LAN Setup CCTV

[carlos_m1 0]

I am trying to design a CCTV system for the house.

(Thinking 4- 6 cameras should do the trick)

 

I am not crazy about the idea of running RCA from each camera to the computer, it would (I Think) be messy, and also force me to keep my computer in one spot. (Going wireless would be a problem due to battery replacement).

 

So, I was looking at the Balun Network Transceiver 1EK - thinking I could run Cat5 network cable from a camera to the PC. That part seems rather easy for 1 camera over an existing LAN...

 

Now, If I can plug a few (4-6) of them into a router (or Switch) I could plug that into the house network and monitor from any PC in the house (Or if I could hook it into one, I could use remote desktop software to hook to that PC).

 

Idea is to run the whole thing over my Network without having to hook each camera directly into a PC card.

 

(Having monitoring abilities over the Internet would be a nice touch, but not required)

 

It works on paper...

I figure somebody has done this...

Looking for Ideas, suggestions, advice, or to be pointed in the right direction.... (And Recommendations on parts, software etc would also be appreciated)

 

 

Thanks,

Carl

[scorpion 0]

I am confused!

 

You do not want to run RCA cables from each camera to your PC, but you are willing to run a Cat 5 cable from each camera to your PC, is this correct?

 

 

This would not solve that situation.

 

Now on the other hand you are using IP cameras then you do not need RCA cables, and you can hook these up to your LAN with CAT 5.

 

If you are doing this analog cameras then I would suggest a stand alone 4 channel DVR if you are on a budget, or an 8 channel DVR if it is in your budget. Then hook up your cameras to the DVR with Siamese RG 59.

 

You can hook the DVR up to your LAN, and WAN for remote view.

You can hook a wi fi bridge to your DVR as well.

 

Which way did you say you wanted to design your system?

[ak357 0]

I am confused!

 

You do not want to run RCA cables from each camera to your PC, but you are willing to run a Cat 5 cable from each camera to your PC, is this correct?

quote]

 

He probably has network all over house in place

[CollinR 0]

Baluns have nothing to do with netrowking or LAN, it is mearly a way to swap RG for Cat5 cable.

 

If his house is wired up and you have an easy enough to rewire patch panel you can use baluns but that will make the wall plate and plug of the patch no longer for networking use. Also the house would need to be homerun wired as this would not cross a router or switch.

 

Basically some baluns have an RJ45 connector and use Cat5/6 cable but they have nothing to do with networking/ethernet at all.

[carlos_m1 0]

Yes, I have Network all over house.

Yes, I recognize that baluns don't have anything to do with networking.

 

I didn't want to Run from Each Camera to PC - was hoping to Plug into Router (Hoping Router could assign IP no to Baluns Or Possibly using something like a 4 Port IP Network Video Server 9100b and Avoid IP Camera - no objection to IP cameras - but bigger selection with no IP) and use one cable to PC (or preferably over LAN ).

 

Then Hook into Computer for monitor, and record to DVD if anything happens. (Don't know if I need a multi channel DVR - can get a DVR card for about 200 for the PC - no objection to getting the correct equipment)

 

Could run CAT 5 Cable easier than RCA, CAT 5 would require me to use duel Wall jack (one out for networking , one out for Baluns) instead of making fresh holes.

 

Looks like I must use IP Cameras...

[Thomas 0]

Yes, I have Network all over house.

Yes, I recognize that baluns don't have anything to do with networking.

 

I didn't want to Run from Each Camera to PC - was hoping to Plug into Router (Hoping Router could assign IP no to Baluns Or Possibly using something like a 4 Port IP Network Video Server 9100b and Avoid IP Camera - no objection to IP cameras - but bigger selection with no IP) and use one cable to PC (or preferably over LAN ).

 

Then Hook into Computer for monitor, and record to DVD if anything happens. (Don't know if I need a multi channel DVR - can get a DVR card for about 200 for the PC - no objection to getting the correct equipment)

 

Could run CAT 5 Cable easier than RCA, CAT 5 would require me to use duel Wall jack (one out for networking , one out for Baluns) instead of making fresh holes.

 

Looks like I must use IP Cameras...

 

With a router set up, no you can't do that. But you can run all of your cables to the same point and simply plug them into the video server and that into the router. The only real difference is you plug into the video server rather then the router.

[carlos_m1 0]

Thanks...

I knew there had to be a way for the basic idea to work.

 

Any suggestions for a video server?

 

Also curious - Questioning if I can put the server in the attic (Hot) and drop a line to the LAN thinking the attic would probably be too hot to do that without problems.

[Thomas 0]

Thanks...

I knew there had to be a way for the basic idea to work.

 

Any suggestions for a video server?

 

Also curious - Questioning if I can put the server in the attic (Hot) and drop a line to the LAN thinking the attic would probably be too hot to do that without problems.

 

No. That would cause no end of problems.

[Soundy 1]

Yeah, as noted, video baluns ARE NOT network devices; they won't work through a hub or switch, and you can't assign them IPs. They typically consist of just a small transformer that takes the unbalanced video signal and makes it a balanced signal over the twisted pair, while the matching receiver balun takes the balanced signal and turns it back into unbalanced (thus the name, BALUN: BALanced/UNbalanced).

 

Most will actually work over any pair of wires - speaker wire, station wire, Cat-3, etc; some just use RJ-45 jacks for the convenience of simply plugging in Cat-5 patch cables.

 

Viewing your cameras from any networked PC means putting their signal on the network somehow, and that means either a network-capable DVR, an IP video server, or IP cameras. Any way you go, though, you have to run all your cameras to one point, be it a video server, a DVR, or a router.

 

The video server box will work fine if all you want to do is view the cameras, but if you want to record them, you'll need a DVR anyway (or NVR for IP cameras), so the video server box becomes redundant.