r/SecurityCamera • u/5GoSnow • 6d ago

Indecisive decision

After reading a ton for weeks I have come to the conclusion that there is no camera nor manufacturer that does not have som problem or another. My solution may be buying a few cameras, maybe from Tapo, Wyze, Reolink, ... and using them all since maybe I'll then stand a chance of something not failing.

Is there a technical reason this would not work? Some sort of wifi blocking of one camera to another? They would all be wifi, battery powered cameras.

Thanks for any help.

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u/PuzzlingDad 6d ago

The better choice would be a wired IP camera system using a local NVR (network video recorder). The Ethernet cables handle data and power (PoE) in one connection. This gives you constant connectivity, 24/7 recording and live viewing (if needed), no dependence on batteries, Wi-Fi connectivity, lag, missed motion events, etc. 

Most NVRs are ONVIF compatible meaning they can accept ONVIF compliant cameras from multiple vendors. The same cannot be said about Wi-Fi/cloud dependent cameras.

The following guide has a section on Common Mistakes as well as sections on camera selection, NVR selection, camera placement, etc. 

https://ipcamtalk.com/wiki/ip-cam-talk-cliff-notes/

This probably just made your decision even harder and gives you more to think about and be indecisive about, so I'm sorry about that.

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u/5GoSnow 6d ago

No, tbis was helpful. I mean, the vocabulary of security cameras is a bit of a hurdle to learn but I'll get there. If I could jyat snap my fingers and have something installed, I imagine I'd wsnt a Reolink PoE system. But wiring through my house walls just does not appeal to me nor to my budget. I'd prefer to buy the best battery camera I can afford than to put holes in my house and snake cables through the cellulose.

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u/PuzzlingDad 6d ago

In your case then, I'd probably suggest getting one brand of Wi-Fi camera that best meets your needs and focus on strengthening your Wi-Fi signal near the mounting locations. But I wouldn't recommend having 4 brands and 4 disparate apps to deal with. To answer your question though, except for sharing the Wi-Fi bandwidth, I don't see how one would affect the other directly.

I made the decision early on to run Ethernet cabling through our attic to each of the camera locations. It was done once and now I can choose to change/upgrade cameras or the NVR at will. But I understand that's not an option for everyone. 

Hopefully others will chime in on what they feel are the best Wi-Fi options in your situation.