Discreet camera recommendation

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krishkal
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Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:53 pm

Discreet camera recommendation

Post by krishkal »

Hi, can someone recommend a small sized camera that works with BI? Looking for something for indoor use that won’t look ugly. I need a WiFi capable one. Thanks!
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TimG
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Re: Discreet camera recommendation

Post by TimG »

Rather difficult without knowing things like price range, fixed/ varifocal or ptz etc. Pogo has previously said:
If I might make a suggestion that would be nearly perfect for your situation at only $25 US, take a look at the TP-Link Tapo C110. An incredible camera for the price and is even ONVIF 20.06 conformant. A slightly older ONVIF version, but still legitimately an ONVIF device which makes it completely independent from any proprietary cloud support for its functionality. In other words, no Internet required to operate exclusively on a private LAN/WAN, but still provides p2p connectivity for direct remote access via their very nice little app when/if required. Otherwise, it operates exclusively on your LAN/WAN with no strings attached.
But what are your requirements ?
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HeneryH
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Re: Discreet camera recommendation

Post by HeneryH »

Interestingly I heard that criminals are now brining wifi scramblers with them on thefts to thwart cameras and alarms that are wifi based.
krishkal
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Re: Discreet camera recommendation

Post by krishkal »

Hey @timg, the Tapo looks perfect for me, thanks for the pointer. That’s the kind of camera I was looking for: no PTZ, but “aimable”.

Interesting point about the WiFi scrambler, but wired is not practical for me. Would a potential alternative be Zigbee based cameras, or are those affected by WiFi scrambler as well?
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TimG
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Re: Discreet camera recommendation

Post by TimG »

BI5 works with IP cams and the odd analogue cam with the right card. Zigbee is a control protocol rather than a camera protocol - what do you have in mind ?
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krishkal
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Re: Discreet camera recommendation

Post by krishkal »

Honestly, haven’t thought much about it. Just wondering if there is an alternative that is neither WiFi nor hard wired. I guess there is really no answer to the WiFi scrambling issue other than hard wiring.
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TimG
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Re: Discreet camera recommendation

Post by TimG »

There IS powerline ethernet. I use the newer G.hn variants to get ethernet to places where I don't want to drill holes. Have a look here for TP-Link PG2400 type devices (UK). MUCH faster and a better connection than any of the older HomePlug AV/AV2 powerline adapters protocols. Recommended.
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