Security Camera system concern; suggestions?

[disney]

Greetings. I am apparently searching for something that does not exist. I want to buy a reasonably good quality (willing to spend a few thousand) camera system that does not require/use the internet, and yet continually stores the data/video to a remote hard drive. I find it hard to believe that nobody makes a system like this, but I have called dozens of companies (some from internet, others from the local city), and they all basically say it's a great idea, but that they can't help/ don't have what I am looking for.

My reasoning for the separate data storage hard drive is: the Bad Guys (BG's) can see the camera's and any smart BG's know there will be a dvr/brainbox/system controller for the cameras, and all they have to do is find it, and take it with them, and then I have nothing to show the police.

Now some will tell me to 'hide it', but then I have to go to that 'hiding place' to view anything (think noise outside at night), and as I will need to run all the video cables there, it would he hard to effectively hide. If the unit continually stored the data to an external device, that device could be stored in a REAL safe (not a tin can with a fancy paint job). Now before someone tells me just to store the entire dvr/brainbox in the safe, that would mean a very large hole in the safe for all the video wires, and large holes mean loss of fire protection. Yes I am aware of special fire/heat sealing 'caulks', but to me that is not a real solution. Heat generated from all the brainbox processors could also be a concern.

Imagine having the brain box near the safe, with all the camera wires going to the brain box, and one single cable/wire would go from the brain to the storage device in the safe. Any BG's that break in, could find the brain box, and unplug it, steal it, etc, and I would have all the video up to that point, protected in the safe. I really don't care if it brain box stores video to it's internal drive, as long as it is constantly sending the data to the remote drive.

I would like to say that what I have been told is that all of the units that have esata/usb remote hard drive connections are for 'downloading' video/data, not for 'live' recording storage.

Thank you to all that have made it this far into my post, and an additional thanks to all who reply with helpful info.

 

[MossRoad]

How do you want to get the recorded data from the monitored site to another site without going over the internet?

 

[EarPlug]

Looks like this is your answer

Surveillance DVR Hard Drive Mirroring | iDVR

 

[ShaleniFarm]

Why not a "NVR", network video recorder. You would need an internal local network, not the internet. You would also need IP cameras. All this costs more than the "standard 8 camera with dvr" systems at Sams, etc. The nvr could be put anywhere on your local network. The cat5/6 cable from the camera would only go to the network hub/router.

Maybe a little more involved than stringing 8 cameras and wires back to the dvr. But, could accomplish what you want. Google away.

Just my $.02

 

[MossRoad]

So are you saying all you want is an external hard drive?

Or do you want the recorded data stored at another location?

As for having to view from the hidden place...

That's the beauty of the internet. Your recordings are automatically stored "in the cloud" as they say, and you can view them from anywhere with a computer. If someone breaks into your place and steals the DVRs, it doesn't matter, because the video is already backed up to a place on the internet.

 

[hawkeye08]

Looks like this is your answer

Surveillance DVR Hard Drive Mirroring | iDVR

Not really, disk mirroring is almost always between two drives in the unit or with a second drive connected directly to it.

I would look for a security system that can send data to a network drive. Connect the network drive wirelessly (using wifi network in your home) to reach the shop or a second location in the home. Or, perhaps you have a trusted neighbor close enough to put a network drive at their house and have a link to from the network drive back to your house (using a wifi link you provide)? If you truly want it offsite, you have to have a method to get it there.

My FLIR system (from Costco with 8 wired cameras) has a local disk that I record to (with the concerns you have), but I can also record simultaneously to network drive (which I currently do not have enabled).

Just my thoughts here, no expert, but have studied this for my own purposes. My plan is to use a network drive well hidden when I finish setting it up. I only have two cameras hooked up so far.

 

[MossRoad]

You could read this for some more ideas... but they all involve the internet.

How to Backup Your IP Security Cameras to the Cloud

From the article:
"A camera with on-board SD card storage, backed up locally to a computer-based DVR, with cloud-based off-site storage should provide enough failover to capture the bad guys in just about every possible scenario."

 

[MossRoad]

Not really, disk mirroring is almost always between two drives in the unit or with a second drive connected directly to it.

I would look for a security system that can send data to a network drive. Connect the network drive wirelessly (using wifi network in your home) to reach the shop or a second location in the home. Or, perhaps you have a trusted neighbor close enough to put a network drive at their house and have a link to from the network drive back to your house (using a wifi link you provide)? If you truly want it offsite, you have to have a method to get it there.

My FLIR system (from Costco with 8 wired cameras) has a local disk that I record to (with the concerns you have), but I can also record simultaneously to network drive (which I currently do not have enabled).

Just my thoughts here, no expert, but have studied this for my own purposes. My plan is to use a network drive well hidden when I finish setting it up. I only have two cameras hooked up so far.

That's a very good setup as far as redundancy goes. A network drive can be hidden very easily. Ceilings, between floor joists, in a closet in a recessed panel, etc... That takes care of everything but a fire. So if the burglars burn the place down, you're not gonna have footage of it with on-site storage.

Here's another good article about this subject, but, again, it involves internet.

Recording IP Security Camera Systems to FTP or the Cloud / CCTV Camera World, Experts in Security Camera Systems

 

[aczlan]

Buffalo has some of their business class NAS devices that will automatically sync or mirror data between two devices on the same network. You could do that with a local and remote device either on the same physical property and physical network or on a separate physical property using a VPN over the Internet between the two.

Aaron Z

 

[kcflhrc]

Well, unlike other's I have read your entire post and you are correct, you are looking for something that doesn't exist. However, you didn't mention how remote you want the storage to be.

 

[robstaples]

Disney, I have numerous ip cameras and a suggestion. If you use a nvr for local access and storage (out in the open) it will be convenient for viewing. The system will appear like a simple system. If you add a NAS (network attached storage) and have the cameras writing to both devices, the video will be in two or more places and it will just take a cat5 or 6 wire to connect the NAS. with the nest of cat 5 wires coming out of the back of the NVR, one going off to a "hidden location" will look like another camera. I can view my camera on my tablet, any one of my computers and the NVR. For a pc based system, Blue Iris is great software system ( function of a dedicated NVR). All of this uses network but not internet until you go to the outside world. Also, depending on frame rate of pictures, you could connect the NAS via wifi and really hide it. lower reliability than wires.

 

[disney]

How do you want to get the recorded data from the monitored site to another site without going over the internet?

Sorry for any misunderstanding, but the monitored site would be the property, and the other site would be inside the safe on the same property.---no internet needed. basically I could set the dvr/nvr/ brain box on a shelf beside the safe, and use a short cable to run it into the safe.--now I could run the wire into the wall with the other camera wires, and then pull it out behind the safe so it would not be noticeable.

I would like to thank everyone that has replied, as I now how some ideas, and more importantly HOPE. It may be a few days until I get a chance to do any research, long hours at work...

 

[MossRoad]

Sorry for any misunderstanding, but the monitored site would be the property, and the other site would be inside the safe on the same property.---no internet needed. basically I could set the dvr/nvr/ brain box on a shelf beside the safe, and use a short cable to run it into the safe.--now I could run the wire into the wall with the other camera wires, and then pull it out behind the safe so it would not be noticeable.

I would like to thank everyone that has replied, as I now how some ideas, and more importantly HOPE. It may be a few days until I get a chance to do any research, long hours at work...

Then that's a piece of cake. :laughing:

 

[Sysop]

Vivotek's IP cameras are very versatile. They have an SD card slot inside the camera. They can directly save data to an external NAS device. They also have server software that can run on a PC that stores the video in a searchable database.

They can be configured to store data in all locations simultaneously. You can have any standard PC setup as the server to record video for easy searching of events, a second copy of all the video stored to a network drive located elsewhere on the premises, and a third copy of video stored within the cameras themselves on SD cards.

Thieves would need to steal every piece of hardware they see to be sure there is no video evidence. This includes climbing up the side of your house to steal the cameras...

 

[coldsteelva]

What you want is doable, but I would suggest running a separate LAN/vLAN to handle your camera traffic and keep it off your internet access point network.

 

[kcflhrc]

You could literally spend thousands as you suggested and still not have what it takes to catch a thief. A sign in the yard would be a better deterrent than anything. I have 4 cameras around my house. Whenever one detects motion it sends me an e-mail with the pictures attached of what happened. There is no way anyone can ever remove those e-mailed images from my smart phone. The e-mails are almost immediate and then I can go to my phone and live watch what is going on. Sure, they can steal the cameras and DVR but I still have the images on my phone. And my system was $200 on sale at Home Depot, regularly $400

 

[TheMan419]

I think that should be very easy. Get cameras that record to a hard drive in a computer. You can then just use an external HD on that computer. There are plenty that hook up with a USB cable. That drive can be in the safe.

 

[coldsteelva]

There are safes specifically designed for data storage. They are heat resistant and have passthrough connector ports (power/data/network) that allow a storage device to remain inside the safe. A multi-TB solid state drive designed for DVR use (many writes/re-writes) would be perfect for you.

 

[MikeFarm]

Hi disney

I use a camera that sends still images back to the farmhouse.

Camera is a Mobotix camera, with a separate Ubiquity Rocket M5 5.8 GHz wireless transmitter. Both are powered by a solar panel and a 12V car battery. The entire stuff is mounted on a cart thing that I made from wooden palings and some wheels. Images from the camera go via an ethernet cable to the wireless which transmits them back to the farmhouse. From there they get saved to the flash drive in the small fitPC2i computer (it's 4 x 4 x 1/2 inch size, takes just 4 Watts). Then the images get sent each hour via the satellite dish to my website so I can check on the alpacas anytime.

Mike

 

[MacLawn]

I've been researching security camera systems several years, still don't have one though. My take: when/if a company ever comes out with a really SIMPLE, easy to understand and set up system, they will sell. Outdoor cameras, not taking a pic of the jerk once he's inside! I had hopes SimpliSafe would do it, but theirs are inside only.