How best to deal with 8-10 POE IP Cameras / Blueiris?

Pulsedriver · 9 Aug 2019 at 18:54

Hey folks, we are looking to help a local business out, their guy they used in the past has vanished / doesn't seem interested in their calls/business anymore and their CCTV is aging/problematic.

They already have 8-10 (let's say 10) IP Cameras in place, in a POE setup, so a single ethernet cable going to each IP Cam.
Problem is, they are a mix of different D-Link cameras (DCS-2210L / DCS-4602EV) and one of the main ones they need has stopped recording audio. We replaced it with a H.Link HV-500G2 POE cam, and it was a case of swapping it over, assigning IP to it, and it looks great! Downside? We can't record with it as It can't see the DNR-322L!

They have a D-Link DNR-322L which is awful, so what I want to do is basically, take that out, and replace it with something I can simply connect the existing POE switch to, and load all the cameras on to, and have them be able to be recording / have remote access with apps etc.

I have googled and seen Blue Iris mentioned a lot, but wondered, is that a good solution for the above? Would it be a case of getting a small desktop PC or a Synology Box (maybe a DS218J) and installing Blue Iris on it, and everything I need can be done like that?

They do not need a monitor connected to it, it can literally be a box stuck up on a shelf, as that is all they have right now. Would appreciate any advice on whether it's a good idea, does Blue Iris cover all those cameras with one license? And whether to get a Synology or a desktop PC, many thanks

visibleman · 9 Aug 2019 at 21:08

Can't comment about Blue Iris but if you were thinking of using Synology Surveillance Station (you'd ideally want a DS218+ or DS718), just beware of the camera licensing costs on top of purchasing the hardware. Got a few clients with Synology Surveillance Station setups (done because the hardware already existed) and whilst it's extremely easy to setup, config and use, cost of licensing makes the initial outlay pretty expensive, ie - a single camera license is ~£50; four camera license pack is ~£170 (if you have cameras with PTZ, then you might need multiple licenses per camera).

Donnie Fisher · 10 Aug 2019 at 00:09

From a quick google, I've watched a youtube vid of its setup, and there is a comment made that the DNR-322L will only work with D-link cameras. You've potentially added an incompatable camera to what reads as though was a working ( for the most part ) system.

Not be easier and quicker and cheaper just getting a compatable camera ?

steinooo · 11 Aug 2019 at 09:30

Donnie Fisher said:
Not be easier and quicker and cheaper just getting a compatable camera ?

I agree with this thought. however if you have the time to invest in the research and toying around with the config of Blue Iris, it's regarded as one of the best NVR solutions out there. It's the sort of thing i'd want for myself, not sure i'd be bothered if it was for a customer.

Pulsedriver · 11 Aug 2019 at 11:50

Donnie Fisher said:
From a quick google, I've watched a youtube vid of its setup, and there is a comment made that the DNR-322L will only work with D-link cameras. You've potentially added an incompatable camera to what reads as though was a working ( for the most part ) system.

Not be easier and quicker and cheaper just getting a compatable camera ?

Basically this is correct, the DNR-322L has an awful interface, the software works only in IE (not even Edge) and is buggy at best, it seems the support for D-Link stuff goes out of date very quickly. I do appreciate the easier option is to swap out so i'll probably do that first, and then give them the option later down the line for a 'full revamp' so to speak using Blue Iris.
Appreciate it guys!

Pulsedriver · 11 Aug 2019 at 13:43

Actually...In fairness, there are no cameras available anymore! Let's give me some benefit of the doubt maybe I had already checked

haha! The DCS-2210L is what I need, as it needs to be indoor POE and be able to hear audio - I have managed to track one second hand but not ideal to do that but cannot find any other camera D-Link do for indoor that captures audio, cannot believe a company like D-Link has such poor support / product availability!

Donnie Fisher · 12 Aug 2019 at 07:41

IP cameras do seem to be one of those things that you either get cheap and limited features and then a big gap to expensive stuff I found.

Conversely... Cause the d-link stuff seemed hardware tied in it's current setup, will the old cameras work with a different NVR like blue iris?

Bluecube · 12 Aug 2019 at 08:46

It may be worth your while looking at Zoneminder. It takes a bit of setting up but it’s free and there’s no licence costs either. Providing the cameras are ONVIF capable, it should definitely be on your shortlist.

Jamauk · 13 Aug 2019 at 22:22

I've got 8 Foscam cameras and BlueIris on WHS2011 and it works well with my Dell T20 recording onto a 2TB HDD, server runs multiple other services -Plex, Drive Bender, USG controller. Very good on resources and whilst not constant recording so fairly irrelevant it is frequently triggered and gets around 2 weeks of footage.

phill · 23 Aug 2019 at 22:03

I run 8 cameras with blue iris on a i7 6700, as well as a plex server. Make sure you look for a chip that supports quick sync as both blue iris can leverage this for hw acceleration and plex for hw transcoding. Makes a huge difference to cpu usage.

Forgot to add blue iris is cracking software, for the money you can't beat it and I've tried various nvrs and other sw solutions. What I especially like about blue iris is the frequency of updates and you can heavily customise/fine tune the setup