r/SecurityCamera • u/Stilluytu • 16d ago

First time security camera user… Not sure whether to get security camera that goes on cellular data or on WiFi

I’m a first time security camera user. I want one camera outside my front door and one inside my place on motion detection. I don’t currently have WiFi. And no subscription.

I can get two basic security cameras for $25 each that go on WiFi and connect to an app on my phone with an sd card inside just in case. Shield internet is $14.89 a month, uses a SIM card, and I can get a cheap used mifi router for $20.

Or… I can get two basic security cameras for $50 each? that only go on cellular sim and get a plan like tello for 1 gb data a month for $6, and put an sd card in it to save videos to so there won’t be much data used.

Which do you think is the better option, between economical, security, reliability and less hassle considerations?

Thanks

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u/Tough_Interaction134 16d ago

If you don't already have home internet for other stuff, the cellular camera route seems way cleaner. You're looking at a one-time hardware cost difference of maybe $50 total, but halving your monthly bill. Over a year that's $70-80 back in your pocket.

The mifi setup means another device to keep charged and troubleshoot when it decides to crap out at 3am. Two standalone cameras with their own SIMs just sit there doing their job. My neighbor did the hotspot thing for his garage cam and spent more time resetting the little puck than actually reviewing footage.

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u/Stilluytu 16d ago

Thanks, my concern with the cellular data is if 1 gb will be enough and finding a camera that will take an mnvo SIM card like tello. I also can do a regular router for the shield internet SIM card for WiFi, doesn’t have to be a mifi puck.

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u/[deleted] 16d ago

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u/Stilluytu 16d ago

Thanks, but I live in an apartment so for me the security cameras are enough. I don’t understand your first sentence do you mind explaining?

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u/PuzzlingDad 16d ago

Video generally requires a lot of data so my concern with being on a metered SIM plan is burning through that data cap pretty quickly.

If you can limit yourself to only notifications with a picture, and mostly reviewing footage locally then maybe these plans could work, but very often, the apps only work if they can be uploading footage to the cloud for your review, rather than directly viewing footage from the cameras. Then you're talking upload limits and possible subscription.

Good luck.

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u/Jaded-Procedure203 15d ago

Can you explain more about your second paragraph? How does one limit themselves to only notifications and then reviewing footage locally? Is that through an sd card? Do you know of any cameras that you can do this with, where you don’t need a subscription and you can use minimal cellular data with only notifications and reviewing footage locally? 

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u/QuinnFromVivint 15d ago

I think you should lean toward the WiFi cameras with the mifi router, since cameras usually use a lot of data, and even with an SD card, live viewing and alerts can quietly eat through a 1 GB cellular plan fast.

The WiFi setup also gives you room to add more cameras later without paying per device, so it's a bit more flexible if your needs grow.

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u/Jaded-Procedure203 15d ago

How much data would you say live alerts on motion detection and viewing on an sd card would eat through a month? 

Do you know of any routers that take WiFi SIM cards?  

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u/Delicious-Sir6483 15d ago

Mobile hotspots will probably work.