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Barn security cameras

I’m looking at adding some security cameras. What brand do you use for your barn security? What should I look for? BJs has a 10 cameras set-up made by Night Owl. It’s a 16 channel 1080p Smart Security System with a 1 TerraByte HDD DVR for $379.99. Does anyone have this system or know anything about it?

I had to put up a camera in my horse’s stall to see what he does at night. We have Lorex cameras at home it did a great job with the quality, especially at night. It connects to WIFI or a hardwire. It will do a continuous record to a server or to an SD card (1 sd card per camera). At home, we have it running continuous on a server, so it overwrites itself when it is full. When I had to record my horse, I just used the 128gb SD card. It has audio recording but I turned it off.

What is your set up? Do you have wifi?

I do have WiFi it’s a metal sided barn. I was thinking of running a Cat5 cable

I have a metal barn and while I do lose some bars, my wifi cameras work great inside the barn. I use Arlo Pro and have been very happy.

I am still trying to figure out what I need and right before ordering I realized I had a question - my house wifi does not reach the barn. Would I have to purchase an additional wifi setup for the barn, or do the cameras come with them?

If your wireless doesn’t reach, you’ll have to either place a WiFi antenna closer to it, or trench it a cat6. They make direct burial stuff, or you can conduit it. Without boosters, the max length of cat6 run is roughly 300ft.

Definitely not going to trench…it’s about 350 feet ;). Not sure how I will place an antenna closer…again, it’s across the driveway over to the barn. So it sounds like if I want to access via an ap, I will need to set up a wifi modem in the barn? Thanks!

Most people have one impression of how WiFi works.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-CPE21…-rL&ref=plSrch

​​​​​​This is similar to what we use at work It’s directional which means you point it to where you want it stronger. we place them outdoors, facing our vehicle lots so the vehicles can get their updates.

Edit:

Basically you’d mount that as close to the side of the house facing where you want to provide signal You’ll have to run an ethernet cable to it from your router, and plug it into a receptacle.

IS the electrical in your barn on the same circuit as your house or do you have a separate line going to your barn?

We ran it from the house to another building then to the barn…so yes, same box. And I will check out the antenna…am learning a lot! I would be able to run the cable under the basement and back up to the the router in the other room (it’s an old farm house…1800’s…and has a lot of access that way LOL!)

Oh, they do make online systems that basically you can plug into your standard wall outlet, that transmit the data over your electrical system BPL (broadband over power lines).

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/accessories/apd/a9621978?mkwid=sj2iuK3xt&pcrid=157252457753&pkw=&pmt=&pdv=m&slid=&product=A9621978&pgrid=36445201419&ptaid=pla-359669751785&VEN1=sj2iuK3xt,157252457753,901pdb6671,m,,A9621978,36445201419,pla-359669751785&VEN2=,&dgc=st&dgseg=dhs&acd=1230980731501410&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzP6_x7_g3gIVDVmGCh1scA2nEAQYAiABEgJC-vD_BwE

That’s just an example. We’ve never used them in our field, but they’ve been considered. What’s always stopped us is basically not knowing the status of the electrical system and what is on it. At that point we just pulled cable.

​​​​​​​Feel free to ask any questions, radio systems is my game.

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That’s where I was going efig, but since I had problems setting it up myself this weekend ( it knocked my router/WiFi out passwords not accepted),
I like cat or over power line better than WiFi, I’m distrusting of WiFi security.

Was it shorting your router out and shutting it down?

You can set up WiFi so that it’s not openly broadcasting an SSID.

Good to know. If I chose the old routers wifi, it wouldn’t accept the password. When I yanked the new stuff, everything went back to normal, password accepted.

I’m still here :wink: …so if I got something like this, plus the antenna, tho it’s only good for 200 feet which may not be enough, it should work?

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I0ALMLW/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A1GKVJ87SLMZ6U&psc=1

Not sure how the powerline one would work out to the barn via another building…?

I am looking to set up a barn camera system as well…but not sure what I need.
House has internet (router)…barn is about 600 ft away with direct line of sight. Power lines are different from the house.

Would like to put in a wireless camera and have wifi access in the barn.
Do I need to get one booster or two? There is no running cable right now, so hoping to do this wireless. Any suggestions on what to get would be greatly appreciated!

I’m not particularly privy to the camera systems I know security uses basic IP cameras that are without thrills, are PoE based and zoomable. They dump those to a server for a recording time of probably a few days. Those cameras you linked don’t show any cables but the comments say that they do in fact plug into a wall outlet, id double check before buying. Id hate to be buying batteries and replacing them all the time

I’m not sure where you got 200ft from unless it was this statement "

  • Passive PoE adapter supports up to 60 meter (200 feet) power over Ethernet deployment and allows the device to be reset remotely"
PoE is power over ethernet. It basically allows you to power a device over the same cable you're sending data. Very convenient in the IT world, but does have a distance limitation of you don't throw in expensive boosters. As for the antenna, I found a basic diagram that states roughly the distances of 1.77km/1km/140m equate to bandwidth of 1/11/54Mbps. So at your shortest hop of 140m(450ft), you're looking at 50mb of data capability. Which is roughly twice what your peak data is for your cell phone (as comparison). That antenna is directional, which means you point it directly where you want your signal at, unlike your typical home wifi which is omni directional and just spews it everywhere.

Now with those antennas, you can piggy back them. For instance, let’s say you live up hill from your barn and it’s metal siding and metal roof, that sucks for signal. So you plug one of those bad boys in at the house, and an omni at the barn and you’re lighting up the neighborhood.

I think overall it’s a trial and error thing. Take your phone out and see if you can see your WiFi where you plan on using the cameras. Buy an external antenna, which are considerably cheaper than I thought they’d be actually, and hook it up. See if it works for you.

They make stronger antennas than the one I linked however mathematically with a clear line of sight that antenna should work. Personally I’d test one antenna out by setting it up at the house and putting a movie on the phone and walking around the barn on your wifi. (or using an actual wifi signal app).
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Cable wise, for a run that long you’re looking at fiber (which is $150 for 1000ft) which requires specific tools and is painstakingly detail oriented.

I don’t actually have internet at this house, maybe we’ll get it some day as I would like to control certain things in the barn ,and install sensors, but my shot is about 200ft and its easily doable in any method.