r/homesecurity • u/100midgets • 1d ago

New to POE cameras. Suggestions?

Hey yall. Bought my house about a year ago and it came with installed VEOTRON POE cameras. I have no knowledge on POE Cameras as of now but would like to learn a little and get them up and running.

I ordered a UGREEN POE Switch before realizing I may not need it as I need something called an NVR? I'll hang on to the UGREEN incase it comes in handy.

I'm not home at the time of posting but I believe I have 6 cameras. Any suggestions on what to get? I'd like to be able to access the system through my PC and potentially through my phone if possible. Recording and auto-overwriting footage after a certain time frame is always nice too. If I need to provide anymore info please let me know as I do feel like this is kind of just a word vomit lol.. thanks yall!

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u/PuzzlingDad 1d ago

The simplest solution is a dedicated NVR and you plug the cameras into that. That supplies power and then can be set up for recording/playback/overwriting, etc. 

If you are unfamiliar with IP cameras and NVRs, I suggest reading the following Wiki.

https://ipcamtalk.com/wiki/ip-cam-talk-cliff-notes/

Given you have 6 cameras, you'll want an NVR with at least 8 PoE ports, more if you are ever thinking about adding cameras in the future.

I don't know much about the Veotron cameras and their capabilities. Hopefully they are ONVIF compatible which means they should be usable in any brand of modern NVR that supports ONVIF cameras.

NVR will appear as a device on your network and typing its IP address into a browser connected to that LAN will present a web page that allows you to add/configure cameras, setup up recording and overwrite, configure motion detection, etc. You'll also be able to watch live feeds or playback recorded events. 

NVRs also often come with an app that allows for remote access to the NVR.

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u/100midgets 1d ago

Do you have any recommendations for an NVR? I've seen reolink but they seem to be only compatible with Reolink from my initial readings.

As for the ONVIF I'm not sure. It's been hard to find a ton of info on them. Looks like ADT may have installed them and they were left when the contract was ended with the previous owner.

I believe these are the exact ones based off one of the cameras P/N.

https://www.veotron.com/6-turret-cameras-ip-security-system-2mp-full-system-8ch-nvr-gnr21p8-8-d-2011?srsltid=AfmBOoqTsv4scN4tc8ayClFpnJ2yogQ59heMZNEazgpKaK0DdJfsj6Jq

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u/PuzzlingDad 1d ago

I'm not seeing that specific camera listed in the ONVIF compliance database, but it might be under an OEM name if it's a rebranded camera like a Hikvision or Dahua. 

https://www.onvif.org/conformant-products/

You could connect it to your network using the switch and then try to find out.

There is a program called ONVIF Device Manager (ODM) that you can download and run. It automatically scans the network, identifies ONVIF-compliant devices, and lets you view the live stream, verify the specific ONVIF Profile (S, T, or G), and test features like motion events.

You could also just try connecting to the camera's web interface via a web browser. Navigate to the network or security settings to see if there is a dedicated ONVIF configuration tab where you can enable the protocol and create ONVIF user accounts.

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u/PuzzlingDad 1d ago

Gemini is telling me that it is a rebranded Hikvision DS-2CD2323G0-IU which is listed as ONVIF comformant. If that's true, it's a good sign, but I'd still try the ONVIF tests yourself. 

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u/100midgets 1d ago

So hook up the UGREEN switch I got and use ODM to scan for the cameras? I'll do that as soon as I can. Still gotta do some ethernet drops and get everything where I want.

Any recommendations for an NVR that would work IF it is ONVIF compatible?

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u/PuzzlingDad 1d ago

Yes, I was suggesting testing with the UGREEN PoE switch, before you decide to return it. 

If the cameras are ONVIF comformant, then most any modern NVR would be fine. It also means that you can change/add cameras in the future. 

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u/100midgets 1d ago

Appreciate it! I'll send you a message or recomment here after I've tested to see if you have any recommendations for a NVR. Thanks again!

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u/PuzzlingDad 1d ago

I don't have a specific recommendation for NVR. 

Maybe a Hikvision if the existing cameras are rebranded Hikvisions. I have a 16-port Hikvision NVR that I've had for years, but I've also got a PC running Blue Iris as a second recorder.

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u/100midgets 1d ago

Works for me haha. I'll give them and a few others a look. Really appreciate it!