Cheapest way to monitor a remote property

[LyndMc]

I own a remote property that has cell service, but I have no internet service or router. I do have my home cameras on BI5.

I’d like to monitor this property and I’m considering a Cellular camera. I’m trying to figure out the cheapest way to do it using or maybe not using Blue Iris. I would like to get remote alarms.

I’m assuming if I had a cellular camera, I’d be using airtime 24/7. I’d also assume that I might be able to pull it into BI somehow.

I have no idea what it would cost me to operate a cellular camera, or if it’s cost affective. I’d probably go with a solar powered camera that I can put up on my utility pole. The remote property is a mobile home and I’d want to see both front and back.

Any suggestions?

[BruceH]

If you connect the camera to BI, it is going to stream video 24/7 and possibly use up a lot of cellular data, I would think that some sort of remote camera with it's own contained motion detection that only sends out data when it has a trigger of some sort, it also sounds like you are wanting two cameras, I would look into a cellular hotspot that a couple of solar powered WIFI cameras can connect to. If you get something working, please post back here for others to reference! Is there power at the remote site, if so then I would try to avoid solar powered cameras, just another thing to go wrong!

[TimG]

Could you run a second Blue Iris PC at the remote location ? No need for 24/7 cellular comms but I'm unsure if BI5 would barf without an internet connection to check the licence. That would allow you to use your home BI5 with the BI5 "Remote Management" (See help file) to access the remote BI5.

Hmm, there was a "Remote" tab in the Status window to do this but it has gone and I can't find it. I'll ask Support

[HeneryH]

Second PC and half-price license (if you write to support) is the way to go.

Messing with other solutions will just cause more grief than anyone wants.

If you can swing the cash, go with Starlink for internet.