Anyone else done with Wyze cams? Need better options

I’m so over Wyze cameras. The interface is bad, customer service is useless, and they keep breaking down. Just today, someone walked into my house uninvited, and the Wyze cam stopped working (which happens all the time). And yeah, I’m paying for their service.

I need something more reliable. Maybe one with its own cellular backup in case the WiFi drops? Just a basic indoor cam that actually sends alerts to my phone. Any ideas?

Reolink

Fallon said:
Reolink

Yeah, I self-host and agree. Reolink or go with a local DVR setup.

Vail said:

Fallon said:
Reolink

Yeah, I self-host and agree. Reolink or go with a local DVR setup.

I’ll check them out, thanks.

Fallon said:
Reolink

Do you guys know who actually makes Reolink cams and how cheap they are to produce? You’d probably be annoyed. I’ve bought similar ones before.

Reagan said:

Fallon said:
Reolink

Do you guys know who actually makes Reolink cams and how cheap they are to produce? You’d probably be annoyed. I’ve bought similar ones before.

Yeah, they’re made by Dahua or Raysharp. If you don’t want a Chinese brand, you’re out of luck since almost none are NDAA compliant. Here’s a list of brands you might want to avoid:

  • Amcrest
  • Cobra
  • Lorex
  • Reolink
  • Night Owl
  • Swann

I went with a brand that has good community support and decent customer service. If something goes wrong, you can just use the NVR locally with an HDMI cable.

@Fallon
Actually, Reolink isn’t made by Dahua. I used to order similar cams from their manufacturer, but I switched to a Taiwanese company for better quality. Dahua did buy Lorex, though. Reolink operates separately, focusing on consumer-grade stuff. Don’t spread bad info.

@Fallon
Also, I think you meant OEM, not ODM.

Reagan said:
@Fallon
Also, I think you meant OEM, not ODM.

This is getting spicy… grabbing some popcorn.

Arden said:

Reagan said:
@Fallon
Also, I think you meant OEM, not ODM.

This is getting spicy… grabbing some popcorn.

Grab me some too… butter, please.

Fallon said:
Reolink

Aren’t these cameras hacked pretty often?

Emerson said:

Fallon said:
Reolink

Aren’t these cameras hacked pretty often?

Where are you getting that info? Reolink cams don’t need to be exposed to the internet. If set up correctly, they’re safe.

@Dawson
I saw some stuff online about Reolink cams being hacked. Admittedly, it might be from people modifying them.

Emerson said:
@Dawson
I saw some stuff online about Reolink cams being hacked. Admittedly, it might be from people modifying them.

If someone sees my camera feed, I don’t care much since mine are all outdoor cams.

@Dawson
Mine’s going to be indoors, so it’s a bigger issue.

Emerson said:
@Dawson
Mine’s going to be indoors, so it’s a bigger issue.

Got it. If you’re worried, just block internet access to the camera and use a VPN for remote viewing. That way, you’re secure. Here’s a thread that might help: https://www.reddit.com/r/reolinkcam/comments/1aoz89z/setting_up_viewing_with_vpn/

Emerson said:

Fallon said:
Reolink

Aren’t these cameras hacked pretty often?

I think you’re confusing Reolink with Eufy.

Fallon said:

Emerson said:
Fallon said:
Reolink

Aren’t these cameras hacked pretty often?

I think you’re confusing Reolink with Eufy.

Good to know. Thanks.

Just use wired cameras. Wireless ones are unreliable.

Lee said:
Just use wired cameras. Wireless ones are unreliable.

Yeah, I’m starting to feel the same. I don’t have Ethernet everywhere, and the stretched power cords from wireless cams are driving me nuts. Structured cabling seems like the way to go for better performance and less clutter.