Wireless Security Cameras

[Raleigh72]

My wife would like a doorbell camera and 2-3 cameras around the perimeter of our home. I do not want to involve a subscription or fee type service and prefer a wireless setup. I’ve looked online, and there appear to be a few to choose from (night owl ,eufy, and Argo) with mixed reviews.

I was hoping that someone has had first hand experience (Good & Bad) with any of these systems, or any other brand.

[don6170]

Originally Posted by Raleigh72

I do not want to involve a subscription or fee type service and prefer a wireless setup.

I have the original versions of the Wyze camera and doorbell. They do not require a subscription, but I think their newer versions do. I don't have AC available at one of the doors, so it is battery powered. I have to bring it in to recharge every 4-6 months. I know there are some security concerns about Wyze, but I am fairly isolated from any neighbors or potential hackers, so I don't worry about it.

[Sherifftruman]

Look into Ubiquiti. They have wireless doorbell cameras (it gets power from the doorbell wiring already there), and wireless security cameras, as well as wired ones that use Ethernet wiring and is powered with PoE. There no fees and the video is hosted on your equipment, not the cloud. The wired have better resolution but the wireless ones are pretty good.

[Starglow]

The doorbell cameras are Wi-Fi based and they get power from your existing doorbell transformer and use the same existing doorbell wiring. The doorbell camera must be compatible with your existing doorbell chime for the doorbell to still function properly. If your doorbell chime is really old then you might have to replace it with a new doorbell chime manufacturer/model that is compatible with your doorbell camera. Some people have doorbell cameras on both the front and rear doors, and for that you will need a larger transformer for power.

I have a Lorex doorbell camera that works well and is not subscription based. It also works with my NVR that records video 24/7 for my other ten Lorex security cameras which are hardwired.

The ReoLink doorbell camera is rated well, but their security cameras not so much. Wireless cameras still need power and are more susceptible to interference issues and potential Wi-fi jamming. Wired PoE cameras are initially harder to install but are more secure than wireless and they always have power. My security camera network is on UPS backup power so even if the power fails my cameras still work fine.

How willing are you to jump in and get your hands dirty and what is your technical skill level...??

[Starglow]

Originally Posted by Sherifftruman

Look into Ubiquiti. They have wireless doorbell cameras (it gets power from the doorbell wiring already there), and wireless security cameras, as well as wired ones that use Ethernet wiring and is powered with PoE. There no fees and the video is hosted on your equipment, not the cloud. The wired have better resolution but the wireless ones are pretty good.

Most people generally have a love/hate relationship with Ubiquiti.

[Raleigh72]

Originally Posted by Starglow

The doorbell cameras are Wi-Fi based and they get power from your existing doorbell transformer and use the same existing doorbell wiring. The doorbell camera must be compatible with your existing doorbell chime for the doorbell to still function properly. If your doorbell chime is really old then you might have to replace it with a new doorbell chime manufacturer/model that is compatible with your doorbell camera. Some people have doorbell cameras on both the front and rear doors, and for that you will need a larger transformer for power.

I have a Lorex doorbell camera that works well and is not subscription based. It also works with my NVR that records video 24/7 for my other ten Lorex security cameras which are hardwired.

The ReoLink doorbell camera is rated well, but their security cameras not so much. Wireless cameras still need power and are more susceptible to interference issues and potential Wi-fi jamming. Wired PoE cameras are initially harder to install but are more secure than wireless and they always have power. My security camera network is on UPS backup power so even if the power fails my cameras still work fine.

How willing are you to jump in and get your hands dirty and what is your technical skill level...??

I plan on doing install myself. I’m very hands on and intermediate tech savvy.

[don6170]

Originally Posted by Starglow

The doorbell cameras are Wi-Fi based and they get power from your existing doorbell transformer and use the same existing doorbell wiring.

Be sure to check, not all doorbells are fed from a transformer. Some are simple contact closures (like mine, that connect to an old intercom system).

[clevergirl67]

Originally Posted by Raleigh72

My wife would like a doorbell camera and 2-3 cameras around the perimeter of our home. I do not want to involve a subscription or fee type service and prefer a wireless setup.

We have a couple Ring cameras that are wireless. They were pretty cheap on Amazon. We get notified whenever there is motion, so we look at the video right then if we happen to hear it. We can also hear any noise from the camera and can talk from our phone app to the other party.

As far as history on the videos, we can see how many times each one has gone off, but if we want to view each video we need a subscription. The first month to be able to view any video after the fact is free. We did not get it though. We pretty much have our phones in our pockets all the time so we hear them go off.

[inner_outer_440]

I personally use and recommend wired security cameras since they are harder to jam and less likely to fail when needed most. Unfortunately wired setups cost an arm and a leg to install unless you run the wiring yourself.

For wireless, I'd go with Wyze cameras since they have local storage, can be accessed remotely and don't require a subscription.

[Mr. Big]

Originally Posted by Raleigh72

My wife would like a doorbell camera and 2-3 cameras around the perimeter of our home. I do not want to involve a subscription or fee type service and prefer a wireless setup. I’ve looked online, and there appear to be a few to choose from (night owl ,eufy, and Argo) with mixed reviews.

I was hoping that someone has had first hand experience (Good & Bad) with any of these systems, or any other brand.

We have a Eufy system; a wired doorbell camera (uses former doorbell wiring & transformer) plus three wireless perimeter cameras. I love it. I've had the system for two years or so. No complaints and I would highly recommend it. Yes, you need to recharge the wireless cameras a couple of times a year, but that doesn't bother me. I did a lot of research before committing to Eufy, and I have no regrets. On the inside of our home, however, we use SimpliSafe. Also great. We do pay a monthly (optional) fee for monitoring with SimpliSafe, but it costs half of what we used to pay with another well-known national firm.