Security camera system for a 4-plex

[Travis Thornton]

Hello all,

I want to put a video surveilance system in at my 4-plex. I have looked online, and seen some reasonable prices, but I'm a little worried that the installation might be an issue. If there's anyone out there with experience in this matter, it would be super helpful to hear from you.

[Jason Cotner]

Without knowing your budget for the system or your expectations for features/reliability, its hard to make a firm recommendation.

As a propeller-headed IT geek, here's what I know:

With regard to the setup/installation, I would do a network video recorder with PoE (Power over Ethernet) cameras. This way you can power the cameras over the same network cable that receives the video signal.

My employer uses Exacqvision video recorders in its stores. They're reliable, easy to use/monitor, and not too expensive for a quality system. On our last install, I noticed they offer a model about the size of a toaster that can handle up to 16 cameras. What you'd need for this setup is the network video recorder, a PoE network switch with enough PoE ports to power each camera, the PoE cameras, and some network cable.

To do mobile monitoring, you'll need an internet connection on site. Do you provide internet to your tenants, or would you need to pay for a dedicated connection just for your recorder?

Another option with the internet connection would be a cloud-based setup like CudaEye, where each camera holds footage and streams it to an off-site server. You pay a monthly fee for the service, but then you don't have to worry about housing a DVR on site.

Based on your post, the first option is something you'd want to let an installer handle. I'd call a few security companies for bids on the system. For the second option, you might be able to do it if you're comfortable setting up the network components.

A few factors that might affect my recommendation:

• Are you looking to do this on a shoestring budget? DVR's can be had pretty cheaply, but the features, video capacity, and lifespan will vary greatly. You get what you pay for to a great extent.
• Are all the areas you're trying to capture well-lit? If you have areas that are dark at night, you'll need an infrared (IR) camera.

One thing I'd be extremely careful of is making sure that none of the cameras point into a tenant's rental space. You could have tenants raise a stink if they think they're being watched in their homes. I'm not sure of the legality of the matter, but a little thought on camera positioning may avoid some headaches.

I didn't mean to write a novel on this, but I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have.