Sawbones

I just use standard LCD computer monitors (of whatever size), and pair them with the appropriate VESA mount. You don't have to spend big bucks.

I wasn't bagging on the Netgear switch... just pointing out that you might need more in the future. However, for a very small house, you might be all set with that eight-port model. As for the encoder, get an Axis 241Q. Those pop up on the used market all the time. Hell... Spooner just sold a handful of those in the Classifieds for an average of about $400 each, which is about the going rate on Ebay as well. They have no moving parts, and are just as good used as new. Why buy new (and pay >double the price) if you're simply going to use it temporarily? You can use that as a bridge to a full-IP conversion, and then resell it for roughly what you paid. *************** Edit **************** Here is the link to Spooner's Classified post: http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=24150

What is avigilon getting per-channel for their software? ************ Edit ************ And I agree with hiring somebody if you're not a networking guy... you'll be pulling your hair out in no time flat, and you'll end up hiring somebody anyway.

Ummm... Quantum? As one geek to another, please... dial it back a bit. I'm not a *nix greybeard, but I've been using Linux for >10 years, and I'm very fond of the OS. For boxes that just need to "work," I find that the unices are a great option for those who can parse the howtos and aren't afraid to dig into config files. They also tend to eat up time if you're doing something that's not well-documented. I've played with the Zoneminder stuff, and found it fairly problematic. The time committment to make it work ended up being greater than what I was willing to spend, and I went with a windows solution. Don't get me wrong, I love Linux... but it's not the right tool for everything, particularly with certain camera manufacturers that require Active-X controls. Believe me, I hate being bound to IE, but until more manufacturers make their products browser agnostic, we're stuck with what we have.

Is that a day/night cam? Can it see IR? It's not clear from the specs whether it can or not... I'm guessing not.

Get a proper switch. By that I mean a brand-name (Cisco/Linksys, Nortel, etc) PoE switch. I have a rack-mounted Linksys SGE2000P 24-port PoE switch in my server rack at home (with every port in use), and it works great. It's also a managed switch, so I can log into the switch's web interface and manage ports, determine PoE wattage, set up VLANs, etc. The ports auto-detect PoE devices, and connects those devices at 10/100 speed. However, the internal bus of the switch is gigabit, so it can collect all those 100-megabit streams and deliver them to a full-gigabit port (like the DVR). Always buy bigger than you need. I never dreamed I'd fill up a 24-port switch, since I started with a dozen cat6 drops in the house. However, as my system has grown to the dozen-or-so cameras, it now takes the entire switch. Always buy more than you think you'll need. As a tinkerer, I suspect you'll grow into it.

I wouldn't say it's off-topic at all. The OP is looking at security arrangements for his facility, and he might as well know what kind of utility it will provide, based on the legal/political realities of inner-city goblins. Unlike suburban high-school kids, plenty of hard-core inner-city denizens aren't put off at all by security cameras... witness the number of "stop-n-rob" crimes that are regularly recorded in those areas... and half the time the bad guys don't even bother to wear a mask. And lest anybody think otherwise, that behavior crosses all racial boundaries.

+1 although its illegal down here Illegal? What the hell? VOIP is literally illegal in the Bahamas?

But don't you still need a VOIP provider? For your trunks and DIDs, yes.

If you have the skill, set up your own PBX with Asterisk.

Hate to say it, but there's quite a bit of truth there. In urban areas, the courts are often so clogged with cases, that even violent assaults and robberies get plea-bargained away. A simple property crime isn't going to get much jail time, if any. And restitution? Forget it... the kinds of people we're talking about don't work, don't actually own anything, and frequently have several addresses that they "live at." Finding them is hard enough, but actually finding some kind of attachable asset or paycheck you can garnish? You can forget that too. Scamming and avoiding the system is a way-of-life in certain criminal subcultures. For all intents and purposes, such individuals are judgment-proof, and better off avoided.

Perfectly safe... I've done it myself any number of times.

I laughed and laughed. I couldn't quite figure out what CCTV software he was using on that Mac.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/videobeta/5ec0eb1d-9fef-4366-aae5-127ed1d9b201/News/Woman-Steals-Snow-Shovel-Video Here's the YouTube link: Woman steals guy's snow shovel (while her dog uses his yard for a latrine), then digs out her car... and keeps the shovel. Guy (who sells security cameras) catches all of this on his security cameras. He owns a snowblower. Hilarity ensues. Go... watch.

Truth... right there.

Mobotix cameras can do that on there own without MxEasy or MxCC.... Yes you can view the camera directly on Android phones. I've actually struggled with my Mobotix cameras on that issue. Right now I'm attempting to use a local email server to relay the mail, since it cannot do authentication to a secure email server.

There's ZoneMinder... but unless you have 1337 Linux skillz, I wouldn't attempt it.

It might not be working... I just checked the logs remotely and it's recording an awful lot of "motion" that the cameras themselves are not "detecting." So much for that.

Are you sure? I was working with Xprotect Essential just today, and configuring a couple of Mobotix cameras (D12s). It had an option to use on-camera motion detection.

Joking right? That thing costs a fortune! I may be easy, but I'm not cheap!

It occurred to me that one of those Mobotix 360-degree dome cameras mounted in the center of the interior ceiling might be just the thing... Don't know how you'd mount it... but it would give you 360 degrees from a single camera, and the current draw on those is pretty minimal. Just a thought.

Don't forget to say "heyyyyyyyyyy" Another devotee of the Arthur Fonzarelli School of Camera Repair!

PoE is the way to go... hands-down.

I've got a couple of Ubiquiti bridges and APs deployed... no problems, and you can't beat the price.

I know I've said it before... but that picture never gets old, Soundy " title="Applause" />