Hey!

I totally know where you’re coming from. we brought home our toy poodle 2 weeks ago (he’s 11 weeks today) and I am home with him during 9-5 hours while my boyfriend helps out evenings and weekends. The first week I genuinely considered returning him because I felt so overwhelmed despite doing an absurd amount of research and having had 2 other family dogs where I wasn’t the primary caretaker lol. The breeder had him potty trained and crate trained and said he was the first of his litter to run to the food bowl but the first week he came home with us he whined in his crate + playpen, pooped on the floor and became a finicky eater lol

I can say even though I’m still struggling with a few things (he’s a pretty shy pup who's not food motivated, hates his playpen, and doesn't understand kongs lol ) I’m feeling better and seeing sooo much progress in our little man since he first came home.

Here are some things that work for us:

Crate training: This will take time and will also require some patience and understanding on your end - there will likely be whining and the best thing you can do is IGNORE IT - this is of course as long as your puppies needs are met - before ever putting him into the crate make sure he’s peed and isn’t hungry/thirsty. The #1 thing you need to be aware of is that if you let him out while he’s whining he will associate whining = attention/freedom.

• Crate games Personally, we didn’t use crate games because when I tried I felt the same frustration lol. We have a T-shirts that smell like us in his crate + his favourite (safe) toy that he can only cuddle/play with while he’s in there to make it attractive place. Our dog isn’t food motivated either but we’ve discovered dehydrated raw treats are like crack to him lol. We use a high value treat (dehydrated raw beef liver) to lure him into the crate while saying “bedtime” and then we close the door. He’ll whine during the day sometimes when he’s overtired but never at night and actually goes in willingly on his own to relax.
  
• Nighttime: set alarms before he starts whining. In our case we sleep at 11pm and have alarms for 2am, 5am and 7:45am - you’ll need to monitor when he starts to whine and set your alarms for ~10-15 mins beforehand to avoid reinforcing whining. I also recommend sticking to night time crating rather than playpen to work off a dogs need for consistency.
  
• Enforced naps: these are a god send. Pups need to sleep roughly 18-20 hours a day. For every 45-1 hour that your puppy is awake lure him into his crate for a 1-2 hour nap. I use a wyze camera (https://www.amazon.ca/Wyze-Wireless-Camera-Android-Version/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3J0J18TA1JUKO&keywords=wyze&qid=1565737568&s=gateway&sprefix=wyze%2Caps%2C246&sr=8-3) to monitor any sounds/movements in his crate and make sure I get to him to let him out to pee before he has a chance to start whining on his own. (Currently typing this as he’s napping away lol). You will get some free time to do as you please + puppy will wake up refreshed and happy (note: less nipping, more attentive!)
  
• Note: even if you successfully lure him into the crate he will likely still whine at times - I G N O R E. I can’t stress this enough. The sooner he learns whining = no reaction, the sooner he’ll learn to settle and nap. First week our puppy whined ~5 minutes each time, now it’s ~30 seconds max and MUCH less frequent. Consistency is key.
  
  Routine: Like I said our pup is awake for ~1 hour intervals throughout the day. Because pups do better with set schedules, I follow the same routine every hour and he seems to be doing better with this routine. Essentially what we do is : Wake up, pee, Train (5-10 mins max with his kibble or toys - like your ours isn’t food motivated but enjoys WORKING for his food, other times he’s more willing to work for toys so that could also be worth a try), fetch (physical exercise indoors), Train (5-10 mins max), play, leash train (indoors), play, pee, nap.
  
  
• Physical exercise: A tired pup is a happy pup - but keep in mind there’s a fine line between proper exercise for a puppy and overstimulation - we’ve been doing 5-10 minutes of indoor fetch every hour awake and it looks like the perfect balance for us - you’ll have to play with this figure a little to see what works best but I promise the whining is bound to decrease if he’s already sleepy before crate time
  
• Mental stimulation: poodles (and poodle crosses) are prone to getting bored without enough mental stimulation = excess whining. Mental stimulation includes feeder toys, puzzle games AND training. Our guy doesn’t really appreciate his kong lol but we have this (https://www.amazon.ca/Smart-Treat-Dispensing-Exercise-Ottosson/dp/B0711Y9Y8W/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1ZZNTTRIW62SD&keywords=nina+ottosson&qid=1565738495&s=gateway&sprefix=nina+ott%2Caps%2C230&sr=8-5) and we bring it out once or twice a day - sometimes he won’t even eat the food in the holes but he likes figuring out the puzzle lol
  
• Instilling independence: Okay so this is an area where I’ve noticed a BIG change since taking it seriously. The more you work on training commands, the more independence you’re installing in your pup. The more independent he feels, the more he can handle being alone, the outside world, scary interactions, etc. I’m not sure if you’ve done any puppy socialization classes or are looking into puppy training but I’d recommend finding a reputable one in your area and giving it a try. For training at home, we've had a lot of success with: https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup
  
  Other tips:
  
  
• Bully Sticks: these things can be a god send if you need some time to yourself. The first time we gave our puppy one he went wild for it and left us alone for an hour. The second time, he held it in his mouth and whined his face off lol. We realized our mistake was making it available to him too frequently in a short period of time. Keep high-value items like this a special occasion treat to maintain it’s value.
  
• Toys: rotate toys. Have 2-3 toys out for a few days at a time, and learn which ones he gravitates to. You’ll discover which toys are high value + by rotating them he’ll get excited when his fav one from a certain batch is back in his turf. Take the high-value ones and make them crate only toys if they are safe to be played with unsupervised!
  
• Kong: I wish I could give you advice here because the Kong was a god send for our other dogs. The advice that’s been given to me is teach him how to use it. Youtube is good for this but at the end of the day, some dogs just don’t like the kong. If you do want to use this or other puzzle feeders/treat toys DON’T increase the value of the treat if he’s disinterested. He’ll learn that he can ignore his kibble/low-value treats and hold out for the better stuff and you’ll end up with a finicky eater.
  
• Daycare: Find a reputable one in your area bc it sounds like you need a little break and some socialization will be good for the little guy if you’re not looking into puppy classes or socialization classes.
  
  Hope this helps in some way shape or form, feel free to message me if you need to vent, compare puppy problems or ask any questions :)

This is a scary situation. I would recommend involving law enforcement to the extent that you can, if you can do any more than you already have.

Besides that, first priority is perimeter hardening. Cameras may provide some deterrent but won’t protect you if someone comes for you. I know it’s a rental but maybe you could convince the landlord that these are upgrades done at your own expense. Or just don’t tell. Reinforced door jamb

Door Armor MAX - Complete Door Reinforcement Set For Jamb, Frame, Strike Plate - DIY Home Door Security - Aged Bronze https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9ZGWH2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9J2FDbK66084S

Upgrade to steel door or similar if your door is not strong.

Add security film to the windows

BDF S4MC Window Film Security and Safety Clear 4 Mil (24in X 13ft) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FRLI2PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_192FDbNYNR641

Next, I would also add a security system with door/window sensors that sets off a siren when triggered. There are many, Ring is a popular DIY currently

Ring Alarm 5 Piece Kit - Home Security System with optional 24/7 Professional Monitoring - No long-term contracts - Works with Alexa https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D7Q6CHB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rg3FDbYQSMX46

I would recommend paying for professional monitoring at least for a couple months so that it calls law enforcement for you

Next sleep with a pepper spray of your choice beside your bed. I like this one

SABRE Red Pepper Gel - Police Strength - Family, Home & Property Defense Gel with Wall Mount Bracket https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002368VJ6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Rp3FDbPZRWD5X

AFTER you have done these things, yes add a camera or two. Might provide some deterrent, might help you go after them if they do property damage. Wyze cams are cheap and decent. Will need an outdoor housing if installing outdoors.

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_3l3FDb2MGD3RM

Good luck, be safe

I just put in a small system with a Reolink RLC-410 camera and I really like the camera. This one is wired, but since you rent, you might want to go wireless--the ones with little wifi antennas that just link up wirelessly to your wifi.

Reolink comes with a phone app that handles up to 16 cameras on your smartphone--I check my property from anywhere over the app whenever I want. I really like it, and the picture quality is awesome, as the Amazon reviews attest. Night vision is awesome, too. The infrared leds illuminate at least 65 feet out. Price isn't bad, either. Wireless will be more. Reolink has them; sorry to sound like a shill.

For recording the footage, I got a Synology NVR 216. A little pricey, but it did what I wanted--record about 2 months worth of 24/7 video feed for liability purposes.

This NVR is "diskless", which means that it comes without hard drives, which have to be purchased separately. I got one 4 TB Western Digital Purple, which is "optimized" for surveillance applications, whatever that means. The system has been recording a single camera's feed basically 24/7 since May 14, and has so far used 586 GB of the 3,000 GB available on this single hard drive, or about 17% of available capacity. Obviously, if you have two cameras, the storage requirement doubles; with four, quadruples. And, yes, I've already purchased another camera. I'll probably have four total, like you, in the future, when my requirements shift from liability to security. This particular NVR holds up to two hard drives, and an expansion kit allows up to 8 more. I really should get at least one more hard drive.

My particular system is currently set up as wired, meaning the camera and NVR are both connected to my wifi access point/router with network patch cables--those ubiquitous ethernet, Cat 5, RG-45 terminated "computer cables" that connect work computers to the jack in the wall, etc.

If you go wireless, especially with four cameras, you'll have to upgrade your local network to gigabit speeds. I should do that, too, and when I do, I'll probably go with a Linksys WRT AC3200. I'm currently running a Linksys WRT-54GL and, frankly, my local LAN bogs down a bit when I stream a movie while the video gear is running (which is all the time).

Guess I'm a bit of a geek. There are actually a lot of people here who are knowledgeable with DIY security CCTVs. I started from zero back in April or May, asked advice here, and actually went with Synology after it was recommended by a regular, here. I'll find that link, later; need to run right now. Update: You'll probably find this link interesting; it's a /r_neworleans thread from six months ago--lot's of perspectives different from my own that may work better for you.

One more thing: I had originally used DHCP to assign IP addresses to the camera and NVR, but the camera kept renewing its lease to a different address, and the NVR stopped recording when it lost the feed. I finally got around to puzzling out how to assign static addresses. Turns out that the WRT software assigns DHCP addresses at 100 and above. So, I just set the camera to 192.168.1.50 and the NVR to 192.168.1.51. Also, the Synology requires port-forwarding to be set up in your router--this was also dead simple. I read documentation for about an hour, then just forwarded some port, I think it was port 5000, in what looked like the right place in the router's set-up software, and it just worked. This way I can access the archive video from my smartphone, as well as the live feed.

I know all this sounds complicated, but it's really not, and there are people here who know this stuff and are more than willing to help out. Also, I know I spent around $1000, which is a lot of money for me. It was hard for me to pull the trigger on all this. But it covers a liability exposure that exceeds my net worth--in other words, an exposure that could force me into bankruptcy. In that light, it was a reasonable price to mitigate a serious risk. I'm satisfied with both the gear and the price.

Hello Everyone!

I am looking to get a nice pair of headphones to use with my turntable, a B&O Beogram 1700. The preamp is a TCC TC-750LC (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A36XZS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
And I will probably be getting a Schiit Magni 2 for the amp (http://schiit.com/products/magni-2).

I don't really need isolation since I live in a relatively quiet home and am not planning on taking these headphones anywhere because they are for vinyl and possibly some gaming, but mostly for my own personal turntable activities.
I've never really had any headphones before, other than the apple earpods which came with my iphone and various cheap headsets for gaming. I would like to try full-sized headphones. Ideally something comfortable for long listening periods.

I tend to listen to a lot of industrial and atmospheric/ambient music. So bands like The Legendary Pink Dots (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpXGeUy2ddE), Nine Inch Nails (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao-Sahfy7Hg), Swans (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jSdTBGhDSg), Tim Hecker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NkZVWXK5jM), Oneohtrix Pointnever (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg6g3uScbqw). To name a few. Theres some variation.

I'm not sure what I'm looking for as far as tonal balance is concerned. I don't know what would make for the best listening experience for these genres or bands.

My budget is $350

Thanks in advance! :)

Container: Rubbermaid 20 gal Brute Bin

Lights: Kingbrite 60 W Quantum Board (if you want dimmable, ask for a dimmable driver like the HLG-60H-36B and a potentiometer)

Screws: You'll need lots of nuts, long screws, washers, and spacers to mount the board and PSU. First put the board on the lid and mark where to drill, then drill holes. Then put the power supply on the outside in the middle, mark and drill those hoses. Mount power supply and then flip lid over and mount the light, using long screws and nuts to hold it in place (the light should NOT touch the lid but be 1-2 inches from it, held in place by nuts). Drill small hole for power line, then connect. Finally, drill 3 inch hole for exhaust beside the light. You'll also need long screws with nuts to keep the fan and shrouds together. Be sure to use spaces anywhere the screw heads or nuts are touching the lid or the lights. For light spacers, I used rubber spaces between the nuts.

Cooling shrouds: 120mm Fan Duct Cooling Shroud to 4 Inch Vent Hose

90 degree 4 inch elbow for exhaust: 4 in. 90° Round Adjustable Elbow

4" to 3" reducer for exhaust: 4 in. to 3 in. Round Reducer

2x regular JB Weld to mount the reducer and 3 inch "trunk"

Fan: Delta AFB1212SHE-PWM 120mm x 38mm 4pin PWM+Tac Sensor Extreme Hi-speed 3700 RPM 151 CFM

Fan controller: Noctua NA-FC1 4-pin PWM Fan Controller

Fan power supply: LE Power Adapter, UL Listed, 3A, 120V AC to 12V DC Transformer, 36W Power Supply

Fan power supply adapter: CRJ Female DC Power Supply Plug to 12V Molex Power Adapter Cable

Fan molex adapter: Coolerguys Mini 3-4 pin Fan Adapter (Single)

2x ABS fan elbow (for "snout" intake): 3 in. ABS DWV 90-Degree Hub x Hub Long-Turn Elbow

Air filter for intake: 16.25 in. x 12.5 in. x 0.19 in. - 16.3 in. x .2 in. x 12.5 in. - CF300 Carbon Filter

Air filter (not pictured): VIVOSUN 4 Inch Air Carbon Filter Odor Control with Australia Virgin Charcoal for Inline Fan

Fan hose (not pictured): iPower GLDUCT4X8C 4 inch 8 feet Non-Insulated Flex Air Aluminum Foil

Watering device (not pictured): Janolia Automatic Irrigation Kit, Self Watering System, with Electronic Water Timer

Camera (not pictured): Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision (glue steel piece for magnetic base onto the upper side of the bin)

Notes: This design is very safe because it keeps all electronic components high in the bin. At the same time, using a battery powered watering system keeps you from requiring to ever open it. The lamp runs very cool. The PWM fan controller works well and keeping the air moving without using a lot of power (do NOT buy a cheap voltage modulator, I did first and it doesn't work nearly as well as the PWM controller). The Wyze cam is super cheap and lets you keep an eye on everything or make timelapses. Have fun growing your tomatoes!

TT: Technics SL-1300 mk I

Cartridge: Shure M97xe

Phono: TCC TC-750LC

Receiver: Pioneer VSX-1020-K

Speakers: A pair of Pioneer 3-way speakers from the 1970s. Not sure what model.

Headphones: Sennheiser HD555s



I really like the SL-1300. You don't get the equalizer abilities of the 1200, but I'd never use those anyways. I upgraded from a Technics QX-200, which did the job, but this is much better.

My preamp, which I heard at the time was one of the better new pre-amps in the sub $200 catagory. It works very well with my receiver.

Contrary to many people here, I use a modern 7.1 receiver with my turntable. It sounds amazing, and I love having everything tied into one system. I use my fronts from my 7.1 as my turntable speakers, but the Pioneer does a nice job mixing sound into the other speakers if I play with the settings.


edit* Botched the URL. You get it, though...

Separation anxiety is really tough. A big part of this is because some dogs are triggered by some stuff, but not others. Some can be managed and even fixed with a chew or a long-lasting puzzle toy, some will not take food.

My two suggestions to figuring out what flavor of sep-anx your dog has and what triggers it:

1. Get a cheap camera. My favorite one is the Wyze cam with an SD card so you can see record motion or sound at your leisure.
   
2. Take note of the "leaving routines" you and your partner do. My boyfriend and I are habit oriented (I'm ADHD so like, I have to do everything in the same order so I don't forget stuff, lol) and my dog totally picked up on our patterns. He started realizing we were leaving when my boyfriend got out of the shower and started dressing, and he started really internally panicking when he saw my boyfriend put his socks on. We tried feeding him in the morning, but because of our observations, we realized our dog would refuse to eat the moment he realized we were leaving and he saw the food as part of the "leaving routine" which made his picky eating a lot worse!
   
   A lot of the super-effective counterconditioning programs out there for effective behavior change will be slow - leaving your dog two minutes at a time. Sometimes dogs do better crated when they are left, some don't. Both my dogs, my Sammy and my terrier mix, have separation anxiety but completely different styles. My terrier as a puppy was much better when she was in a crate covered with a heavy blanket that made the crate into a warm cave. When she got older, we left her loose in the bedroom and she would literally make blanket caves for herself out of our comforters. My Sammy was completely inconsolable in the crate, and if his needs are met he's non-destructive, so he's much easier to keep loose in our house. He is also one of the rare dogs that benefit from having another dog with him when he's home alone (they are still separated in different rooms for completely hilarious and sad reasons), whereas my terrier doesn't. Through observing him and tweaking our setup and our leaving routines, he normally is either completely quiet or our videos show he barks for about 2 minutes and then goes to sleep and is totally ok. He's also a dog who likes to watch TV, so when his SA was at its worst we actually would put fast moving dogs on YouTube for him and noticed on our camera that it helped a bit.
   
   So to figure out what will fix, or at least help the issue, it's good to have some observations of your dog alone and also how he behaves around you and work to create better associations to you leaving or giving your dog some coping skills. It's always rough when you start out working on it and any fix that is effective (and puts your dog in a good place mentally and emotionally) usually takes a bit of time and some iterations to implement.

And this one...


I have another automation that emails me a still shot of my front porch when there is motion. I am particularly proud of this because I was able to improve the accuracy of this notification compared to the function built into the camera. I have a moderately cheap IP camera. It has motion tracking built in, but this was too easily triggered and resulted in 30 pictures of moths each summer night. To improve on this I needed to tie in a PIR sensor. Some nice cameras actually let you tie in external wired triggers. I have a reolink camera, it was 75 dollars on amazon, and it has great picture quality, but it has limitations on triggering alarms. Thankfully I found a way around this. I researched the URL to pull a still image from the camera and found a similar automation online to pull down this image and e-mail it. There are a few parts to this automation, but its one of my favorites!




Camera still: http://imgur.com/a/gN9po

Camera: https://www.amazon.com/Reolink-Security-65-100ft-Detection-RLC-410/dp/B010LH48F4/

Automation#

• alias: 'Front Door Notify'
  trigger:
  platform: state
  entity_id: sensor.linear_wapirz1_motion_sensor_alarm_level_8_1
  state: '255'
  condition:
  condition: state
  entity_id: sensor.linear_unknown_type2001_id0102_alarm_level_9_1
  state: '0'
  action:
  
• service: shell_command.take_pic_porch
  
• service: notify.google_smtp
  data:
  title: 'Front Porch Motion'
  message: 'Motion at the front door!'
  data:
  images:
  
  • /home/hass/.homeassistant/snapshot.jpg
    
    

    Script#
    

    
    
    shell_command:
    take_pic_porch: curl -o /home/hass/.homeassistant/snapshot.jpg --anyauth 'http://192.168.1.120/cgi-bin/api.cgi?cmd=Snap&channel=0&rs=wuuPhkmUCeI9WG7C&user=admin&password=**'
    
    
    This checks if there is motion on the front porch, then makes sure the front door is shut. I did this so that when I take the dogs out, I am not getting e-mails every single time. So an open door will disable this automation. Then I am sent an e-mail using googles SMTP servers.

I was/am in the exact same boat - first kid, limited funds, starting from scratch, going through reviews and prices drove me insane. It took me probably three months to get my registry together, and, even then, I am still switching things up, lol.

lucieslist.com was invaluable while picking everything out. I highly recommend you check it out.

What we have bought ourselves that fit our tight budget:

Graco Comfy Cruiser Travel System. We had already decided to go with that car seat, given that it seems to be the top-rated budget option, and the stroller ended up being a much-needed bonus. We go on walks a lot, so it works for us. If you don't need the stroller, the seat itself is, I think, only ~$100.

The Pack N Play, which I've heard from literally everyone and their mother is almost a necessity.

Because we don't have an IKEA near us to get our hands on a swanky $99 crib, we bought this DaVinci crib. We still only ended up paying $100 for it, as we found it on sale, however, we would have paid the $200 for it, given that the reviews are good, and, when compared to some other cribs that cost $400 and up, the price isn't bad at all.

As for the rest of the registry, we have on there a Moby wrap (affordable baby wearing, yay!), nail clippers, outlet plugs, nursing pads, a wipes case, a baby tub, baby wash, assorted crib sheets, waterproof crib sheets, Pack N Play mattress, and sheets to go with, crib mattress (we actually bought this one when we found it on sale for $20, and it's just fine), receiving blankets, dirty diaper bags (because we aren't getting a diaper pail, just a small can with a seal-able lid), changing pad, and a cover to go with, pacifiers, Dr. Brown's Gia Nursing Pillow, a bottle brush, bottle warmer, thermometer, booger sucker, camera to monitor the baby, and a few other assorted things that I couldn't really find a definitive "best in class" for, so pick at your own discretion: diaper bag, swaddles (although I've read good things about the Summer Infant brand), bottles (we're going with Phillips Avent), a bouncer (we got this one), and a swing.

I agonized over this stuff for what felt like forever, lol, so I hope it helps you and saves you some hair-pulling. It's all so overwhelming!

This is what we use. Have two cameras and it works with a wide variety of apps. I will say this requires a tiny bit of tech savvy to setup especially for external access but it works great for us. I have walked people through setup before so if you have questions feel free to pm me.



Android: I like tinycam. Works great for us and solid dev. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alexvas.dvr.pro&hl=en



IOS: I like foscam Pro. Again solid app and we have not had issues. Foscam Pro: Multi IP Camera Viewer by Synaptic Edge LLC
https://appsto.re/us/R4WxE.i



Camera we use: Foscam FI8910W Pan & Tilt IP/Network Camera with Two-Way Audio and Night Vision (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006ZP8UOW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_-A6Ixb5ZPS29W



Edit: links

Yeah sure, I use HIKVISION. You can get a 4MP (Compared to 1.3Mp) external IP bullet cam with a 4MM lens for $106.33 on Amazon Here

The NVR to go with it here for $199.99 and a 2TB WD Purple HDD here for $79.99.

If you need a very wide angle, a 2.8mm 4MP Dome with WDR is $120.00 here

You can pick up a PTZ dome with 4x Optical Zoom for $506 here

Hikvision have recently introduced H265+ codec compression which means you can store a quite frankly ridiculous amount of footage even on a relatively small 2TB drive. The software is extremely easy to use, supports Windows/Mac/Android/iPhone and it's got built-in DDnS that's literally childs play to configure. The cameras are extremely straightforward to setup and the NVR has 8 PoE ports on the back to power them.

The cameras on their latest firmware can do people counting (Think shopping centres, etc), ANPR (Log to a CSV/Database) - The PTZ units can do smart tracking and follow vehicles in/out of a compound. (I've deployed this at an airfield and it follows vehicles in through the gate, very cool to watch!)

If you'd like any snippets or footage I'll upload some to our company OneDrive for you to take a look. The kit is so cheap compared to Bosch/Siemens and outperforms ALL of it. We've been competing directly with ADT over in the UK for a lot of work and our kit has trumped it every single time. We're a Silver VAR Hikvision partner now and I can't imagine using any other kit to be honest, it covers every possible scenario from a single camera covering someones porch right up to a 64 camera installation. Feel free to pick my brains via PM or anything else buddy.

Oh wow, yeah you are way more talented than myself. That all sounds awesome!

I know this defeats the purpose of being creative and problem solving, but I have a lot of cams that I got on Amazon (I got them all for free to review them) that I use to keep an eye on my house when I'm away. They have apps so I can check them from anywhere that I have a signal, and most let me speak through them via my phone if I need to communicate.

If it's an immediate need, you could pick up a few cameras, like this one for less than $30USD that would work great for making sure things are alright :)

I'm unsure about the solar panels being too much for the drone...most are not meant to have much (if any) sort of payload, so it would probably throw off the calibration. If you're flying it inside I don't imagine it's too large, either so it may be a challenge to mount panels and leave the drone functional still

We have a Nest Cam. First, it's useful in that it's not just a baby monitor - so when we leave the house on vacation or something we can move it and point it at our front door and get alerts if someone were to come in.

Next, it's an awesome camera. The alerts are easy to get on your phone so you don't have a screen on next to your bed all night. We also have a cheapie Willcare sound monitor from Amazon we use at night because phone notifications won't wake me up. If we hear her, we can look at the nest to determine if we should get up and walk across the house or not.

Nest can have a subscription - it gives you 24h video history and you can like save clips. We didn't purchase this - it's not useful. It has like a 3-4 hour history of detecting movement with little snippets so we can scroll back to like an hour before. Or see if she's been rolling a lot on the timeline.

It also works with all our Google home stuff and other nest products.

I also love that during my work day (since daughter is at home with a grandma) I get to see her put down for her nap and peek on her sleeping. Great thing about the wifi ones.

We actually have two cameras now (more kids on the way) and suggest them readily. Been using ours since day one and our kid is 18 months now.

Nest cam: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00WBJGUA2/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1519518400&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=nest+cam&dpPl=1&dpID=31GgWcCP7BL&ref=plSrch

Sound monitor: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B073P11GF8/ref=mp_s_a_1_6_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1519518438&sr=8-6&keywords=sound+monitor&dpPl=1&dpID=41n08hysXNL&ref=plSrch


Check the other colors too, I think white is more expensive

I've got the Hikvision DS-2CD2032-1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00G7GMEOG). It's a great quality camera for the money. It was a bit of a pain to get set up (it comes set to a fixed IP address that is in a different subnet to what most people would usually use) but once running it works great. I'm using it indoors and the picture quality is good. I would imagine it works fine outdoors. It does night vision but I haven't really tried it out.

As others have mentioned you'll need to buy additional camera licenses if you want to hook up three cameras. Most of the larger Synology boxes come with 2 camera licenses so you just need one more.

Synology seem to be actively improving the camera software. Surveillance Station 7.1 was a big improvement on 7.0 (I had issues viewing from the mobile app in 7.0, all fixed in 7.1).

Update: After looking around a bunch of sites and thanks to /u/automatedlife, I've finally made a decision. This is probably my fourth time researching this before I could pull the trigger.

Cameras: Two mini 3pm Hikvision bullets: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G7GMEOG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Networking: I opted for POE for many reason, but primarily because I can do it myself without a contractor -- I also have the supplies on hand. Also, wifi wouldn't be as reliable. The POE switch I bought can scale to 4 cameras: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QYEN1W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

NVR: Repurposed my home server. It already has a bunch of drives, and I almost never use it to game anymore. Furthermore, it has plenty of disk and two network cards (one for the cameras and another for internet. If I were to have pulled the trigger today, I probably would have ended up with a refurb like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA8XK46E2600 It's a better form factor than my current system ... and I'd still have my server in my office. Maybe later.

Anyway, I hope I can help at least one other person. I probably opened up 200 tabs throughout this whole investigation.

Edit: My out of pocket today was ~$100/camera @ qnt 2 and $50 for networking. Everything else I had on hand. My total was $250. If you need a computer, you'll probably be spending $500-$800 range, depending on what you get and how long you can wait around for a deal.

If you're not worried about 1080 picture quality, I'd actually suggest checking out the YI Dome Cam. It's been our favorite indoor smart security camera for a while, and it's only $34, so it's more affordable than the ones you found. It's also got 7 days of free cloud storage and an SD card slot. (we recommend SanDisk, especially the Extreme Pro lineup, which outperformed other top brands when we tested SD cards


We've never head of the four you shared, and other than the Wansview, they all have too few reviews for us to confidently say they're good or not. The Wansview seller, however, raised some minor yellow flags when I looked into their overall review quality on Amazon via Fakespot. Hope this helps! - Samantha

Just go now:

Sleeper - Agree with OP, this thing is fantastic. Daughter never slept in her "real" crib until nearly 9 months old. Really pissed that they added the auto-rocker and now I'm tempted to spend $90 to replace our perfectly good one.

Swing - Get one that plugs-in. Also, the one that rocks like a ship (4mom?) and is like $300 - wife's cousin bought one because expensive = best and kid was getting sea sick.

Nosefrida or Baby Comfy Nose - this may save your sanity and the life of you, your spouse, or your child because otherwise sleepless nights are in your future.

Boppy - amazingly useful.

Extra car seat base

Don't bother:

• Baby wipe warmer
  
• Bumbo
  
• Diaper Genie - they barely work and you get a compressed plastic log of unholy smell instead of a plastic bag that you can get rid of after one diaper if warranted.
  
  Kid Dependent:
  
  Bottles - we got lucky on our first try and she did great with the Tommy bottles. Don't buy a ton or at least don't open them all and be unable to exchange.
  
  Formula - not judging and sometimes its necessary or just a simple convenience. But some kids prefer one brand over another and/or will react differently to different brands. Also, Costco = Gerber; Target = Similac and WalMart/Sam's = Enfamil.
  
  Pacifier - some love them, some hate them. Most love, but ours hated the straight kind and was insisting on the flat ones within a few months.
  
  Humidifier - get a real one that uses heat and be smart enough to put it far enough away from the kid so they don't get burned. Ultrasonic doesn't do shit for stuffy noses or coughs.
  
  Good Idea, but can wait:
  
  Video monitor - We went with a normal Foscam and put the tinyCam app on our phones for a few bucks.
  
  Small food processor - as said elsewhere, don't get the baby one; or just get the cheaper Bella one from Kohl's. Making baby food isn't that hard and it's a ton cheaper. If you've got a Nutribullet or similar, you're also good to go.

I'm really glad that you are okay and that the police were helpful. I haven't read through every comment on here but I have two recommendations.

1: often times, protective or restraining orders aren't put into action until you *explicitly* tell the person to stop contacting you. I know you haven't responded to him or anything but it might be a good idea to have it, in writing, that you told him to stop contacting you. You don't need to respond to anything he has said or done other than: "This is me telling you to stop contacting me, do not come to my house, place of work, classroom, etc., or I will be contacting the police" Then save *EVERY* contact attempt he has done/will do from there. Save it on multiple platforms in case you lose your phone, etc. So either send it to someone or save it on a computer (not your email because if your phone goes missing, it could easily be deleted from your email).

2. I saw some people have suggested cameras which I highly recommend. It sounds like you might be a student and I know the budget might be tight. My SO and I got these cheap cameras to just monitor our dog during the day. You can go in a view them at any time and they also record 12 seconds of video whenever they detect motion. If you have a place to put one towards your door or outside of your apartment, I highly recommend it. It not only saves the videos, but you could also see someone coming before they are there.

ETA: there is an app associated with the cameras and you can have notifications sent right to your phone anytime something is picked up.

Also - give your dog all the head scratches and steaks tonight. Stay safe

Hi marcginla,

I must admit cloud recording is not my area of expertise, mainly because I try and stay away from it due to privacy concerns, and the fact that you generally have to pay a monthly fee for storing recorded clips beyond a certain number of days.

Yes, a local NVR will allow direct remote access and/or cloud recording of videos.

There are basically two ways of going about remote access:

• All cameras and an NVR connected via WiFi that you remotely access directly over the internet (port forwarding needs to be set up on your father's router, will need a dynamic DNS service to be set up as well) -
  
  Pros: No monthly charges. 24/7 recording possible. SD card slot allows motion detected captures (7 days easily possible).
  
  Cons: More difficult to set up. Also remote playback of recorded video is limited by the upload bandwidth of your father's broadband. If the NVR automatically reduces video quality to adjust, then this is not an issue.
  
  
• All cameras directly connected to the internet via WiFi and recording to the cloud.
  
  Pros: Easiest to set up and use.
  
  Cons: Can cost you a few dollars per camera per month for 7 day recording. Live streaming possible but generally only motion detected recordings will be available.
  
  In your case, it does make sense to consider the cloud recording option. Can't comment on the specific cloud services you mentioned. However do consider the Amcrest 1080p ProHD camera which can upload to the Amcrest cloud service. Its $99 at the moment.
  
  Amcrest is a company started by the same people who started Foscam. It seems they have come up with better products than Foscam. I would recommend this over the Foscam 720p. You can read about the Amcrest cloud service and pricing plans here. By the way any cloud service that offers everything 100% free is a bit suspect in my opinion. What will be the reliability of a 100% free service is the question.
  
  Hope that helps. Maybe others who use cloud services will chime in.
  
  Daniel

The Unifi cameras are decent, but the downside is that you are locked into their closed end system. If you wanted to add more cameras down the road, you'd have to use Ubiquiti cameras. (assuming you use their NVR or DVR software).

I put in a system for a client a few months ago. They wanted Pan tilt zoom for 2 of the cameras, so I found This one one made by Reolink, which worked out really well! The picture quality is fantastic and the price was very reasonable. I used a Hikvision bullet camera for behind the register as it didn't require PTZ functions.

They already had a VMware server, so I added 2 x 3TB drives in a RAID 1, created a Windows VM, then installed Milestone xprotect software (You can also look at Blue Iris). The whole setup works pretty well. Can view camera feeds via mobile app, or via website interface.

With a system like this, you can easily expand with any brand IP camera down the road, as opposed to being tied into one manufacturer.

https://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-IP2M-841-1920TVL-Security-Camera/dp/B0145OQTPG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1468434745&sr=8-3&keywords=wireless+camera

I don't have it saving pure video though. I have it taking a snapshot every 10 seconds.

I pull the data off the card once a month or so and keep it for a bit, then delete it.

When the incident happened, I pulled it right then and was able to burn the stills to a CD for the deputy that responded in about 5 minutes.

I have others on the house too but they are all static. This is the only one I have that pans around. I just have a setting on it that points it at the door. The others are static ones, made by Dlink, and they don't even make them anymore. I've had them for years.

I don't think its weatherproof, but I have it mounted well under an eve-it won't get wet there beyond more humidity.

Considering the light (then lack of it, the idiot decided about halfway through the break in to unscrew the porch light) the pictures came out pretty well.

I have since went to harbor freight and bought a solar security light. It stays dim till it detects motion, then goes bright. its way up high like the camera, and if you go to disable it, you're going to be facing the camera directly. But if someone decides to disable the porch light again, they will still be lit up.

I put up a much better security door, and have the other two doors in the backyard (behind a fence) getting changed out to the better one today. If someone decides to try again, its going to be a lot more difficult for them. The deputy thinks it was random, and I'm beginning to agree. I have everything well lit outside but the house is usually dark unless I'm up. I used to keep a vehicle outside when I had 3, but I since have sold it and the other two are in the garage. I'm guessing they cased it before I sold the vehicle. Seeing it gone, they figured I wasn't home.

This Wyze camera cost $40 on amazon.

You can view live or have 14 days of free cloud storage. Some folks have concerns about where the server sends the data but I use it to view my plants, so not that concerned.

It also has motion activated recording and/or alerts.

For 40 bucks, it’s pretty good value. Set up is super easy too.

How much are you looking to spend? Controllable dome cameras cost a fortune.

I really like hikvision fixed domes, they are great value for the money. Extremely well built cameras with great image quality. As far as integration with home assistant, the motion sensing binary sensors seem to work quite well. You will still have to use their software to setup motion sensing zones etc. They can work entirely local, I have mine writing to an NFS share.

​

Just watch which ones you buy, make sure its the North American version. The Chinese ones are locked to certain firmware. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B017Y4CD9U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yi Dome Camera https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CW4BG4K?ref=emc_b_5_t

• $40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  Heard many good things and it has:
  
  
• 720p High-definition, 112° wide-angle advanced glass lens combined with 345° horizontal & 115° vertical rotation range create a complete 360° coverage.
  
• Responsive and advanced microphone with a built-in anti-noise filter for a clear 2-way Audio experience. Intercom Mode: one party to talk and listen at a time or Hands-free Mode: both parties talk and listen freely for maximum flexibility.
  
  
  And if you want 1080p, you can pay $20 more https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CW4BLG8?ref=emc_b_5_i

Might not be the most helpful response, but here goes.
It doesn't sound like a security camera is the best solution to this issue.

You say he's calling the police and fire department on her whenever he can. 1.) Stop giving him a reason to do that. 2.) A camera won't help with that.
You say he's giving her and her children bone-chilling looks. A camera might catch those, but there's nothing you can do about that.

She really should be focused on either having a dialogue with the neighbor to try and patch things up, or move away from him. If she's genuinely worried about the safety of herself or her children, she'll find a way to move. If it's not that big of a concern, then it sounds like a conversation might be enough.

Now that that's out of the way, try starting out here https://www.amazon.com/Security-Reolink-65-100ft-Detection-RLC-410/dp/B010LH48F4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479254540&sr=8-1&keywords=reolink+rlc-410 and keep looking around on amazon for related products, etc. I can't speak to the quality of the camera, but it seems to have some nice features.

thank you for the list

I am still researching DORI and differences between cameras, but from what I gathered so far here is what I need:

• blue iris $70 (with a phone app)
  
• pc (since it only supports windows) likely i7-6700 something like this
  
• PoE switch: something like this
  
• router, I have an old lynksys with dd-wrt which should do it
  
• several very long ethernet cables with some couplers
  
• most likely also a UPS
  
• ONVIF, PoE cameras
  
  the last bit I am still looking at. I am not ready to spend several hundred dollars per camera (one of your examples is Dahua 2MP Starlight which seems to be super expensive). While I understand it might be much better than the rest, I'd like to see if I can be in a $50 to $100 dollar range per camera. Is there any such cameras you can recommend?
  
  I can see some (ONVIF, PoE): Hikvision 4MP, ONWOTE 5MP, ONWOTE, 4X Optical Zoom Autofocus, Amcrest ProHD, GW Security 5, JideTech PTZ, etc. but I am not sure how to gauge the quality.

I bought a house in March and had the intention of going all in on HA, but so far it hasn't exactly panned out. budgeting for a few good products as i go.

BUT, Here is what i started with so far. I've settled with silo'ed stuff so far. This is what i've done, others will probably have stronger recommendations though.

1. a good wifi router.
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z0V2NQ8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
   
2. Power meter
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XOZG0Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
   
3. thermostat
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FLZEQH2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
   
4. 4x wifi cameras
   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0145OQTPG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
   
5. entertainment http://www.amazon.com/Sony-STR-DN1050-Channel-Receiver-Bluetooth/dp/B00JC31SEI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1452667821&sr=1-1&keywords=str+dn1050
   
   Yes, that's 5 separate apps on my own Note 4
   
   Next on the list is a zwave hub and garage door controller.
   
   

Thank you for your response!

As far as re-capping the speakers, I am confident re-capping them would be pretty cheap, however I do not know if it worth it, as the drivers and design of the speakers may not be very good to begin with. I have played a lot with the placement of the speakers, however the way my room is, the only possible location for them is pushed into the corners (I know, worst placement), due to their size. Part of the reason I am looking at these smaller studio monitors and bookshelf speakers is because I will have greater freedom to move them around.

I would love to piece together my set up with used vintage equipment, but I live in a smallish college town where craigslist and thrift stores are flooded with shitty iphone docks and black plastic crap.

As far as the turntable goes, I am pretty happy with my set-up. I have a debut carbon with a separate mini phono preamp (I know it's not the best, If i could find an amp with a better phono stage it would be nice). My current amp has a phono stage as well, but I doubt it is any good, considering how cheap the equipment is, so i opted for an external one.

If I got the the studio monitors, my setup would go: Turntable > Preamp > simple passive switcher (PC would be on other input) > studio monitors

I may get a passive pre-amp down the road that has volume control as well.

I adopted my yellow lab at 6 weeks and have raised her on my own working an 8-5 job.

I am lucky enough to be able to come home at lunch for 30 minutes and run her, and she seems quite content.

My suggestion would be to run the dickens out of the pup in the morning, leave him or her with many toys that stimulate the puppies mind (or one might lead to chewing...), I even prepare frozen treats inside of a KONG ball that allows her to spend time getting the goodness, AND I also have a Nest (http://www.amazon.com/Nest-NC1102ES-Cam-Security-Camera/dp/B00WBJGUA2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457039689&sr=8-1&keywords=nest+camera) That allows me to watch her while I'm at work and speak to her if need be.

My puppy, now 9 months does totally fine by herself for her 4 hour stretches.

Good luck and Congratulations on your new companion!!! :)

Being able to peek in has been a godsend. You can get a cheapo sound monitor as well, but I think you will appreciate the video.

BTW: We use one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZP8UOW and downloaded a free IP cam viewer on our phones/tablets. Much cheaper than getting one of the dedicated baby video cameras with their own proprietary monitor things, plus once the kids are older and don't require the monitoring, it can easily become a security cam for the house.

My family has been buffing up our security too. Someone stole some packages and stuff off the front lawn and the creepy thing is you can't see them from the street so that means they were snooping around. My city can be found on like two lists of the top 20 most dangerous cities in America so we've been working on security.

For personal defense we have like 4 small bottles of pepper spray. I carry one with me at all times and my mom always has one too. They can be pretty cheap, usually around like $5-$10. Some places also sell stun guns and stuff for around $30. Make sure these are legal where you live before buying. I like these because they're cheap, effective (so I've heard. I haven't had to use them thankfully), and non lethal.

For home security we bought some cheap cameras for about $25. I think they have two way audio and night vision. They're not weather resistant and are meant for indoor stuff so you can have one indoors. We have ours on the window sill on the inside looking out towards the front yard and one looking towards the backyard. They can detect movement and send a notification to your phone when they do. They have pretty good picture quality too. I like em. All you need is wifi and the app and you can see the camera's live stream from anywhere. If you put an SD card into the camera you can record video or something. The user manual will have more info if you get them. They can't rotate but have like a fisheye/wide lense thing so they cover a lot.

I also have the Neighbors app by Ring. I don't have one of those ring doorbells but the app let's me know what's going on around the neighborhood and any nearby crimes the neighbors report.

Sorry that happened though. Sounds really scary. Hopefully that won't happen again and I Hope some of this helps.

Camera:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IysiDbHR3HV8Q

Depending how large your property is, some of these may not be the cheapest, but I will suggest them anyway. I've gone with suggessting IP cameras because they are cost effective in comparison to film counterparts and are usually pretty easy to set up.

This first is a bit more expensive, and I imagine more so in Canada, but I've heard good things about it.

If you want to buy some decent and cheap ones to set up, Amazon had recently started recommending these .

As with all purchases, take your time, do your research and see what fits the needs of you and your family most.

we got a hammy down audio one which was great, but now thats shes older I would like to visually see what shes fussing about. I've heard great things about foscam monitors.Any time you can take the word "baby" out of something, you automatically save like 50%.

Hi! So I found a great affordable option that I love to share with moms.

It’s called Wyze. It’s from ex-Amazon folks. $25 and you can access the camera from anywhere with the app. Multiple people can access as long as they have the password and username. You can also talk through the camera using your phone. We love it.


Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6b-EDbAWB78GE

Resolution is important, but so is the codec on the NVR. Ideally, you want one with h.265 support.

Here's a 8 channel one by Hikvision, a well known brand: https://www.amazon.com/HIKVISION-DS-7608NI-K2-8-Channel-Recorder-Embedded/dp/B078S56GY4

You will have to buy the hard drive(s) separately. I recommended WD Purple drives. They are purpose built for surveillance equipment. https://www.amazon.com/Purple-Surveillance-Hard-Disk-Drive/dp/B00IMPO5MO

As far as cameras go, most people go with Hikvision or Reolink. Here's a 2K Reolink bullet camera. Expect to pay significantly more if you really want 4K. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010LH48F4/

6 cameras with this setup would run you $749, and you would have 2 ports available for expansion.

I got this last christmas when it was on sale for 80$. Might be a bit pricey, but it is really nice.
Hook it up to Wifi or just ethernet it to your computer, and there's either a web address or a phone app you can use to look at and fully control a live view, or recent footage, if you stick an SD card in it to record to. Great night vision, two way mic/speaker, zoom, and motion detection, perfect for what you'd want it for.

DropCam is good but over priced IMO.

Imogen Studio cameras w/ iSecurity+ service work in similar fashion & you can use them without a subscription to check in on video even listen in & talk through the camera, but you can pay monthly to record video. And both can record in HD though Dropcam does seem to have better resolution, not so much more as to make me pay what they ask for it. Also Dropcam wont let you record on your own device, while Imogen cameras can be recorded while on live view to your smartphone

iSecurity + is $9.99 for a month of storage per camera or $99 for a year
http://www.isecurityplus.com/pricing

Dropcam is $29.99 a month of storage per camera or $299 a year
https://www.dropcam.com/cloud-recording

ImogenStudio +Cam Pro on amazon is 59.39 per camera
http://www.amazon.com/ImogenStudio-Wireless-Video-Monitoring-Camera/dp/B00DV84FYA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416169193&sr=8-1&keywords=imogen+studio


Dropcam Pro $197.85 per camera.
http://www.amazon.com/Dropcam-Wi-Fi-Wireless-Monitoring-Camera/dp/B00F9FCW7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416169665&sr=8-1&keywords=dropcam+pro

The way I look at it is DropCam & app is like Apple, good design but you are going to pay for it. With ImogenStudio +Cam Pro like android; not as slick looking but just a functional but better price.

So after many months of researching what was best for us, we decided to go with the “Yi camera.” Being $60 for a dual purpose camera that has 360 degree rotation, it’s really impressed us. We also always have our phones on us so having phones AND another baby monitor seemed to be overkill when we could just use our phones to connect to a system like this.

It uses WiFi and being that we will be back at work come 8 weeks PP with my mom nannying for us, we wanted to be able to log in and check on our girl throughout the day. We can talk to each other also with the voice recorder, but there is a second lag like a walkie talkie has in between responses. Not that big of a deal honestly. We wanted a system that could double as a baby monitor & security system so that we aren’t spending hundreds on a baby monitor that will only be used for a couple of years. It detects “baby crying” and will send you an alert with a 10 second recording of what the crying was. It picks up our dogs barking often lol.

Don’t mind the mess but here’s my kitchen with lights on in the evening and here’s the nursery using night vision. Here’s the nursery picking up my SO and I talking and listening to music while I was getting ready outside of the nursery during normal day light.

All in all, we purchased/were gifted three cameras which was roughly the price of one baby monitor we were looking into. I’d rate it a 8/10 for overall quality. Hope this helps!

Buying one of those DVR kits will be your cheapest option if you want that many cameras and don't mind running cables, but to give you another idea, I use 2 of the generic WiFi cameras like this in my personal setup. You can find them on sale for $60-$65 somewhat often and the night vision works pretty decently. It's just not HD quality, which I'd like to upgrade to later.

What I do is have the cameras positioned where I want that's close to a power outlet, and they connect to the network over wireless. Then on my computer, I run software that pulls in the feed of both cameras and records it. I have it running on a Mac, and use EvoCam, which is pretty nice for recording multiple cameras. Only downside is with the generic cameras, I can't get the audio feeds. Over the local network the footage is fine, although you'll notice some lag if viewing it over the Internet

Edit: I haven't done it, but most of those cameras have jumpers on them that allow you to hook up various alarm modules like you're looking for. It's more of a DIY thing to figure out though, but the least techy way to do it would be to have the camera point where there's usually no movement, and enable the motion sensor option to email you when it detects motion

Wire it. Designate a central location as your network hub, the ideal location is in the basement. Run all your Ethernet drops there.

For your wire, use Cat6 for any runs of 55 meters or less, and Cat6a for anything longer (you really shouldn't have anything this long). This will future-proof you for 10 gigabit. Use pure copper, solid-conductor cable. If you need to save money you can go for Cat5e instead, it'll still support gigabit.

Your main entertainment center location should have five Ethernet drops. Every other TV and desk location should have two. This will avoid any need for secondary switches, you could alternatively just run one drop to each location. Run one drop to the ceiling at the center of each floor for an AP (consider two per floor if the house is long and narrow, or four if it's HUGE), and if you're planning on installing surveillance cameras, run one drop to each one's planned location. Also, run a Coaxial cable drop to each TV location including the main entertainment center.

At your wiring hub, all the Ethernet drops will terminate at a patch panel. Make sure to get one matching the category rating of your cable. Your AP and camera drops will get a RJ45 plug, make sure to get ones made for solid conductor cable. All your other runs will terminate in keystone jacks. Again, the plugs and jacks need to match the category rating. Label each jack with the corresponding number from the patch panel. For the Coaxial cables, use keystone inserts.

For the Coaxial cables at the hub, just terminate them and leave them loose, then connect any ones you're using to a splitter. Label these with letters, so they won't be confused with your numbered Ethernet lines.

For your APs, these are your best bet. Get one for each ceiling drop you've installed. If you'll be doing surveillance cameras, these are the ones to get.

Your modem/ONT, router, and switch will all go at the wiring hub. A big PoE switch would be really expensive, and unnecessary since the UniFi APs and cameras come with PoE injectors. Just get an unmanaged gigabit switch, ideally with as many ports as you have installed drops, plus one for the router. Ideally get a rackmountable one, as your patch panel will likely be rackmountable as well.

To wire the APs and cameras, connect the PoE port on the PoE injector to the appropriate port on the patch panel, and the LAN port on the injector to the switch. Don't mix these up, connecting the PoE port to a device not designed to accept PoE will damage or fry it. For everything else, just connect each patch panel port to a switch port.

This will be your router. Simply connect the WAN port to your modem or ONT and the LAN port to your main switch.

A modem really only applies if you're getting cable internet. SB6183 for DOCSIS 3.0 or SB8200 for DOCSIS 3.1. Check which your ISP supports, and don't get something with built-in routing/Wi-Fi.

To set everything up, install the UniFi Controller on an Ethernet-connected PC and run it. Set up your Wi-Fi settings, adopt all the devices, update any firmware, and go through and configure anything that needs configuring. When you're done, you can exit it. You only need to run it in the future to change configuration or update firmware.

r/letnotmeet has an official guide on the sidebar that has good tips as far as safety/physical security goes. one thing that's not on there are what's called "security bars" that you can buy from amazon. they block in doors/windows/sliding doors from being broken in while you're at home, like when you're sleeping.

i'd also consider posting on trollx for advice as well. there's some of us trolls who've gone through some shit and may be able to give good advice.

for restraining order, for one thing, he'll need the exact address of where he needs to stay away from. since he already knows her home address, i would just be careful putting on there specific locations that he doesn't know about, if that makes sense. restraining orders might only be half as helpful if there isn't some way to catch him violating it. i'd recommend some sort of night security camera. i put these on my tech wishlist after ppl recommended them on the recent r/aww post on the cat triggering the night camera:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0145OQTPG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3PDI6G88Q8ITA&coliid=I32NXUP8ELY3US&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019MMRV1M/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3PDI6G88Q8ITA&coliid=IXT7HPA0HMC8D&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CW4BG4K/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3PDI6G88Q8ITA&coliid=I2NHMUTKAQWLNC&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QH0Q8J4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3PDI6G88Q8ITA&coliid=IYEA8OCV4N4GA&psc=1

as for stopping cold turkey or de-escalating, that's up to her. but whatever she chooses, and hell, even now, she NEEDS to be prepared for his possible actions when she does do it, cuz he's gonna get pissed, which might lead to silent insidious revenge or straight out attack.

that means not going anywhere alone, securing her house and car when she's alone, setting up apps that can be immediately triggered quietly to call for help, carrying pepper sprays/defense stuff depending on local laws, etc etc, there's a lot you can do. and making sure her friends/family/coworkers/employer knows -the more eyes keeping a lookout for him the better (show them a picture of him). these fuckers relish on getting the upper hand and she needs to get in control of the situation. (and yes, i know a lot of this stuff from reading that sub)

also, breaking and entering IS a crime, wherever you are. if she catches that on tape she's golden as far as restraining order or even straight up charging him with it. she should start a journal log, writing down exact dates/times/details of any event, small or big. if it ever goes to the police or court, it'll help tremendously. she can also low-key record conversations with him on her phone, just turn the indicator light switch off.

best of luck and safety to you and your friend.

-trollx

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5c0QDbR6FT67J.

Can’t recommend this thing enough. I was skeptical about a <30$ camera but this thing is great. HD. Push notifications to my phone when motion is detected. Facial recognition so you only get alerted when it’s a person and not the wind blowing something around. Custom time settings for when you want the alerts. Free cloud storage for the 15 seconds after a face is recognized. I saved a lot of money going with these instead of ring.

Yeah, note to that though, I think its law they have to "know" they are being recorded if its a babysitter. If you open a port on your router you can check it from anywhere.

LiveCams Pro (iOS) is the best most compatible app I used, but I know there is also specific baby monitor ones you can set to set off notifications at certain noise threshholds. The standard def ones come in on sale at around 65 bucks on sale, normally 75. I have both these models (use one to check on dogs), the standard is more than adequate to be honest, but I know some people just want to have HD everything.

SD:

http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZP8UOW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394029900&sr=8-2&keywords=foscam

The HD ones are nice, but a couple more bucks at around 100:

http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI9821W-Indoor-Wireless-Camera/dp/B00AJWK5WW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394029939&sr=8-2&keywords=foscam+hd

Foscam FI9821W V2 Megapixel HD 1280 x 720p H.264 Wireless/Wired Pan/Tilt IP Camera with IR-Cut Filter - 26ft Night Vision and 2.8mm Lens (70° Viewing Angle) - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F3KWZW8/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_jDJFwbAB2VH8Q

This is the camera I bought. I mounted it upside down in the corner of the room and flipped the image. It has night vision, pan and tilt and two way audio. The full price listed is ridiculous though.

I bought it Used from Amazon Warehouse Deals for about 60 bucks. My wife and I both use Tiny Cam PRO on Android to monitor it. If you want to view it on your computer I recommend using Opera Browser. I'm not sure of a good iOS app. You can also set it up pretty easily to view externally which is nice. I like when I go into work early I can watch the kids sleep while I'm at my desk. One of the things that's really nice about Tiny Cam is you can make a floating window to watch the camera while you do other stuff on your phone or tablet like this: http://imgur.com/dLIVDPG.

I have this one, it's been working great for a while now: Tenvis JPT3815W

I've had a few issues here and there, mostly with the proxy setup, but the customer service is pretty good and they've now set their proxy accounts to expire every 3 years instead of every year (all that means if you'll have to contact them in 3 years to get a new one set up).

Oh, and I use the CamViewer app, it's the best one I've found so far. Worth paying for the pro version too (IAP I think), so you can use the 2-way audio.

I asked a similar question on Reddit. One of my very first posts.

Check out the Wyze cameras. They’re about $26 on amazon. Plug them in and they connect to WiFi. The app will hold 14 days of clips at max intervals... but You can add SD card to the camera and record everything until I starts recording over itself.
For a $26 camera, I couldn’t be happier.
There’s a little housing you can get so it’s more weather resistant outside outside. One of my cameras has been sticking out above my garage door for over a year of summer and snow and rain and it’s still doing good as day 1.

Would also work decently well attached at front door, in my opinion.

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1EtpDbY52AANF

i realize this is an old topic, but i just recently picked up some Yi Home indoor cameras and they are amazing value.

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Camera-Wireless-Security-Surveillance/dp/B016F3M7OM/

they're Dropcam/Nest cam clones. there is 7 seconds of cloud access and if you want to see more, you can stream it from the microSD card in the device. I have set it to record upon motion and there's a 32gb card in it that I heard can hold weeks of data. You could also have it record continuously however that would likely wear out the card faster. i am researching outdoor mounts but this is a great value over Arlo and anyone that doesn't want to overspend.

there was some concern about the chinese owning your 7 second clips or whatever. i am not so concerned about anyone knowing who visits my porch or backyard as long as i am aware, as well. it is the price of cloud computing.

other downsides are you are required to use their app vs. blueiris or your own app, however i understand there is 3rd party firmware out there that fixes this issue, if you want to flash that.

edit: Also ... a set of 4 Arlo cameras is currently $349 at Best Buy, if you're stuck on getting something that can work with Abode or your SmartThings
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/netgear-arlo-smart-home-indoor-outdoor-wireless-high-definition-security-cameras-4-pack-white-black/1668003.p?loc=0&

So we have this camera. It’s one of the best things we bought and everyone we show it to in our phones has bought one. Plus bonus, it’s fairly cheap, can be accessed through our phone app and I can check it while I’m out. It connects multiple cameras so they’re in one place and the quality is amazing compared to the Motorola monitor we used to have. Lastly, it’s secure. You have to create an account to log into your cameras via your app and then you can opt for a separate PIN number to access either camera.

Edit to add: Here is a screenshot of our empty nursery so you can see how amazingly clear the picture is.

I highly recommend the Wyzecam. There are two versions:

V2: https://www.amazon.ca/Wyze-Wireless-Camera-Vision-Android/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536075044&sr=8-1&keywords=wyzecam+v2

Pan: https://www.amazon.ca/Wyze-1080p-Indoor-Camera-Vision/dp/B07DGR98VQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1536075058&sr=1-1&keywords=wyzecam+pan

The V2 does a great job and the app is pretty legit. The best part is how cheap it is!

Huge thread about it on RedFlagDeals

We got a "security camera" instead of a baby monitor. I found them to be cheaper but better quality on Amazon. The one we got uses an app on our phones instead of a screen piece so I don't have to worry about misplacing it with my mom brain.

Eta: my SO can open the app when he's miles away at work and it works great.

YI Home Camera Wireless IP Security Surveillance System (US Edition) White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016F3M7OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ySbAzb9Z0AHC1

I use a few Reolink cameras that I bought off Amazon. - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010LH48F4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1518934378&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Reolink+camera&dpPl=1&dpID=41TlsqaRGeL&ref=plSrch

Love the quality of these cameras.

The software I use is called Blue Iris. It's pretty much the best recording software for IP cameras you can get. Some people say the interface looks kind of old but I like it. I have mine set to only start recording when it senses motion and to also text me. - http://blueirissoftware.com it was like 60$ I think?

Works amazingly well!

That GW Security camera looks fine.

I recommend POE IP cameras though like the following:

Trendnet Bullet/Dome:
https://www.amazon.com/TRENDnet-Outdoor-Megapixel-Network-TV-IP314PI/dp/B01C5Q2JL4

Hikvision Dome:
https://www.amazon.com/Hikvision-DS-2CD2142FWD-I-Network-Dome-2-8mm/dp/B017Y4CD9U

Hikvision Bullet:
https://www.amazon.com/Hikvision-DS-2CD2042WD-I-Network-Security-Bullet/dp/B01M1EMS52

If you got to have indoor WIFI then something like this Hikvisiion will do all right, but remember WIFI can be flakey at times so you may experience some periodic drop in the stream/recording:
https://www.amazon.com/Hikvision-DS-2CD2442FWD-IW-Indoor-Wireless-Camera/dp/B01N2YFTNX

One MAJOR thing to be aware of, with any security camera system, make sure you set up the cameras on a separate VLAN and/or separate physical LAN from your other home network and have firewall rules in place to deny that VLAN and separate physical LAN from communicating to the outside and do not let any external device access it from the outside. If you need access remotely to the cameras, setup a VPN server to have secure access into that camera network. Pretty much all of these cameras come from China so, you want to protect yourself not just from unwanted random outside snooping but also from the cameras calling home in the event there's hidden foreign government backdoors/spyware.

Having a camera can be helpful in a lot of different situations. Foscam makes some good ones that feature HD recording, night vision, and ability to stream online when you're away. I have this one and am pretty happy with it. Just make sure you set it up somewhere that is slightly hidden but gets a good viewing angle. If you're pointing it outside, it should be easy.

I can't comment as a owner, but I've heard quite a lot of discussion regarding the Amcrest and Amcrest Pro, 720P and 1080P respectively. I have three pro's sitting in my wish list at the moment. Seem to be a great value.

I bought this

Reolink IP PoE Security Camera 4 Megapixels Super HD 2560x1440 Bullet Outdoor Indoor IR Night Vision Motion Detection RLC-410 (Fixed Bullet without SD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010LH48F4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_nwePUbjOs9DZw


a month ago and I love it. You can buy the more pricey one that comes with an internal SD card. I have mine set up to email me when motion is detected when I'm not home and it stores all the videos captured on a simple FTP server I set up. It also comes with a decent program for the pc and an app. I think it's great quality with lots of features for the price.

The software is Blue Iris running on an Intel Core i7-4770S with 16gb of RAM and 1.5Tb for storage. These cameras are a mix of Dahua and Wansview:

• Dahua IPC-HFW4300S PoE (not on Amazon any longer)
  
• Wansview Wireless Security Camera - 1080p
  
• Wansview Wireless Security Camera - 720p
  
  The 1080p Wansview are a great value for $30/each but I personally wouldn't bother with 720p, regardless of the manufacturer. If PoE is an option, I recommend Reolink; I installed 5 of these for someone else this past weekend and the picture is great: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FQ2T89L/

I have 5 of these Amcrest 1080P cameras and they have never failed me. The setup was quick and the iOS/Android app works very well and is snappy to load HD streams over 4G. I don't yet use the motion alert features, but you could pop in a SD card to record on motion (which can also be viewed remotely). I highly recommend them and for the price, hard to beat.

One of the cams is our dedicated baby monitor that gets used like ~3 hours each day if not more. We also use them for nanny cam purposes and the 2-way audio and PTZ capabilities come in handy often.

P.S: Forgot to mention, unlike Foscam where support was non-existent, Amcrest was quick to respond and are "more US based" than Foscam/other Chinese OEM knock offs.

This is the one I got. I wanted the Nest, but didn't want to spend that kind of money. Settled on this one, and I've been pretty happy with it. The app is pretty solid, and has a lot of features. [edit] I forgot to mention it has an intercom on it too. I talk to my cats and dog with it while I'm at work.

They're foscam ip cameras. I like them alot. I got mine on sale for ~60 a couple years ago. I don't know the exact model number but it is the kind that pans and tilts. Setting up email notifications was a bit of a pain but after setup works perfectly. So yes, after last night I definitely recommend them.

Edit: I found them on amazon.
My model: http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8918W-Wireless-Network-Viewing/dp/B0046710G6/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1345202681&sr=1-3&keywords=ip+camera

The new model: http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Wireless-Network-Camera/dp/B006ZP8UOW/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1345202681&sr=1-2&keywords=ip+camera

That really sucks, sorry to hear that. I can't really tell you a thing about jewelry, but I would recommend getting a few cameras if you're worried about it happening again.

I know a few people who have Wyze cameras, and they swear by them. They're pretty cheap, and the quality is good. https://smile.amazon.com/Wyze-Indoor-Wireless-Detection-Assistant/dp/B076H3SRXG/

The peace of mind will be worth it. I went with the Blink system for exterior of our house, and I like being able to check in on the place when we're traveling to make sure weird shit ain't happening/homeless drunk people aren't stealing bags of rocks off our porch again (that really happened...). Quite a bit more than the Wyze cameras but they're semi-permanent since we're going to be here awhile, and they're weatherproof.

I have these Yi Ant Cameras they are cheap and good quality. You can put a custom firmware on them which will shut off the Yi proprietary app, and will open up a RTSP web server. Then you can set up Home Assistant which lets you view cameras and will let you automate things when you come home.

I know these things require a bit of tinkering around but it's definitely worth it for the outcome. If you want some help setting up Home Assistant, reach out to the subreddit they're all really helpful people

I use UniFi cameras. Got a couple UVC-Micro's, and recently bought 2 of the new UVC-G3's that I haven't gotten around to using yet. I really like the software.

The Micro's are wireless, so no need for PoE.
UVC-G3 only works with 24V Passive PoE (injector included), but the UVC-G3-DOMEalso supports 802.3af PoE (or 24V Passive). Not sure why the UVC-G3 can't do 802.3af, but either way, injectors are included or you can get one of the 24/48 port switches that support PoE, or their Switch 8. If you're only looking at 1-3 cameras, I'd just use the injectors and keep them close to your switch (i.e., in your rack or whatever you have).

No idea what the IR range is with the UVC-G3, but they do have a range extender (UVC-G3-LED) that is rated for up to 82ft. Ring is kinda pricy, IMO. Most of my Micro's are indoors, but I do have one on the porch that does pretty decent at night, but will soon be replaced with a UVC-G3.

Overall I'm happy with them. I have several Ubiquiti products, and never really had any showstopper issues with any of them.

Just wanted to add my .02, hope I'm not too late.

I use this camera from Amazon ($45 with prime)

and this app (free, $3 for the ad-free version)

I've used it for two years and just purchased a second one for baby #2. It has night vision, and a speaker and mic which I've rarely used but are nice to have. You can control the pan/tilt from whatever device you are using, and probably my favorite thing about it is that I can view both cams side by side at the same time, a lot of systems make you choose one or the other.

Important: These cameras can only be used from your own wifi network, which means I can only view them from my phone or tablet inside the house, my husband can't watch them from work. With a little technical know-how someone could set up a proxy server to be able to view them, but that's beyond my capabilities. You also want to make sure to change the default password on the cameras so they can't be hacked.

I have a couple of Hikvision outdoor IP dome cameras that work well. They are PoE, so power is easy for them, and they are 4mp, so the image is pretty good, though low light sometimes leaves something to be desired (lots of people supplement with night time IR lights in those cases.

I have a Synology NAS too, and while I actually liked their Surveillance Station app, it doesn't work in web browsers anymore (They have been sitting on a broken implementation for 2+ years now here), so I moved away from it.

The Hikvisions have a web server built in a decent enough interface, and I just write the video files out to my NAS drive, where I have a 10 GB partition set aside for it.

They also have passable motion and line-crossing detection, though I think that it could be better.

Nice little cameras for $130 or so: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017Y4CD9U/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

One warning if you go this route: Hikvision is kind of a dick about support. They only really "support" their authorized dealers. Further, they have region based distribution, so you can get a Chinese camera if you aren't careful. MAKE SURE YOU BUY FROM A SELLER THAT GUARANTEES YOU GET THE RIGHT REGION. If you don't you may never be able to upgrade your camera's firmware, because there are a lot of knockoff Hikvisions out there coming out of China that are not binary compatible.

On the amazon page I linked, if you click on the "15 new from" link it'll show the actual companies that will fullfill the order behind the scenes. The good ones will have comments telling you the above. Make sure you order from them specifically.

Also, I highly recommend PoE. Cameras chug a lot of data, so isolating them from the rest of your wireless is a good idea, and you don't want to run power to every drop. Buy a PoE injector. Your switch will just plug into this, and then the other side will have PoE on it. I have the following 6 port injector and it works great: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FYEY6SY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There are other cameras out there, some are better and with less issues around firmware / knockoffs, etc. Very few provide the same quality at the $130 price point. But if you don't want to mess about with that, there's always Axis and a few others that are great, but significantly more expensive.

This is a copy/paste from another thread about monitors:

We have a wifi home security camera (it's a Foscam, I will try to add the link on mobile) from Amazon that can be viewed on any mobile device with the app or from a web browser. I got it when my dog was a puppy so I could check on her from work. You can rotate the camera something like 270 degrees, it has two way audio (have to trigger to talk through it) and infrared for nighttime viewing. You can also snap screenshots or record video, and set it up to start recording if there's motion. I think it was like $70?

You have to log in with two passwords and it's not accessible outside our home wifi so my Army husband feels confident in the security. He may change it when we goes back to work from paternity leave so he can spy on baby from work, but we'll see.

We plan to mostly use an old iPhone with a docking station to view with, but i can use my phone, bigger iPad, or bigger still laptop screen if I want.

Edit: here's the new version of what we have!

Foscam FI9821PB Plug & Play 720p Wireless/Wired Pan/Tilt IP Indoor Security Camera with Night Vision, Motion Detection Alerts, Two-Way Audio and Remote Viewing (Black)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H3Q8QB4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Dq6Cyb8GA9DMK

If she's a roommate couldn't she just have gone in the house to see if you were home?

Anyways, given your requirements most anything would work but you'll probably want some sort of cloud recording.

The yi ant cameras are cheap and will suit your needs. I generally wouldn't recommend them since there are some security and privacy concerns but with your budget you'd be able to get, well almost get, 3.

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Wireless-Security-Surveillance-US/dp/B016F3M7OM

Yi is a pretty well regarded brand so I would trust them a little more than the one you linked. If you want pan and tilt they have a version for $40 as well.

There's a better way: https://camelcamelcamel.com/Wyze-Indoor-Wireless-Detection-Assistant/product/B076H3SRXG?context=search

OP, this is probably the cheapest they will sell them for. If it's your first time I recommend jumping on the deal if you're planning to spend more than $25 for the free shipping. But if you're unsure then I'm sure it's possible we will see a $20 deal on Amazon again.

Also, if you live near a Micro Centre you can pick up their own branded SD cards super cheap. For example, a 128gb card costs $12.99. I use their 64gb card and have several months worth of clips stored on it.

I've got 4 of these watching just under 4,000 sq ft.

http://amzn.com/B006ZP8UOW

They work great. Wireless, built in Web server, motion detection, ability to send you photos to your phone when triggered, and they're cheap at less than $80/ea.

I run Evocam http://www.evological.com/evocam.html on a Mac mini I picked up off Craigslist for $200 and it records video from all 4 cameras in 1 hour increments. I can keep over a year's worth of video on the mini without having to delete anything on a 60 GB Drive. Evocam can also be setup to save videos to FTP, Send email/sms on motion detection, save to your drop box.

For $80 I had an electrician install two AC outlets in the eves of the house, and one about 9 feet up the wall so I could mount the cameras up high.

Less than $630 for a nice DIY system that's been running for 5 years now.

Foscam FI8910W, $78 USD. Make sure to get black, not white. (The white has an annoying blinking green LED inside that you can see through the white plastic in the dark and is annoying.)

We're using it as a baby monitor but I also had it set to record and email me photos (and text alarm) when it saw motion while we were on vacation. It can do pan-tilt patrolling too. It is excellent IR in the dark and good colour with lights on. It has a built-in server, audio, microphone, wireless, audio in and out as well if needed, mounting system, and is supported in most surveillance software including on Android, iOS, and Blackberry.

Foscam makes a great wireless IP cam with free viewing app, for about 75$ on amazon. i LOVE it. use it all the time, with two way audio also

http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZP8UOW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453866793&sr=8-2&keywords=foscam+ip

Here's the deets...

Record player: Pro-ject Debut Carbon. Fantastic upgrade to the Debut line that is, IMO, well worth the extra $100. After having various record players in the past, I am happy with this one.

Pre-amp: TCC TC-750LC. For a low price magnetic pre-amp, I can't complain. Could it be better? Certainly... Would it cost a lot more? Definitely. For $50, I'd say this is one of the best buys you can get.

Speakers: Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Bookshelf speakers. Again, a great buy on the low end of price. I believe the set is around $150 retail, although you can probably snag them as low as $100. Nice range in sound, especially on the low end. I am using these as the 2.0 part of a 5.1 surround sound. When playing records, I only run through these speakers, as opposed to a 2.1 setup with my subwoofer. The sound is much cleaner that way.

Receiver: Sony STR-DH800. Nothing to note here. Just passed the sound to the speakers... I'd like to eventually get the record player onto it's own receiver, but my house isn't large enough to warrant a separate system.

Furniture: Ikea, Ikea, Ikea. Expedit, Expedit, Expedit. I have tweaked some of the pieces with some add-ons... But yea, the pictures are self-explanatory there.

Side note, I post some records from time to time on my Instagram account, @hopsandwax.

You should be more concerned with recording in your residence then in your car. It's more likely shit will go down where you live.

For your car the solution is cheat and easy. Get a GPS navigation holder for your smartphone that attaches to your dash or windshield. It will hold your smartphone and all you have to do is hit the record button with the camera pointed towards you. I believe an example of the results of that system is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onDtai02XO4

For a home surveillance system you can use these:

http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZP8UOW/ref=pd_cp_p_2

I don't think that you'll get a better security cam for the price. It's affordable, has good resolution, has a ton of features, and can be placed about anywhere you have access to wifi & a wall socket. There are plenty of tutorials about setting those cameras up as an indoor surveillance system, so I won't create a giant post here. Although when/if I do get a rig set up I'll probably make a post about it later.

Finally you'll want to check on the legalities of recording someone in your area. You can get free legal advice from a lawyer in your state with out leaving any publicly available identifying information here:

http://www.avvo.com/free-legal-advice

The lawyers on this site answer questions to get good publicity, and in hope of pulling in more clients. The site verifies that they passed the bar and their license is current and valid.

Gotcha. My thoughts are below.

1. This scenario makes sense. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of overlap between vendors that sell wireless cameras with two-way audio, that have local storage, and that have quality software with decent motion detection.
   
   
2. Good to hear you've accounted for it.
   
   
3. If you want to use two cameras, you're going to need some kind of storage solution and monitoring solution independent of the two cameras. It looks like you're going to be buying a NAS down the road. If you plan on doing just network storage, you'll need some kind of head end - in this case, the NUC. In other words, you can use the NUC today for storage and monitoring; when you build out your NAS, you can use that for storage as well, but would still need some processing power dedicated to the camera solution.
   
   With the additional details provided, I'd suggest looking at Foscam. I'm generally not a fan of their products, but they meet your requirements and include a freebie copy of BI for you to play with. Their relatively low price means you can purchase more cameras, and BI would meet all of your monitoring and communications requirements without incurring a monthly surcharge.
   
   

I have no experience with any other cameras (nor home automation). I bought one of these about 4 months ago - YI Home Cam and it's pretty awesome. It senses motion and sends an alert to my phone, then plays back a 6 second clip. It can also track motion. You can also aim/rotate the camera with the app. It also has really good night vision. Besides watching my front door, I sometimes set it up on my deck at night so I can check out the raccoons, possums and wild cats that visited my deck during the night.

this one, for example?

http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZP8UOW/

It looks great from what I can tell

It looks I can talk through it too... that would be awesome! I'd love to get my dog's attention if he's doing something he's not supposed to

Home surveillance equipment has gotten very affordable recently. I installed a Belkin netcam wireless camera in my backyard for less than $100. It lets me monitor everything from my laptop tablet or phone. Just a tool to help you protect your stuff. Hope that helps.

edit: My buddy bought this one and he is happy with it.

Sure. Outdoors I have used their 3MP dome camera (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E7QMFIM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_IfwEzbD27N7W7), indoors I have used their slightly cheaper rotating camera (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0145OQXCK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_7gwEzbVZHZ8CN). Note that the indoor model I chose doesn't run on POE, but you can run POE to it and then pick up a splitter that separates out the Ethernet and the power at the camera. It can go over WiFi...but I wouldn't recommend that.

I appreciate Amcrest's US tech support, and I've been running them for two years now without issue. They even go so far as to claim Blue Iris support. There's definitely other options, but they're a sound option.

I haven't tried their outdoor bullet cameras, but I'd assume they are solid as well.

It depends....
So Milestone is free for up to 8 cameras.
So a PC:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-ThinkCentre-M92p-Tiny-i5-3470T-2-9GHz-8GB-500GB-Windows-10-Pro/132724124719?hash=item1ee6f96c2f:g:1O8AAOSwGL1baz-6

Tiny - power efficient, easy to upgrade Hard drive and has legit windows license.

Cameras:
https://www.amazon.com/2560x1440-Surveillance-Security-Detection-RLC-410/dp/B010LH48F4
$60 each

POE switch (provides network connection to camera AND power)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-POE-SWITCH-2530-8-POE-8-PORT-10-100-1000-JL070A-FREE-SHIPPING/332794776491?hash=item4d7c1d4bab:g:wHoAAOSwQS1bkFDT

$120ish

The HP switch has a lifetime warranty as long as you have a business address to send any replacements to.

I've twice in the last 4-5 years had lightning strike and take out my switch (HP replaced both times) and the last time it also killed the camera (Reolink replaced the camera under their warranty).

So there are the costs if you roll your own solution. It's not for everyone so let others here suggest what you should/shouldn't do.

I'll note that Reolink the cameras that I like for their cost/performance value also make an NVR. Same caution there with the updates, but at least the cameras that come with it are re-usable if say 5 years from now the NVR is no longer being updated.

Good luck with whatever you do :-)

I use this Foscam FI8910W Pan & Tilt IP/Network Camera with Two-Way Audio and Night Vision (Black)
http://amzn.com/B006ZP8UOW

It works great especially with iOS devices. Much cheaper than most baby monitors too. I can check on my family when I'm at work too. Suggested it to all my family and friends as we'll and they love it too.

I'm pretty irked with Swann as my only a few year old system they stopped supporting Android after version 4.0. It also requires an ancient version of IE, very low security settings, and compatibility mode.

I'm using these cameras with great success:
https://www.amazon.com/Security-Reolink-POE-Detection-RLC-410/dp/B010LH48F4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1465913762&sr=1-1&keywords=reolink
I personally have replaced it with IP cameras and Xprotect Go (free for 8 cameras). And haven't looked back....

Wyze cams are super cheap and a pretty solid piece of hardware/software for the $20 price tag. While not as fully flushed out as a full security system, the price can’t be beat and you can upload recordings to the cloud on motion, and record continuously to an sd card.

$20 on their site, you’d pay shipping though. It’s a better deal if you are buying in bulk since the shipping isn’t linear.

$25 on Amazon


https://smile.amazon.com/Wyze-Indoor-Wireless-Detection-Assistant/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=sr_1_3?crid=8WUBU9DZP15Y&keywords=wyze+cam&qid=1564253301&s=gateway&sprefix=Wyze%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-3

This will be the best $25 you have ever spent https://www.amazon.com/Wyze-Indoor-Wireless-Camera-Vision/dp/B076H3SRXG/

HD

Free two weeks DVR

Timelaps

Motion detection

Sound detection

night vision

magnetic base

Two way audio

Its a amazing camera and hundreds cheaper than anything else I've found.

I have a DS415+ with 4 X 6tb WD Reds (18tb total in SHR). I use it as:

• Plex server - I have 4 users I share with accross the country (no transcoding although it can handle 1-2)
  
• Surveillance - I have 2 X Amcrest 1080p cameras that record when motion detected and are wireless. Keep in mind that you get two free licenses per Synology unit. Any more and it will cost you a license per camera
  
• Storage - Two users primarily and access both locally and over the net multiple times a day (through the DS apps). Photos/videos/documents/etc.
  
• Cloudsync - synced with OneDrive
  
• VPN server - not running all the time but I do use it several times a week
  
  I did upgrade the memory to 8gb following this. I purchased the DS415+ a year ago coming from a DS213j that could not handle all of this simultaneously. I have been very happy with the setup and would purchase again in a heartbeat.

If you are willing to go POE these are great for the price and do audio:

Reolink PoE IP Camera Outdoor 5MP... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FQ2T89L?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

The night vision works great for me and they should be clear enough for CV or AI for the detection.

I'd return that and get a Wyze. Super simple setup, cheap, great mobile app, and perfect for monitoring doggo.

Might be a bit late to the party here, but I went with a simple IPcam and set it up for network viewing. I never saw the need for a dedicated video monitor when we all have a phone of some sort already. I purchased This One and use any app you like best... Everyone can take a peek during nap times and it definitely makes the grandparents feel apart of it all despite 6 hours between us.

It looks like it's the cheapo Yi - I have four that I bought on Amazon for $120 during a sale. I have three in my house and one in my shop.

I love it - it even captures audio and mine function great.

Wyze cam from Amazon. My fiance and I went to a new local store and he picked it up for me. 😁 Works great and not a hefty price tag.

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Works with Alexa https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_p0f9BbSCGXPKS

Wyze cams are very cheap and reliable as well as highly reccomended. There's a r/wyzecam, because of course there is, LOL...

Wyze Cams are incredibly affordable:

Pan & Zoom model $37.98

Wyze Cam V2 $25.98 plus 20% off now

The cameras are made for indoor use only use only, however can be mounted outside with a skin purchased separately. Both models have birdhouse skins (links below) but they're not as invisible as the ideas posted on the Wyze forum and subreddit.

I also came across this great post on the Wyze Cam Forum to add an extra layer of protection againdt the elements using a trimmed balloon. Lots of ideas for hiding in plain sight.

Pan & Zoom - $13.99

Wyze Cam V2 Birdhouse Suction Cup Mount $12.99 / 1 or $18.99 / 2

I hope this helps!

                    My own **PERSONAL** recommendations<br />

My Camera being used outside---

https://www.amazon.com/Foscam-Audio-Wireless-Ultra-Camera/dp/B01F4RJV3K/





Recommended Systems---







NVR: http://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-NV1104-1080p-Network-Recorder/dp/B00X4UDCYE/



Low budget OK all in one: https://www.amazon.com/Security-Systems-Outdoor-Weatherproof-Smartphone/dp/B00HJYVJ1E

Midrange budget Decent all in one with some limitations: https://www.amazon.com/EZVIZ-Security-Weatherproof-Cameras-Channel/dp/B015121KH8/







Recommended Good Cost Minded Cameras---









Budget “Indoor” PTZ Dome Camera (with MIC+SOUND) 2MP ~$98.60 https://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-ProHD-Wireless-Security-Camera/dp/B0145OQXCK/ (black also available)

Top End “Indoor” PTZ Dome Camera (with MIC+SOUND) 4MP ~$199.99 https://www.amazon.com/Foscam-Ultra-HD-Wireless-Security-Superior/dp/B01F4RJV3K (black also available)

“Indoor” PTZ Dome Camera [some limitations - Chinese] (with MIC+SOUND) 4MP ~$111.56 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Chinese-Firmware-DS-2DC2402IW-D3-4MP-IP-Camera-Mini-PTZ-Camera-With-IR-30M-Support-ONVIF/32623907200.html



Budget Indoor/Outdoor PTZ Dome Camera (no audio?) 2MP ~$188.00 https://www.amazon.com/ANRAN-Onvif-Vision-Network-Camera/dp/B00LXVU9NI

Top End Indoor/Outdoor PTZ Dome Camera (SOUND Only) 4MP ~$249.99 https://reolink.com/shop/rlc423-4mp-4x-optical-zoom-ptz-poe-ip-camera/





Budget & Top End Indoor/Outdoor Fixed Dome Camera (SOUND Only) 4MP ~$73.99 https://www.amazon.com/Reolink-RLC-420-2560x1440P-Outdoor-Detection/dp/B0147XLVIU/





Budget Indoor/Outdoor Fixed Bullet Camera (no audio?) 4MP ~$74.99 https://www.amazon.com/Reolink-RLC-410-Megapixel-Monitoring-Waterproof/dp/B010LH48F4 (wireless option available for $25 more)

Top End Indoor/Outdoor Fixed Bullet Camera (no audio?) 5MP ~$129.00 https://www.amazon.com/GW-Security-Megapixel-Resolution-Varifocal/dp/B01ATUAOTM

Indoor/Outdoor Fixed Bullet Cam Coming soon (with MIC+SOUND) 4MP ~? http://www.foscam.com/FI9901EP.html





Terms---

PTZ = Camera moves/adjusts with a motor and remotely,
Fixed = Camera must be moved/adjusted manually,
MIC = Talk to bystanders,
SOUND = Hear bystanders,
Budget = Decent camera, great price,
Top End = Great camera, reasonably priced but more than budget

I bought a camera off Amazon (brand is Wyze) for about $35. It's amazing! You can set it up with your mobile phone to view a live stream, and can play back prior recordings.

It is powered via USB, much like a mobile phone. There is a slot for a micro SD card. I recommend buying one with the camera.


Link: Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_shar

I might be in the wrong place for this but I recently looked into setting up a cheap surveillance system and ended up buying a camera very much like this because it's cheaper (once you factor in a camera module etc) and much easier to set up than something Pi-based.

If you have a Pi and a webcam and some time free this might not be the case but there are other options!

If you have good wifi i would recommend these Yi security cameras, they are both $40 and connect with just a micro USB cable & wifi. The smartphone app is awesome with these cameras, you get instant playback and you can set motion alerts.

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Wireless-Security-Surveillance-US/dp/B016F3M7OM
https://www.amazon.com/YI-Camera-Wireless-Security-Surveillance/dp/B01CW4BG4K/

Used an amcrest for a while. It’s a kitchen sink and works pretty well. I ditched it because personally I couldn’t stand the app and wanted something that would integrate with HomeKit. If you don’t care about either of these you’ll probably like it fine. This is the one I used: Amcrest IP2M-841 ProHD 1080P (1920TVL) Wireless WiFi IP Camera, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0145OQTPG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_RXdhAb3SV32V0

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_9nVRDbBCA7HHM

it’s honestly amazing. quality product for the price!

Have a look at this video
https://youtu.be/CkT8VBBTYeQ

My opinion only: most budget heavy duty safes are still easy to break into with modern day tools. Buy a security camera that sends motion notifications to your phone and point it at a simple, cheap bolted down cabinet. Being aware of break ins and calling for help is much more valuable in my opinion
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RXV6Bb23KKRG9

Honestly, it really depends on what you're trying to accomplish. A camera won't "protect you" from anything (unless it scares someone off, but a fake camera will do that just as well).

All it will do is give you evidence if something does happen...

If you get a cheap camera, you're not going to get anything that's really going to serve that purpose. All you'll get is blurry hard to see people with little resolution. If you want a camera that will be useful for actually identifying someone, while at the same time being wide-angle, you're going to need one that's at least full HD resolution.

And a good, outdoor, night-vision, bare full HD IP camera is going to cost you at least $150.

I like my HikVision cameras, but they're just bare cameras. If you want to record with them, you have to install a DVR or software that performs the same purpose, like Blue Iris.

Terrifying.

Wanted to drop by and recommend a DLink DCS-942L. It connects to your home network via WiFi or Ethernet (no computer needed), you can use the MyDlink web site and iOS app to monitor it in real-time, and you can program it to record pictures or video triggered by motion detection (saved to a micro SD card -- sold separately). Sees in the dark, too.

I'm currently using one to monitor an outdoor cat shelter. Here's an example of the video quality in IR (night vision) recording from earlier today. If you require higher quality/HD image, you're gonna have to spring for a DropCam Pro, which is well-reviewed but I personally have no experience with.

I know time is a factor so you can't wait on shipping; Best Buy's website claims "most stores" stock the DropCam Pro (but not lesser models/the DLink).

Good luck to you.

Why wait? I got this camera because is live in a state that doesn't require notice for landlord to enter property and I kept finding the maintenance people in my room for "check ups". Works great and not too expensive. Now I love it because I can sneak on my dog at work.

YI Home Camera Wireless IP Security Surveillance System (US Edition) White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016F3M7OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_3ZeEUYNSqcAUg

Thanks for the suggestions! The camera I'm using is a Hikvision DS-2CD2032-I is rated at 30fps (1920 × 1080). Right now, it's running ~25fps, though it looks choppier than that.

I'll play with the settings and see what I can accomplish. Thanks again!

My brother uses foscam cameras with an app called tiny cam. He has several cameras in play areas and bedrooms. He bought me a wyze pan camera and I set it up tonight. It's very responsive with its own app and tiny cam app. He wanted me to try it because it's only $37. Our first baby arrives beginning of October.

I know this may not be exactly what you need, but the ability to access your cameras at work these apps and camera will do it with the monitoring and motion/sound alerts. I don't know if owlet works remotely (the sock monitor)

Wyze Cam Pan 1080p Pan/Tilt/Zoom Wi-Fi Indoor Smart Home Camera with Night Vision and 2-Way Audio, Works with Alexa https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGR98VQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_yRELBbZRNZ63X

I live in an apartment as well and was unsure about how to add things to make the place more secure while not breaching anything in the lease.

• First thing I decided on was the Skylink SC1000. It's completely wireless except for the main panel, and everything goes up with Double Sided foam tape. You can add sensors on, add an additional siren (I have a second one in my bedroom window cutout so I hear it in the middle of the night, and its also audible outside for passerby's to hear). I also have a second panel in the bedroom for arming/unarming. It also has "home" and "away" modes so you can set a 0 second delay on the siren and not include motion detectors when home or locking up for the night. Super affordable and very easy to install and use. They also offer a remote dialer but check with your local 911 PSAP to see if they are ok for use. (in my area they are not, but the dialer calls a relative). I've given the code to my landlord although with 24 hours notice required for non-emergency 'drop-ins', it hasn't been needed.
  
  
• Number 2: I spoke to the landlord and changed the locks and upgraded to a Schlage deadbolt and knob. You know they aren't changing the locks when people move out so there is no telling who has a key still. I just had to give one to my landlord. Schlage also gives you the tool to 're-key' a lock if you key should become lost.
  
  
• Number 3: I put a Brinks outdoor locking lever on my bedroom door. I wanted to ensure a safe place to retreat in the event of a home invasion and I sleep sounder knowing the door is locked and there's a barrier creating a delay between the alarm sounding and someone being in my face.
  
  
• Number 4: A relatively inexpensive IP Camera with Pan/Tilt/Zoom in the living room that covers the bedroom door and main door depending on angle, and another inside my living room window pointed at the walk up for the building.
  
  The last thing that is still on my wish list is a Peephole camera. For now I just throw a hat over the peephole to keep the light from showing whether i'm home or not or if my face just got right against the door.
  
  
  My last piece of advice is that if there is a landline phone, call your 911 center's non-emergency line and ask to test the information received by their system when 911 is dialed. With VOIP, the information could be totally wrong and even misdirected to the incorrect agency. If cell phones are the only thing in use at the house, make sure the cell phone company has the correct address on file. If a cell phone calls 911 and it sounds like there is an obvious emergency (eg: someone screaming) but the person on the line is unable to give clear information or an address, they can contact the cell provider and get a billing address. If the bill is sent elsewhere, an alternative address can usually be added to the account.

My husband found super cheap 24 hour cams with sound and color. The Wyze cam is like 30 bucks, works great and has an outdoor housing for about 15. We use one as a baby monitor and have the other in our driveway.

ETA: it also has infrared for night

I got this wifi cam. Yeah I had tested the second cam with cat5 and it worked fine. When I moved it into place, the 720p couldn't hold up over wifi. But I couldn't even get it to connect at any resolution. So I just figured I'd rather have cat5 there anyway as it's a media PC to stream to anyway. I am very impressed with iSpy for setting up a floor plan and positioning the cams. Great program.

For the money this camera is really great. You can pan and tilt the camera and the night vision works really well. The app for the camera support iOS, Mac OS, Windows and Android.
https://www.amazon.com/YI-Wireless-Security-Surveillance-Monitor/dp/B01CW4BG4K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521572782&sr=8-3&keywords=yi+home+camera

I have ALL parts of my property under video surveillance. I think all pet owners should. You never know when some twisted individual will go out of their way to take "revenge" on your beloved pet.

I started doing this since I found a few suspicious pieces of cheese on my side of the property near the fence. Luckily my dog is extremely shy and won't accept food from people she doesn't know well.

It's easy to setup even if you're not tech savvy.

You need one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Network-Recorder-UVC-NVR/dp/B00LSNM1DM/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1494653840&sr=1-1&keywords=unifi+nvr

And one or more of these: https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UVC-G3-UniFi-Video-Camera/dp/B01EZYTYLC/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1494653840&sr=1-2&keywords=unifi+nvr

The cameras are fully weatherproof (I've got mine mounted under sidings, on poles and on trees outside my property) and they've been working well for 2+ years.

Don't take the risk - protect yourself.

You'll find that people's demeanour changes once they find out they're being watched as well.

If you want to go the budget route, get the yi home cameras. The 720p version is usually $30-40 each and the quality and motion detection is surprisingly really good. It does notifications of motion within a set time frame and records only when motion is detected. I integrate them into my smart home system with smartplugs to only turn on when everyone is away or when we arm for bedtime.

You can pay a monthly sub for 24/7 recording, but I just use a microSD. Unfortunately, they aren't POE, but wifi:

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Wireless-Security-Surveillance-US/dp/B016F3M7OM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502907543&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=yi+home&psc=1

If you want a more sophisticated system, a lot of people recommend the netgear Arlo system.

I've had great success running cheap-o $40 SV3C cameras and BlueIris in a windows VM. BlueIris wasn't free or open source, but it was the best I found when I was experimenting.

I have 4 cameras and the VM usually sits at 30-40% CPU doing all the work.

I know several people who have recommended this one, but I haven't bought one myself yet: https://www.amazon.com/Wyze-Indoor-Wireless-Detection-Assistant/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=sr_1_3

Apparently, you hook it up to your wifi and it uploads to your own personal Amazon bucket. Which would seem to be the ideal combination of properties.

​

Oh, on second look, it looks like it's uploading to *their* buckets, and they just don't charge you for it. Maybe I'll get one just to see if it can be configured to use my buckets instead.

Then you want the Wyze Pan.

I've got 4 Wyze cameras and they are pretty amazing for such an inexpensive device. The devs are also active on /r/wyzecam. They just posted a video today as it's their 1 year anniversary as a company.

And to clarify OPs mention of 14 days of cloud storage. It does not store 24/7 recordings. When motion is detected, it will record 12 seconds of video and store that to the cloud for 14 days. It also has a 5 minute cool down between the cloud recordings. It's not perfect but it's free.

We got this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CW4BN5M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Kid's still got a few weeks in the hole, but we have used it to successfully monitor the dog while we're gone and it works well. We paid $80, but looks like it is $75 now.

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Wireless-Security-Surveillance-US/dp/B016F3M7OM/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1482099215&sr=1-3&keywords=yi+camera

Got 11 of those after BF for essentially free. I use them to watch my dogs during the day, they work great for the purpose.

I'm pretty sure they phone home to china though, and you have to use their app. (Their are hacked firmware's you can load)

First pick up one of these Wyze Cam Pans. They work great and actively turn to watch motion.

Wyze Cam Pan 1080p Pan/Tilt/Zoom Wi-Fi Indoor Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGR98VQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_aQlnDbVAC42DP

Then you can also get one of these to hide it and mount it outside.

Wyze Cam Pan Protective Case with Wall Mount Bracket, Weather Proof Adjustable for Indoor and Outdoor Anti-Sun Glare and UV Protection Very Easy to Install (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GCYF2T8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_rRlnDb3D7RDDZ

At least you'll have a notification when motion is detected at your front door.

Next thing, get an alarm system so if they break in it informs the cops who are right down the road.

My husband set up one of these
https://www.amazon.com/YI-Camera-Wireless-Security-Surveillance/dp/B01CW4BN5M/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1495234293&sr=8-7&keywords=yi+home
They have an app you can download to watch. When you're home it's best to turn the camera off as it takes up a good amount of bandwidth. I now use it to tell my dog to get off the couch. :)

Go with a Dropcam - records to cloud, so even if they stole the camera, you have the footage. It's dead simple to setup, has night vision, and has a mic/speaker. It can notify your phone when it sees movement, and if you see someone in your place when you're not there, you can yell at them remotely :)

Google bought them last year, and they're now part of Google's Nest division. It's not super cheap, but it's good quality and easy to use.

Amazon Link for reviews. Good luck, it's a shitty situation.

I don't know how I feel about spying on grandma, but internet enabled security cameras seem like the way to go. They're just the easiest to remotely manage and setup:

https://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-ProHD-Wireless-Security-Camera/dp/B0145OQXCK

I want to just point out that you can save a lot of money by getting a general web cam that isn't branded as a "baby monitor". We have these for general home security and plan to get a couple more for use as baby monitors. They have an app for iOS and Android, so while it doesn't come with a "matching" display, it's way easier and more convenient for us to just have the app on our phones, iPad, and laptops anyway.

And then, when baby turns into a teenager, you can point it outside their bedroom window and set up a motion alert text message to your phone to wake you up and catch them sneaking out :p

Thanks, pal. I'm running a TCC MM Preamp that I've been using for a decade now. I'm not unhappy with my setup, I just tried out the Grados on a hi-setup in the store and have never heard drums punch like that. I figured that the preamp is the weak link in my chain right now.

I was hoping to have something that wouldn't rely on the receiver to sound good. Perhaps this is an unnecessary concern? I'd probably be fine using the receiver.

What neighborhood/part of town are you in?

I had a solicitor come by my place not too long ago trying to sell AT&T. I'm fairly certain she was legit as she didn't make any suspicious comments. I don't recall her wearing anything AT&T branded, however.

If you don't have any sort of security system, I can't recommend these Yi Home Cameras ($30 on Amazon) enough. Easy to set-up and controllable with a free app. They'll even alert you when they pick-up movement. Consider picking one (or more) up. You'll also need a microSD card to store video.

We got the same one for $60, and the new HD version is still only $75.

The IR/night vision is fantastic and the motor for the pan/tilt is quiet enough to not wake the baby. The app has everything we need and the whole package was easily half the cost of every "baby monitor" we saw. It also has a two way mic/speaker and comes with mounting hardware.

I highly recommend it.

In addition to a baby monitor, I would suggest a security camera for the baby room. Anything from a Nest, or aFoscam...whichever you choose, make sure it's wired Ethernet (best connection), it's 720p or higher resolution, and change the default passwords (VERY important). Connect to your phone, and you're good to go :)

If you want cheap and simple, I've heard pretty good things about Wyze (Wyze Cam v2 on amazon). A lot of parents use them as baby monitors, so I imagine it'll work well as a dog monitor. I just received one yesterday and it's been working well so far.

I was about to say the same thing. I downloaded the mobile app and can pull up the stream without any issues from my phone. Here is the link from Amazon and it's cheaper from their website. It worked great for me.

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Works with Alexa https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_vbY6Bb20VBE8N

I got this to make sure the dog sitter didn't try to enter my locked office while on vacation. It has card storage, night vision, motion alerts, and cloud storage is optional. Just buy a cheap battery backup surge protector, and that covers most if not all of your needs. Good luck!

Pretty well any camera system has motion detection. This cam is $25 but dont rely on it as an alarm. I keep the audio and video on at night on my phone to watch my baby.
https://www.amazon.com/Wyze-Labs-Wireless-Camera-WYZEC1/dp/B076H3SRXG

Guns are nice for living in the country. Whether you're into them or not, shotguns can be purchased for relatively low cost and are a bit more comforting than baseball bats when things go bump in the night.

Also, move that couch and install a couple secure deadbolt locks.

As to whether or not I think someone could be breaking in, my philosophy is that it's better to be safe than sorry. It could be that your neighbor is paranoid. It is equally as likely that someone is testing doorknobs in your area to see which house is unlocked and easy to rob. Either way, police response times in county lands are never great.

Stay safe!

We use a Wyze Cam along with a cheap audio monitor. The wyze app never lags out on me and the audio monitor is great for consistent sound so I can know if he’s crying and then check the video to look at him. Much cheaper than the baby-specific video cameras but works just as well.

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.g0NDbF2W9V0C

VTech DM111 Audio Baby Monitor with up to 1,000 ft of Range, 5-Level Sound Indicator, Digitized Transmission & Belt Clip https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JEV5UI8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_uZ0NDbVTWGAR8

You can get a pretty inexpensive camera that triggers and records on motion.

Something like this:

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Works with Alexa https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YDP5CbP4K78ZK

You might google the make and model of the keypad on your door to find the manual online. Since you know the code you may be able to change the code yourself and that manual will tel your how.

I recommend this one it's cheap and really good

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uNMoDb8QEVPP7

I guess that's when you go into detective stakeout mode with takeout in the car.

Could be, if they were there before 6 I'd not see them. I knew super early risers were sociopaths.

The one I got is here. Surprisingly advanced for the cost, and really kind of cute.

Safety first I suppose.

We got a nest for our shower. It was recommended by my brother in law who said he really liked being able to see whether their son's cries were true distress or just cringing. My husband and I were going to splurge on the owlet as well, but after reading some reviews online, I was convinced that the technology isn't quite where it needs to be for it to be truly helpful.... we'll see, I may change my mind on that.

The foscam cameras are awesome. I have 5 of them and they work great. http://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI8910W-Network-Camera-Two-Way/dp/B006ZP8UOW

Edit: Just saw this deal going on today for the newer version of the 8910 http://deals.ebay.com/5001167447_Foscam_FI9821W_V2_Indoor_Pan_Tilt_H_264_720p_Wireless_IP_Camera__802_11b_g_n?afepn=5335869999&afepn=5335869999

Yi home cameras on Amazon are pretty good. YI Home Camera Wireless IP Security Surveillance System (US Edition) White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016F3M7OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.iczzb5T3BQXX

Our Motorola video couldn't even handle being across the house (we have a one story ranch) so I found out this VTech audio only has some of the best reception through walls. You could do something like a nest camera as well instead

We don't currently have a recommendation for IP cams that record locally. It's a pretty niche and complicated market compared to set-and-forget stuff like Dropcam, and far fewer people are interested in it. And most network cameras have much worse image quality than the Dropcam.

That said, I'd like to cover it eventually. This Foscam has good reviews and works with Synology NAS, though the viewing angle and image quality aren't as good as the Dropcam's.

Just did all the research on this. Get a Wyze camera. You can get the standard model for like 25 bucks but we sprung for the fancy one than pans and rotated for $37. Connects to your phone via WiFi and has sound plus all the other fancy features of the high end monitors! You can even view while your at work or where ever!

We actually ended up just buying a used kindle fire off craigslist for like 30 bucks just so we had a stand alone monitor that we could have always on so our phones wouldn’t get drained!

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Works with Alexa https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Yx3CCbAW925Z8

Wyze Cam Pan 1080p Pan/Tilt/Zoom Wi-Fi Indoor Smart Home Camera with Night Vision and 2-Way Audio, Works with Alexa https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGR98VQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Hy3CCbM4K10BH

Our little girl isn’t here yet but we have been using it every day so far to spy on our doggie:)

I've recently become a huge fan of the Hikvision cameras after buying one. Resolution is amazing and loaded with features.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G7GMEOG/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_xaMxwbSR5KS8T

I also run Blue Iris from Foscam for my NVR and it works great. I have my recording database set in my Dropbox so it uploads to the cloud in case a thief were to steal/destroy my PC.

This camera:
https://www.amazon.com/Foscam-FI9821PB-Wireless-Security-Detection/dp/B00H3Q8QB4/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1484077536&sr=1-5&keywords=foscam

and this instructional set:

http://foscam.us/forum/how-to-use-rtsp-and-https-for-hd-cameras-t4926.html


This is a great camera with awesome low light IR vision.

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3DJsDb6REMNFS

I have this camera, it works great!

I think the monitor I linked to can handle multiple cams pretty easily. But I only have one atm so haven't tested that. Might be worth checking out. But then again, IP cams like those from Amcrest/Foscam/Hikvision would probably be cheaper. https://smile.amazon.com/Amcrest-1920TVL-Security-Wireless-IP2M-841B/dp/B0145OQTPG is an example of what i'm talking about.

Very helpful so far for us. We moved our LO to her room and crib when she was 4 months old (so you still have time... especially with Black Friday coming up). The monitor gives us the ability to check in on her without going into her room.

We have a Wyze 2.0 for the video part and bought Vtech sound monitors. We chose this combo as a cheaper alternative to the video/sound baby monitors. The cameras can be used for other things after the baby grows up. It continuously records too... so it could be used for security purposes.

Typically, we wait to hear a sound and turn the camera on to see what's up. We tried just using the wyze camera sound, but you have to leave it running continuously on your phone and sometimes it stops. So the vtech monitors work best in combo with it.

If you're looking for a single camera solution, you can save yourself a hundred bucks and get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G7GMEOG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3OLC87AHTILXN. It has the added benefit of being both weatherproof and higher resolution.

It doesn't come with the dropcam web server, but it does provide its own. If you're tech savvy, you can expose that securely.

Also, if you point the dropcam out the window, you will need to turn off the IR, or you will see nothing at night (see my point about window mounting in the post). As far as I can tell, dropcam doesn't support this.

Oh, and nice snark.

When I was pregnant with my son, we got a Nest Cam: Nest Cam Indoor security camera https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WBJGUA2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_6Ps7yb5SV0CD7
He is almost 2 (expecting my second, 22 weeks currently) and we still use it all the time- nice because you can install the app on your phone or tablet or check on your computer. Sometimes I creep on him when I am out past bed time. It is great- we can zoom in and out, it has night mode, and even a speaker/mike option so you can talk through the camera- freaks him out when he is climbint out of his crib and he hears me talking to him without seeing me.

I used these cheap cameras outside

SV3C Security Camera, 1080P POE(Power Over Ethernet) IP Camera Outdoor, Home Security Surveillance Camera, 20Meter Night Vision, IP66 Waterproof, Stabler Connection Compared with Wifi Cameras https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01G1U4MVA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Zw3HAbJJ46T7M

They do have a couple "phone home" scripts. I've outlined them in my review of the cameras. Ok me and Ill send you a direct link to the review. They're outside in Alaska, wind sometimes blows 60mph, freezing rain, snow. They work great. Using blue Iris

I see two possible issues, temperature and signal strength. I would give the Wyze Cam a try, its a disposable Wi-Fi Camera, very popular though and it is very good for the price ($25), get an SD card for recording and you can see the clips from your phone, they also offer cloud storage for recordings if I'm not mistaken. I checked and it says it works on temps as low as 0 Degrees Celsius so as long as its a cooler and not a freezer it should work just fine, I don't how strong that public Wi-Fi signal is going to be inside that cooler.

https://www.amazon.com/Wyze-Indoor-Wireless-Detection-Assistant/dp/B076H3SRXG/

https://wyze.com/wyze-cam.html

Get yourself a Wyze camera, I was having noises outside of my window and this was incredibly easy to setup and super cheap and it auto-detects motion and records a 12 second clip. I set mine up outside under an awning and it's been working flawlessly for about a week now.

A wyze camera is fairly cheap and has two way audio Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KQYyDb8155MYP

We have a couple and they work great.

Can get wyze camera for 40 they work great for this. Spy on my 2 dogs all day long.

Wyze Cam Pan 1080p Pan/Tilt/Zoom Wi-Fi Indoor Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Person Detection, Works with Alexa & the Google Assistant https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGR98VQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_cnakDbARTDJTN

If you're really concerned about it buy this:

Foscam FI9821PB Plug & Play 720p Wireless/Wired Pan/Tilt IP Indoor Security Camera with Night Vision, Motion Detection Alerts, Two-Way Audio and Remot https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H3Q8QB4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_6Jy9bLTwigjLT

Set it to alert on motion and put it at the top of the stairs. Boom, done.

I am doing research myself right now trying to figure out what will work best for a ~7 camera setup at my home. Here is what I have come across so far, hope it helps;

Most likely to buy;

TRENDnet

Microseven

HUACAM

Dahua

Dahua 2

Also considering;

Foscam

Foscam 2

Hikvision

I used a Foscam IP Camera for a baby monitor. Now I have two of them as security cams. They work well and fill all these requirements. The price is right too.

The link is to an older one. I'm sure their newer ones have better resolution.

Some cameras (like the Foscam FI8910W) can upload to FTP on motion alert. You can enable FTP on the qnap and setup an account. I've done it.

I'm pretty confident that none of the off-the-shelf doorbells allow for it. There's no incentive. Monthly service charges are too lucrative.

I have 3 of these up: Link using the Hikvision 7608 NVR. Great setup and the picture is fantastic.

I don't think you understand how gaining access to a network works so I wont explain the security part of it any further.

You can't get the IP if one isn't assigned to it. In order to assign an IP to it you need to use the application. If the application is no longer working because, I assume, Motorola no longer support the service (so it no longer exists) then you can't do much about it without hacking the actual camera. There is a way to do this I'm sure if you look it up but I promise it wont even be worth it. If you are willing to learn to do something like that (which for someone that may have very little knowledge on these things will be a lot to learn) I would suggest purchasing something like this https://www.amazon.com/Wyze-Indoor-Wireless-Camera-Vision/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=wifi+camera&qid=1554411290&s=gateway&sr=8-3

It's really not worth to hack it and try to get it to work. I don't even know if anyone has written software that will work with it if it is hacked and honestly it's not worth looking into.

​

I found the camera on amazon and thought that I'd share some great engrish with you lot! (OP found the same camera for a lot less money so don't buy it from my link)

An affordable solution that works fine:

Foscam FI9821P HD 720P WiFi Security IP Camera with iOS/Android App, Pan, Tilt, Zoom, Two-Way Audio, Night Vision up to 26ft, and More (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H3Q8QB4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_s.zSzb9D8WZRS


There are better, more expensive but this will work.

If you call them they'll set up the computer side for you.


If you want an easier/more expensive/better solution:

https://www.arlo.com/en-us/

For all the people asking which camera they should get, after buying a bunch of different cameras for my house I'm probably the happiest with this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0145OQTPG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Great quality picture and sound, two way audio, works with my iSpy setup. I actually have it in my kitchen now because I can swivel it one way and watch my door and swivel it the other way and watch things on the stove cooking with a decent amount of detail. Plus with the two way sound I can talk to anyone else who might be cooking.

My only complaint is that to use it in Chrome you need to install their Chrome app, which looks no different from going to it over the IP except that it actually shows the video. I only go in there for configuration though as IP Cam Viewer Pro/Basic see the video fine and do PVZ fine.

I have a [Foscam] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H3Q8QB4/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_cH44wb4CSNS0K) wifi camera. You can view video over the internet, and set it up to alert you (via email) if it detects motion. You can even rotate the camera from your phone over the internet to look around. You can set up when to record video, and where to store it (onboard sd card, or network storage. It's pretty neat, tons of features for the price.

I have 4 foscam wireless IP cameras in my place. 2 outdoor, 2 indoor. You hook them up to your home network, forward the ports, change the authentication, and you can view them from anywhere in the world. Set them up to take photos when they detect motion, and even create a schedule for when you're normally around, so they don't just snap dozens of pics of you wandering around aimlessly. You can upload those photos to the local machine, dropbox, FTP, or have them emailed. I set up all mine, mounted and everything, in a weekend. Now I get an email and a pic gets saved on dropbox anytime anything moves when I'm not around. Bonus points for knowing when my packages arrive. Love them.

As long as the camera supports ONVIF and the NAS supports it, then you should have no issue with having the NAS record.

Most of the cheap cameras only support cloud recording because that's how they make their money off of you.

EDIT: Forgot to do provide a recommendation, if you want an indoor cam, something like this would work: https://smile.amazon.com/Amcrest-1920TVL-Security-Wireless-IP2M-841B/dp/B0145OQTPG/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=ip+camera&qid=1558804116&s=gateway&sr=8-5

For anyone looking for a cheap (indoor) porch camera. I have this one pointing on my porch. It's pretty great for the price.

i have 2 yi home cameras that i use and they are very easy to setup and great quality so far.

https://www.amazon.com/YI-Wireless-Security-Surveillance-US/dp/B016F3M7OM/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493218978&sr=1-2&keywords=yi+home+camera

How long until you move?

Do you have the funds to pick up this?

Wyze Cam 1080p HD Indoor Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Works with Alexa https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_cGIVCbZ8K1JA6

It'll do the job. You can keep it pointed at your door at all times and then you don't have to worry about remembering your camera.

If possible, have DH send her a text starting she is not welcome at your house and to not come by again or you will call the police. Save it for proof that she was told. Or if you haven't been talking to her at all, send a cease and desist via your lawyer.

When she comes by again, immediately call the cops.

I don't know your situation. But you can buy something like this.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CW4BG4K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pSuUCbC53MKHX


Then if you have it set an old smart phone to never turn the screen off. Then keep it plugged in with the camera app open. If not use your own phone to check it as needed.

I'm sure Amazon Canada or some other store has something similar

I bought this yesterdya and i'm returning it. It does NOT remote pan or tilt, which makes it pretty useless. I bought this one instead. Sane good quality camera, also has 2-way talk AND can remotely pan. It does ther same cloud storage and it's video quality is the same.

The big thing about the Circle is that it's chargeable and portable. But most of the time it's going to stay in one place anyways and you can just unplug and plug it back into another outlet. Not really worth the extra 70 bucks to me.

PLUS, you can't view the Circle on a mac. it is only smart devices like tablets or phones. Lame....

I've got a Wyze Cam in my kitchen that I'm quite pleased with, and it was only $40 on Amazon. I just ordered a second one to put in an outdoor housing in my back yard, it should be arriving today. I was reading r/WyzeCam and a lot of folks were reporting that their cameras were working fine outside during that brutal cold-snap. I figure for $40, it's worth a shot. I've spent more money on dumber things. The key take-aways I've read are that you have to put the camera in an outdoor housing (also on Amazon) and not to have the camera fully-exposed to the elements. It's best to stash the unit under the soffit of a house or some other protected area.

I have heard good things about this, also you will need to buy a PoE switch if you didn't know that already. Make sure you buy good gelled cat5e so you don't find yourself rerunning Ethernet here in a few years

https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Security-1920X1080-Resolution-Waterproof/dp/B01G1U4MVA

I have used three of these outside with no issue for over a year. I am impressed with the nighttime recording and the day time recordings are just as good. I used iSpy which is free to use or for $5 a month you can subscribe and watch your cameras on your phone or any web browser

Of course! I went through a few, but this is the one from my post (and the best one I've bought so far): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_dg4kDb8283C81

I've been using these. They are pretty good for the price. These are wired only, as another poster suggested, wireless cameras can fairly easily be defeated.

You will also need something to record. I use ZoneMinder, which isn't the easiest thing to setup, but it's gotten much easier in recent years. If you don't know anything about linux, or just can't figure the installation, ask some neighbor kid to set it up for you. You will need a dedicated computer for this, running 24/7.

Wyze Cam v2 1080p HD Wireless Smart Home Camera with Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Free Cloud, for iOS and Android (US Version) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B076H3SRXG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JTTwCbYM3C7S1

I use the Wyze cam V2 from Amazon and I installed a custom firmware on it (very easy setup)

Those cameras are very cheap (26$ USD) and very reliable

Custom firmware
https://github.com/EliasKotlyar/Xiaomi-Dafang-Hacks

Edit: Amazon usa link
https://www.amazon.com/Wyze-Indoor-Wireless-Camera-Vision/dp/B076H3SRXG

Pm if you need help with the custom firmware installation

I'm using these in some applications. https://www.amazon.com/Wyze-Indoor-Wireless-Camera-Vision/dp/B076H3SRXG

I'm using one in an outdoor application though it's well protected in a proprietary case and under an eve. It's been up for a few months and so far, so good.

These cameras meet all the specs you listed with the exception of a dedicated outdoor. As I mentioned they can be adapted with a little ingenuity.

I have an IP cam sitting infront of my tanks so I can watch them when I leave, that's how I'm able to count and make sure they're all good. :)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0145OQTPG/ref=sxts_kp_bs_lp_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=8778bc68-27e7-403f-8460-de48b6e788fb&pd_rd_wg=21B1o&pf_rd_r=12GS5PW18PBW9ABXCZSV&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B0145OQTPG&pd_rd_w=u0VUM&pf_rd_i=amcrest&pd_rd_r=ab67158b-001c-48ca-ad6b-e3b762f8f7e6&ie=UTF8&qid=1542416904&sr=1

I've used these and they are pretty amazing for the price.

I have a bunch of these cameras. They are cheap, work great, and easy to use.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B016F3M7OM/ref=sxts1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483729038&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65