Posts made by Crimp On_62210811129

If a person were to breach security (i.e. learn the UID/password, they could use the app to turn recording back on.)
The Reolink cameras all include a "schedule" function of one type or another. You could, for example, set the cameras to record only when you expect the house to be empty and not record when you expect someone to be home.
A number of systems have enabled "geofencing", where the camera turns on only when the cell phone is away, and turns off when the cell phone returns. This, of course, is little help when more than one person could be home.
The Simplisafe camera addresses this issue by having a way to cover the lens (https://simplisafe.com/simplicam-security-camera)

I am afraid that this issue is too complicated for simple solutions. "I want the cameras to view and record when no one is home (security). But, I don't want it to view or record when my wife or I are home. But, I do want it to view/record when a housekeeper comes in (and turns off the alarm!), or when the kids are home with a babysitter, or...."

Reolink is a fantastic purchase for price and quality. In terms of software development, not so much. If it doesn't do what you want, chances are it never will.

Absolutely, 100% guaranteed, no.
Reasonably certain, yes.
Unless you have deliberately opened ports through your home router, the only pathway into the modem is through the connection that the camera has set up to the Reolink cloud using the camera UID. Then, the person wanting to view the camera has to have the password to log in.

When I asked Reolink support to troubleshoot an issue for me, they needed to know the UID (There are thousands of cameras. How do they know which one is mine? UID), and they had me set a temporary password on the camera so they could log in. (I actually created a new login ID/password. When they finished, I erased both.)

So, if someone learns the UID and password of your camera, they can install the Reolink app and look at your camera feed.

You could be correct. My Sony Android streams both live and playback from my RLC-410, RLC-420 and from my (original) Argus cameras. What a bummer!

Might help to identify by model number the cameras that the app cannot show recording from.

The specification page I looked at very clearly says "Web Browser - No". Here's a link to the PDF version of the specs:
https://home-cdn.reolink.us/files/docs/specs/E1-IP-Camera-Specifications.pdf

What I see is that the camera works with the Reolink "app", not with a web browser.

The difference between "ordinary" and "administrative" users is that only administrators can modify settings. Ordinary can only view. Playback is part of view. If you happen across some NVR that has a provision to allow only live view, please post about it.

There are any number of web sites explaining the different types of twisted pair ethernet cables. If you want to "future proof" to the extreme, then Cat8 cables may be worth the extra cost, especially considering that labor cost will be a huge percentage of the total installation cost.

HOWEVER, even 8MP cameras ("4K") will not come close to the capacity of ordinary Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable. There are usually markings on ethernet cable. What do the marking say? (All it says on the web site is "18m network cable".) Whatever cable they include in the box is certainly "good enough."

Looks like only certain models of Argo support the "Look Back" feature, and only if the camera is plugged into a power source, and the solar panel does not count as a power source.

https://kb.arlo.com/000062053/How-does-the-Look-Back-feature-work-on-my-Arlo-camera

The Argus PT has only a 2.4G radio in it. (Most of the battery powered cameras I have seen are 2.4G.)
Even if it is physically possible to install a 5G antenna, all that will do is produce a "miss match" which will reduce performance.

The video resolution on the Argus PT is 1080p at 15 frames/sec. 2.4G WiFi is perfectly capable of providing enough bandwidth to carry that signal. My original Argus cameras are connected at 2.4G and they work just fine. If the camera is reporting "full bars" and does not transmit video correctly, there is likely some other issue. I would contact Reolink support directly at mailto://support@reolink.com

Perhaps there is a misunderstanding. When the device setting "Alarm" is used to define the "Active Area", only motion within the area triggers a recording on my RLC-410, RLC-410-5MB, RLC-320-5MB cameras. I have some flowers close to the front door that are always moving in the breeze and a hummingbird feeder that the camera picks up. I excluded those parts of the image and no longer get recordings for motion there.

That was actually one of the gimmicks someone used to keep insects from triggering 'motion'. He blocked out squares all over the picture field so that a very small object could not affect enough of the picture at one time to trigger recording, but a LARGE object, such as a person, would block out enough of the picture to do so. (I never tried that step. I installed separate infrared lights so that insects were not drawn to my camera LEDs.)

I would contact support@reolink.com The Reolink Client software on my Windows 10 PC is able to display and manage a total of 7 Reolink cameras: (1) RLC-410WS, (2) RLC-420 PoE, (2) RLC-410 PoE and (2) Argus (the original). I set schedules, download recordings, change settings, etc. etc. Don't get me wrong. I have some real disappointments with the Windows Client, and have made suggestions several times that "go nowhere." But it certainly functions.

It is probably worth asking how these cameras are being added to the client: by IP or by UIC?

The Windows Client has a tab for Network Advanced Settings. There are options to set the "schedule" under email, FTP, etc. etc. Also, one could put the sensitivity down to 1 for the hours when no recording is wanted and that would eliminate almost everything.

I agree 100% that the thing that frustrates users the most is motion detection. Alas, I fear there will not be a change in this feature any time soon. It's pretty obvious that whoever programmed the camera firmware thought this "sensitivity" plus different hours of the day, plus exclusion zones was the way to go. I doubt that person even works for Reolink, and may no longer work at the place that designed the camera. Massive companies like Wyse have a lot more leverage over engineering than smaller firms like Reolink.

There are a whole bunch of things that customers have been asking for that seem to always be "on the horizon, but not here yet." Things like IFTTT integration, geofencing, what can be put in the Cloud, What countries the Cloud operates in, changes to the Windows/Mac client, how IP addresses are configured, changes to how much is recorded. The list goes on and on. BUT... there is no facility where customers can do things like support/reject or vote on ideas.

I knew going in that purchasing this brand rather than the "Big Names" that I see in all the stores was taking a chance. So far, it does what I want and it didn't cost nearly what 4MP cameras (now 5MP) did from the "Big Boys."

With the benefit of hindsight, the only two things I regret are (1) not "biting the bullet" to pull ethernet cable and install PoE cameras rather than WiFi, and (2) dabbling with the battery cameras. I now have two of them hooked up to USB plugs (using the hidden USB inspection port). Could just as easily done PoE, but I had the cameras already.

Would I buy Reolink again? I think so, yes.

During setup, when adding cameras, the password has to be entered for every camera, but AFTER SETUP, when simply opening the app, it does not ask for passwords, correct?

My Android app works this way. Add cameras once, access over and over.

My router allows me to "assign" IP addresses to WiFi devices so that when they ask for an IP, the DHCP server gives them the address I specified every time. All of my "permanent" devices (TV, desktops, printers, IP cameras, thermostat, DVR, etc.) have assigned IP's.

I have several RLC-410-5MP cameras. None of them make a sound when motion recording happens.
I believe the heading "Alarm" is misleading. (Although Reolink does better than most Chinese firms, there are still some language issues here and there.) I think "Alarm" is intended to mean only "Cause Motion Recording", not "make a sound".

Just as an experiment, you could turn off the sound recording.

Maybe you have a defective unit?

I can confirm. The Reolink account that I use on the web site is entirely different from the user name and password I use with cameras. When using the Windows Client, every camera could have a different user name and password. I said, "that's STUPID. I'll NEVER remember all that." So, I deliberately used the same user name and password on every camera. Made my life a lot easier.

Could you please identify which Reolink camera model this is?

Yes, there is newer firmware for the RLC-410W. Check this page:

p.s. That was snarky. I apologize. The community moderators send suggestions "up the line", but they have little influence over engineering decisions. I have always found Reolink support to be polite, considerate, and fairly knowledgeable.
It's late. I should not type when I'm tired.