Lets talk Security systems. IP video surveillance, intrusion detection/notification.

[yamaha_1fan]

I am looking for 6-8 cameras, mostly exterior. They will all be wired back to a DVR or computer based DVR. Nothing will be wireless unless I put a camera far from the house but I doubt it.

I want:
recording on motion only
Phone/email alerts of motion
Monitoring from a cell phone
remote viewing

I also want to be able to view all the cameras on TV's throughout the house.

I am looking at systems from www.ezwatchpro.com . 6 cameras with their PC based DVR is around 3,000. This also includes some better night vision cameras all the wiring, connectors etc. This is also for the professional grade with higher resolution and higher FPS, frames per second. This sytem will record up to 30FPS per camera for a nice smooth image

The cameras will NOT be viewing anything illegal. Simply the exterior perimeter and probably 2 interior cameras on areas near the grow.

I am not worried about network security. I will secure it but if someone does hack it, what do they get, a picture of my yard and garage?

 

[ureapwhatusow]

this information may or ay not be helpful but im feeling chatty

I do the back end support for a couple security firms and I have worked with many IP enables systems

it first matters if your want an active or passive system

If your in california and legality is not an issue, there are literally hundreds of quality IP based camera systems that will work

the cheapest way to go is to hook the cameras to a computer (I assume you already have a computer this way you just need basic cameras the computer acts as the DVR)

However I spent many months figuring out an iconclast security system to design so I could know if agrow was breached and by who but the system had to be completely anonymous

im sure many people need standard security systems, but what I was concerned abotu was maintaining total anon.

some things you need to know

ALL NETWORK DEVICES HAVE A UNIQUE MAC ADDRESS

it in essence is a serial number and could be used to determine the who what and where of the purchaser

all network cameras, DVRs. and computers have them

newer computers have processer ID also

My suggestion is local camera system to a computer

Get a PIII (Prefereably with winXP, some cameras require Microsoft Compatable OS) or equivelent at a yard sale or computer show for cash

if it has wireless even better

this only covers getting an untraceable "brain" toyour local security system

there are many other steps

procuring cameras in a untraceable fashion to interface with it

untraceable internet connection so you monitor without leading a trail to your doorstep

I have figured out everystep (some more gracefull than others) and nothing is impossible to overcome it jsut takes more footwork or resources

I will continue to post step by step - Beaar with me I can normally not sit and do one thing for more than a few mintues or I get very very anxious

feel free to ask questions

 

[green_tea]

I'll talk about the system I plan on creating (though its extremely DIY)

Phidgets will again be my control source for at least some of the system.

Phidget system:

- Door sensors
- motion sensors
- Window Sensors
- Electronic door locks
- Smoke Detectors

Linked all up to phidgets, you could then create (within the software application) a 2D picture of your apartment, like a architectural drawing of your house say. you could place sensors / doors / windows / etc.. all on the drawing.

A door sensor would look "open" when someone opens it, a motion sensor image may make the surrounding room light red when motion is detected in it... etc etc.

Think of it like a interactive 2D drawing of your apartment, with the ability to log all the events, so you could play back the events of the last hour, or the last day... etc etc.


the ideas that spawn of this alone are pretty cool, you could access this from the web and have a real time view of whats going on in your house. you could have it SMS you if say your grow room door gets opened, or if a window in your house breaks (god damn robbers!)

The video side of it could be linked with images of cameras on the interactive display, where when you click on it, you are then brought to the cameras real time feed.

(Here is where the problem would come in, the seamless integration of a separate software system)

Currently, I've been messing around with ZM (http://www.zoneminder.com/)
its very similar to waht the professional software packages offer, but Open source, and definitely a bit behind right now with features etc... But you can tailor it work however you want.

So really for the purpose of this thread, you may want to check out ZM as its a real cool piece of software.

 

[Verite]

.. ALL NETWORK DEVICES HAVE A UNIQUE MAC ADDRESS

it in essence is a serial number and could be used to determine the who what and where of the purchaser

all network cameras, DVRs. and computers have them

newer computers have processer ID also

My suggestion is local camera system to a computer

Get a PIII (Prefereably with winXP, some cameras require Microsoft Compatable OS) or equivelent at a yard sale or computer show for cash..

Many network devices can have the MAC address configureable. Theres never been one case of a MAC address being traced back to the point of purchase I know of so no they dont do that. There isnt one store I know of that tracks network devices by MAC address during sale. The only thing a MAC address will give them is something after the fact when your busted.

Doesnt matter anyway in a closed system as that is the ultimate protection. As soon as you connect any point of that to the internet you pretty much void the security of ultimate protection, at that point you better hope none of the cameras are pointing at anything illegal. The only way to do a decent run of those is by having it on a seperate networked circuit to the internet than from your personal gear.

 

[green_tea]

remember, you can use IP cameras as long as the network you are putting them on is "closed circuit" IE doesn't have any connection to the web.

have a computer on that network that does all the recording and make sure it has no way to get online. if you want to monitor it from work or something its a lot more work, with like SSH tunneling ideally.

 

[KillerDemo]

im thinkin bout getting one of these

http://www.thingsyouneverknew.com/p...ls&page=2&WT.svl=XsellItem2&WT.ac=XsellItem2#

 

[twojoints]

living in amerika 2008 i believe it is imperative for everyone to have surveillance cameras on their entrances to their home. and im not talking about security from intruders, im speaking for defense against cops. i know if i had one at my door when they came, my case would have been dropped by now. cops lie. constantly. more then women (sorry for hating, ladies )

have two cameras at each door. one visible and one not. they both should record to an outside location or somewhere in the house where its hidden (like drywalled right into a wall) The reason one if visible is so the cops know they have to play by the rules. the hidden one is in case they decided to break the visible camera and come up with some BS story like "i fell on it"

also make sure the audio is loud and clear. you dont want any confusion when the judge is viewing your evidence.

i always like the idea of WIFI cameras, that way you can record locally or internet-ly. and they are secure too.. the wpa ones at least...

 

[green_tea]

WPA isn't that secure anymore if I remember correctly... I mean we all know WEP is like leaving your door unlocked for hackers, but I still think there was a security vurn in the way WPA creates keys that can be hacked now.

The way Id do it is have all my surv stuff on a separate network, completely cut off from the internet. The camera network would have the video server on it too where all the footage is kept etc. That computer would have two NIC cards in it, with one connected to a crossover cable to create a mini network between that server and my main box. So as long as my main box is secure, that network is secure. It would mainly be connected so it can transfer all files to an offsite storage area, probably somewhere overseas so they can't easily get a hold of it.

Now you have it remotely stored (and hopefully encrypted) somewhere in case when they confiscate your hardware, your hard drive "mysteriously" broke during shipment.