Home Defense Plan Expansion

[MikeBjerum]

I am looking at adding to our home defense. We have several items in place and staged. A thought-out plan, but I am looking to another item.

First, our home is what they call a three-step ranch. Main living is all on one level, and the bedrooms are on another level, three steps up. Very popular in this area.

Disadvantage to this is that we have two large picture/bay windows and a sliding glass door on ground level.

Advantage is that to get to our bedroom you go up three steps, four feet, and then take a 90 degree turn into a blind hallway. Our bedroom door is the dead end of the hallway. The layout of the "master suite", I love that I can say we have a "master suite," is such that my wife can go to full cover while I am still covered and watching the door.

I am looking to add a camera to mount above the door that will look down the hall. My thoughts are a hardwired camera with battery back-up, and wifi connection. I don't want something fully dependent on wifi, with the technology that can be used to jam it, but I want to be able to access it when away from home, or even in the room but away from the screen.

Any thoughts on this?

Any thoughts on equipment?

[Jim Kennedy-ar154me]

You will need a hard-wired camera that uses PoE (Power over Ethernet). Run one cable from that door to wherever your security server is located. PoE has the power routed in the one cable you routed so your backup battery needs to be at the security server. That will backup ALL cameras on that server using PoE Almost all of the new hard-wired cameras available today use PoE. There are cameras that can use both PoE and Wi-Fi but it sounds to me like the PoE is all you will need.

If any hall or room is perpendicular to that hall a small domed mirror placed at that junction would allow you to see what is in that direction. The better the resolution of your camera the better the domed mirror will work for you.

It sounds like a PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera will not be needed due to the straight-shot view of the hall.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[alfsauve]

The first one would be the view from you door down the hall, but then I'd add one in the main living area so I can see the stairs and one with an opposite view of the living area possibly covering the sliding glass door.  Hide those as best you can so intruders don't disable them right away.

If they're a/c powered then they would be disabled in a blackout.   If you can put them on a UPS it would be ideal.  Actually having your entire WiFi, including interface to your provider is on a UPS then you've got connectivity for some period of time.   Mine are which means during short power outs I still have internet, WiFi and Phone (as long as the ISP has power at least).

[Rastus]

A number of people don't like this brand but I do
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C7G1BC9X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ].  I saw a response where clearly the respondant isn't savvy to hook it up (it's easy).  Also their old cameras and software is not compliant with the new standards so they needed to stick with their original manufacturer to prevent obsolescence.  DO NOT GET CAUGHT BY THE DIGITAL ZOOM DODGE WHICH IS BS...BUY OPTICAL ZOOM AND THEN WHEN THAT RUNS OUT THE DIGITAL IS ALWAYS THERE.  Also get cameras with microphones built in!

I connect on my home network by IP address or on my phone away.  I have it hooked up to the TV in my bedroom so I can monitor the cameras from bed...which is great when you're sick.  Especially the 20X optical zoom which allows me to watch the cattle and horses a couple of football fields away. 

PTZ camera is the way to go.  Do not get anything less than 4mp or you will be disappointed.  I like this one along the house:  https://www.amazon.com/Anpviz-2560x1440-Security-iVMS4200-Hik-Connect/dp/B07T62VCY3/ref=sr_1_4_pp?crid=15EDE7DRN8D3J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.X9dotER9dykP8eMWI32FQ07Ka-T2cMISJeDhcf0s2NHexi32PhdC_3CdrxQLXX8Zvq6LsZEBpvokxtB4cz3cDqrxdDsZrbAQV0lbQJBx-6_gQOwAaj67-bNC0ukTzs30DOfdeAoz5xGgpXVkmhCCuNIZ4Sg5CjpBBo-Uwbm74vyYuEw2Dgdk6_TBahAxEkqCP6riiLTRjlVZEvZ_4NUoK0ngket-QnnDh6dadsx9tZchYELVo8DZ3jyStdnc73KTJZOnQlLqqRVfMu9mC2zsW5rnQapWhVNvrU9xvnhKyFU.ohsZOE05g8lgWLJlO_w89oXFnjnCyzLMeuXMFPv-zck&dib_tag=se&keywords=anpviz&qid=1722005214&refinements=p_36%3A-44000%2Cp_n_condition-type%3A2224371011&rnid=2224369011&s=electronics&sprefix=anpviz%2Celectronics%2C106&sr=1-4


I also have these fixed domed cameras which I am replacing with the 4MP PTZ shown above: 
https://www.amazon.com/Anpviz-Microphone-Waterproof-Recording-IPC-D240W-S/dp/B07TJT1Z1H/ref=sr_1_4?crid=BNCF2Z0PNERM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LsFCh_AIkdHHYzDVBLrL30QCVbM5sVZIaIp0NZhiCuVU8KN64xRK--EPRl2I7Dn51a90SbV0b4LG3J4tuWR4GbLRdqlBfYHMLiL5ogDA1_yyYHmubdHcIMUGEyii-Uxn8RY0nbbK0POrAiF0o69cujdOGcG6VmSKH5RTXhR7CujYR6Aj2DEOyWOF1RWF6CBfe3GL_xBsJzCjxf1lCCguF9Qyb8LXSmwxSWsGG_5Yx35NMCyKmPs1FXj1auMW76m0UJW5JDmSCGPlX6e1RamZ1BcvjMoOdmZks0HBCOlr7sM.g-uFeeoR3XeYur6w_vpZjd-I-rsCCEBlwxFvu501PHI&dib_tag=se&keywords=anpviz%2Bdome&qid=1722006618&s=electronics&sprefix=anpviz%2Bdome%2Celectronics%2C95&sr=1-4&th=1

I also have one of these 20X optical zoom cameras at either end of the little house we are in: 
https://www.amazon.com/Anpviz-Surveillance-Security-Detection-Waterproof/dp/B0C6KCJ9WM/ref=sr_1_102_sspa?crid=15EDE7DRN8D3J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.G67qgWKWCQgvYa2J_5eleblVDKA42fcS46ItIuDZ-G70HaUwHi_hz7EnYCAJ2YXQKGSOQztIXX46o3kyGKbEmBUD4-Za1lC86-7MXJktjQkZbKdmhRvQioHPYcYeQgInidb2tb217F7cKFSDpynv_Rdr-D2sQJQ19WEwpUNt9wtOwaGFxlrxHFamJjDlmKq1NSyb_iduWO8oUqHrqf0Fnj6nDM6snvjPtKw5lrtAm0IpBgKiU3KkzgcSbItzK4_3.h6EZX24gQOqgswHQNqHHadrDxLRn9GAx1hhPxuUOl_Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=anpviz&qid=1722005371&refinements=p_36%3A-44000%2Cp_n_condition-type%3A2224371011&rnid=2224369011&s=electronics&sprefix=anpviz%2Celectronics%2C106&sr=1-102-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&th=1 

Get these for your outdoor CAT connections.  I had to replace the original connections due to corrosion:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K7445H5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Just remember, the power for your cameras comes from the NVR.  You may need to put a booster inline if you have a lot of long runs.  I have 6 cameras hooked up no problem...going for #7 soon.  I'd go with the heaviest gauge CAT cables and the shortest runs possible (CAT 8 will not fit the RJ45 connections).  Short matters because the power is transmitted in DC current so distance increases loss which increases output from you NVR and you will have multiple cameras sharing the available NVR wattage.  The unit I cited above will show you the wattage drain on each connection. 

I also have these wifi cameras in and near the house.  They are insanely cheap:  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=wyze  These do not zoom but they are cheap and work well.  The pan function is a cheap adder.  I added one to the barn/storage just yesterday.  I can pan to look inside or pan to look outside.

These wifi cameras I have a away from the house a couple of hundred feet: 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083TX4J2D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1  Now, these do not have optical zoom but they do have a solar panel which made them my away from power choice.  They work great on my phone (only phone) and they alarm, have a microphone and a speaker to communicate at the camera if you want, and have adjustable sensitivity for alarms.  You can turn the camera siren on or off...I leave mine on. 

So that anything wifi can work more than in the shadow of the house I have this outdoor access point which allows the camereas to function at 100 yards and I use to listen to music at around 225 yards. 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CG3YRTR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

And yes, Alf is right.  You need a UPS.  I have this one that lasts a good hour.  Remember, the cameras are pulling as a system up to 200+/- watts so back up power won't last a long time with an NVR.   
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VY6FXMM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 

[Rastus]

We use these for outside.  I have tested them and they are fairly robust so...they are reserved when there may be a threat.  I haven't had these out since the meth heads left the area.  Not as potent as a shotgun shell model which will give you more of a flash bang effect:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VXOR7K8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This for adjacent to home.  Has solar and mine has lasted 4 years at the outside gate and the price is down: 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QHBH9YD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We also have this at three gates and along the driveway (600' of driveway to the gate and then another 300 yards to house) max alarm distance for us is 300 yards with a few trees in the way.  It has different chimes to let you know which alarm is active...and the outdoor alarms are solar and the inner device can be run on battery.  But not battery and a wall wart for the inside alert...either or not both power sources which is a negative.  Expandable to six units.  You could put one or two inside if you want and replace/recharge batteries.   
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YFZYGTF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

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[MikeBjerum]

Thank you for the feedback. With the server upgrades going on it has been tough getting in here to see the advice, but well worth the wait.  Will be digging in, designing and setting up.  Thanks!