A DIY security system, also known as a “Do-It-Yourself” system, involves curating which alarm systems work for you. For remote locations, consider using monitoring services with cellular backup like the Arlo Go. Designing a home security system is crucial for ensuring the safety of your home and family. With the right combination of motion detectors, cameras, alarms, and technology, you can create an optimal security system.
Assessing your home’s vulnerability to potential intruders and considering the number of cameras is essential. The best self-installed home security systems include motion and entry sensors, a loud siren, and professional monitoring, all for a reasonable monthly fee. This article focuses on DIY home security systems that don’t generally need professional installation, keeping costs down and making it accessible to anyone in any home.
The Ubiquiti design tool (https://design.ui.com/) is used to produce diagrams for home security camera systems. Keep an eye out for key features such as high-definition video resolution and motion detectors. Choose a spot to be your hub (probably NVR/Modem/Router in one cabinet) and run a bunch of CAT6 from there.
Buy all the necessary equipment, including a camera, DVR, monitor, key board, and mouse. If you have a computer, you do not need the last four equipment. By following these steps, you can create a secure and peace of mind for your home and family.
📹 How to Make a DIY Smart Home Security System (No Monthly Fees!)
There are a ton of smart home devices that can easily be used to create a smart home security system that will not only do the …
How to design a camera security system?
Designing a security camera system for a small business involves a thorough security assessment, determining the type of security system needed, selecting the recording equipment and storage capacity, determining the placement of cameras, using a mix of cameras, and creating a plan for monitoring the system. Small businesses are at risk from various criminal activities, including theft from customers and employees. To enhance security and deter crime, consider the type of business, the size of the business and operations, and the number of cameras needed.
For example, a retail store may require cameras that capture face images, while an office may require cameras that can pan, tilt, and zoom (PTZ) for better viewing. The size of the business and operations also play a role in the number of cameras needed. By considering these factors, small businesses can enhance their security and deter crime.
What is the best home security camera system DIY?
The trend of DIY security systems has led to a surge in popularity, with most of the top security systems of 2024 offering equipment that can be installed on your own. Even ADT, a traditional industry giant, now offers a DIY option. A comparison of eight DIY security systems revealed SimpliSafe as the best option, particularly in terms of monitoring innovations. Other top picks included Cove, ADT, abode, Frontpoint, and Deep Sentinel. SimpliSafe is known for its innovative monitoring features, while Cove is the most affordable option.
ADT Self Setup is considered the best equipment, while abode offers the most flexible monitoring options. Frontpoint is renowned for its excellent customer service. Deep Sentinel is the best option for video monitoring. Overall, the trend towards DIY security systems is a growing trend that offers a more affordable and reliable solution for home security.
What are the four types of surveillance systems?
Surveillance is a crucial aspect of any investigation, involving the observation of individuals, groups, or environments to gather information or prevent criminal activity. It can take various forms, such as physical observation, electronic surveillance, computer surveillance, social media surveillance, financial surveillance, and biometric surveillance. Private investigators should be familiar with the various surveillance methodologies and tools available to them, as well as the ethics of surveillance techniques.
Surveillance is essential for maintaining security, enforcing laws and regulations, protecting against threats, and investigating criminal activity. Criminals often conceal their activities, making surveillance necessary for obtaining evidence to convict a criminal or justify further legal action. In summary, surveillance is a vital part of any investigation, as it helps investigators uncover evidence necessary to convict a criminal or justify further legal action.
Can wireless camera work without Internet?
Wireless security cameras can function without the internet depending on the type of camera, setup, and video storage method. Cloud-based cameras require the internet for functionality, while those that record to SD cards, hard drives, or local network storage can function without it. Wireless security cameras can still function without the internet, but may not have all their features. Some features that may continue to work include watching security footage on a local computer or monitor, which may only display live footage, while connecting the cameras to a local computer may allow viewing of recorded footage.
What is the best height for an outdoor security camera?
Mounting outdoor security cameras at a height of nine feet is crucial for effective deterrence and detection of criminals. Even the best surveillance system may not be able to detect a burglar if it’s aimed in the wrong direction, and a burglar may not hesitate to enter if they can’t see the cameras monitoring their property. Therefore, it’s essential to choose the right location for your outdoor security cameras to ensure your home’s safety.
How do you layout an outdoor security camera?
To ensure security, it’s recommended to place cameras high enough to avoid tampering but not so high that you miss crucial details. Corners provide a wider range of vantage points, so indoor and outdoor cameras should be placed in these areas. Additionally, choose a weatherproof position for outdoor security cameras, considering factors like the sun’s direction, time of day, and the presence of a covered porch. Avoid pointing cameras directly at windows to avoid glare on recordings and ensure the best possible video quality.
Where not to install security cameras?
Place security cameras in areas with strong privacy expectations, such as bathrooms or bedrooms, and ensure visibility and awareness for everyone in the house. For outside cameras, capture public spaces like sidewalks or streets with low privacy expectations. Remember that cameras provide a sense of security and serve as a tool to keep you and your home safe. Avoid placing cameras in areas that will render them ineffective or undermine someone’s safety.
How do you run a security camera wire into your house?
This guide provides a step-by-step guide on installing security camera wiring, focusing on the importance of safety and the correct installation of cables. It covers various systems and their wiring requirements, as well as the actual installation, both indoors and outdoors. Analog CCTV cameras, known for their simplicity and reliability, typically use a 3-wire system comprising power, video, and audio cables. To ensure a clean and concealed pathway, turn off power to the areas where you’ll be working, drill access holes with a power drill, and thread cables through the drilled holes.
This ensures that your security setup is not only operational but optimized for maximum surveillance efficiency. The guide aims to demystify the process and ensure your security setup is not just operational but optimized for maximum surveillance efficiency.
How to design a surveillance system?
Public health surveillance involves the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of outcome-specific data for use in planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. A surveillance system includes the functional capacity for data collection and analysis, as well as the timely dissemination of these data to those who can undertake effective prevention and control activities.
The core of any surveillance system is the collection, analysis, and dissemination of data, but the process can only be understood in the context of its usefulness for addressing specific health outcomes.
In 1965, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) established the epidemiological surveillance unit in WHO’s Division of Communicable Diseases, which included “the epidemiological study of disease as a dynamic process”. In 1968, the 21st World Health Assembly focused on national and global surveillance of communicable diseases, affirmed the three main features of surveillance: a) systematic collection of pertinent data, b) orderly consolidation and evaluation of these data, and c) prompt dissemination of results to those who need to know, particularly those in position to take action.
Since then, a wide variety of health events, such as childhood lead poisoning, leukemia, congenital malformations, abortions, injuries, and behavioral risk factors, have been placed under surveillance.
Is wireless or wired security cameras better?
The choice between WiFi, wireless, or wired security cameras depends on the specific application and requirements. WiFi or wireless cameras are suitable for temporary home deployments, while wired cameras are better for commercial enterprises requiring reliable continuous recording. To make an informed decision, consider factors such as the location, surveillance applications, potential future relocation, constant connectivity, and cybersecurity requirements.
For a comprehensive guide, refer to the eBook “How to Choose the Right Video Security System for Your Organization”. Additionally, consider the potential for future relocation, the importance of constant connectivity, and the level of cybersecurity required.
📹 7 Common Security Camera Installation FAILS and How To Avoid Them
0:00 Intro 0:36 DORI 3:02 1. Camera Height 3:25 2. Choosing Field of View 4:54 3. Aim Your Cameras 6:25 4. Cover Your …
I definitely had to spend a few days and weeks dialing in the right amount of sensitivity to motion for my security cameras. By default I was getting dozens of notifications every minute. But by careful aim of each camera and selecting just the right watch zones and adjusting sensitivity I have reduced false alarms by about 95%.
Not sure it would qualify as a mistake, but something to at a minimum be conscious of is what the camera is focusing on on a neighbor’s property. What might be the perfect angle for viewing anyone who approaches your side door or window will not be appreciated (and may be in violation of HOA rules) if it also gives a perfect view into your neighbor’s bedroom window. So always consider your neighbors when setting up security cameras!
I like the RING stickup cam…fairly inexpensive $3 per month subscription and the camera cost me $69. I like the Stick Up Camera that runs on household electricity…no need to worry about batteries. The only limitation is working temperature min is 5 degrees and colder than that all winter long here in interior Alaska. I run the camera outside until October, then move i inside for the winter. I have not experienced an audio problem and really like this camera to monitor who is coming into our driveway.
Hello……..just found the website. I am looking at 3 wifi 4K? UHD cameras for my property……I am getting so much misinformation on them that it is a very confusing decision……any suggestions? I am currently looking at the ARLO ULTRA 3 pak with hub…….let me know please if you know of anything better……..thank you and good article….
I have been looking at CCTV’s “SUREVISION” cameras and home security systems with NVR. However, I have never seen this security camera and system shown or discussed on any of the YT articles. I like their sales pitch because of two things, 3 year warranty and USA (New Jersey) sales and technical support. I cannot understand off shore tech support voices! Any info on why this brand is never discussed on any YT articles?
By “big mistake ” was assuming that all IP cameras are fundamentally the same.. I assumed if I was IP based, then I’d certainly have access to the stream on my local network right? Wrong! My mistake was buying a bunch of Wyze brand cameras. I quickly discovered they don’t use RTSP. This was fine for a while because they offered a beta firmware that included RTSP. Well it seems they’ve given up on that. And their new cameras don’t have that option anymore. I’ve now switched to Amcrest and am extremely happy I did. I now have a wonderfully working Blue Iris server setup thanks to your great articles! Thank you (Don’t get me wrong, the Wyze cameras are a good choice if you don’t care about viewing their streams with third party apps and don’t mind all your footage going to their servers, it just didn’t work for my use case)
I would say watch out and look at all the features that your camera offers when selecting yours. 2 mistakes have been made. #1 Not perusal @The Hook Up’s article/Channel before I bought my cameras. #2 mistake, I bought the Reolink Argus 2E Solar panel Wi-Fi cameras. buuuuut Reolinks client software doesn’t offer certain features that they do on their other wired non-battery cameras…such as assigning port numbers or any advanced networking options really. Bummer Hopefully will be fixed in a later update. Thanks for The Hook Up 😉
Hi there… i’m planning to create my own house security network with POE cams… So i look around to collect info and i discover your articles… You’re a great explainer. But i’ve a question: due to positioning and aesthetics reasons I’d like to use dome instead of bullet, but mounted vertical on the wall, not on the ceiling. Some companies, in their datasheets, recommend to mount the dome cameras only on ceilings or, if on vertical surfaces, to use ad adapter just to keep the camera’s base horizontal. In your article i see, at 00.18, that you’ve mounted many dome on the wall, exactly as i’d like to do… So is this possible? Are there any issues, or recommendations, you can give about that? Thank you in advance, hope my english not to bad 🙂
Definitely agree with the person and vehicle detection, had a 3rd gen Unifi Protect install which doesn’t really had anything but motion detection so we ended up with a ring camera to do that and used the notifications to check the much better protect cameras at the same time, switching high traffic areas to the 4th gen Protect cameras with person and vehicle detection has made the system massively more useful and allowed us to remove to the ring monthly fee.
Like you said, some camera is better then no camera. One thing i wish i had understood before buying my doorbell cam was the type of detection; ir vs article\\ai. I’m definitely on a budget, but would easily sitting for the extra to go with the ring pro vs. the 1 or 2. I guess this is too say, how a person approaches the home normally is important, as nearly all people come straight at my door, which ir cameras suck at. I’ve had the mail lady come up the stairs, drop mail and start to leave before article starts. Nice shot of the break of her head
Fantastically useful information. Thank you so much. I’ve been wanting to install something for quite sometime but, have no Internet at home, no electricity to two of the areas l want to watch and an unbelievably tight budget so, have been going backwards and forwards over various types of set up and getting nowhere. Great to learn there are battery powered cameras available as, although l understand the inconvenience, it would at least solve the power issue.
I run 4 DVR’s simultaneously 3 of them have face recognition (not to be confused with face detection) Face recognition compares the face to a data base, face detection does not, but the Chinese love to use both wrongly. The thing that really pisses me off is that each company uses “propriety” protocols for there cameras so a camera with “special” features like face or car number plate recognition wont work on another companies system even if has the same functions on the DVR. slink, i8, private, are the ones mine use, but there are many others. ONVIF provides “limited” compatibility between companies. I have 24 cameras around the house and all are wired. I HATE wireless.
Two things about wireless in general. It is wonderful for temporary stuff, like surveillance of lumber you just bought and didn’t have time to bring in that day. HOWEVER, it is generally sensitive to jamming or stealing. A thief once said something I paraphrase to; if your job is to get in, you will have the tools and/or physical training to do so. (Mostly talking about climbing to get in smaller windows). A jammer does not cost much. I’m not saying they don’t add value, but see them more like lottery tickets or stocks than a pile of cash 😉
My tip would to do dry run test install and only then do proper install. This helps to solve unseen issues that you are not taking into count and when you are happy of it do the proper install. Also just like with any security, tress test it. In this case try to sneak in with your knowledge of where the cameras are trying to get past them unnoticed. If you want to further tress test it, get few random people together. Offer them 10 dollars each and try to get in with out being noticed. Just tell them that you have cameras and money is theirs if they can get in with out being possible to recognized. On third level get hacker to do the same. Hackers brain is wired bit differently, specially think outside of the box and can find vulnerabilities in your system easier. On top level, find ex con house burglar that is known to have done multiple jobs but only being cough few times but has stopped since. Pay them to do the same and while at it consult them what would be the ways to prevent burglar getting in, sway them avoid this house and what to improve to prevent actual destructive entry. When in doubt ask the expert. Personally did this when i went to work in phone sales, selling car ID glass etchings. Called a buddy who i knew was in some shady circles involving professional car stealing. Asked trough there if this product was any good and answer was “nah, we take them apart and sell as parts in neighboring countries, if its worth to transport the whole car intact, we have our own glass replacement store that will take care of that”.
Haha! First time I set up Blink cameras because of sketchy neighbors, sketchy neighbors stole my cameras. Definitely set cameras to watch cameras. Turn off the “Camera recording light” (they attract meth heads) and… Meth heads use flashlights that totally blow out the picture. Cameras, perusal cameras is your only defense. Great vid, thank you.
Awesome Content! 🎉 Thank you so much for the information! What benefits stuck out the most for me was: A clear visual of what you were trying to convey. Examples of popular models with the conveyed features. Your personal opinion as well as general facts of rating per feature. Thank you so much for! ❤ Can you point me in the right direction for camera integration on ranches, remote cabins and large acreage of land? The written equivalent of the keys points that you were conveying.
The great thing about the cameras that can see in color at night is that spiders tend to leave them alone, and not spin webs on the lens, because IR cameras attract them. Don’t over look wifi ip cameras. There are some very good ones out there, that never drop connection. You just run a power cable to them, and you’re set. I would suggest not hiding your cameras. You want them to be in easy view. The point is to scare off people who are up to no good, before they do it, because trying to catch them after the fact is pretty low. So it’s better to go for avoidance, than the latter. Anyone serious about robbing your house, is going to have their body covered, so you can’t see who they are. So it doesn’t matter what the camera sees, you won’t be able to identify them. I was in court, the judge asked me if this is the guy them robbed my store, and I looked at the judge like it was a stupid question. The guy had his face covered, I had no idea, but I have really good article of him doing it, very clear, and the camera was basically in his face. So anyone that looked at my article, would know everything I knew, and I had 3 cameras on him, and that’s what I told the judge. The guy was only caught, because he robbed another store, wearing the same coverings. You don’t need to spend a bunch of money setting up cameras. It doesn’t really matter that much if they can reach you cameras or not, in the over 20 years of using cameras, not a single person attacked a camera, and they were all in pretty easy reach, if they wanted to do it.
I would like to add that Field of view is important. I had 4 break-ins in 3 years. I use a combination of wide angle and zoom capable. The years ago a guy tried to get into my car in at 4am. He tried to smash the window. Then gave up and walked along my fence to a parking area behind my house with a seniors center. He successfully got into several vehicles there. My zoom camera was able to ID his face, but my wide angle camera went off several minutes before the others. When I backed up the footage I got the guy coming out of a house with a motion sensing light. SO I was able to see him leave where he stayed, walk 3 minutes to my drive way, up my drive way and I was able to see him leave and break into other vehicles. I also never show the footage on platforms like facebook. Communities often have groups and share information. Some of that info is often security cameras, but they always show the whole frame. Never show the frame. I know that people who I have ID through facial recognition also comment on those posts and you’re letting them see your field of view. Don’t do it. If I were scoping you out the first place I’d go is facebook. Stay safe!
I have Lorex. I don’t understand how I can watch the monitor, it’ll see someone across the street just fine BUT.. I don’t receive a notification on my phone? It just doesn’t make sense to me! Another one, I’ve got 3 up front. One on the garage, 2 on the house. Not all will see what happens thru out the day, yet 2 might see it just fine and notify me. It’s the same at night, only normally 1 camera alerts me. From day to night time. Many times they’ll adjust but go black then go into night vision.
Guessing this applies to America, where I’m from it’s highly illegal to have any coverage outside your property or anything that could be considered public space without permit. Permits are practically only for businesses. If you have to much coverage and someone broke in I think the footage will even be dismissed as evidence and you can be fined in the process. Before GDPR you even needed a permit for game cameras, after GDPR you can use game cameras as a private individual but must be to respond to some simple GDPR requests and follow the GDPR. I’m guess this is why so many DVRs and cameras have shading features.
Pro tip 1: HIKVision are the largest CCTV manufacturer in the world, Dahua are the number 2. Pro tip 2: Do your absolute best to avoid using wireless cameras as they be easily signal jammed by thieves are are also prone to hacking. Do your best to use a cabled system. The cameras can’t be hacked or blocked, there are no batteries to replace and their response times are very fast because they are always on, not like a battery camera. They will generally have stronger IR or LED lights as they don’t need to worry about battery life.
I use 2.8mm lensed HikVision ColorVu 4k resolution cameras, that allow very wide views with such an incredibly high resolution that I can identify a face of somebody on the far side of the street. These cameras also do not need infrared illumination for night scenes, because they give full colour incredibly sharp images even with starlight.
I don’t agree with your opinion on the colourvue. I’ve had HV darkfighter cameras and new HV colorvue for two weeks now, the difference is absurd, it’s like comparing night to day. Darkfighter is great compared to a regular camera, but colorvue is a completely different dimension to night surveillance. On a moonless night, when the front of the house seems 100% black to the eye, the camera without assistance is able to record the image of the surroundings, maybe not enough to perfectly catch what is happening, but enough for the sensors to detect movement and activate additional light. But when the moon is shining or there is any extra light from the street, the picture quality is like during the day! The cameras, apart from the software functions, in my opinion, need to be compared only by the possibility of recording at night, during the day each records very similarly / sufficiently.
T.H.U…..all camera systems are not created equally…I panic when installing security cameras from department stores. Required you to enter internet or wifi password online. How is that secure..? Also why is it that I have to use those square scanner boxes to download or register account. Never used one don’t know even if my phone has capability to scan to begin with. Respectfully