BMW X1 and X2 (U11) - View Single Post

bosstones · 12-29-2024, 08:10 AM

Glad the situation turned out to be relatively boxed. Personal thought is, despite the increase in motivation imparted on you the other night, don't jump the gun on making any decisions you may end up having to redo later. Be surgical.

Here's the IP cam thread that zx10guy referenced.

For cameras, PoE is the way to go but WiFi is understandable where limited. Although I have not tried one yet, you can buy PoE splitters that let you run 2 devices off a single run of ethernet cable.

In general, though, planning is key as your house/property is different from the next guy's. Things to consider:

DIY vs 'bundle' - Do you want a DIY system or just a bundled package from CostCo (or somewhere). The latter gives you a headstart and simplifies things to get you started. However, it might also limit your customization and expansion. Admittedly, I don't have experience with bundled systems (I DIY) and base it in other types of bundled systems. Do your homework on how locked-in you'd be (eg growth capacity for addr'l cameras or storage, can you replace a camera, etc...). DIY'ing will make you smarter about your system overall, its limitations, and improve your capability for troubleshooting but it is understandably not what everyone is looking for or possibly capable of.
Camera placement - where do you need or want coverage and what type (general situational awareness vs more detail). This feeds into how many cameras you need but what type of camera is influenced by the next several bullets.
Field of View (FOV) - not all cameras have the same FOV. Some greater, some lesser. Placement and intent will dictate what FOV is appropriate (also Field of Regard (FOR) if dealing with variable focal length cameras).
Fixed vs variable focal length - Focal length goes a bit hand-in-hand with FOV (smaller focal pength = larger FOV and vice versa) but figure out if you want something like 2.8mm for wider situational awareness or added, fixed 'zoom' for better detail of a smaller area (for fixed focal oength cameras). There are also variable focus cameras as well as Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) cameras. Some of the latter can also automatically zoom in and track (follow) an object that triggered its alert criteria.
Lighting - it may seem weird to consider for nightime IR cameras but the IR LEDs, typically an array of some # of IR LED elements, have an effective range. Don't assume the max range to be useable. Sure, you could mess with the camera picture settings to increase gain but that come at the price of degraded image quality. If there is enough artificial ambient lighting (eg landscape lighting, Christmas lights!, etc ..), that will help. Alternatively, you could add an external IR illuminator or IR flood light. OR, you also just add a normal flood light that is motion activated (this is basically all the Ring flood light is....an IR camera with IR illumination + a visible LED flood light for when motion is detected).
BW vs Color IR (colour for our UK friends. ) - Color IR seems cool until you realize it uses a white light illuminator. If you like stealthy...not the way to go. As an added deterrent, maybe not bad. Note that you can always see the IR illuminator (array) on the camera itself at night (it has a faint, redish glow). You just can't see the illumination from it (unless you have NODS that pick up the wavelength ).
Specialty cameras - there are all sorts of wild cameras....360° coverage, fisheye, multiple cameras in a single chassis, etc... Maybe they have something to offer in your use case, maybe not.
Form Factor - IP cameras come in different sizes and chassis types. Personally, I go with smaller domed cameras as they offer better mitigation from physical interference. If that is a concern, dome cameras are the way to go. That said, installation location can also provides mitigation.
PoE Ethernet Switch - When you know if you're going PoE and have figured out how many cameras you'll install, find a PoE switch that has enough power and PoE ports to support your need ...and then buy the one with even more PoE ports. You may very well find that you need to move, change, adjust, or even add more cameras after your install has completed. So, it is good to have spare PoE ports. Also specifically look at how many PoE ports a switch has. They often come with unpowered ports but advertise the switch overall as PoE and then include the total # of ports (powered + unpowered). If you go with an off the shelf system (NAS or 'camera + NAS bundle', the NAS takes care of the switch and PoE functions. Likewise for most COTS NAS specifically meant for this application. PoE injectors exist so you can use one to power a PoE device if you run out of PoE ports. The downside is that it is extra hardware to mount somewhere and requires wall power. PoE splitters also exist and have their uses.
Management Software - Most common brands are just re-branded Dahau, Hikvision, etc ... and will come with some form of web-based interface to manage the individual camera (i.e. picture/video settings, alerts, day/night settings, etc...). This might be fine for your use. There are also 3rd party programs to aggregate and manage your network of cameras. Some have already been mentioned. Blue Iris is one of the popular ones and you can do a lot with it. You also do not have to pay an license fee if you don't want to (at rhe expense of SW updates). Generally, all options from the main names (incl camera OEMs) give the ability to remote view, set up zone-based triggers or 'line crossing' triggers, as well as send alerts.
Hardware for Software - If DIY'ing, there is no shortage if options for hosting management software (if doing more than using individual camera software/firmware). Personally, I use an old/spare PC (Intel i7 + 16GB DDR4 RAM).

12-29-2024, 08:10 AM	#43
bosstones Lieutenant Colonel 1369 Rep 1,634 Posts Drives: o_0 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Suburbia iTrader: (0)	Glad the situation turned out to be relatively boxed. Personal thought is, despite the increase in motivation imparted on you the other night, don't jump the gun on making any decisions you may end up having to redo later. Be surgical. Here's the IP cam thread that zx10guy referenced. For cameras, PoE is the way to go but WiFi is understandable where limited. Although I have not tried one yet, you can buy PoE splitters that let you run 2 devices off a single run of ethernet cable. In general, though, planning is key as your house/property is different from the next guy's. Things to consider: DIY vs 'bundle' - Do you want a DIY system or just a bundled package from CostCo (or somewhere). The latter gives you a headstart and simplifies things to get you started. However, it might also limit your customization and expansion. Admittedly, I don't have experience with bundled systems (I DIY) and base it in other types of bundled systems. Do your homework on how locked-in you'd be (eg growth capacity for addr'l cameras or storage, can you replace a camera, etc...). DIY'ing will make you smarter about your system overall, its limitations, and improve your capability for troubleshooting but it is understandably not what everyone is looking for or possibly capable of. Camera placement - where do you need or want coverage and what type (general situational awareness vs more detail). This feeds into how many cameras you need but what type of camera is influenced by the next several bullets. Field of View (FOV) - not all cameras have the same FOV. Some greater, some lesser. Placement and intent will dictate what FOV is appropriate (also Field of Regard (FOR) if dealing with variable focal length cameras). Fixed vs variable focal length - Focal length goes a bit hand-in-hand with FOV (smaller focal pength = larger FOV and vice versa) but figure out if you want something like 2.8mm for wider situational awareness or added, fixed 'zoom' for better detail of a smaller area (for fixed focal oength cameras). There are also variable focus cameras as well as Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) cameras. Some of the latter can also automatically zoom in and track (follow) an object that triggered its alert criteria. Lighting - it may seem weird to consider for nightime IR cameras but the IR LEDs, typically an array of some # of IR LED elements, have an effective range. Don't assume the max range to be useable. Sure, you could mess with the camera picture settings to increase gain but that come at the price of degraded image quality. If there is enough artificial ambient lighting (eg landscape lighting, Christmas lights!, etc ..), that will help. Alternatively, you could add an external IR illuminator or IR flood light. OR, you also just add a normal flood light that is motion activated (this is basically all the Ring flood light is....an IR camera with IR illumination + a visible LED flood light for when motion is detected). BW vs Color IR (colour for our UK friends. ) - Color IR seems cool until you realize it uses a white light illuminator. If you like stealthy...not the way to go. As an added deterrent, maybe not bad. Note that you can always see the IR illuminator (array) on the camera itself at night (it has a faint, redish glow). You just can't see the illumination from it (unless you have NODS that pick up the wavelength ). Specialty cameras - there are all sorts of wild cameras....360° coverage, fisheye, multiple cameras in a single chassis, etc... Maybe they have something to offer in your use case, maybe not. Form Factor - IP cameras come in different sizes and chassis types. Personally, I go with smaller domed cameras as they offer better mitigation from physical interference. If that is a concern, dome cameras are the way to go. That said, installation location can also provides mitigation. PoE Ethernet Switch - When you know if you're going PoE and have figured out how many cameras you'll install, find a PoE switch that has enough power and PoE ports to support your need ...and then buy the one with even more PoE ports. You may very well find that you need to move, change, adjust, or even add more cameras after your install has completed. So, it is good to have spare PoE ports. Also specifically look at how many PoE ports a switch has. They often come with unpowered ports but advertise the switch overall as PoE and then include the total # of ports (powered + unpowered). If you go with an off the shelf system (NAS or 'camera + NAS bundle', the NAS takes care of the switch and PoE functions. Likewise for most COTS NAS specifically meant for this application. PoE injectors exist so you can use one to power a PoE device if you run out of PoE ports. The downside is that it is extra hardware to mount somewhere and requires wall power. PoE splitters also exist and have their uses. Management Software - Most common brands are just re-branded Dahau, Hikvision, etc ... and will come with some form of web-based interface to manage the individual camera (i.e. picture/video settings, alerts, day/night settings, etc...). This might be fine for your use. There are also 3rd party programs to aggregate and manage your network of cameras. Some have already been mentioned. Blue Iris is one of the popular ones and you can do a lot with it. You also do not have to pay an license fee if you don't want to (at rhe expense of SW updates). Generally, all options from the main names (incl camera OEMs) give the ability to remote view, set up zone-based triggers or 'line crossing' triggers, as well as send alerts. Hardware for Software - If DIY'ing, there is no shortage if options for hosting management software (if doing more than using individual camera software/firmware). Personally, I use an old/spare PC (Intel i7 + 16GB DDR4 RAM). __________________ - Jeff bosstones' flickr Last edited by bosstones; 12-29-2024 at 08:20 AM..
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