Add NVR cameras to Google Home

Smoke

Is it possible to add PoE cameras connected to the NVR be visible with Google Home?

I saw some post where it could be done if you connect directly to the camera, but in my case, my cameras are connected to the NVR and they are on a separate network, I can only reach the NVR ip

I tried to enable the Smart Home features on the Reolink app but it says that I dont have any compatible devices?

My NVR is RLN8-410 with a set of 8 PoE RLC-810a and RLC-820a cameras

mark15

Have not been made aware that this is possible, but if it is, I would be very interested in this as well!

md

That would be a good feature to have. Otherwise I think it's wise to have two systems, POE NVR or POE recording to card AND have a few wifi battery cams that can record when power is out to card and can also be seen on Amazon or Google screens. The front and back doors are my priorities for this double coverage.

markaggar

I'm brand new to Reolink (just got my system yesterday), but this seems like a severe limitation. My old Zmodo cameras can be attached to the Zmodo NVR and my Synology workstation and still be seen by a third party app like Tiny Cam and be shown on Alexa/Google home (via the Zmodo NVR or Synology). I don't know why the Reolink NVR doesn't expose the cameras, but I'm seriously considering returning the NVR if I can't make this work.

md

Most brands are proprietary, their cameras and NVRs work fine together but not with other brands products, kinda like hoping Ford's engine control software will work in a Chevy. It's wise to research the capabilities and limitations of brands before buying. Cameras need to be RSTP and ONVIF capable for them to work with other brands. Contact Reolink support for more info about their NVR firmware. It's much more expensive and more difficult to learn, but using a program like Blue Iris, a POE switch and a powerful PC gives the most flexibility to use various brands cameras. I don't have or want such a system. I'm happy with the simplicity and the function of my Reolink cameras.

md

mdunning again. I'm not a tech guy. I do want to learn more. I was curious so I went to YouTube. There's several videos about connecting some Reolink cameras to Synology and also comparing Synology to Blue Iris. The Synology site claims to support many IP camera brands. If a person had a Synology diskstation, the cameras could record to it and I assume no need to have an NVR also? This is too advanced for me, sorry that I couldn't help. I'll stick with my Reolink cameras and their easy to use app.

Cynthia

Hi there, we do have a plan for the integration of the NVR and Google Home. If there is any news, we will let you know.
If you want to connect the cameras under the NVR to the Google home, please plug the PoE NVR and the PoE switch to the same router via Ethernet cable. Then plug the PoE cameras into the PoE switch. In this kind of connection, you will able to add the camera to the app separately and connect to the google home. You can also manage the cameras under the NVR in this kind of connection.
You can follow the steps here, https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/articles/900000537406-How-to-Connect-PoE-Switch-Router-and-PoE-NVR.

markaggar

That's great to hear Cynthia. Does the same apply to Amazon Echo devices (Echo Show)? (Both the POE trick and the future case where we don't need to use a POE switch).

One other issue with the Echo devices is that they only support H264 streams, so for the 4k systems (which I have) I need to force the skill to use the sub channel (limited to 640x???), which I'm not sure is possible with the current skill. Would be nice if I could bump up the resolution on the sub channel.

@mdunning - there are a couple of issues with using the Synology Surveillance software. First is licensing cost - it's more expensive than the Reolink NVR! Second is that the AI camera detection does not work (only works with the Reolink NVR).

Tx!

Cynthia

Hi there, we are still working on the smart home integration. So we can't tell much details now. But we will let you know if it is available. Thank you for your understanding.