Test your cameras and kits right away. Just do a bench test. Test real world conditions. Test moving suspects. Test at night, test at day. Use a test rig...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[barbie007]

What would be the suggested camera set up if I wanted two cameras out front, one on each corner, and a doorbell camera? With the possibility to expand to the backyard when more funds are available.

 

[wittaj]

More is needed like what are your goals?

So do you want to OBSERVE what is going on or be able to IDENTIFY? One camera cannot do both.

Do you want every entry point covered by a camera (yes that can be added more in time)?

One camera cannot be the be all/see all. Each camera is selected for a specific goal.

Take a look at this thread that shows the importance of focal length versus MP, along with the most commonly suggested cameras to IDENTIFY based on distance to IDENTIFY. These cameras represent the best value in terms of price, performance day and night, and reliability.

The Importance of Focal Length over MP in camera selection

At the urging of several folks here, I created a thread to show the importance of focal length and how focal length can be more important than megapixels (MP). I mentioned some of this in the post regarding The Hookup’s latest video demonstrating different cameras, including one sold from a...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[barbie007]

I think being able to identify would be the goal of everyone but since I live in a fairly safe and quiet neighborhood I think just observing would be enough. Either way I will still have the same initial issue of connecting to the router. How would I be able to add a converter before the fiber optic cable reaches the modem/router?

 

[wittaj]

You cannot connect the NVR in "front" of the modem/router - it has to connect "behind" the router.

So if the fiber in the laundry room is before it gets to the modem/router (which it sounds like it is), then you cannot connect to it. You will need to run ethernet from the NVR to the modem/router.

We all like to think we live in a safe and quiet neighborhood!

I started with the four 2.8mm camera box kit system and I was like "I can place one on each corner of the house and see my whole property and the whole neighborhood." A newbie loves the wide angle "I can see the whole neighborhood" of the 2.8mm fixed wide angle lens. I LOVED IT WHEN I PUT IT UP. I could see everything that would be blocked looking out the windows.

It is easy to get lured in to thinking the wide angle "see the whole neighborhood" because you are watching it and you see a neighbor go by and you are like "Look at that I can tell that is Heather out walking." and "Yeah I can tell our neighbor 4 down just passed by". Or you watch back the video of you walking around and are like "yeah I can tell that is me".

Little do we realize how much WE can identify a known person just by hair style, clothing, walking pace, gait, etc.

Then one day the door checker comes by. Total stranger. Totally useless video other than what time the door checking happened.

Then you realize that this wide-angle see the whole neighborhood comes at a cost and that cost is not being able to IDENTIFY who did it. These 2.8mm wide angle cameras are great overview cameras or to IDENTIFY someone within 10 feet of the camera. At 40 feet out you need a different camera.

So make sure you get something better than Reolink that will give you half a chance in the event something happens.

 

[barbie007]

So can I ask what you now have since you upgraded from the 2.8mm.

Maybe it would be easier to move my modem/router? Are there any NVR's with a wireless router connection like almost WiFi built in? I don't know much about this kind of stuff but was suggested to ask here.

 

[wittaj]

I have upgraded to varifocal cameras, each one optically zoomed in to the areas I want to IDENTIFY a person. I have some 2.8mm cams for a nice overview image, then the varifocals for pinch points.

As you will see, it is easy for cameras to multiply like rabbits LOL.

I am the one that created that thread showing the importance of focal length over MP, and I personally use each one of those recommended cameras, as do many people here. I learned from this site and then simply compiled the info into a thread we could point new people to.

How hard would it be to run an ethernet from where you want the NVR to the modem/router? Or move the NVR closer?

They do make NVRs that have that wifi ability, but you will find that it will be a bottleneck in your system. Unlike Netflix and other streaming services that buffer video, these systems do not buffer, so it can result in frequent drop-outs and slow playback that will drive you insane. It is best to hard-wire.

Here is another good thread by a member here in your state:

Why I Like Redundant Views/Multiple Cam Views

A lot of newbies ask for help with their camera setups and most think that they can get by with a single cam to cover quite a bit of area. While that is possible if all you are interested in is a wide-angle overview, it usually will not give you a great chance of getting a face shot good enough...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[barbie007]

The location of my modem/router makes it so that I would have to drill through the top plate and probably a fire block to get access to the ports on the router. Its not impossible, just annoying.

 

[barbie007]

Could I run one ethernet wire into the attic from the modem/router and install a switch there so it would have multiple ports and I could run that to other rooms for hardwired connection?

 

[wittaj]

Yes you can.

There is a big debate here about how long a switch may last in the heat of an attic, but many here do that.

 

[barbie007]

It's an insulated attic so it only gets to possibly 75 in the summer. Not much warmer than the regular house temps.

 

[wittaj]

Then you are set!

 

[barbie007]

Do you know anything about using an EERO mesh system while having AT&T fiber as your ISP?