My Home Surveillance Setup

Due to the arrival of our maid and daughter, we have found the need to monitor our house. Here is what I did:

Foscam Cameras



I was a bit tentative about buying this brand but after a lot of searching and reviews, i really found this one of the best value for money cameras in the market. I bought x2 FI8918W (Pan/Tilt) and x1 FI8909W (Fixed). The product site is here. They both have 2 way audio, night vision and are wireless. Best of all, i got them at a steal of$398 SGD for ALL 3 July 11 Promotion.



A bit strange how you buy them though. You basically just send an email to the distributor (Marix) and then they come and deliver it to your door step. I was quite impressed with them as I emailed them on Sunday and they responded almost immediately. I confirmed a day later and got my cam the following day. Professional, quick and responsive.

Here is their thread on VR Forums.

Setting Up

Ok, setting up the cameras is NOT an easy feat. You have to be quite techy to be able to get it. Good thing is that the cameras themselves come with a very comprehensive guide to how to set up the cameras. Just note the following:

- You will need a router and know how to do port forwarding or have uPnP service function (you need knowledge of IP addresses, ports)
- You will need wireless capability if you want to place your cameras anywhere else away from your network cables (you will need knowledge of wireless connectivity/security)
- You will need a static IP or DDNS service if you wish to view your cameras over the internet away from home (you will need knowledge of DNS)
- If you want to record stuff you'll need a NAS or access to a server or cloud servers etc (you will need knowledge of networking, servers, cloud etc.)

Here is a very good thread on hardwarezone by 'Dr_Archer' that helps A LOT in explaining all I have mentioned here, including buying the cameras, software and setup.

One BIG note is that I still have not found out how to make the 2-way audio work for the cameras yet. I can hear the sounds but am not able to make any noise. Currently this seems to be an issue with the software, camera whatever. Anyway it was never a big concern for me so I'm fine taking my time to solve it. I'll update again when or if i solve it.

Software



The IP camera software market is ridiculously expensive. Fortunately i found a really good software called iSpy Connect. And its absolutely free! This software allows you to manage all your cameras and home and set things like motion detection, recording etc. It also allows different brands of cameras to be set up. So far i really like it.




Another option is to use the Foscam software that the cameras come with. Pretty OK for basic control with PTZ (pan tilt zoom) functionality BUT it does not allow you to add any other brand of camera in. My Dlink DCS930 was not able to work on the program. Totally free though.

For the iPhone, I have shortlisted lots of software down to:

IP Cam Viewer (USD $2.99)


Does everything you want it to. Manages multiple cameras etc. I like this one because its PTZ controls are more responsive and generally the interface feels better. There is also a lite version that is free. It actually works better with Android OS as it was originally created for.

Misc

- If your house is under surveillance you SHOULD declare it or risk getting sued if anything is 'compromised'.
- This takes up bandwidth so if you don't have plenty (like me) then take heed.

Ok thats about it, feel free to ask me anything and I'll try to help out if I can.

Edit: I just bought another FI8918W today!

Running

After being inspired by my dentist, i explored running more. Several of my friends have already embraced this activity and it seems like it is gaining in such popularity with my entire country as seen with the number of races that are so commonplace now.

Being overweight, it is scary to think of running as it could badly damaged my already painful knees. However i think with some moderation and care, it should be ok.

Some things that appeal to me:

• its easy and fuss free, can do it anytime and anywhere
• cool tech, kinda gets u into other health matters like BP, heart rate etc
• lots of my friends are doing it
• good to get out and into the open

As this is the start of this long journey, i also take stock of what i know so far:

• I have to becareful of my body as i am overweight and at risk
• there are techniques to be learnt for proper running (chi running)
  
• I shouldn't buy anymore gear till i earn the gear i already own (brand new nike shoes, running transmitter, polar watch)

Next thing i'll have to do is:

• Establish some kind of running timetable that fits into my lifestyle, requires cooperation with family as well
  
• Establish a KPI not for the gains but the discipline required to even do it
  
• Read up more on running techniques, currently looking into 'Chi Running'
• Actually do it

So here goes!!

I'll end with this good video on Chi Running

My Home Digital Setup

So lots of friends have been asking me how i do my setup at home. So instead of telling of you one by one i'm just going to post it here. It will save me effort and the anonymous surfers out there can also benefit.

I'm very open to comments, feedback and suggestions as to how to improve my setup, so just please let me know. DO NOT assume i have tons of cash ok! Just becoz i bought the dyson fan...

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Disclaimer: I'm not saying this is the best setup at all and neither am i saying i'm an expert on the matter. I'm just a regular geeky guy who enjoys his toys and this is just what i use. I'm happy with it. Learn what you can from this.

I'm also not going to go into detail. Everything can be found in detail with google so if you need more of the fact-sy stuff, just google it. What you can't find anywhere else is MY opinion :D
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Fundamentals

1. GIGABIT network speed

Max out internal LAN bandwidth. Especially if you are going to stream videos. Make sure everything you buy is gigabit speed compatible. Yes yes, my friend mentioned you are capped at HDD speed etc etc so you can utilize the full GB speed. I know that but you have to take sharing into account, speed drops with home plugs...ANYWAY go for it, its not that expensive...think of it as future proofing...

2. Max Broadband Speed
Your life is on the internet, please max your internet speed. In Singapore, its really very very cheap relatively. Everything you do is on the internet so why waste time waiting etc. Anyway if you're going to have to get content online, play games etc, you'll need it. Furthermore, if you share connections, go homeplug etc. there will be a substantial drop.

3. Use wires!
I really do not like wireless...draft N, dual band etc whatever! I've been trying for years to use it successfully but somehow its just too unstable. Try streaming video on it and you'll know why. I've spent countless of hours trying to troubleshoot ports, bands, frequencies, channels, MTUs etc etc...I simply bought homeplugs and it solved ALL my problems.

Equipment I'm Using

Dlink DIR 655 Router


This has served me very well over the years. Very configurable and i have no issues with it at all. 1 issue i have is its wireless range. Not sure when compared with other routers but its just a bit too short to reach my whole house.

If i were to buy a router now, i would either go for the DIR 855 or a Cisco one as recommended by a very pro friend of mine (he failed to tell me the model though)

Thecus n0503 Combo NAS


Running 3 TB of HDD off a RAID 5 system. This is the heart of my network. All my files are stored here and it gives me the ability to stream to every device i have. This is absolutely vital to have. Also, you'll need to get TWONKY media server which comes with the NAS. So with the NAS, you have the ease of mind that your data is safe and also you can have streaming etc.

[Edited 18-Mar-11] If i were to buy another NAS now, i would go for something with a more powerful processor and more bays. Something like the Thecus 4200 Pro (NOT the Synology as previously mentioned as they do NOT support Twonky) and put in x4 2 TB WD Caviar BLACK HDDs. They are just too freaking cheap now...Oh yeah, RAID 5 is the way to go.

Aztech Home Plugs HL280E

I tried using slower 200mbps homeplugs but they really dropped my network speed too much. Somehow this works out fine, even on my horrible home electrical network. I have no idea why this is faster, i was just advised by my friend to try it and it worked. Anyway the prices now between the slower ones and the 1000mbps ones like this are so small you should just buy higher.

Once you go into homeplugs you may erase the need for a switch for more wired connections as you can keep daisy chaining more homeplugs. Currently i use about 4.

Cables

Make sure you use Cat 6 cables for your LAN stuff otherwise you won't get the speed anyway. I think Cat 5e is ok as well but it won't max gigabit speed.

WD Live TV


This is what links one of my TVs to the network. It is really great (can refer to the review earlier). To sum it up, I just plugged it in and it worked! Pretty slow in terms of interface but no problems streaming whatsoever. Very cheap now. There is no need for HDD storage for me so this does its job.

Another alternative is the Asus Oplay.

PS3 FAT


This is what links my other main TV to my network. I have no idea why doesn't everyone have a PS3? It is a freaking cheap blu-ray player as well as it is the number ONE gaming console now, can surf internet, surf pictures, stream music off a beautiful interface...seriously...just buy one if you don't already have one.

Anyway, the PS3 detects my NAS without any problems and with the homeplug in, streams it exceptionally fast.

I would buy the slim one now if i had a the chance. The fat one i use tends to overheat.

iPhone and iPad

Now while, any windows enabled device should be able to link to this network with ease, you'll probably have some issues with streaming stuff to you iphone and ipad. The trick is basically what app to use. Now i have to admit that my streaming to my iDevices is not that sophisticated as i need a PC/Mac on to do it but it works.

The best App i found for streaming is Air Video. There is a free version as well so you can try it out.

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Feel free to let me know if you need help or more advice. As mentioned earlier, i am NOT an expert but i can share what i spent a very considerable amount of time learning already.

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Coming Soon (if i ever bother, if you want it sooner please request)
- My foray into HD quality stuff
- The best way to get content off the internet
- When sound starts to matter
- How to manage all your contact information
- Photo management

New Stuff

Ok haven't been updating much. Just thought I'd share a couple of recent buys:


Dyson Air Multiplier

There is NO WAY this is worth its money in terms of actual cooling and value but wow, it really looks good. I think the utility its giving me everytime i look at it is worthwhile.

Pros: No buffeting wind which is a big deal to me, super stylo
Cons: Quite noisy, not really powerful, need to be used in conjunction with an aircon HAHA...seriously...


Samsung Series 4 32 inch LCD (LA32C450)


Bought this at a recent IT fair after going back and forth against a the Sony BX320. In the end, found that the colour is more vivid in this one and its also much cheaper. Don't really like the look and form factor of it (compared to the stylish Sony) but then its just a secondary TV so there. Not even full HD but its only 32 inch so I don't see much of a point.

Pros: Gives me the quality I need, very cheaply bought
Cons: Don't like the design


WD Live TV



Bought this also at the IT fair very cheaply. Managed to connect to my network drives immediately out of the box. Very plug and play. Easy to use interface, seems to stream all the media i have so far. Only small con is the poor quality controller and its a bit slow. Nice small form factor.

Pros: small form factor, streams everything, can find my NASes
Cons: slow, lousy controller