IPTV setup for shed

[Father Ted]

Hello,

I'm intending to add some cameras to a shed which will be used for monitoring livestock. As part of this I would like to cover two yards with cameras for security purposes.
I believe that 4 cameras will suffice inside the shed and two exterior cameras for security.

There is currently an old analog system wired from the shed into the house supporting two old cameras - this system is approx 15yrs old.
I was hoping to use the cabling as a wired connection between the house and shed, but as I type this I'm wondering if the cabling would be able to support this goal.

In terms of my installation here is what I was intending:

• PoE based system with NVR located in house
• Wired connection from house into a ethernet PoE+ network switch with correct power rating for selected cameras
• Ethernet switch located inside an IP66 junction box
• IP66/IP67 bullet cameras with audio (dome type preferred though) inside shed
• Two external IP66/IP67 dome cameras (preferably black to be less visible)
• Camera feed accessible/selectable via internet browser & phone app
• Lights controlled via a Sonoff 4Ch Pro R2 Wifi smart switch - wired feed from network switch to Access Point inside an IP66 box alongside the Sonoff device. Controlled via phone app
• Cameras and NVR to be from same manufacturer for compatibility

The first question is will the cabling be sufficient for this task? How do I test that it is? See photos attached of the cabling - sorry for the quality, I was up a ladder with animals nearby, albeit there was someone guarding the ladder. Does this look like a usable connection?




Which is better: 2-3 fixed cameras or a single PTZ camera? I might be able to reduce significantly the number of cameras required by strategically locating a single PTZ. I could then later add additional cameras to cover blind spots as necessary.

This is a large shed 45ft x 100ft with a corrugated tin roof. Is a wifi setup an option here?

Is there a way to control the lights without requiring a wifi device?

My concern with using a wifi bridge from house to shed is that I have concerns about the integrity of such devices and the potential for being hacked into. Is there a robust alternative, if needs be?

Thanks.

 

[Dan]

1) From those pictures, I can't identify if that is standard network cable, most Cat5e or Cat6 cable has pairs of cables (e.g. blue/blue & white striped, orange/orange & white striped, etc...) and I can't see any striped cables in your cable. All we can recommend is that you try terminating the cable and test the connection.

2) It is common that users with large warehouses, sheds, etc... will use PTZs as they give you the possibility to move and zoom in to very specific areas. We would need more detailed images of the space so we can understand potential obstacles for the camera FoV and mounting positions. If you did want to go with a PTZ we would recommend a Hikvision 4A425 4MP PTZ with 25x Zoom.

3) There are limited options when it comes to outdoor WiFi cameras so we would try and stick to as much of a hard-wired system as possible.

4) We sell RayTec who produce a range of network-connected White LED floodlights, they do not have WiFi built-in but you could wire them to something like a WiFi bridge.

5) If you want advice on WiFi bridges and other WiFi solutions we would speak to a company called WiFi Gear as they are specialists in WiFi products & solutions.

 

[Father Ted]

Hi Dan, thanks for your reply.
I've had another look at the cable, it was put in about 15 years ago for an old analog cctv system that is no longer in use.
I now believe that the cable between the shed and house is an armoured telephone cable. So, I think this would have 5 pairs. I'm not sure if they are twisted or how tightly are twisted.
Would this cable be good enough or how would you suggest I test it?

 

[Dan]

If it is not actually network cable, constructed using twisted-pairs of cables, then it’s quite unlikely it’ll work.

Of course, you can try using a cable tester that you will see in the forum post that I linked to in my first reply, you can also try terminating the cable with RJ45 connectors and try connecting something to the cable.