Privacy Guides @lemmy.one CaptObvious @literature.cafe 4mo ago

Private Security Camera

I find that I need a security camera for my back yard. Do you folks recommend any particular makes & models? It should avoid the cloud but record locally. I'm somewhat handy with Linux and a RaspberryPi, if that helps.

Thanks!

24 comments

Any IP camera that supports the onvif standard. Chinese Dahau and Hisense have amazing image quality but do not trust them. Block their Mac address at your router and you'll be fine.

I really like Power over Ethernet IP cameras because it's one cable for power and data. If it's only one camera you buy a POE injector so you plug in power where it's convenient and run Ethernet (that also delivers power) to the camera. For multiple cameras, get a POE switch. On the software side, DWSpectrum, Frigate, or Shinobi for Linux. If you want it to work without any hassle, BlueIris for Windows is great.

The Dahau and Hisense cameras I've used have their own recording capabilities so you can get by without even a Linux PC running Network Video Recording software like I listed above.
- I'm not interested, for numerous reasons, in anything produced by or in China.
  
  I really like the concept of PoE cameras for the same reasons. Given where they'll be installed, I'd rather only climb onto the roof or into attic crawlspaces once. :)
  
  You should know that many, if not all US "made" cameras are only rebranded Chinese cameras.
  
  For example Amcrest of Texas is actually owned by the Chinese Foscam and sells rebranded Dahau cameras. Reolink is also Chinese. Even premium US companies like Ubiquity have their cameras made in China.
Check out ReoLink cameras; you can set them up and use them fully locally.
- Be aware that some only work with neolink in between. I have some B800 cams and the picture is phenomenal, but I have to use neolink and h265.
  
  I moved to Amcrest. Much more open, the api is documented, and h264.
  
  Oh, and frigate NVR
  
  Amcrest is a new one to me. Thanks for the suggestion.
- Thanks for the suggestion. I have a hard time trusting a company that appears to try to hide its country of origin. And I'm not interested in anything made by a Chinese company.
Pine64 makes a security camera for use with a (included?) Raspberry Pi, iirc
- I'll check them out. Thanks!
May or may not be an option for you but buy any camera that supports rtsp, only allow that traffic from their network through and block everything else. Works fine for me and my Amcrest cameras. You could accomplish this with a pi and a USB network card and some basic iptables.
- Thanks for the suggestion. Amcrest is a new one to me. I'll check them out.
Been looking for one myself & I’ve been reading pretty good things about amcrest cams. Still need to do a bit of research before I make any purchases, but I’m leaning towards amcrest bc seems to check most of my boxes for privacy reasons.
- Amcrest is a new one for me. Doing more research, but thanks for the suggestion.
I've been using a TAPO C200, it just required the initial setup to be connected to the internet to configure via de app, afterwards I blocked the internet traffic at router level, the feed is processed through https://frigate.video/ which I selfhost in a mini PC, not sure how well it'll perform on a PI.
- Tapo looks promising. If Frigate is too much for the Pi, I have a couple of retired PCs that could be recommissioned. Thanks for the suggestion.
- Does that mean you have to allow internet for it again if you want to reconfigure it?
  
  It depends what you need to configure.
  I'm using this library to move around the camera https://github.com/JurajNyiri/pytapo
  For anything else, AFAIK, yeah, you'd need to re-enable internet access.
Check out thingino. Its a great fully open source project for privacy respecting firmware for ip cameras (unlike other alternatives) and a really helpful bunch of devs.

Might fit you well since you mention youre good with linux
- Another new project to consider. Thanks!
- I add OpenIPC for great FOSS firmware too
  
  I used to use openipc (that was the "alternative" i was referring to") but its not truly FOSS. Their default streamer is hidden behind closed doors and theyve also taken some contributions and added it to majestic never to be seen in the open again. You cant be sure what theyre doing there.
  
  That said, it is a great alternative if you dont have ingenic based cameras. And they apparently now offer minimal other open source options for streamers...
  
  Some of the key devs left and created thingino because of the whole foss thing. Imo theyre a much friendlier bunch too but thats purely an opinion

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