IP camera - hikvision

[motorbiking]

Im looking at a basic CCTV IP system. I'm thinking of two cameras one front and one rear.

I've seen hikvision rated highly but can't decide if I should go with a dedicated PVR or try to integrate with my synology NAS. it has a surveillance station app and 2 can license.

if I go for two cams and recorder the price range seems to be massive. can anyone suggest models?

I'd like to remote access alert e.g a phone app, and record. wifi would also be handy to reduce cables.

 

[Nintendofan]

I run 2 hikvision cameras on a Synology NAS, works ok but the interface is quite slow/clunky if you need to find an event. There's an iOS app so I can watch recordings or live feed's whilst away from home although the performance of that is reliant on your internet upload speed. The Synology emails me of any motion alerts although depending on the location of the cameras I've found I get lots of emails due to rain, moving clouds creating shadows etc.

I have a PEO switch so I have just one network cable to each camera, I would'nt really recommend WIFI camera's due to reliability of the signal and you'll still need to power the camera's anyway.

 

[motorbiking]

thanks - so the cams go the PoE switch which in turn goes to the router.

what model cams do you have?

 

[Nintendofan]

Yes just 1 network cable from camera to Gigabit POE switch that's connected to the router and the Synology. I believe the dedicated hikvision PVR's power the cameras POE as well.

I have a couple of DS-2CD2132 dome cameras bought cheap from Ebay about 18 months ago, I have one flat on a vertical wall but in hindsight I think I'd have been better with a standard camera as when it rains the rain sits and rolls over the dome obscuring the image, also as the cameras I bought where only adjustable on 2 axis they where a pain to line the picture up straight. 3 axis dome cameras are more expensive but you live and learn.

If you intend to use any cameras with the Synology just check the website and the latest camera pack for compatibility and they have a list of models covered.

 

[motorbiking]

did you choose 4mm or 6mm lenses. I'm starting to think a 4 port NVR is the way to go as I have a couple of 2tb Wd reds kicking about, plenty of cat6 and would house the NVR in a different location to the rest of my server / network kit

 

[Nintendofan]

I ordered 2.4mm lenses as I wanted wide coverage, great picture in the day but the built in IR lamps reflect back from the inside of the glass in certain conditions at night. I now run the cameras with the IR lamps off and have LED floodlights on the garden at night.

As I already had the Synology Nas running (with all the iOS apps on my devices) I decided to use that rather than spend extra on a dedicated NVR, I just had to buy a POE switch and got an 8 port Gigabit switch with 4 POE ports for less than £40 on Amazon.

 

[motorbiking]

yeah it makes sense, I'm just a bit short on disk space as I only have 4TB on the NAS, I read that you need 2TB for a months footage - the mrs now wants a camera inside the house as well as front and back, so I'm now thinking either 2.8mm dome inside to cover house and garden and standard bullet to cover front drive. Or add a 3rd camera, which means extra SS licenses, or upgrade the NAS to one with extra bays to take my spare disks.. £££.

silly question - do you have to mount the cameras right way up or is there orientation settings so for example the cam could go side on or upside down? But the switch does make sense for 2 camera setup.

 

[Nintendofan]

With the HIK's you can flip the image (in the software interface) 180 degree's vertical or horizontal or both. The trouble is if you mount a dome flat against a vertical wall and then want the camera to look left or right from that position, if you only have a 2 axis camera (cheaper ones normally are) then the picture will slanted, if you get a 3 axis camera you change also twist the lens to give a straight picture, but 3 axis are normally more expensive.

Due to disk space as my NAS contains films, music etc. I only record when movement is detected, I've never needed to find any clips as evidence so I'm unsure if this approach is recommended or not.

I have my Synology record the clips to the internal hard drives upon movement, it then uploads automatically a copy of the clip to a 1TB Microsoft OneDrive account that I get as part of a Office 365 sub, I also receive an email with a picture of the movement. I'm unsure if an NVR can do this as well.

 

[jdp80]

To choose focal length I used "IP Video System Design Tool", you can install a trial version - you can draw a simple Sketchup style 'house' and put the camera where you want it, and it will show the field of view and you can drag a little person around to see how the resolution is.

 

[motorbiking]

thanks guys, i'm now reverting to the idea that two cams and a poe 4 port switch is better, ill go 4mm bullet on the external wall and 2.8mm dome internally which will probably be wide enough to cover some of the rear garden.

 

[motorbiking]

I ended up upgrading the synology to a 4 bay, and an 8 port. (4 port PoE) and installing surveillance station.

I now have a bullet and dome camera running both 4mm. it was a bit of a faff activating them as I needed to install the hikvision tool on a Windows computer (a rare thing in my house). but once activated SS discovered them quickly.

the night vision capability is very good. For some reason I can't get the motion detection working without making it SS managed.