Use Wifi Router to boost Wireless NVR signal?

[Nevakonaza]

Hey guys,

I have one of those Home NVR/Wireless Camera kits which has 4x 1080p cameras around the house.

Its works great, However 2 of the 4 cameras have quite a poor signal because of the distance they are from the NVR, Would using a Cheap Asus Wifi Router work to boost these signals from the camera to the NVR or would i need something more specific actually made specifically for NVRs?

appreciate the help

 

[WJA96]

Don't get a cheap WiFi router, get a cheap access point, or more than one if you need them.

A Ubiquiti Unifi UAP-AC-Lite, UAP-AC-LR or UAP-AC-Mesh will do what you need and used ones are very cheap these days because everyone wants WiFi6.

 

[Caged]

It's very unlikely that wireless CCTV cameras for the home market use Wi-Fi (to clarify, ones bundled with an NVR rather than the numerous cloud ones), so I'd say you're out of luck. What is the kit exactly, and how are cameras paired to the NVR?

 

[Nevakonaza]

Don't get a cheap WiFi router, get a cheap access point, or more than one if you need them.

A Ubiquiti Unifi UAP-AC-Lite, UAP-AC-LR or UAP-AC-Mesh will do what you need and used ones are very cheap these days because everyone wants WiFi6.

Well, The reason i thought a Wifi Router is because i have a fairly recent-ish Asus one already sitting around in a box which im pretty sure can be just switched into an Access point only.

It's very unlikely that wireless CCTV cameras for the home market use Wi-Fi (to clarify, ones bundled with an NVR rather than the numerous cloud ones), so I'd say you're out of luck. What is the kit exactly, and how are cameras paired to the NVR?

The Kit is an Anran 4ch CCTV kit, Doesn't really show a model number but it is 1080p,Has a 1TB hard drive and works pretty well to be honest, The 2 (closer cameras) are fantastic, Very clear and smooth real time, But the two furthest away at the front of the house are not so good which is why i need to boost the signal.
i cant really move the cameras or the NVR elsewhere.

Each camera has its own IP,Which the NVR gives it.

 

[WJA96]

Well, The reason i thought a Wifi Router is because i have a fairly recent-ish Asus one already sitting around in a box which im pretty sure can be just switched into an Access point only.

It will need to be meshed with the NVR as that's the device giving out the addresses to the cameras. That would be easier with an access point, but I'm sure it's doable with your existing device.

The Kit is an Anran 4ch CCTV kit, Doesn't really show a model number but it is 1080p,Has a 1TB hard drive and works pretty well to be honest, The 2 (closer cameras) are fantastic, Very clear and smooth real time, But the two furthest away at the front of the house are not so good which is why i need to boost the signal.
i cant really move the cameras or the NVR elsewhere.

Each camera has its own IP,Which the NVR gives it.

It will work fine but the access point needs to be on the same subnet as the NVR (usually 172.20.14.x), not your WiFi router. This is because the NVR is working as a router itself and is completely separate from your 'internet' WiFi.

 

[Hyburnate]

Well, The reason i thought a Wifi Router is because i have a fairly recent-ish Asus one already sitting around in a box which im pretty sure can be just switched into an Access point only.



The Kit is an Anran 4ch CCTV kit, Doesn't really show a model number but it is 1080p,Has a 1TB hard drive and works pretty well to be honest, The 2 (closer cameras) are fantastic, Very clear and smooth real time, But the two furthest away at the front of the house are not so good which is why i need to boost the signal.
i cant really move the cameras or the NVR elsewhere.

Each camera has its own IP,Which the NVR gives it.

It sounds like the NVR creates its own LAN/WLAN, does this broadcast an SSID?

 

[WJA96]

It does, but it's hidden. It's usually Anran or Anran and the serial number of the NVR.

 

[WJA96]

It sounds like the NVR creates its own LAN/WLAN, does this broadcast an SSID?

It's no different to any other NVR - it puts the cameras on a private LAN address on a different subnet. It just so happens this particular LAN is a WLAN.

 

[AtaRo]

Is the antenna removable on the camera/nvr?

It might be possible to replace it with a higher gain/better antenna or maybe an antenna extension for the camera.

 

[WJA96]

On the ones I've seen, yes, you could use a cable to move the antenna closer to the NVR. There was also a version that meshed the cameras so you could daisy-chain them wirelessly, but that was only in the more recent versions I think.

 

[Nevakonaza]

It will need to be meshed with the NVR as that's the device giving out the addresses to the cameras. That would be easier with an access point, but I'm sure it's doable with your existing device.

It will work fine but the access point needs to be on the same subnet as the NVR (usually 172.20.14.x), not your WiFi router. This is because the NVR is working as a router itself and is completely separate from your 'internet' WiFi.

I'm not great with Networking or wifi stuff, But il have to see if my spare ASUS router does have like an access point only mode, I'm pretty sure it does.

The NVR does broadcast its own SSID.

It sounds like the NVR creates its own LAN/WLAN, does this broadcast an SSID?

Yes it does indeed,When i scan for Wifi signals on my phone the NVR pops up also

It does, but it's hidden. It's usually Anran or Anran and the serial number of the NVR.

Found it,Its an Anran K9604-W
Nothing high end by any means,just one of those cheaper kits but actually not that bad.

Is the antenna removable on the camera/nvr?

It might be possible to replace it with a higher gain/better antenna or maybe an antenna extension for the camera.

It is removable yes, They actually give you that exact Arial in the box also but the issue is, The camera is outside, Id have to somehow run that cable outside then id have to buy an extension cable for that antenna which would probably weaken the signal, then have the antenna inside the kitchen been ugly lol

 

[WJA96]

If it was me, I’d pass the cable through the wall and put the antennae inside the building. 99% that will solve your problem. And it’s just 10-12mm hole and pass the cable through. A smaller hole if you can terminate the cable ends yourself. How are the cameras powered?

 

[WJA96]

After a chat with a technician, I believe it will be very difficult to do what you want to do wirelessly. Anran actually make their own kit and the NVR and cameras are preset in a mesh so they just work together, and they should mesh through cameras as well as directly to the NVR but there is no provision to pass data to or from a repeater even if it’s on the same subnet the NVR is always expecting to talk to a camera, not any other network device.

It’s very interesting because it’s their own technology and they’re not using a bigger company to make their gear for them, which is really unusual. If it was an OEM Dahua, Hikvision or Uniview wireless NVR then it might have easier, but I think with this system, you need to bring the antenna indoors and closer to the NVR.

 

[Nevakonaza]

If it was me, I’d pass the cable through the wall and put the antennae inside the building. 99% that will solve your problem. And it’s just 10-12mm hole and pass the cable through. A smaller hole if you can terminate the cable ends yourself. How are the cameras powered?

i think that's what I'm going to have to do, it'll hopefully sort the front downstairs camera out, would just leave the upper front camera to deal with then, But the main issue is the front downstairs camera its a slideshow at 1fps lol.

After a chat with a technician, I believe it will be very difficult to do what you want to do wirelessly. Anran actually make their own kit and the NVR and cameras are preset in a mesh so they just work together, and they should mesh through cameras as well as directly to the NVR but there is no provision to pass data to or from a repeater even if it’s on the same subnet the NVR is always expecting to talk to a camera, not any other network device.

It’s very interesting because it’s their own technology and they’re not using a bigger company to make their gear for them, which is really unusual. If it was an OEM Dahua, Hikvision or Uniview wireless NVR then it might have easier, but I think with this system, you need to bring the antenna indoors and closer to the NVR.

I do really appreciate you asking for me, it seems like it'll be a much easier solution than trying to do all this WIFI stuff, and as you say it most likely wont work anyway because of what you said.

If i buy antenna extension cables do you guys think it'll affect the quality much? (surely cant be any worse than it is now lol. )

thanks again all