Building a new home and running Cat6 for POE cameras. I’d really appreciate some feedback on the camera locations I’ve picked.
I’m planning to use a Reolink setup, with Duo Floodlights for the spots with two beams, the CX-410 cameras for the other three areas, and a Reolink doorbell.
I really like the Duo Floodlights because they combine two cameras and a floodlight, all powered by POE, and as far as I know, they’re the only ones with this kind of setup. However, I’m open to suggestions if anyone has recommendations for better nighttime cameras than the CX-410.
I don’t want to overdo it, so I’m not aiming to cover every side of the house. My goal is just to cover all the windows and doors, and I think I’ve managed that, but I’d be happy to hear any thoughts or suggestions.
I’d suggest checking out a tool like jvsg.com to help with camera placement. It lets you upload your home’s floor plan and place cameras virtually to see what they’ll cover. Good luck with the setup!
Your placement looks fine, but I have a couple of questions.
Have you thought about the paths around the house?
Did you consider the angle of each camera?
The garden plan matters too, because you might miss an area that could show how someone approached your house.
Have you tested how much area the cameras cover? Sometimes a camera might seem to cover a door and window, but when you set it up, you may only see the door.
The paths around the house: there will be a solid fence (about 4-5’ high) where the garage starts. So, the camera in the bottom left of the image should cover that window and people trying to climb the fence. On the garage side, I’ve got the Duo camera for the street side and another one at the back covering the door and possible climbers coming from the back fence (we have neighbors all around, and the fence is about 60’ from the house).
I’m not sure if this answers your questions, but that’s what I’m thinking.
As for the field of view (FOV), I haven’t tested it yet. I tried using an online tool but found it too confusing. Right now, I’m aiming for ‘good enough’ with fewer cameras and trying to get a decent angle on the entrance. I plan to adjust the Duo cameras a little when I mount them to make sure they’re aimed right.
You can test one camera by setting it up at a fixed distance, say 10 feet, and measure its angle. This way, you can check the width and height of the coverage, for example, 7x7 feet. It will help you position the camera correctly.
Reolink doorbell is a solid pick, stick with that one.
The CX410 cameras are good enough. They should work well, especially if your house has good lighting at night, which is key for any color night vision cameras. If you need to cover long distances or have cameras facing the street, I’d recommend swapping the CX410 for the CX810.
For dual cameras, go with Duo 3 instead of Duo 2 if any of them face the street or cover long distances.
This setup works if you’re on a tight budget.
If money isn’t an issue, you could go for Dahua or Hikvision cameras.
And don’t forget to cover the left and right sides of the house.
@Emerson
Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it!
I’m flexible on the budget. If I wanted to upgrade the CX410/810 to something from Dahua/Hikvision for better night vision, what would you recommend? I expect there will be some light, but not much, and the CX410s were meant for short distances and not much street coverage.
I like the Duo Floodlights because they have built-in lights, which is great for deterring people. I don’t want too many moving parts and wiring, and I can run Cat6 cables but not additional electrical wiring. AFAIK, Reolink is the only one with a two-camera plus floodlight combo, which is why I’m interested. The ones I’ve planned for are all fairly short distances, like in the front for the driveway and in the back, where the fence is 60 feet from the house, bordered by a neighbor’s house, so I don’t expect too much foot traffic there.
As for the left and right sides, there are no doors or windows, so I’m just focusing on covering the entrances.
