topic Re: best wired camera solution? in Arlo Essential Indoor Camera

best wired camera solution?

azcatlady — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 14:10:11 GMT

I am trying to figure out which cameras to purchase for a vacation home. The cameras need to be able to use wired power, not just rechargeable batteries because no one is there to change the batteries for months at a time.

Re: best wired camera solution?

jguerdat — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 14:32:05 GMT

For inside and/or outside? For indoors, an Essential Indoors camera may be the best solution as long as you realize no battery means it's off during power outages. It can also be used to monitor outdoors through windows since it uses pixel change detection rather than PIR sensors (glass blocks the IR needed for detection). You would have to turn off night vision so it wouldn't blind the camera during nighttime recordings due to the glare off the window glass. Exterior lighting would help with this sort of recording.

Outdoors cameras range a lot - 1080p vs. 2k vs. 4k video - how much do you really need? The Essential cameras can't be AC powered outdoors so I suppose they're out. Any of the Pro 3/4/Ultra cameras can be AC powered with or without a battery installed (leaving it installed flies through power outages but you also need to keep your router and modem powered with a UPS, and note that the Pro 3 requires a hub for connection while the others can use either a hub or direct WiFi connection).

You might want to visit https://www.arlo.com/en-us/cameras to compare cameras.

Re: best wired camera solution?

azcatlady — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 15:14:46 GMT

I use the Essential Wireless but plugged into power source for indoors. Outdoors, I had the Essential Wireless units connected to solar panels but they just didn't last. Maybe the Ultra 2 or Pro 4 with new solar panels would work.

Re: best wired camera solution?

jguerdat — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 15:19:12 GMT

Remember that the solar panels just trickle charge the battery and (obviously) don't work in the dark. Use of the other cameras with a solar panel will have the same issue but can be powered by the outdoor power supply while the Essential cameras have no such capability.

https://www.arlo.com/en-us/accessories/VMA5600C-100NAS.html