UK ST compatible outdoor camera solution

Wireless Arlo’s selling point is that they are easy to setup and install outside as no power supply needed. This does mean that they are not able to record 24/7 (except internal Arlo Q) or record to a NAS. All they can do is record video clips to the cloud while sending you notifications.

The problem appears to be when integrating using the Smartthings Mode within the Arlo app. After setting up the rules for each event they become scrambled a few hours later. I haven’t spent enough time trying to figure this out or even work out what I am missing out on. Not sure if ST are aware but there are a few threads regarding this.

I am able to turn the cameras on and off from within ST and also view a live feed which is enough for me as I use the Arlo app to view the clips.

Wireless Arlo cameras do need the base station so if you are looking for an ‘outdoor camera solution’ without an extra hub then probably not for you.

For anyone using or thinking of using Foscam cameras, it’s worth taking a look at the front pages of their US and UK sites.

http://foscam.co.uk/

http://foscam.us/

I have an Arlo Pro and everything’s fine until started sending false motion detection notifications. have you guys experienced this so far? The rest of the features were incredible though

I’ve not had any problems with false motion detection. My two Arlos in the garden do occasionally detect things like leaves blowing around but that is to be expected. The two internal cams have never detected a false motion event. This is why I have them paired up with ST motion sensors to create a consolidated motion ‘zone’ which has eliminated false alarms for me.

Hi Ben, could you explain how your ‘motion zone’ works and how could I configure one?

I have installed the Zone Motion Manager app via the IDE (below). There is an option within this app to create a False Motion Reduction Zone. So for example I included my Living Room ST motion sensor and my Living Room Arlo camera in this zone. If motion is detected by both sensors within one minute it will set the zone active. This zone appears to the Smart Home Monitor as a motion detector. So instead of including the sensors individually when setting up the SHM I just include the Living Room zone. So the SHM will only trigger an alarm if both the ST motion sensor and Arlo camera detects motion.

If you have more sensors (4 for example) you can set the zone so perhaps if 3 sensors activated within the time frame it would make the zone go active. This way if one sensor doesn’t pick up the motion the others will (hopefully) and the zone will still activate the SHM alarm.

It has eliminated the problem of random alarm activations caused by the ST motion sensor. You need to ensure that the Arlo cameras are activated when you run your goodbye routine or set the SHM to armed away.

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@bbarham How did you get ST to arm/disarm the Arlo cams?? I have been trying to figure this out for a while with no luck… Please enlighten me :smiley:

I would not even consider trying to enroll security cameras into st, security cameras are just that, for security and if you are serious about security you really need a dedicated NVR with decent poe cameras from Hikvision or Dahua, if you go those routes make 100% sure you are buying Uk stock and NOT grey imports as a fw upgrade will brick your cameras and or NVR. Dahua is a little harder to find but just as good as Hiks,. For some integration into St the Hik cameras do have IFTTT channels from there web based server

For just viewing outside in a general cursory way i wouldnt waste my money, whatever you buy will be a waste of money and in the long run time

Hi could you give me a example of a good model number for the Hikvision you’re talking about.
I’m wanting to set up cameras at the front and back of our house so have been looking at PoE but can’t get my head round the setup.
So I think I have 2 Poe cameras that run to a PoE injector and does that then connect to the NVR ?
So then what connects to my internet router is it the injector or the NVR?
What’s confusing me the most is the injector and apparently needing different voltages lol
Thanks for any info :slight_smile:

Its been a while but if I remember correctly you start off by going to the Marketplace, under Things select Cameras and then Netgear Arlo then Connect.

This will install the Arlo (Connect) app. After authorising you select the cameras you want to use. They should then in appear in My Home as Things. You can then turn them on or off from a routine or Core, Smart lighting etc. In the Arlo app a Smartthings Mode will be added. I personally don’t use this mode. I keep them in Armed mode and configure the Arlo app to do the recordings and notifications then just activate the cameras via ST when the house is empty or at night.

They may not be the best option for security cameras but they work for me. My family don’t want to be recorded 24/7. The Arlos are easy to install with no wiring needed and with ST controlling them I can monitor my house without being intrusive.

Ben there are so many permutations on what people want and feel happy with, cameras in any enviroment are only as good as the material they capture OR warn you about, a £20 camera can be better than a £10k camera if it captures or warns you of a situation that a £10k camera misses and vice versa
Arlo cams have there place i absolutely agree with that but they do have there down side, POE cameras have there place but even they have there down side, installation, cost, availability, all factors that impact the purchasers choice, what works for one person will not work for others

If anyone needs to install cameras they really need to think of what exactly it is they want to achieve, rock solid dedicated installation 24/7 recording or other less stable but maybe more convenient ways

@Steveuk23
I really cant give you a good model number as the Hik line up changes from time to time plus it depends on what camera look you prefer, i am not a fan of bullet shape traditional style cameras or domes, bullet shape is too aggresive outside your house and domes suffer from IR glare alot, these are my particular favs
hikcam

less intrusive and very good, 30Mtr IR is about as good as most get but in real terms its a lot less, further away less you see like any torch at night, connections are like this
Camera POE > NVR > Router thats it, (actually i will be a little more discriptive, the Camera has a power and POE pig tail ready fitted with a female cat5 connection, all you need is Cat5 cable connected to the female pig tale and take that back to the NVR IN port, from the NVR there is a output port, again cat5 which connects to one of your router IN ports) most NVRs have powered poe ports ( POE Power over ethernet) so no need to have seperate injectors or run seperate power cables, however if you want to run one or 2 cameras on there own straight back to a router then you will need an injector to power them, control used to be via web interface, again alot has changed recently with browsers so i dont think firefox can access the live features of the camera, pale moon can but again its a field that is un neccessarily complex, i havent tested IE or Chrome, there is a phone app for the remaining 2 operating systems that is basicaly for viewing only as its not the best you will ever see which is a shame as the camera and NVR quality are very very good
You can hook up the NVR to your Tv ( HDMI ) and completely control from there, the NVR uses a mouse so if your NVR is under the Tv you will find yourself scrabling around the floor with a short mouse lead looking at the Tv from 2 feet away, also note the majority of POE cameras do NOT have audio, so if it is a thing you need make sure you are aware of this and pick a camera that does have audio

So as i said all systems have up and down sides, for real security it is worth going that extra painfull mile and installing a POE system but for ease of use and perhaps a little more instability, use Arlos or whatever your choice

The whole camera field no matter what you pick is way more complex than what i wrote as well, there is FOV to think about which brings onto play height, distance and angles to be viewed, its no good installing any camera system if all its going to see is a baseball cap and or too far away or has massive IR glare, and it definately is NOT worth installing anything that is analogue no matter how cheap, digital POE is way way better, cost wise you should be looking to pay around £100 ish per camera £100 for a dedicated CCTV hard disk and £200 ish for an NVR, these are rough prices plus Cat5 and a few connectors

but if you or anyone does choose a POE system i cannot emphasize enough the need to buy Uk stock that is 100% gauranteed Uk, there are many places like Amazon and ebay that will sell Hik/Dahua cameras that on first use appear to be Uk but if you try a firmware update they resort back to Chineese or brick, most of the time they can be recovered but it is a whole world of pain to do so

And the camera must match the NVR to enable all features to work, mixing and matching does work and certain features within the camera will not be available to control or use in the NVR, features like line crossing, movement in set areas, entrance exit zones will not function if the Camera is Hik and the NVR Dahua and vice versa

ST integration… the only way i have seen to get some integration with Hiks into St is via IFTTT, Hikvision has moved its remote playback for NVRs to the cloud ( FREE ) which does allow IFTTT connectivity, so if movement or any other function is triggered in the camera the IFTTT channel is tripped and from there you could have lights flash or a security light go on or whatever you fancy

Another upside to POE is the ability to record before and after, if movement is detected and the NVR is set to record for 20secs it will not only record the - before 20secs but after 20 secs - this is a big bonus allowing for better internal line placing and or not missing an event that could happen quickly

Down side, i see you wanted an image sent Steve, bone of contention with HIK NVrs/ Cameras, they will do it but the images sent are small and not detailed, these are sent via email from the NVR, whether new NVR`s have had changes made to send better pics i cant say, i recieve images and use them alot for alerts but really they are for cursory looking, if i see something odd in the pic then i will check the recording or live and the speed with which the emails are sent are determined by the servers they go through, usualy google and these are not always quick

For Christmas would i put a POE system on my list… nah not really, its too cold and long winded to set up i would go for Arlo, if it were summer and i had some time on my hands and a bit of cash to play with… POE all the way

Thanks for all that great info @fido I really appreciate it.
Yeah I’m going to go with PoE but probably after Christmas is out of the way.
I’m just trying to work things out now how my personal setup would be.
As I wanted the cameras to run into my loft with the NVR being there as well but my internet router is downstairs :frowning:
Is it not possible to connect wirelessly to the NVR ? As it’s also very cluttered already near my router with 2 hubs and TV etc.
If not could another router be setup in the loft just for the NVR and me connect to it as and when.
Sorry for all the questions lol

yeah it is an issue getting everything near to each other, few of us ever thought we would need so much attached to a router, four ports these days does not cut it

i run 2 routers, my main router and another along side used simply for adding more ports and now that has reached its limits, i need a proper switch but the way my setup has grown over the years makes for a real headache

IF you added the NVR into the attic the first issue could be heat in the summer, attics can get damn hot and there is a definate overheat possibility, next issue is control, full control can only be done on the NVR via the mouse supplied, so initial setup done with the NVR and no screen localy is going to be a challenge, sending the images from the NVR using a wireless technology… maybe tbh it is not something i have ever tried, thats not to say it is not possible but it will be trial and error on purchasing something that has HDMI in from NVR and then sends that to a reciever and onto the Tv and how your Tv reacts to the switch is also an unknown as sometimes Tv`s just dont detect signals as we want from a given source and even though everything is set properly the Tv just fails to display an image, you dont want to have to keep getting in the attic to reset things just to make it work

Upshot is you most likely will need the NVR under the Tv unless you have another room where the NVR can be located near a Tv, cabling to the router will be simpler as well

there is no real easy fix for lots of cables, the NVR will need power and then dependant on how many cameras, a cat5 for each, then there is the Cat5 to the router and the HDMI to the Tv

NVR`s do have a VGA connection on the back so there is the possibility of taking a Pc screen into the attic and using that for setup and maintenance but POE stuff does need a bit of fettling when first installed, camera placement will need checking, installation to your network will need configuring properly, timers will need adjusting, lines and movement events will need configuring and this can take a few weeks to get absolutely how you like it and expect it to work for you, in fairness once everything is set up and working they are rock solid and never really need touching but initial configuration and fettling will definately absorb you for a while

Another option rarely thought about is HDMI into RF, you can get HDMI to Rf converters that will take your NVR HDMI out for injection into your RF system, then if your Tvs have Freeview HD, you simply retune your freeview channels to pick up the injected NVR as HD so the NVR can be viewed anywhere in the house simply as another freeview channel BUT the Tvs MUST have freeview HD
look for Edision HDMI Modulator, they do the job nicely

Cameras are lots of fun arnt they :slight_smile:

Another thought
You could use an IP camera straight back to the router and not use an NVR, the Cameras and NVR are both mini computers in there own rights, some cameras have the ability to record to internal SD card, this negates the need for an NVR, control is then done via webUI or Hikvisions own software… 4200 i think but stand to be corrected, just do a search and you will find, have a scout around for Uk stock of DS-2CD2335FWD-I and do some youtube googling, it may fit your needs better, also dont get too hooked up on Mega pixels, 4Mp was cool now 5Mp is cool, in reality 3Mp will do fine and at night might just have the better image, the camera will do everything the NVR can do but you will need an injector for power, again easily googled, if you are set on using more than one camera then google DS-7604NI-K1/4P, standard Hik NVR with same options as Camera but all contained in one place, and if you are feeling real flash then treat yourself to a 4K camera DS-2CD4585F-IZH … hope you got big pockets though

spec sheet for 3Mp Hik with internal storage http://www.hikvision.com/en/Products_accessries_757_i6112.html

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Thanks for that.
Yeah you’re right if not even thought about the heat in summer it can get very hot and humid in there.
I need to get my thinking cap on with a ideal location.
I think I may also be at my limit on things plugged into the wall sockets near my TV/router lol.
Thanks for all the tips and link there’s plenty for me to be getting on with. :blush:

Things progress quickly sometimes, i now would seriously look… or at least wait for the Arlo Pro 2 now, at time of writing this it is not available in the Uk ( yet ) but it is a much more compelling product with 1080i, 3 sec before after recording like a proper ipcam and free 7 day recording, i still hate the fact manufactures are foregoing storage in favour of paid plans but free 7 day recording on events is just about acceptable, it also has internal rechargeable batteries and or mains powered which gives movement detection and 24/7 recording options BUT you have to pay for that

Non the less seriously consider it, i think for the vast majority the pro 2 will be as good as you will get all things considered

2 things left to make cameras real usefull, an android stick in the side of the Tv running the arlo app 24/7 and echo voice to change the Tv channel OR auto switch to android input if movement detected… that would be handy, pie in the sky but handy

You know what that’s a good idea that :slight_smile:I have tasker on my phone and also have my Sony android TV setup within SmartThings so I could probably set it to turn the AV over when my phone receives a certain notification.
I’ll have a look at them
Thanks

I really like the look of arlo pro 2, but it’s not wifi to the camera which worries me. I have mesh wifi on a large property so wifi is good, but anything that uses it’s own base station is normally poor. I also have out buildings I want to monitor and have ethernet cable to them. Sadly Arlo doesn’t look like it will work for me.

Also my broadband uplink is slow so I can’t consider 24x7 options like Nest. Struggling to find anything that meets my requirements right now, but following this thread with interest.

Probably end up with a few Ring floodlights as they seem most suitable right now.

Only from what i have read, Ring floodlight cams suffer from all sorts of issues, if you have a larger property the only viable solution is Ip cams, do not rely on wifi as it inherantly drops out from time to time, you already have cat5 so use it for Ipcams and a proper NVR for on site 24/7 recording, if you need 4 cams buy a NVR with 8 inputs to give you the power overhead needed, 4 cams and a 4 cam NVR is cutting it fine

Dependant on area to be covered there are exceptional cams for dark recording, perhaps even think about a PTZ camera, more expensive but some of them are jaw droppingly good and can cover larger areas, if an event is detected they will auto zoom to the area with the motion and begin recording

I defo would not depend on wifi on a bigger property unless it is for cursory have a look nosy not fussed if its off line viewing, if you have anything valuable to protect then it is IP without doubt

Having just had another read of Arlo2, the base station does have the ability to attach a storage drive so giving you on site storage rather than off site in the cloud, again dependant on distances between outbuildings you could use Arlo

Thanks for the reply. It’s a small holding so the barn is too far from the house to handle arlo/wifi range. I am planning on using a wireless P2P link as they have clear line of site. (something like Ubiquiti airMAX AC NanoBeam). The house, garage and garden office are all ethernet wired to lofts and most cameras would be high up outside and could use POE with minimal effort. I would probably need around 8 cameras depending on which ones, maybe more later. I do like the idea of a “proper” system with a reliable NVR but I don’t want a big noisy box in the house as we have nowhere to mount it near a telly. I am after some sort of box I can hide and have network access to it via apps to a smart telly / phone / laptop. I also want easy access to display any camera on any telly if needed. Love the idea of “Alexa show me the garden on the TV”.

I have been successfully using smartthings with Blue Iris for more than a year.

Worth a forum search. Add whatever cams you like, and the blue iris app itself has fantastic remote viewing / calendar & record functions.