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the lemming

What is FTP and do I need it to backup CCTV footage?

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I've got a computer dedicated to recording CCTV footage. It does nothing else but this task. It does not have a keyboard, mouse or monitor connected to it. At the moment the only way I can control it is with some remote software called Team Viewer.

 

The software on this computer captures motion detected moments and has the facility to save the footage to an FTP doo-ja which can be viewed on the tinterweb.

 

I'm concerned that if the house is burgled then the thieves can simply walk away with the evidence of their existence by half hinching the computer attached to the camera.

 

What options do I have to back up the potential evidence and is FTP the way to do it?

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Transfer_Protocol

 

In short, it's not the most effective method for backing up video unless you use a program that can clean up old remote files as it goes, otherwise your remote storage will fill up quickly.

 

The other drawback to this is that most broadband internet services have limited upstream speed, and limited monthly bandwidth available - you can exceed both very quickly transferring video.

 

You're better to just hide the PC away somewhere, especially if it doesn't need a keyboard, mouse or monitor.

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You're better to just hide the PC away somewhere, especially if it doesn't need a keyboard, mouse or monitor.
I was going to say the same.

 

Even if you get a remote FTP host and enough gigs of capacity that you can store a decent bit of info you'll still face the possible issues (speed and reliability) with uploading to this remote site.

 

A lot of network attached storage (NAS) drives (you can find on Amazon) also have built in FTP servers.

 

I believe I've seen wireless NAS drives. With such a thing you could basically hide it anywhere in the house, plug it into a socket somewhere, and unless a thief finds it you're good. However, I wouldn't trust the wireless on them indefinitely, so you're best getting a wired NAS drive and sticking it in a closet, or in the basement hidden behind old boxes or something like that. You could even have a portion of the cable seeming to run into a wall, which would hint to a thief that there's no way they are ever going to find it. That way if your thief is smart (99% of them are total morons, though) and tries to follow from your router or switch to the NAS drive (if he even has any idea that he's been filmed and that a NSA drive may be somewhere) if he sees a cable running off into finished wall he'd have to burn down the house to avoid the footage being reclaimed by you

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