I forgot to add that Arlo provides 7 days of free storage. With Nest you get a few hours and if you want anything more than that you have to pay. I also have three Nest cameras but I don't rely on them b/c of the no storage option.

I use 7 Dahua POE Cams and 1 Amcrest with Blue Iris. If you go hard wired don't forget to install the rubber weather grommet seals. I learned the hard way and had to rewire 2 cams that got water in the Cat5 plug. It is not fun to do.

I have an old smart phone (plugged into an AC charger) overlooking my driveway. I use the free Alfred software (Google it - you'll need a Gmail account). There is a lag in the motion detection, but it serves my purposes and is free unless you pay the monthly fee to get more features. I haven't felt the need to do that yet.

quote:

Originally posted by Blackmore:
I have an old smart phone (plugged into an AC charger) overlooking my driveway. I use the free Alfred software (Google it - you'll need a Gmail account). There is a lag in the motion detection, but it serves my purposes and is free unless you pay the monthly fee to get more features. I haven't felt the need to do that yet.

I started out doing that same exact thing. Worked great and I was happy with it for about 2 years, but when I upgraded to a real IP camera, I suddenly had night vision and the resolution improved 10 fold, such that I could actually make out faces and the license plates of those who entered my driveway.

I just recently did the Blink system. Came with 2 inside cameras.
Seems to work ok. Some lag in sending to my phone.
I'm going to ad a outside camera. With that I'm at about 200 bucks.

Installed a SimpliCam doorbell yesterday for a customer. FYI for those they require a not included extra component (I'm guessing it's a resistor or diode) or else the camera bleeds through voltage to the chime and it buzzes.

We have a 3 camera Arlo Pro system bought from Costco. Had it installed by a security company. Could have probably done it myself but at my age, I try to stay off of ladders. Generally happy with it although sometimes when I go to monitor a camera, up pops, "Arlo is currently unavailable." and I go, "WTF? You're monitoring my house and you're unavailable?"

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:

I had a Gen 1 Ring Pro and it would have latency issues, and would take a long time before the video would load for me to answer the door. I recently called to see if getting an upgraded power supply would help, and they sent me a new Gen 3(?) Ring Pro (gratis). It works much better now.

I was upgrading my plan to the $100 per year version today and was told they have the program to replace the older RingPro doorbells. So, I too am receiving a new version for free!!

I love FREE!!

OK, thanks for all the info. That's lots of info I need to think about before making a decision.

The bottom line, DMF, is this:

1. Boxed, wireless systems such as Ring, Nest, Arlo, Reolink, etc. can work, but their performance is inclined to be highly variable and they rely on some combination of in-camera and cloud storage. In a busy area the batteries will need frequent replacement.
   
2. Boxed wired systems that come with an NVR, such as those found at Costco and on Amazon, will generally be a step up, but don't have the highest-performing cameras on the market.
   
3. Roll-your-own wired systems, with NVR hardware and software you choose, and cameras you choose will generally provide the best performance, but also the most work on your part.
   

After playing with (1) (a pair of Reolink cameras) I'm skipping straight to (3), using higher-end Dahua IP cameras and (possibly) the Surveillance Station software in our Synology NAS.