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OK so first off I used to own an Arlo 5 camera set, it was a good set for the most part but if you have spotty WiFi like I do then you understand why Arlo is not a good choice and why I had to sell my set. I used to open the Arlo app and try to access a live view of my cameras and it would literally take about 30 to 45 seconds to load. By then anybody trying to steal from you could make off with your stuff. Another issue I had with the wireless cameras is that they would lag and miss up to 10 seconds of recorded motion. My solution to this problem was to sell off my wireless Arlo cameras and buy a new wired set of cameras. I shopped around a lot for about two months and finally settled on the Reolink 4 camera set. There are plenty of other camera sets out there that I’m sure are great, I just liked the Reolink cameras and settled on them
I've had this set for a little over two months now and am just now writing my first review. I wanted to be sure I knew what I was talking about and would be able to explain everything I like or dislike about these cameras.
Pros:
• I bought these cameras in hopes that they would be faster than my old Arlo cameras and let me tell you they are so much faster; I couldn't be happier. I open the app and click on the camera I want to view and within seconds I'm watching a live stream of my house.
• The POE (power over ethernet) system is pretty simple with just one cable used to power the camera and provide picture.
• They seem very sturdy and unlikely to get messed up from being outdoors. With that being said I still mounted them in a spot where hail or other weather-related things couldn't harm them.
Cons:
• This one is to be expected from wired cameras so it wasn't a big deal to me but for some it will be difficult or annoying to have to crawl to your eaves from inside your attic. It's going to take time and will probably be very hot, but with the right tools and someone helping from outside it's not to terribly difficult.
• The instructions do not go into detail on how to mount these cameras on your eaves. If you are trying to run the cables through the attic to your eaves like I did and not simply staple the cables to your wall outside, then you have some work ahead of you. I had to watch more than few Youtube videos before I was confident enough to start the install process.
• Last and this is just my opinion others might disagree, but the app can be a little difficult to navigate. I have gotten used to it by now so it's not a big deal, but new owners will have to give themselves time to learn the system and how it works.
For those doing their own install I've included some pictures that I hope will help.
I installed three bullet cams so far and one dome shaped camera. The pictures are of the dome shaped camera install.
In your kit and each camera you buy afterward you will get a template sticker that is the exact same shape and size as the bottom of the camera. Peel off the back and stick it where you want to place the camera. Keep in mind that bullet cameras are an easy target for thieves, yes, they will rip them off your eaves and run away with them. You could wish and hope it catches their face on video so you can pass it on to the cops, or just plan ahead and put it somewhere where it will be hard to get to. One other option is to buy a dome shaped camera that you can place just about anywhere. Because of the dome shape it is very difficult for someone to come by in the middle of the night, grab it, and rip it off the eave. I only needed one dome shaped camera, I mounted it above my driveway. The others are behind my fence and much harder to get to.
Once you have the sticker on the chosen spot on your eaves get yourself a spade bit, I used a 7/8 bit which was just the right size hole to feed my cables through. The camera will have three cable ends one is a reset button, the other is an ethernet connection, and the last is an alternate 12 volt power option for your camera. Drill through the eave making sure that there are no live wires running through the attic directly above you and try not to drill into a wooden beam or stud which will block you from feeding your cables through.
Next you’ll need to drill the mounting holes for the camera itself. The dome shaped camera had 4 holes and the bullet cam had three holes. You’re going to want to drill a hole close to the size of your plastic anchors that came in the kit. Unfortunately I forgot what size brill bit I used for the anchors. I think it was a 7/32 or a 15/64. Start out small and work your way up. If the hole is too narrow for the anchor to fit you can always go bigger, but if you drill too big to fast the anchor will not hold when you drill a screw through it. When the holes are drilled push the anchors in until the anchor is firmly in place.
When that’s done you will need these two tools to help finish up the job. Now these are optional but will really help make a tricky job a lot easier. You will need a roll of fishing tape commonly used by electricians to, you guessed it, fish wires from behind walls or in this case eaves. You should also get a long piece of ½ inch Pex tubing like I have in the picture. Mine was 10 feet long and more than enough. I actually had a piece of this tubing lying around my garage from a previous plumbing job and let me tell you it was a lifesaver for this install. Remove the template sticker and have someone standing outside by the hole while you go through the attic taking the ethernet cable with you to where the hole and your friend are.
Next have the person outside push the Pex tubing through the hole until you can see it on your end. If your eaves are tricky like mine have your friend bend the tubing first then feed it through. The Pex will stay bent and not spring back to its original shape. Once you are able to see it and grab it have your friend feed the fish tape through the tubing until it comes out of the tubing on your end. Once it’s on your end hook one end of the ethernet cable on to the fishing tape (make sure it’s secure) then have your friend pull the tubing and the fishing tape out all at once. Be sure to bring the opposite end of the ethernet cable with you as you leave the attic so you can connect it to the DVR.
When the ethernet cable is through the hole and outside simply connect the cable to the camera, tuck all wires in through the 7/8 hole, and screw the camera to the eave. Then connect the other end of the ethernet cable to the DVR, side note you are going to have decide where to place your DVR. I’ve seen people on Youtube videos leave them in the Attic, and others have them right by their TV. I placed my on top of my kitchen cabinets which means I had to drill a small out of sight hole though my ceiling to bring the wires down from the attic.
All you have to do now is power up the DVR, download the app, and set up everything through your phone or computer. I hope this helps give you confidence to do your own install and helps make it easier for you.
(The last four pictures are of two different spots around my house in the daytime and at night with and without the night vision.)
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