What are /r/BlueIris' favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

If you're worried about disrupting traffic to your files you could grab one of these.

I use these myself to keep camera traffic and network traffic physically separate on my BI PC. I also have my cameras on a separate vlan so my cheap Chinese cameras can't talk to anything except my BI PC.

I'm running this one and I'm happy with it. it's 40 feet from the house and I still get decent framerate and images.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GXG3ZXJ

Make sure you block the camera from talking to the outside world and you should be fine. BlueIris works just fine with this camera.

I got the same responses on the ipcam forum when I asked where the heck the decent wifi cams went. It's pretty sparse but I'm running a Reolink Wifi camera out in my backyard (too far to run ethernet) I have a couple wifi cameras on my BI and don't really have any issues. I've also done Amcrest cameras without issues.

However, one option you might want to look at is POE + a Powerline network. I'm doing that for a really cool dual imager camera (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JZBFTDF) using this technique. Basically I have:

<homelab>--TP-Link AV2000 --- my sunroom --- TP-Link AV2000 -- POE Switch (cheap one) -- Camera.

I used a switch because I also have a Unifi access point and another camera.

TLDR; wifi cams work for me but the selection is pretty crappy, I have some but also do POE over power lines.

Good luck

Just did that - export settings, deauthorize the licence, import, license.

The only thing I needed to do what check the folder paths as they were different on new system.

Plex was same, follow instructions below - easy. I used a utility called fastcopy to copy as windows doesn’t copy many tiny files well.

https://support.plex.tv/articles/201370363-move-an-install-to-another-system/

https://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/fastcopy-portable

He told me he didn't want me to even look at the forum and I taunted him that he's a fucking idiot because the forum is open for public viewing and he can't stop me from searching for answers there, only from logging in and posting new threads or comments. He flipped out and threatened to dox me and cause me all sorts of other crap, said he'd monitor for my IP address. Jokes on him again. I use NordVPN. Most the time I have a question someone has already asked it, so I can still use the site, just can't interact without creating a different account on another email address.

I don't know if he's the admin/owner of the website, but if he isn't, whoever is should ban his ass for making that forum so bad for so many people. There aren't really any forums out there that deal with BI as much as that one does. It's a shame they have such a nazi running it.

I assume it’s compatible with BlueIris correct? I was actually looking at this unit: Amcrest UltraHD 5MP Outdoor POE Camera 2592 x 1944p Bullet IP Security Camera, Outdoor IP67 Waterproof, 103° Viewing Angle, 2.8mm Lens, 98.4ft Night Vision, 5-Megapixel, IP5M-B1186EW-28MM (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08K1M34ZQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1QH1ATR70M0HGZ26TCBB?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

Look into getting a lte router that can host a wireguard server. https://www.amazon.com/GL-iNet-T-Mobile-EC25-AFFA-Installed-WireGuard/dp/B082X2DLMY

Theoretically the only traffic would be the wireguard server listening for a connection and of course when you connect to look at camera feeds. Beyond that, use the lowest quality stream you can handle when viewing through ui3 and record at the highest quality with h.265 encoding.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0746T4JTQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A2O18JDGVSNYY2&amp;psc=1

I've used these converters in the past. They're not cheap, especially compared to the quality of the IP cam you can get for the same price. As others have mentioned, it's really dependent on the quality of the analog cameras. I eventually abandoned my old BNC cameras due to their poor quality and upgraded to IP cams.

It's descent stop-gap measure, but I feel the real answer is accept that you're doomed to eventually pull new cables for digital cams.

There are these: https://www.amazon.com/WD-AV-25-TB-Hard-Drive/dp/B007PFQ23C

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They aren't purple, since it seems those are all 3.5. Also, like nrgm asked, why the Pi at all in this case?

> I am afraid to tell you, all cameras compatible with blueiris will need a wire, at least power, better LAN+PoE.

What??

This isn't true at all. Any RTSP Wifi camera will work fine.

Eufy makes them, Armcrest makes them, etc...

https://www.amazon.com/eufy-Solar-Powered-Integrated-Spotlight-Resolution/dp/B098X8XZFS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=rtsp+battery+powered+camera&amp;qid=1670015857&amp;sprefix=Battery+Powered+rtsp%2Caps%2C111&amp;sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-Security-Two-Way-4-Megapixel-IP4M-1041B/dp/B095XCGKTF/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=rtsp+battery+powered+camera&amp;qid=1670015871&amp;sprefix=Battery+Powered+rtsp%2Caps%2C111&amp;sr=8-3

Yes. My current setup of 1 usb powered camera has motion detection from deep stack, but the wireless ones would need the sensor to make them able to efficiently work on battery, otherwise theyd be on constantly recording.

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I have one of these but I dont think it works with blue iris. I also dont need it to have flash or a speaker, or even night vision really. A much smaller size would be nice too.

I feel this. I had lightning hit my utility pole and basically direct hit on my old cable internet. Took out EVERYTHING connected to the wired network. Best way to electrically isolate network equipment is with fiber. So I set everyone up with switches like these linked below. I'll plug any kind of DSL/cable modem into a media converter and then a short fiber cable into my PFSense router. Then any switch off of that one I will hook up with a section of fiber and media converter again. It's actually code in a lot of places to have fiber links if you're connection networking cables between separate buildings. It can another $40-50 in all the different spots, but that's cheap insurance compared to losing everything.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-SG2210P-8-Port-Gigabit-Switch/dp/B0141JX92G?pd\_rd\_w=Mj72r&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.80bfd2e5-c81d-48d5-ae85-c500e2214af9&amp;pf\_rd\_p=80bfd2e5-c81d-48d5-ae85-c500e2214af9&amp;pf\_rd\_r=01K0PTFSRDRKRMSY4T6R&amp;p...

Loryta Camera Smart 2MP Ultra Low... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RJQT9NB?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This is the one I have. I have three of these at different t locations and they work great. There’s tons of into online about how to do correct settings which is not hard at all

Single router (Netgear Nighthawk R6900) using "Smart Connect". The camera itself is connected to this Rock Space extender.

Yes, you are using OpenVPN to connect to the OpenVPN server at NordVPN datacenter. So, you are now connected to NordVPN's network. Unless your BlueIris server is located at the NordVPN HeadQuarters, then that does you no good.

"Control" is the wrong word, but no.

Let's go back to the beginning:

You have 2 options to connect to BlueIris:

#1 Port Forwarding. Open your BlueIris server to the entire world. Anyone can attempt to connect to it.

#2 Only allow access from your local network, do not open it to the Internet. Using a VPN like OpenVPN or Wireguard or any number of other VPN services, connect your device to your own network remotely. Your computer will then literally be part of your home network, even when you are away. You can still print to your home printer, use BlueIris with a local IP address like 192.168.1.x.

#2 is the preferred method, because your BlueIris server is not exposed to the Internet at all. For all intents and purposes, you are appearing to be at home accessing your BlueIris server, even when you are away. BlueIris sees you as a local connection.

NordVPN does not connect you to your home network, so using it for BlueIris is useless. NordVPN does the opposite. It makes you appear to be in another city, even further away from your home network. NordVPN is only good for a few select scenarios, and most people do not fall into those scenarios. Many people buy those vpn services without realizing what they really do.

No. NordVPN has nothing to do with allowing BlueIris to connect remotely. Forget about NordVPN (as far as BlueIris is concerned).

NordVPN is only for outgoing connections from your house. NOT incoming connections from other places.

NordVPN hides your Internet activity from your ISP, and makes places you visit think you are somewhere else. That is all NordVPN does. It does not connect your devices together.

You want a secure way of connecting back home to the BI server, when away from your network. Opening ports is something you want to avoid if you can.

I also have NordVPN but this is a VPN that connects you to proxies in various countries, to hide your packets from your ISP in an encrypted tunnel. It's not what you use to connect back to your home network.

I have WireGuard installed on my router. I have 3 mobile devices set up as WireGuard clients. When I want to connect to my BI server at home, or remote into my unRAID server, or a VM, or anything that's on my home network, I turn on my WireGuard link on the mobile device...

This connects to the WireGuard server on my router, and my mobile device is connected back to my home network, securely.

>decko DC4L

Q: Does this camera support the onvif protocol?

A: Dear customer,

Hello, our product currently does not support onvif protocol.

By zhiling on December 6, 2021

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https://www.amazon.com/Security-Cameras-DEKCO-Rotating-Outdoor-Detection/dp/B093WQ1GXJ?th=1

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Hope you can get your money back.

Basically the route I went (Lets call it USBoverIP) is just a sort of USB extender, so, if you can hook a USB microphone directly to your computer, and can set it up how you'd like, you can do it via this route. All you'd need in addition, on your computer is a piece of software that's usually included with the 'USB Server' (this is the one I use, but there are many others) that point your computer to the server's IP and lists the device(s) attached to it, then by connecting to the server, the computer recognizes the USB device and sets it up like you would had you plugged it straight in.

Late to the show, but I've pieced together something of a POE mic. I got a USB mic and attached it to a USB Server, and since it wasn't POE itself, I used a POE-microUSB splitter and a few adapters. It worked, but obviously a headache to piece together, and more of an experiment in itself.

This Amcrest 5MP POE turret cam is what I've been upgrading all my cameras to. It has excellent picture, nice wide angle view, and works pretty solid with BI and has audio which works well as long as the wind isn't blowing. I have 9 of them now and am planning to upgrade my last older camera with one of these soon. For $50 they are nice cameras.

Yes, I use this one

It stays off most of the time as I generally just Remote Desktop into it from my ipad, but I have that little monitor and a tiny keyboard/trackpad in case I need it .

Cheap, runs great, doesn’t need a big room or crazy venting: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097TJKH1L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

Been running BlueIris with 4 cams without a hitch. Added a 6tb external drive for archiving. Thing is tiny and silent.

I personally tested a full-sized triplite secure rack, they can take a real good beating before they give:

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https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Enclosure-Switch-Depth-SRW12US/dp/B001TGUYI2/ref=psdc\_1086958\_t3\_B072BXSTY8

Lockable server cabinet. They can be mounted high on a wall, here's a random one on amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/NavePoint-Consumer-Cabinet-Network-Enclosure/dp/B072BXSTY8/ref=sr\_1\_4?keywords=server+rack+cabinet&amp;qid=1660872727&amp;sr=8-4

Thanks for your comments.

I was considering a small vertical wall mount rack as this would be the most efficient in terms of space for me. And although I still want to have everything as needly arranged as possible, I am moving away from the idea that everything needs to be rack mounted, because this seems to limit a lot my options while at the same time is adding to the cost.

I was also thinking of not adding a patch panel at all. Just terminate the cables and then attach them to the switch directly. Is this a bad idea? Once those cables are plugged on the switch I will probably not touch them for at least a decade when I might upgrade to something faster (unless the switch fails before that), so I don't know if I will gain much from a patch panel.

I did the traffic monitoring on a rooted android device once but I don't remember the app's name. If you don't have root then could give an app that doesn't require root a try.

Example: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.taosoftware.android.packetcapture

You should be able to to save a .pcap file which you can analyze with wireshark on your computer.

Your time is apparently worthless. Let's say "few days" = 8x3=24. At minimum wage that's $174. For easy math, let's make it 25 hours and call it $180.

$180 / $30 = 6 years of updates. That includes include minor and major updates, so lots of new features. For example, folks that bought BI5 with maintenance have gotten all the new AI stuff.

Now, if you make $25/hr, that's 20 years of updates.

Oh, and for comparison, a Synology 8 pack of NVR licenses would cost you $384 on Amazon when I'm writing this - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01999U7QY/

That's the same as buying Blue Iris plus 10.4 years of support. So 11 years. You're pretty much fucked if you want, I dunno, 16 licenses? That's over 20 years.

See how stupid the whining and posturing is? Sure, Synology offers "free" updates. You just pay for it up front.

And no, "they should work for free to provide me goods and services" is not "standing on principle". It's just being an entitled bleep

I'm sure the strobe and siren can be triggered via a URL/webhook similar to a reboot function (hikivison cameras will reboot if you access a certain address).

Have a look here on configuring it in Blue Iris.

https://ifttt.com/applets/369695p-blue-iris-alert-flashes-your-hue-bulbs-in-warning

While not the exact same, it will point you in the right direction. I'm on mobile currently and limited on time, bit hopefully it gets you started.

Yes, I believe it's RTSP It's an Amcrest camera.

Jancane USB 2.0 Audio/Video Converter - Video Capture Card Digitizes Video from Any Analog Source Including VCR, VHS, DVD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NPFJJ7K/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_7C3CSHYB1PW0E4VC12PT

You don't need to make it an IP camera. BI can capture from more sources than just IP. Basic analog capture device is all you need.

Amcrest Video door bell has been by go too

1080p https://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-Doorbell-Weatherproof-Wide-Angle-AD110/dp/B07ZJS3L5Y

2K https://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-Doorbell-Detection-Weatherproof-Wide-Angle/dp/B091KMT9GB

Ooo that's a fun one. Is it one yellow for the video or Red/Blue/Green for the video?

If it is just one yellow RCA able then you could go RCA to BNC, then BNC to IP Balun.

I make no endorsements of the products linked, just found them on amazon to give ideas.

Get this instead.

link

I'd opt of an internal unit and look to buy a drive that comes with a manufacturer's 5 year warranty, that should cover your bases.

My BI server is an Elitedesk Mini and I would advise that you keep an eye on the CPU/mobo temperatures. I'm on my 3rd unit and they all run warm, typically 60°C on nominal load and heading towards 75° when the going gets tough. I've ended up locating mine in my garage where the air flow is better and placing an external fan on top of it to keep the temperature in the low 40s.

Okay so I currently have a analog 20ch night owl dvr, like I said I want to switch to blue iris, can I use the following adapter or something like it, to keep my current cameras?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099QH6XQT?pd_rd_i=B099QH6XQT&amp;pd_rd_w=vC12c&amp;pf_rd_p=424785d2-553c-4023-a368-1b6acfe2c2f8&amp;pd_rd_wg=CXLHG&amp;pf_rd_r=8R8GEBJ4MR7HNRMEAGB6&amp;pd_rd_r=2fcbeaf8-80b6-4246-9d8c-ed2ab9fc0b9f

I've been super happy with the Amcrest 8MP turrets. I was able to flash Dahua firmware on them, which was great! Dahua releases updates much more frequently.

I've been messing around with Frigate and a Coral a bit, so having 3 different sub streams was appreciated (4k, 720/1080, and 480). Obviously, Blue Iris would also benefit from the additional sub streams. I can't stand when the sub stream is a different aspect ratio. Also, object detection is better with a higher resolution sub stream. At least with Frigate, I can't remember which stream the snapshot is being grabbed from with BI. Mileage may very, most swear that the SD stream is more than enough for object detection. The higher resolution is nice for object a little further out.

They're a $300+ Dahua camera, with features crippled. I unlocked AI features by flashing, not that I use them but it's neat.

If you go the route, definitely do your homework, the models change and I can't guarantee that the current model will work. Mine look slightly different than the current model. Here's a fun video that helped me get started.

Amcrest cameras seem a bit pricey to me when you move to outdoor models, but the indoor are very reasonable. I just looked on Amazon and see your model listed as in-stock, shipped and sold-by Amcrest Direct for $56

https://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-Recording-IP2M-841EB-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B079P8J3YP/ref=sr_1_37?crid=2PJI6DB2B170C&amp;keywords=amcrest+poe&amp;qid=1649902771&amp;sprefix=amcrest+poe%2Caps%2C176&amp;sr=8-37

Unless you are not in the States and they are unavailable to you.

Also, pretty much any camera can be PoE with either adapters at both ends (injector and splitter) or a PoE to 12v (or 5v) on the camera end. I have a few places I use these and if you get good quality they last!

are you putting the cameras in harsh environments? I have very little failures on my cameras but they are not fully exposed to the environment (under eves, etc).

I've had real good luck with the stuff EmpireTech carries on amazon, they are just rebadged dahua (sp) but Andy stands behind the product and has a lot of loyal followers over on the camera forums.

Slightly off topic but I'm really liking this: https://www.amazon.com/EmpireTech-Starlight-Multi-Sensor-Weatherproof-IPC-HDBW5441F-AS-E2/dp/B09H32C4Q3, I get 2 feeds and it's almost panoramic.

In one review was written: three-storage design with one M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD, one M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD, and one 2.5-inch HDD. Its ok internal storage for such a small unit + theres multiple usb ports for external drives.

Review: https://www.gadgetvoize.com/2021/09/06/review-asus-mini-pc-pb62/

Internal 2,5 hdd: https://www.amazon.de/SEAGATE-Barracuda-5400rpm-Height-Cache/dp/B01LZMUNGR

It's this one

I just tried setting one on the camera and same thing, so it must be a limitation of the camera then.

Dahua 5442 has same specs. I have a few dozen of those cameras in 3 installations.

Seems like a good camera and I see two places to buy it that I trust.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1659958-REG/hikvision_ds_2cd2347g2_lu_2_8mm_colorvu_ds_2cd2347g2_lu_4mp_outdoor.html

https://www.amazon.com/EmpireTech-Security-Surveillance-Colorful-DS-2CD2347G2-LU/dp/B08R39WF72

Exactly. Spider webs, rain, dust, bugs, etc. An external IR illuminator works wonders for night vision. Here's one that runs on 12v and has a built-in light sensor.

Anyone use these perhaps? Revotech Mini Fisheye POE IP Camera, HD 5MP Small Indoor Security Camera 1.7mm Lens ONVIIF 170 Degree View Angle P2P Remote View CCTV Video Cam H.265 (I706-3-POE Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09M6P31W1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_09Y5TSJW5DGNZF5VKVTG?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1 looks like a few options from them. $50 probably as low as it’s gonna get I figure?

here's what i did:

1. reverse proxy, i use nginx proxy manager
2. cloudflare dns with dns proxy, all the security features turned on
3. firewall rule to only allow traffic on 443 FROM the cloudflare ips

reverse proxy allows me to have ssl and traffic from the web be on port 443 and it's the only open port on my firewall.

cloudflare hides my home ip from dns resolution and proxies traffic to my services at home. i also use cloudflare for dns verification in nginx proxy manager so i don't have to open port 80 at all

cloudflare ip's are listed here: https://www.cloudflare.com/ips/ use that as a whitelist in your firewall so no one can access your services directly.

now you're protected on multiple layers

I run an AMD quad-core processor and record 12 cameras 24/7, it always says the CPU is at 99%, but it's been running without issue for 5-6 years now, so I don't really care.

That said, I did buy an old Optiplex with 16gb of RAM and an i7 4770 and 500gb SSD on Facebook last week for $100, so when it does die I'll have a backup. (if you're in Denver - I suggest you go get one, this guy has lots! https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/209731100164321/

Since you are using BI and probably some sort of Power Over Ethernet (PoE) switch or maybe even an injector - then I would suggest you look at the Dahua IPC-K42A box cameras. at about $75 each.

I have a couple mounted as you described (inside house on window sill) and they both do a great job for their purpose. One thing I really like is that I can turn off the Infrared (IR) lights at night so I don't get the reflection from them. The area they look at are well lit and no need for IR, in my use case.

Depending on your lighting situation, you may need to build a small hood for them to prevent interior lights from reflecting into the lens. I created a small hood using black felt glued to cardboard for one of mine.

for used hardware I'd reccommend ebay. Don't know your budget but this Optiplex 3050 i5-7500 8GB ram should handle 99% of home/smb scenarios (10+ 4K cameras w/ streaming&recording 24/7 optimized)

Cameras will require a POE switch which outputs power and data on the same cable. A simple Unmanaged 5 port switch. This one has 4 ports of POE. Switches may only have POE active on specific ports only so make sure you double check.

Foscam, just switched from my Amcrest one that was 2.4ghz only. Foscam supports 5ghz which has helped with stability and speed so far Foscam 2K/4MP Video Doorbell Camera DBW5, 2.4Ghz/5Ghz Wi-Fi Home Security Doorbell Camera, 2-Way Audio, Night Vision, IP65 Hardwired, Compatible with Existing Doorbell Chime https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093WBF4MD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_NF94F71H0YMR76FC9CS4?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

The only other 8MPs that I have are GOSWIFT brand ones that I picked up from Nelly’s Security a few years back and they both support rotating the full 8MP no problem but no built in mic and Nelly’s doesn’t sell them anymore either.

Perhaps a 5MP Amcrest like this (IP5M-T1179EW-28MM) might be able to do it. 5 MP isn’t the 8MP you’re looking for but it’s at least better than 2MP.

Either one of these Amcrest cameras should do what you’re looking for. I don’t have either of these specifically but every Amcrest camera I’ve worked with has the option to rotate 90/180/270° and shows up in portrait orientation in BI. I just double checked with an IP4M that I had laying around and it worked for that.

IP8M-T2599EW (4K, 15fps, built-in mic, ~$100)

IP8M-T2669EW-AI (4K, 30fps, built-in mic, ~$140)

Ended up going with Hikvision Indoor 4MP DS-2CD2443G0-IW PoE Cube Camera 2.8mm Lens with Build in SD Slot, Wi-Fi, Two Way Audio, English Version, Replacement Model for DS-2CD2442FWD-IW https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QL9QL2R/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_KN5DJZM8GD6ZSZ7E3884

Ended up going with Hikvision Indoor 4MP DS-2CD2443G0-IW PoE Cube Camera 2.8mm Lens with Build in SD Slot, Wi-Fi, Two Way Audio, English Version, Replacement Model for DS-2CD2442FWD-IW https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QL9QL2R/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_KN5DJZM8GD6ZSZ7E3884

I was just looking into doing the same and found this: http://www.blueirissoftware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2639

Hope it helps. I have some time before I move so I'm planning on grabbing 2 of the cameras I've been looking at and give BI a trial run on a VM.

He is a complete piece of shit and the main reason people do not go there. So what if someone buys a cheap Chinese camera and wants help making it work? They are there to get help with what they have and not have some piece of shit tell them that their camera is shit and to go and buy something different. Blue Iris opened up their own tech support message board just because of that guy. http://www.blueirissoftware.com/forum/

https://freedns.afraid.org/ is totally free and you don't have to keep making new ones.

And if you have your own domain name, you can add a CNAME record to the DNS to forward a subdomain to your FreeDNS URL. That's how I have mine set up.

okay, re-reading your OP you mention you are using cellular and and private IP to your system(s).

This is basically my setup with the MoFi.

MoFi uses an AT&T sim and it gets internet via cellular; it is also a router and hands out private IP addresses.

So my "public IP" is one managed by AT&Ts NATting. So definitely not reachable (they block my remote Horizonview to work half the time).

So I see some possibilities for you.

After reading some more posts about remote viewing options, I contacted BI and Ken informed me they use and suggest NGROK, and details are supposed to be in the BI help files, I read a little but didn't really RTFM.

Instead, I went to ngrok.com and followed the simple instructions.

I have disconnected from the MoFi Cloudlink that I paid $140 for a year and my second NIC for sending Gmail alerts (see previoius post about this).

NGROK works, for free.

The file is just an .exe and you open a command prompt in the same directory where you decide to put it, run: ngrok authtoken {token you got from your ngrok account} and it creates the basic config file.

I then started it up with: ngrok http {computer-name} {port}

It starts ngrok and will show you connections or attempted connections and it shows you the url to use to connect, basically a random string.ngrok.io

Now if you want or need a static domain name or IP you can then pay $5 to $9 per month but I think I am going to use this for free for a while and see how it works.

One drawback I see is that if your computer restarts, your ngrok url will change and unless you set it up as a service or auto-start, you need to restart it after a reboot.

I already have my shortcut made to do this super fast.

As one NE to another, don't give up too fast, there are definitely options.

You could do a Amcrest PTZ: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0145OQXCK/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_VH1F761EZ5KTFSCEPXC8 With a micro USB POE Adapter: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019BLMWWW/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_5M4W3CE1H2XZMBY39G8Z

Thanks for the info. I placed an order for an MSI GT 1030 2GD4 LP OC

I read that Blue Iris has support for processing with CUDA Cores, so hopefully this works well. I'll update you how it turns out. This should fit perfectly in the my 1U HP ProLiant DL360p G8 server based on a test I found someone had done here. He got this exact kind in there working.

Really tough time to be buying a Graphics Card, these were ~$80 not too long ago. Just paid $130.

I haven’t used that one, but I’ve been using an Amcrest 1080p doorbell for a few months now and it’s been working great and playing well with BI.

Amcrest 1080P Video Doorbell Camera Pro, Outdoor Smart Home 2.4GHz WiFi Doorbell Camera (Wired Power), MicroSD Card, PIR Motion Detect, RTSP, IP55 Weatherproof, 2-Way Audio, 140º Wide-Angle AD110 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZJS3L5Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_HMXM1CR0N8MC6D41ZZ8Z?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

Get a waterproof RJ45 cat6 union and move the camera to the area under the overhang.

Anmbest 5PCS M22Z Shielded RJ45 Waterproof Cat5/5e/6 8P8C Connector IP67 Ethernet LAN Cable Connector Double Head Outdoor LAN Coupler Adapter Female to Female https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K7445H5/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_1HSCJTEXHMKN7QR7JY9E

Make sure when you tighten down the cable gland part that there is a tight seal between the outside diameter of the cable and the rubber washer. I use cat6a STP 550mhz waterproof cable from True Cable and the seal works great.

An even better option is just to add more cameras.

Cheap - This is what I got back in May and works great so far. had a $5 coupon at that time. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SJ9VLXH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

You can setup an additional NIC to segregate the camera's.

Unifi switches are popular, they have some smaller poe switches. Ubiquiti UniFi Switch Lite 16 PoE has 8 poe ports. Several of their smaller ones have 8 ports but only 4 are PoE.

If I was in your spot I’d strongly consider the new TP-Link Omada switches. They basically copy Unifi with ease of use and dashboards but much cheaper cost. Plus they have a 8 port with all 8 PoE. ‎ it’s the TL-SG2210MP for $150

TP-Link TL-SG2210MP | Jetstream 10 Port Gigabit Smart Managed PoE switch | 8 PoE+ Ports @ 150W, 2 SFP Slots | Omada SDN Integrated | PoE Recovery | IPv6 | Static Routing | Limited Lifetime Protection

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08JB1C41Y/

The common advice is to setup a VPN and use that to connect to BI instead of setting up a port forward. If you have the know how others do the port forward but put a reverse proxy in front and/or use Cloudflare to add some extra protection to the BI server that is open to the net.

Finally read the guides about tweaking your BI camera settings to get the best performance without overloading your CPU. You don’t need to record at 30fps, and it will use up your CPU a lot more than just 15-10fps.

The VPN is between our phones and home (where the BI server is). That way we don’t need to expose the BI server to the internet with port forwarding etc. It is not a VPN service like ExpressVPN etc it’s literally WireGuard (setup through PiVPN for ease) running on a Pi. Literally set and forget once done. My partner doesn’t even realise it’s working in the background of her phone.

The VPN is setup as a split tunnel, so when we’re away from home wifi local traffic (BI, DNS, FileShares, etc) all go through the VPN but all other traffic (browsing, apps, etc) goes through mobile data.

honestly I don't want to have to configure the tunnels on multiple devices. last time I looked at ZeroTier and Hamachi there were private software defined VPNs and all of the "clients" had to have the corresponding app installed and configured properly... And IIRC, ZeroTeir was a PITA.

I did find the answer to my VPN question though, for the most part VPN providers block all inbound traffic (as I would expect), but some do have a port forwarding service, it's not to expensive in most cases. right now, since I use PureVPN, I'm looking at their Offering!

This would allow me to put the Blue Iris system on the VPN with a single Port forwarded for access

I have the same issue with my ISP so currently I use AirVPN with the client on my BI Server which always connects to the same VPN server to maintain the same external IP address then using the AirVPN website client area, configure port forwarding which allocates a port say 34567 which maps to the port used in BI so 8080 etc.

I then use the external IP with the allocated port in the BI app and this connects back to my BI server when outside of my Home network.

This works great for me and the remote viewing speed through the VPN is quick enough to send footage to the BI app.

You want one of these. These are awesome for powering dual cameras (even on a VLAN if you want) and still having two free non-powered ports, all gigabit capable. They are normally $60, not sure why they are $75 now. Netgear and Trendnet have similar switches that presumably work the same, this is the only one I've used.
(Note: most cameras don't advertise the correct POE power class you you have to go into the POE settings on the device and manually set a class, otherwise only one poe output port will work)

Or outdoor poe passthrough switch.

Something like this

CENTROPOWER 5 Port Outdoor POE Switch/Extender/Booster, 60W 48V 10/100/1000M POE Passthrough Switch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SQ5PCY3/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g_81ZY1WZ09ZGEW1XY6VDD

I use these for testing, but they should work long term as well.

IPCamPower POE Combiner Splitter Adapter, Run 2 IP Cameras on 1 Cable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JS45B89/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_SGEG23XJHJJHTEZXBZRG

Get a IP camera 2 port POE splitter. if your cameras are not POE, replace them with POE.
https://www.amazon.com/Linovision-Passive-Port-Extender-Splitter/dp/B07HSN5YSK/ref=pd_lpo_3?pd_rd_i=B07HSN5YSK&amp;psc=1

I use these when I want to add another camera in a location where I only have one and I am too lazy to crawl through the attic to pull a second network wire.

i use these

theyve been rock solid and replaced my indoor reolink e1's

You can get cheap ones around $40-$50. Just make sure they say ip camera, also if they do and they have some cloud based app required to install they’re most likely not an ip camera that works with our systems.

My best find is this camera but it sells out a lot and they don’t have much stock so every time I see them available I get one lol

Eversecu H.265 1080P POE(Power Over Ethernet) IP Dome Camera Security Surveillance CCTV Camera, 2.8mm Lens, Night Vision, Vandalproof, Waterproo https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GQYZFHL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_JVCKZFFD1CYMGCG023PP?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1

I purchased the armrest Doorbell and just installed it this morning. Connected easily to blue iris

Amcrest 4MP Video Doorbell Camera Pro, Outdoor Smart Home 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wireless WiFi Doorbell Camera, Micro SD Card, Motion Detector, IP65 Weatherproof, 2-Way Audio, 164º Wide-Angle Wi-Fi AD410 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091KMT9GB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Z16CKPJE1QXS30E6YHQT

I have this, it connected fast and easy to blueiris. But I am not super happy with the lens. My front entry area where packages could be set down is only about 3 feet, and the wide angle lens cant see the area at all. I would have to use a wedge (for $20) to angle it down...and that makes it look ugly.

Also, the notifications from the doorbell itself stopped about a few days/weeks after the install. I haven't tried troubleshooting, but it could be something about my network or DNS because I run a bunch of non-standard stuff that can and does interfere with things.

I use this. It’s made for cameras-> Seagate Skyhawk 2TB Surveillance Internal Hard Drive HDD – 3.5 Inch SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache + Drive Health Management & 3-Year Rescue Service– (ST2000VX008) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07H2F3744/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_glt_fabc_BEY2R9406S1R6X72N4E6?psc=1

This is the lorex camera I have that is similar to your reolink.

Lorex LNB8105X, 4K Active Deterrence Network Security Camera with NV https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SRTP3SN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_ifxgvlr92gc2s

I have a friend who runs all reolink and he loves them. But I primarily stick with amcrest now. The lorex was a one off I tried and I’ve been pretty happy with it too.

> Can you explain why the Dahua will run circles around these?

Sensor size. The camera you linked uses a sensor size of 1/2.8 for a resolution of 8MP. The 5442 cams I use have a sensor size of 1/1.8" at a resolution of 4MP. So that Reloink sensor has double the resolution of the Dahua, but a smaller sensor size. Something has to give. Less light hits that sensor as a result of the smaller sensor and night time performance suffers.

Reolink doesn't even disclose the nighttime color illumination lux that the camera can do with the built-inLEDs off. The 5442 can still be used in color all the way down to .002 lux at a shutter speed of 1/3s or .015 lux at a shutter speed of 1/30s (which would be more realistic as no one is using a 1/3s shutter speed unless you are taking still pictures).

I order my cams from that guy I linked to you on Amazon. I actually buy them directly from him over at IPCT forum, but its the same guy on Amazon too.

I didn't get a chance last night to test the 3D Pro again but I did get out the wireless Xbox controller I used with my Occulus Go. I plugged in a USB cable and it worked pretty well. I like it the best so far.

Strangely during the tests in the control panel the right joystick controlled X and Y. The 2 triggers control the Z. But in using the stick the right joystick does nothing and the left stick pans and tilts. The triggers DO ZOOM!

One problem is that during right movement it decides to go all the way to the extreme right bottom on it's own. This is the one I have. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074FBKCMB

What joysticks are you using and which do you like best for BI?

I'm looking at a couple 5040's on Amazon. Looks like it has a SSD drive, and room for a 3.5 inch disk. I will probably pick up a 8 TB WD Purple drive to go in it.

https://www.amazon.com/Dell-OptiPlex-5040-T-i7-6700-Windows/dp/B0876DBJX7/

Thanks all for the input. I ordered a IP2M-841B today. Honestly I wouldn't have expected it but apparently most (all?) of these Amcrest models do in fact have Ethernet ports when I checked the user manuals. The lower resolution is fine as is the lower audio levels. Thanks again!

Are you happy with the reolinks? I see a combo pack on amazon for $95 + 10% coupon.

https://www.amazon.com/Reolink-RLC-420-5MP-Surveillance-Security-Detection/dp/B07HFQ4LH1/ref=sr_1_7_sspa?dchild=1&amp;keywords=reolink+4mp&amp;qid=1612998739&amp;s=electronics&amp;sr=1-7-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFFSDM3TzZaOTJaQjYmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2MzE3NzIxS1lDRDROMVdWNEtKJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4MTM5MTMzQko3SFAyUkY1UzdSJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfbXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I cant seem to find the g2,you have a link? I've got this that I bought for another project.but never used it.Enclosure Would it work?

Jidetech 5MP H.265 PTZ POE for $279.99.

https://www.amazon.com/Security-Optical-Waterproof-Support-Surveillance/dp/B07H4PLZ9M

Ordered five of them and they arrived yesterday and I hooked up the first one. PTZ, patrolling, and night vision works wonderfully. Read all the reviews in the Amazon for hints. Full ONVIF support as well.

I ordered this from Amazon, but I haven't figured out how to get it to BI yet, so I suspect it can't be. Has one wireless chime, more can be ordered. I'm returning it because no hard wire chimes, and no BI. HERE

Im planning to get something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Multicom-Component-Digital-Encoder-Modulator/dp/B082DM432N/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&amp;keywords=hd+modulator&amp;qid=1606319260&amp;sprefix=hd+modul&amp;sr=8-3

Im gonna grab video from the server and audio from my police scanner.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F821KRW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

use these and be done with it. this creates a wired connection.

Not sure if your requirement is specifically on a PC...

For android I use this app

On Windows10 I often use the Blue Iris companion or I also have two cams in a Home Assistant dashboard so I use that too

I use this case.

The brushed aluminum looks super nice, and there are option rack mount ears you can buy so that it can be fit into a standard 19" rack (takes up 3U of space).

The amazon listing there doesn't show the inside, but it has a removeable mounting tray for HDDs with room for I believe 6 drives, plus there's lots of room elsewhere inside.

Getting a dedicated machine would be your best bet if you have some dollars to spare. This should be more than capable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BGSTQJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_bAxLFb102RN11

If you arent running h265 then something with a 4 series cpu can be had even cheaper.

Here's what I have:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075CQRX2H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Z7nIFb9HW2F39

I have a number of Blue Iris cams running on this PoE splitter.

It starts with a PoE switch (which is connected to my network), uses any cat5 or better cabling, plug the cat cable into the above product, and then into the cam.

2 cams have been running for years on that with no issue. Just added a third cam, and made another thing that isn't PoE, into PoE using that same product.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BT9GFZ1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

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Just installed this a few months ago. Works great. Only has 1 way audio. We had a cam with 2 way audio and never used that feature tho...so ymmv

omg, i swear prices just changed, found this https://www.amazon.com/fastCat-Cat5e-Ethernet-Cable-1000ft/dp/B07JBPSVZT/ref=sr_1_4?crid=93FIHSEA5VXX&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=cat5e%2B1000ft&amp;qid=1599448342&amp;sprefix=cat5e%2Caps%2C188&amp;sr=8-4&amp;th=1

Amcrest ProHD 1080P WiFi Camera 2MP (1920TVL) Indoor Pan/Tilt Security Wireless IP Camera IP2M-841B (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0145OQTPG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_WBtuFb3Y91AZ7

I bought this one since it has ONVIF support. I have it on a vlan with no internet access and BI can manage it with no issues s as far as I can tell

I think youre making the right choice with bi over swann. Sounds like your a tech guy that likes to tinker. Well, if you really want to go down the rabbit hole...you can get machine learning human detection set up with bi. I get a photo sent to my phone and the google homes in my house announce only when a person is detected. Removed about 99% of false positives. Oh, and i have it alerting me when the neighborhood feral cat shows up for food, ha.

If worried about someone kicking in your door, definitely look into door armor. They make cheaper kits too. If that's not in the budget, you can replace your current, most likely very short, door screws with 3.5in ones. Thatll instantly beef up your door.

I actually like my ring alarm. Sold me ring cameras as they sucked. You might want to checkout something like Konnected

The 5442's have supplanted them as far as low light level in 4MP but that is still a good camera none the less. I have the 5442 2.8mm Fixed. If I did it again, I'd go varifocal or 3.6mm in same model.

Andy is a standup guy. Ordered half a dozen cameras from him so far.

I've been using a BV-Tech one from Amazon for 2 years now, no issues. This one:

10 Port

This one is cheaper with no uplink port to link to another switch:

9 Port

I received it in a promo email from Amcrest. Recommend signing up if you are on the lookout but not ready to buy yet. All of the promos they send me link to the Amazon product page and you put in the coupon code at checkout. There is also a 5MP version with the Starvis sensor for $50 after coupon LH4QSBYQ: https://www.amazon.com/Amcrest-5-Megapixel-NightVision-Weatherproof-IP5M-T1179EW-28MM/dp/B083G9KT4C/

I have since gone away from BlueIris and am using QVR Pro with my QNAP NAS fwiw. Cameras are still awesome and I would buy 2 more if I felt like running the cable and installing them.