Wireless CCTV / Wifi in a yard

[MikeNeaverson]

The assurance scheme I am instructed to be a member of now requires me to have CCTV monitoring my stock.

I could get away with having a cheap recorder just in that shed but whilst we're at it, I may as well cost out a better multi camera system to view from the house or, even better, remotely on my phone. We have power in all buildings but there is no data link between them and I don't fancy digging up the yard to lay a few cables.

We have BT wifi in the farmhouse approx 200 yards away from the far end of the building where the camera needs to be, or approximately 120 yards from the nearest end - where I could conceivably run a cable and antennae too. In the middle is another building that could accommodate a booster or aerial.

How have others successfully organised their CCTV system? Any advice for Wifi boosters to cover a large yard? Are Wifi cameras the best solution?

 

[Clive]

Ring is really good, cheap and VERY user friendly

a high power wireless link from farmhouse to building cam be done really cheap these days as well - take a look on Amazon etc

 

[upnortheast]

You need wireless bridge kit to get a service across your yard. Works best with clear line of sight.
Something like a pair of these would do the job

Solwise - EnGenius outdoor 300Meg 11n 2.4GHz CPE unit - EL-ENS202EXT | Solwise Ltd

www.solwise.co.uk

Solwise support boys are good, explain your situation & they will suggest suitable kit

 

[upnortheast]

The assurance scheme I am instructed to be a member of now requires me to have CCTV monitoring my stock.

@nev12345 Which assurance scheme is this. Never heard that idea mentioned
Are they saying all stock or just calving / lambing pens. ?

 

[cquick]

I've got a server in the yard running my RTK service, so I slapped a copy of Blue Iris on that and used the CPSG grant to install some 'livestock monitoring' PTZ cameras, which can be spun round to look at the yard. I also bought some used PoE switches on Ebay to power the cameras. Ubiquiti Litebeams were used to get network access from the house to the yard, and also onward to the farm shop. In all it cost less than £500 and can be accessed from anywhere in the world.

 

[Arceye]

Ring is really good, cheap and VERY user friendly

a high power wireless link from farmhouse to building cam be done really cheap these days as well - take a look on Amazon etc

Probably not a good idea to use Ring if you value your privacy.
Ring is owned by Amazon, so good old Bezos will know where you are, who you are, who visits you, who enters and leaves at what time of day, face recognition will put a face to a name as you happily type into the system who visits you etc etc. Big Brother has nothing on this firm, every single thing you use through Amazon be it TV, shopping, ring cameras, Alexa listening in or whatever, they know.
They will even know where you're going before you go there, simply by your mannerisms. If you don't believe me think of trying to trick your dog into doing something it doesn't want to, darn near impossible.

Ring is good, user friendly and cheap, because you're giving them everything they want.

The SCARY Truth About AMAZON Ring - YouTube

 

[MikeNeaverson]

@nev12345 Which assurance scheme is this. Never heard that idea mentioned
Are they saying all stock or just calving / lambing pens. ?

Thanks all. It's a commercial assurance scheme, not an ag one.

 

[Yale]

Probably not a good idea to use Ring if you value your privacy.
Ring is owned by Amazon, so good old Bezos will know where you are, who you are, who visits you, who enters and leaves at what time of day, face recognition will put a face to a name as you happily type into the system who visits you etc etc. Big Brother has nothing on this firm, every single thing you use through Amazon be it TV, shopping, ring cameras, Alexa listening in or whatever, they know.
They will even know where you're going before you go there, simply by your mannerisms. If you don't believe me think of trying to trick your dog into doing something it doesn't want to, darn near impossible.

Ring is good, user friendly and cheap, because you're giving them everything they want.

The SCARY Truth About AMAZON Ring - YouTube

Do you think if they are that clever they will text me when a cow is calving?

 

[Arceye]

Do you think if they are that clever they will text me when a cow is calving?

No, us livestock farmers don't have enough disposable income they can take for them to be interested!

 

[Xiaomi]

Do you think if they are that clever they will text me when a cow is calving?

This system claims to do so and a bit more:
HerdEye | Computer Vision for Livestock

 

[jd6820]

Currently set up a few systems on local farms. I'd create a Wireless bridge using some Ubiquiti wireless devices. Depending on the building layout and yard layout a base station fitted to the house and then client stations at each building. The data rates are plenty fast enough for many cameras simultaneously sending data back to the recorder based in the house. Remote access via mobile phones is really easy with the use of apps provided by the manufacturers. Hikvision being a common one that is pretty good. The range is good too at up to or over 1KM with most devices. I'm not totally sold on the SIM card cameras as the good cameras transmit data at 4mb/s to the recorder 24/7. So that's a lot of data if you wanted to view all the time. If you are going to log in once in while then they offer a good solution where power is limited/non-existant.

 

[wdah/him]

Currently set up a few systems on local farms. I'd create a Wireless bridge using some Ubiquiti wireless devices. Depending on the building layout and yard layout a base station fitted to the house and then client stations at each building. The data rates are plenty fast enough for many cameras simultaneously sending data back to the recorder based in the house. Remote access via mobile phones is really easy with the use of apps provided by the manufacturers. Hikvision being a common one that is pretty good. The range is good too at up to or over 1KM with most devices. I'm not totally sold on the SIM card cameras as the good cameras transmit data at 4mb/s to the recorder 24/7. So that's a lot of data if you wanted to view all the time. If you are going to log in once in while then they offer a good solution where power is limited/non-existant.

we have a hikvision system here, how do we relink the two bridge devices, the one at the house looses conection with the farm one every september and it is only 100 metres away clear view. it carrys 7 cameras. the man that fitted it no longer answers the phone and although i know a little about some things this i am unsure of. there is no book came with it

 

[upnortheast]

Every september ? that`s strange.
Do you know the ip address of the bridge devices ?
If not can you log into your main router. There will be a list of connected devices in there hopefully with a name that tells you they are the bridge devices You are looking for something like 192.168.1.100
You need to log in to them to see the settings. Try admin & admin.
If your installer changed those you have a problem

 

[wdah/him]

Thinking he has. We are fitting. Ew Bridge point next week. Will they be need set to the router ip.
How can I do this is it through laptop. I have a man working on it now but fear same will happen next year so want to understand how to reset it myself.
Something to do with not having static ip and the public one changes annually. Would this sound right

 

[Half Pipe]

@wdah/him Most ip devices have a factory reset button, so if installer has set passwords etc that you don't know/ can't remember, then that can be best option and reconnect everything.
Best to start by looking on the devices for make and model info, then do bit of googling to find instructions

 

[upnortheast]

Something to do with not having static ip and the public one changes annually. Would this sound right

Unlikely. The devices are working within your own network so not affected by external ip addresses
As @Half Pipe says it may be simplest to use the reset button Google should give you the default log in info

 

[wdah/him]

Going with new beige points at are used by a local company and they are doing similar with no issues first. Will set these up and go back to Google if the man can't get it set up. But of covid hot-spot here at minute so don't want to force anyone

 

[Puff]

Hikvision IP cameras - easy to use and set up plus good quality.
Hikvision NVR if you want it centralised and recorded. You can just use SD cards in the cameras though if you don't. I set up cameras separately on the network as opposed to use the NVR "private" network - allows access if the NVR were to go down.
Either POE dongles or a POE router depending on complexity of cable runs. Don't faff about with WiFi cameras, instead use ethernet cabling back to a local router (which can double as WiFi router in a remote building)
TpLink Pharos outdoor P2P - good speed and decent range. Benefit of P2P like these is that then everything can be on the same IP range, saves a headache
Hikvision have HikConnect which you can access from anywhere with an internet connection. Alternatively Hikvision iVMS app if you have a fixed IP.