DIY Home Security System
Hi All
I have been asked by quite a few people about installing a Camera System at their premises and so I have decided to do a post since security is very important to me and I have implemented this successfully at my own house.
The most important thing to remember is that you get certain types of systems for certain scenarios..for example if you merely want to create the illusion of having a security camera system in place, then you don't have to spend an arm and a leg on hardware & software to run your system, you merely have to buy a few broken cameras and get a sign that says you are being monitored via CCTV, this approach normally works quite well since it doesn't cost you anything and the intruder won't know if you have a working system or not...
If you want to record the footage for security purposes and also for insurance purposes, you have to factor in the following:
- Do I need to view the camera's remotely.
- Do I need to view the camera's via a mobile device application or would a web browser suffice.
- How many hours/days/weeks or months of footage would need to be stored as this would depend on the storage device.
- Do I need clear visibility at night in a dark area as well (this is called Infrared) or will there always be sufficient lighting.
- Do I need to make out the intruders faces completely or do I merely want to be alerted if someone has entered my property.
The above mentioned is quite tricky, especially when it comes to your budget. The most important thing to remember when installing a home security system relies heavily on the following equipment:
- PC/Laptop or DVR where the camera's will connect to and where the footage would be stored.
- Internet Connectivity for remote viewing.
- Software to run the Camera's and to set variables around motion detection, alerts, recordings etc.
SCENARIO1 - Dummy Security System
Yes that is all that is required....and I bet if you saw that installed at someone's property, you wouldn't take a chance do anything illegal?
SCENARIO2 - Working CCTV System
Please note that in order to utilize this system you would need to have sufficient wireless coverage and Internet connectivity. Please note that you need to make sure that if you would like to view your camera's remotely, that it will rely heavily on your home Internet upload and not the download speeds.
PC (LINUX BASED - which means no licensing fees required and no expensive hardware either)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Maxesla-Mini-PC-Windows-10-Dual-Frequency-Display-Fanless-Mini-PC-and-Linux-S-/332244888221?hash=item4d5b56aa9d:g:vQ0AAOSwX9FZLdNa
DATA/BACKUP DEVICE
http://www.ebay.com/itm/WD-My-Passport-USB-3-0-Portable-Storage-External-Hard-Drive-2017-1TB-White-MP-/112432506255?epid=2069856852&hash=item1a2d7fe58f:g:uq0AAOSw-K9ZNbps
SOFTWARE (FREE & AWESOME)
https://zoneminder.com/features/
Please drop me a reply and I can assist with either implementation or draw up a nice working diagram for you to work from...I am happy to assist :) I am also open to comments and suggestions on how to improve the above mentioned system, whether it's to improve your budget or functionality...
Phil
I Live in South Africa also. Here CCTV camera's encourages criminals to break into your homes. I think they suspect that you have valuable items to protect or hide when they see the camera's.
I am also from South Africa, just FYI lol...yeahh I do agree, I was approached by one of my followers asking about a "cheap" yet effective Home Monitoring System for their homes and I thought, well let me turn this into a post.
haha awesome bro...nice post.
Hey Phil. Ja, us South Africans have to be security conscious hey ;)
Do yourself a favour and look into Home Assistant too for home automation. I see Home Assistant but more for lights, switches etc. Many people have used it to integrate cameras etc. Just fun to have cameras and home automation mixed :)
Damn I love how inviting everyone is on Steemit, I just spoke this morning to a few people about how this compares to Facebook and it's like night and day to be honest...on Facebook you always get people that will take offense or "attack" you for no reason at all...but on steemit, everyone is so friendly and encouraging..makes we want to come back to see who else is using this platform.
I will definitely look at Home Assistant, thanks so much for sharing! I am an absolutely tech junkie..if that is a real term lol and love new and exciting tech...
So true man!! A LOT friendlier here than on FB!!
Awesome, check it out - just load it on a Raspberry Pi and have fun :)
Awesome! I'm saving this article and will respond later today 😁
No worries, let me know what you think :)
Just so you know, you can setup the same system with a normal USB Webcam if you don't want to spend money and have some old equipment lying around..
Thanks for the the info, we can never be too careful when it comes to protecting your assets and most importantly..your family
I fully agree as you can replace your loved ones but you can never replace your PS4 or porshe...
Wait no it's the other way around lol...but seriously now, you can't put a price tag on a loved one and you should do whatever it takes to make them feel save and secure, especially in this day and age we live in.
Thanks for sharing! I am in the process of piecing together a system with a few of my cameras and a raspberry pi. Have you worked with https://kerberos.io/ at all? I run all Linux here and am on the fence between deploying either Kerberos.io or Zoneminder. Both look great. Can you help sway me one way or the other?!