Looking at replacing our 4 camera wired security cameras. Pros and cons staying with a wired system or going wireless. What brand is recommended? Our system is currently 8 years old.

I have been happy with the Eufy ecosystem. I recently purchased a couple of solar-powered Security SoloCam S220s and have been happy so far. It is pretty convenient not having to be restricted by wires. I haven't had them up very long, but I haven't had any issues with them recharging themselves.

I'd stay wired as well.
Ubiquiti has a new kit (if you can catch it in stock) that looks promising.
https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/cameras-nvr/collections/unvr-instant/products/unvr-instant-kit?variant=unvr-instant-kit-us

tunefx said:

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Running Eufy for 18 months. All Solar. Running over 2.4 GHz. They are always running 90-100% power. The Wi-Fi capability has impressed me even more. I have one on the side of a metal garage opposite my house where the AP is located. The other one is at the end of my dock. I'm guessing those are approximately 100-150'. Recordings are event driven versus continuous loop. Facial recognition works really well.

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Those are your cheap man portables and can be great for various uses - but not true security. You aren't getting high quality HD with those, and 2.4 Ghz is the bottom level, stuff like your appliances use, low speed, low range.

I'm writing this post not to knock your set up, but just to let other people know what this really is.

bco2003 said:

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satexas said:

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2.4 Ghz is the bottom level, stuff like your appliances use, low speed, low range.

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Actually, 2.4 GHz has a better range than 5 GHz, and is likely why Eufy went with that band.

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Ah, my bad... yes, the 2.4 is much slower, has fewer channels and is more easily blocked/lost in high traffic areas... but the 2.4 travels farther due to it's simplicity.

If you're using 2K/4K HD quality, you'll really need 5 GHz if you're using 24/7 recording (not just movement triggers)... if you don't care about true detail more than 20-50 feet away (license plate numbers, stuff in motion, etc), then lower quality is ok.

To tag onto this thread, does anyone have any experience with wired systems and issues with cables? I have a Lorex 8 camera NVR system that has been running for about 4 years now. Earlier this summer, the 4 cameras located at the 2 corners (2 cameras at each corner) of my house with the furthest distances away from my network closet (probably about 60-70 ft), over a period of about a month, randomly stopped working. The 4 cameras on the 2 corners of my house closest (about 30-40ft) to the where the NVR is located are running and haven't experienced any issues. I am confident that its the cat 5 cables failing due to part of my attic being very hot and I know all cables have there limits. I have a dark metal roof with limit air ventilation attic. I was just wondering if anyone knew of any practical solution with some other cabling with better specs or something. I have been waiting for this fall/winter to may run a new set of cables (of course, i will test the cameras first before pulling new cable).

dmott806 said:

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To tag onto this thread, does anyone have any experience with wired systems and issues with cables? I have a Lorex 8 camera NVR system that has been running for about 4 years now. Earlier this summer, the 4 cameras located at the 2 corners (2 cameras at each corner) of my house with the furthest distances away from my network closet (probably about 60-70 ft), over a period of about a month, randomly stopped working. The 4 cameras on the 2 corners of my house closest (about 30-40ft) to the where the NVR is located are running and haven't experienced any issues. I am confident that its the cat 5 cables failing due to part of my attic being very hot and I know all cables have there limits. I have a dark metal roof with limit air ventilation attic. I was just wondering if anyone knew of any practical solution with some other cabling with better specs or something. I have been waiting for this fall/winter to may run a new set of cables (of course, i will test the cameras first before pulling new cable).

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Your attic being "hot " will not affect ethernet cables unless you're going well over 150 degrees. You probably have something else going on and it's not the cables themselves, but you can get a very simple ethernet tester on Amazon for like 10 bucks..

The tester will go on both ends of your ethernet cable, so you will unplug the ethernet cable out of the back of the camera and into one end of the tester, and then you will plug the ethernet cable that goes into your switch or whatever into the other end and it will tell you how good you're wiring is (checking between 2 points).

if the connection is bad, it's generally the crimp on the end of one or the other… which is also an easy fix.

If you have CAT5e (not cat6/7), then you have a maximum run length of 100 meters (300ft) - so that's not it. But to further bolster that point, your cameras were working at some point and now they aren't… if length was truly the issue, then why were they working before and not now?

I think it's time you start swapping out camera heads and or looking at your switch or POE injectors if you're using those… to troubleshoot it all.

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I think it's time you start swapping out camera heads and or looking at your switch or POE injectors if you're using those… to troubleshoot it all.

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I agree 100% that it is likely the switch or POE.

Cat 5e is run throughout my BCS attic and no problems at all.

satexas said:

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bco2003 said:

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satexas said:

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2.4 Ghz is the bottom level, stuff like your appliances use, low speed, low range.

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Actually, 2.4 GHz has a better range than 5 GHz, and is likely why Eufy went with that band.

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Ah, my bad... yes, the 2.4 is much slower, has fewer channels and is more easily blocked/lost in high traffic areas... but the 2.4 travels farther due to it's simplicity.

If you're using 2K/4K HD quality, you'll really need 5 GHz if you're using 24/7 recording (not just movement triggers)... if you don't care about true detail more than 20-50 feet away (license plate numbers, stuff in motion, etc), then lower quality is ok.

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My Eufy's run 2k/4k over 2.4 just fine. I was worried about this with the first camera. Eight cameras later they still perform.

dmott806 said:

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To tag onto this thread, does anyone have any experience with wired systems and issues with cables? I have a Lorex 8 camera NVR system that has been running for about 4 years now. Earlier this summer, the 4 cameras located at the 2 corners (2 cameras at each corner) of my house with the furthest distances away from my network closet (probably about 60-70 ft), over a period of about a month, randomly stopped working. The 4 cameras on the 2 corners of my house closest (about 30-40ft) to the where the NVR is located are running and haven't experienced any issues. I am confident that its the cat 5 cables failing due to part of my attic being very hot and I know all cables have there limits. I have a dark metal roof with limit air ventilation attic. I was just wondering if anyone knew of any practical solution with some other cabling with better specs or something. I have been waiting for this fall/winter to may run a new set of cables (of course, i will test the cameras first before pulling new cable).

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Odd it happened to both. It's rare but I've seen some NVRs go bad. Try switching input ports with good cameras.

satexas and tunefx, thank you for the replies. I haven't purchased the tester yet, that will be my next step. I did try to swap the cameras 1-4 (ones not working) ethernet wires where they come into the back of my NVR into ports 1-4 ( There is no switch that they are running through, straight from cameras through attic into network closet and into NVR) with the four cameras (5-8) that are working. After doing that, the cameras that were working (closet to the network closet) are still working, now showing up in the 1-4 spots on my display system instead of the 5-8 and the other 4 that went out this summer that are now plugged into ports 5-8, are still not working. The cables I am using came with the system from Lorex and they were each 100 ft each to begin with and I trimmed them down to appropriate length when I installed the system originally.

Ok, so I think I understand…

1-4 were not working… moved to 5-8 and are still not working…

5-8 were working, moved to 1-4 in the swap, and are still working.


That's odd. I still find it hard to believe that it's wiring. And it makes no sense that four independent wires would go out at the same time.

What you should do next is don't change where things are plugged in on the NVR, but swap two actual cameras out… such as switching camera 1 with camera 5 (one in good group with one from bad group).

I've not used that camera system myself or that NVR, but I'm wondering if it's possible you have some kind of firmware issue or maybe those cameras got fried somehow… hence why I'd like to see you do this different kind of swap out.

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or maybe those cameras got fried somehow

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My thought also.

Eufy is great!

I recently installed a reolink system. Only complaint is that I can't figure out how to access it remotely. I think it's some kind of security setting with the NVR.

I have Unifi networking gear and cameras at my house, all PoE. My BiL just setup several Tplink Tapo solar WiFi cameras around the property to keep an eye on traffic on the road and farm. I was thinking of getting a couple for my farm for areas where I don't want to run cable (think high res trail cams vs security cams).

For the Eufy folks, did you also investigate Tapo, or have any thoughts about them vs Eufy?

For the Unifi folks with 2K/4K cameras, which ones are you using? Mine are all 1080 and I'd like to upgrade some of mine in key spots for better quality.

I have numerous Ubiquiti cameras. I have one 4K camera (G4 Pro) for my driveway/front yard (as that's the high traffic area and the price was insane at the time) and i have mostly 2k's elsewhere (5 total, G4 and G5 bullets) and one POE doorbell.

I am happy with my setup so far. i feel like they all could be better at night but i never bought the IR blasters either.

At the time the 4K was like $500 bucks but they've released a ton of new products since then at better price points. All of mine are protected from the elements due to where I have installed so if i had to redo it today i would get a bunch of G6 bullets and a G5 pro.

Although its kind of ridiculous how many different camera products they have now. I know some of the cameras they cheaped out on the housings to get a lower price point which is why i made the comment on the elements. i have not investigated in detail what the optimal product would be but the bullets seem like a sweet spot of picture quality for price.

I just use Blink.

Nothing fancy, but the cameras are cheap so when they wear out due to the elements, I replace them with an updated version that generally costs half as much. Batteries are a bit of a pain, but I change them every year or so.

I'm grandfathered into the free cloud service, so I would have a tough time moving to something that charged me. Hate paying monthly fees for that stuff.

FightinTAC08 said:

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I have numerous Ubiquiti cameras. I have one 4K camera (G4 Pro) for my driveway/front yard (as that's the high traffic area and the price was insane at the time) and i have mostly 2k's elsewhere (5 total, G4 and G5 bullets) and one POE doorbell.

I am happy with my setup so far. i feel like they all could be better at night but i never bought the IR blasters either.

At the time the 4K was like $500 bucks but they've released a ton of new products since then at better price points. All of mine are protected from the elements due to where I have installed so if i had to redo it today i would get a bunch of G6 bullets and a G5 pro.

Although its kind of ridiculous how many different camera products they have now. I know some of the cameras they cheaped out on the housings to get a lower price point which is why i made the comment on the elements. i have not investigated in detail what the optimal product would be but the bullets seem like a sweet spot of picture quality for price.

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My experience with this is the same. The original G4 and previous used metal housings, the new are all hard plastic.

I do love my Ubiquiti tho and even use their keyless access stuff at our office.

As an IT business owner, I've deployed over 100 dream machines at various business (small and medium) and residences, lake houses, etc.

Always wired over wireless - but have to admit the new little baby camera that requires a usb C powered connection is super nice for ~$100.

Ubiquiti is so solid and wonderfully easy and logical when you add Ubiquiti with more Ubiquiti the way all their equipment detects and reports back to the router/dvr.

MyNameIsJeff said:

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I recently installed a reolink system. Only complaint is that I can't figure out how to access it remotely. I think it's some kind of security setting with the NVR.

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Recall I had to download software onto my laptop that allowed me to change the one setting blocking external network access. Once I did that, it's been flawless.

Question for the Ubiquiti owners

I just purchased a home with 4 cameras (2 outdoor/2 indoor) and 2 WAP's that are all ethernet powered and the drop point is in a closet. They are not connected to anything. I have never used this setup before. Previous home had all RING cams/security. Quick research tells me I could buy this dream machine Link and get everything up and running. Is that correct? Any guidance is greatly appreciated.

For further clarity, I currently have Xfinity and use their gateway modem with unlimited data plan.

You are in a better situation than the ring cameras by far.

Cables are cables…. And having cables is great. So before we can give you advice, the question is what model are the cameras that are attached to the other end of the cable? Same thing with the Wi-Fi, what are they?

If they are ubiquity (unifi)… then yes a dream machine pro plus a 4 terabyte or bigger hard drive (spinning nas/video kind) would solve everything at once. Just make sure you get the POE version of dream machine… or if you plan on using a small switch also, just make sure it's POE.