Soundy

Should be fine.

If the camera uses a barrel connector (as most cheap 12VDC cameras do), I'll splice a barrel plug onto the wire. In your case, you could snip the plug off the end of the bundled wiring. Be sure to observe proper polarity! With the baluns, note that there are polarity markings as well - you need to match them up on both ends or your picture will appear scrambled. I typically use the blue wire for + and the white/blue for -. For the power, I'll use the orange and white/orange pair together for positive (or "line" on AC), and the green + white/green for ground (or "neutral" with AC). Most of the cameras we use are 24VAC or 12/24 dual voltage and use some form or screw terminals or molex connector or something else more amenable to connections not requiring splicing.

Greetings!

Vigil fits all your criteria (doesn't really do IE, but it does have an excellent Windows-based remote client/VMS).

I've used lots of GEM and GVI baluns, found them to work well for the price. If you want something with power, there's this: http://gemelec.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=238&category_id=40&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1 Keep in mind the balun doesn't really do anything with the power, just passes it straight through and splits it out - in this case you're paying extra for the convenience of using RJ45-terminated cabled. We more commonly use these: http://gemelec.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=493&category_id=58&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1 Or more recently, these: http://gemelec.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=721&category_id=72&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1 Then I just split out the wires - blue pair for video, orange and green pairs for power, brown left as a spare. Running the wire outside unprotected isn't ideal, but you can do it.

Yeah, is that the same one he already listed that only has four PoE ports?

Cisco and LinkSys are the same company - LinkSys is Cisco's "consumer" brand. (In fact, depending on where you shop, you'll also find the SFE1000P marketed under the LinkSys name). I think it will be a while yet before cameras even have GbE ports on them... longer before they actually need it. Long enough to not worry about it right now, anyway - GbE switches will get a lot cheaper by then anyway. Keep in mind that by the time cameras actually need GbE speed, you'll need a 10GbE connection to the NVR to handle more than a couple of them, too. Also, remember that with two four-port switches, you have AT MOST five available for the cameras - you lose one port on each switch to connect them together, another to plug in the NVR... yet another if you want to link it to the rest of your network. The NVR and uplink are a given on any setup anyway, but interlinking two switches just seems a waste of two ports vs. just going to a larger switch... You're looking at $300 for an 8-port gigabit that will only give you four PoE ports... I'm suggesting eight PoE ports plus two gigabit for the same price.

For a good switch, I highly recommend the Cisco SFE1000P: eight 10/100 PoE ports, two non-PoE gigabit combo ports (miniGBIC/GbE) - perfect for up to seven cameras and one uplink, and NVR & NAS on the GbE ports (or eight cameras, plus NVR and uplink... or whatever). Fully managed, too. They generally retail for <$300.

You really want ANYONE on the internet to be able to have full access to your DVR??

A couple potential benefits (depending on your needs) to software compression: Hardware compression cards can't generally be viewed over a remote-desktop connection. Not that that's the most efficient viewing anyway, although it's pretty good if you're using something like UltraVNC with its "mirror driver". Also, software compression cards CAN allow you to use different codecs for recording, depending on the software used. Most don't, but the potential is there. One that comes to mind is VideoInsight, which even allows you to set different codecs for each camera. With hardware compression, you're stuck with whatever compression the card is using (some software can RE-compress the video, but that would be even more processor-intensive).

Of all the Qnap and Synology boxes I've been able to find, most only support 4 or 8 camera's total(At least that's what I think it means), and for the price of them I'd think one could easily build a PC system themselves that's a lot "stronger" and more scalable? Or am I missing something crucial? "The price of them" includes the software licenses that you'll be paying extra for if you build your own - anywhere from $50 to $500/camera, depending on the NVR package. There's also the compact size and things like hot-swappable drive bays, which would cost more to implement in a PC - not a dealbreaker, but can be very handy. Make sure you're comparing the proper systems, BTW - QNAP makes generic NAS units with some limited camera support, and dedicated NVR systems that support many more cameras without the same "media server" functionality - http://qnapsecurity.com/

Saves you having to buy extra cable just for one purpose. Typically, you should see no difference in image quality. With the CNB VCM-24VF dome cameras we usually use, the balun fits nicely inside the back-box. With the cheapie bullets you're using, you'd probably want to use a weatherproof junction box, like this:

Exactly my point! What are the odds? Only bad cabling I have ever run across was caused by mishandling during shipping or installation. Yes, but being professionals, we only buy good, name-brand cabling from well-known manufacturers. DO A SEARCH - THERE ARE THREADS HERE ABOUT PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT CHEAP EBAY CABLE AND REGRETTED IT. Like ANYTHING ELSE, it is possible to get bad product straight from the manufacturer! I'm glad you said what I'm thinking. If you can get a pull from point A to B there's no reason you can't get the same run from B to C. I've seen a couple techs get their fishing rods caught between HVAC duct and the deck. They wanted to abandon the rods till I showed them how to dislodge them. Simply put, laziness. These types of runs take a little planning and extra time and effort to find the path of least resistance. Had these guys pulled cable on that route they would have torn it wide open. Dare to dream. Come work with me on a couple jobs, when you have to pull through messed-up conduit runs installed by electricians who have no idea about CCTV. Staging out a 100' loop of cable is bad enough when you have an open floor to coil it on... the OP was working along the roof of an operating production facility where he probably didn't have the option to drop a staging loop. It happens; I've seen it, I've done it, in the same sort of situation (bottling plant running 24/7, dodging forklifts driven by maniacs and speed freaks... gobs of fun!) A zig-zagging run through truss and Q-deck can't be done in one non-stop pull, and if the activity below prevents staging the run, you're left with little option but to make junction points. There's no reason a splice can't be perfectly solid and reliable if done right.

If you're using all IP cameras anyway, why not use a small NVR, like a QNAP or Synology, and hide it away somewhere, like in a closet or attic?

I'm thinking the splice point is probably at a point where access and/or cable running is difficult and something made it inefficient to pull a continuous run through. It's not unusual, I've had plenty of installs, especially those where you have to do a run in stages, where it's easier to stop a pull at one point and then start a new one... even times when that's the only way to get it done. I also don't know why it's so hard to believe that there could be multiple failures within a box of cable - if there was a problem with the manufacturing process, there's probably several dozen boxes of cable out there with the same problem, and numerous other customers cursing their installs as well. We've seen at least one thread here before where someone's had multiple boxes or spools of cable that were bad.

As with still cameras, I think you'll find the level of control increases with the quality and cost of the camera.

Masonry bit through the stucco... then wood or HSS bit the rest of the way. There SHOULDN'T normally be any metal in the way, other than maybe a wire mesh, but of course, nobody here can tell you exactly how the insides of your walls are constructed, because building codes and practices vary the world over (and change over time as well). You may find it preferable to first cut a larger hole from the inside at one camera location (somewhere hidden, like a closet or utility room), and pull out the insulation to inspect the inner wall structure. Be careful not to destroy the vapor barrier so you can tape it back up afterward. I wouldn't suggest chopping the wires - as you note, they're not standard size and standard crimps wouldn't work on them. Best best is to make a hole just large enough to fit the BNC through... push that all the way through, then the other connectors behind it, one at a time (you can tape them to the first wire).

You could do it, if you dialed back the bandwidth requirements of the cameras (lower resolution or framerates, higher compression). Might want to see if your ISP puts bandwidth caps on your service, though, or if there are any overage charges. Assuming you were running full upstream bandwidth 24/7 (not likely, but for the sake of calculation, we'll assume that), that's over 34 *gigabytes per day*. (0.4MB * 60s * 60m * 24h = 34,560MB.) It should normally be much less than that, of course, but you want to cover your arse before you end up either with the internet cut off in the first week, or with a huge bill.

The best labor-saving thing you can get is a little skinny guy

Umm... okay, something is not making sense here. Exactly HOW is your network wired up, and what is the make and model of your router/print server?

I've used a lot of those model of baluns... found one trick was to loop the wire around the screw, and to add a little strain relief, make sure the insulation is also clamped under the plate. Keep in mind that the wire needs to be between the two plates, not between the plate and the screw head.

Not sure what your question is... use one or the other, it doesn't matter. All it does is update a central directory with your current "outside" IP. Doesn't matter if it's done by the router, the DVR, or a service on a computer on the same network.

Better cameras will give you that control (to a degree)... but there's a wide range in CCTV cameras, just as there are in digital still cameras. A cheap P&S won't give you the same level of control as a 1Ds mk. III. Keep in mind that your DSLR is also designed to be human-operated... most CCTV cameras won't even be accessible to change those settings regularly, so the extra expense of having extensive adjustments available would be lost outside the initial setup.

What you talking bout chief? Near decent baluns average $20 each and thats wholesale in America .. GEM, $13/pr. GVI, $8/pr (same ones are on DealExtreme.com for $5/pr.). I did substantial testing over ~800' of Cat5e comparing both of these to other GEMs, GVIs, Muxlabs, and NVTs ranging from $18 to $45 each and found little or no noticeable differences in transmission quality. All the cable prices I noted are retail. Obviously we're not paying that much.

How much data are you talking about? How "secure" do you need the backups to be? How "automatic" does it need to be?