Posts made by Crimp On_62210811129

The Reolink RLC series of cameras are a tremendous combination of hardware at a reasonable price. With the new mounting bracket, the cameras are much easier to install. However, constantly recording "motion" that is not valuable just bugs the heck out of me. Specifically, when something happens that takes less than a second, and the camera produces a 20 second recording. (5 seconds prior and 15 seconds after) Specific examples are (a) a bug or bird flying across the camera, and (b) when the camera changes from "night" to "daytime" mode.

I thought that I had a solution, which is to FTP the records to a server and write a script that deletes every recording so small that it would be under 21 seconds. Alas, that doesn't work because (a) when the camera is in black & white mode the MP4 files are a lot smaller (and there is no way to know when the camera is going to switch modes), and (b) even when the camera is in color mode if significant motion is only in a small part of the screen the compression makes the total recording smaller.

Reolink has never shown interest in providing a way to keep only recordings that "move" for more than a minimum time. Has anyone come up with a way to discard stupid recordings? Like, is there a DOS command that will identify MP4 files by length?

Oh, dear. How disappointing. Publishing a "change log" is pretty much a standard procedure in the computer industry. If there is a document that the support staff can access, most companies simply make the document public or even include it with the new release. (See releases of Wireshark, CCleaner, for example.)

Does Reolink publish a "change log" describing how this version differs from the previous version?

True, the "totally wireless" cameras cannot be connected to the NVR. They also do not support the full set of firmware features that are found on the RLC cameras, such as directly connecting via a web browser, sending motion recordings with FTP, using different schedules for motion recording vs. email notices. I have two of the original Argus battery powered cameras, which I have converted to USB power. They can run forever, but the firmware still has the features Reolink put in to preserve battery life.

I very much doubt that a second registration would be successful. I skipped that step. Would be interesting to try and see if you want to spend the time.

This may seem to be a "drastic" solution. How about deleting storage and cache from the Reolink app. This should remove everything about every camera. That's in Settings->Apps->Reolink. Although it may seem silly, I am not confident that removing and reinstalling an Android app actually clears the saved data.

On my Reolink Android app, when I click on the red "down arrow" to show all of the cameras, and then click on the "gear" symbol for a camera, it brings up a list of options with "Delete" in red letters at the bottom. Have you tried that?

Reolink support also says the 5MP camera has the capability, and I appreciate your confirmation. I will get this model and a cheap PoE unit to power it. I do not have an NVR. I believe the Windows client app is the same whether used to access NVR or individual cameras. My guess is since no other RLC cameras have this capability, the app believes they are "all the same" and doesn't have logic to display different options for different models.

Just checking..... Is there any model of PoE camera that is able to turn off the infrared LED's (similar to the capability in the Argus line)?

I have dealt with my "flying insect" and "spiderweb" issues by installing separate IR illuminators that cover the same viewing area, but draw the insects away from the Reolink camera. No more constant "motion events." However, it is a chore to cover the Reolink LEDs and cut out holes for the lens and light sensor. Would be MUCH easier if the LEDs could simply be turned off programmatically.

Thanks

Oh, yes. I understand that opening the case completely voids the warranty. I am pretty sure that powering my Argus using a USB cord through the test port also voids the warranty. I was totally frustrated at having to restrict the Argus hours of operation to keep from spending a fortune on batteries. Now, I can watch and record all I want.

Will be interesting to see what is inside.

Does anybody happen to have pictures of the "insides" of the RLC-410 camera? i.e. with the case off?
I am looking at a project to make a different housing to conceal the camera, which means removing the case and mounting bracket and getting rid of the LED's. (Yes, I know this voids the warranty.) If I "felt lucky", I would just purchase one and take it apart. Would be convenient to see what it looks like before spending the money.

Oh, my. This is certainly not good. My network router is set up to hand out specific IP's to most devices using DHCP. That way, I have the convenience of knowing which IP goes with which device, but have the flexibility to change them if I want to. For example, I FTP motion files to a server which allows only certain IP's to connect.

On my RLC-410WS cameras, using Reolink Windows client, I can erase individual "squares" of motion detection area, or erase the entire screen. Which cameras and which app are you using?

If the camera works when IP address is provided by DHCP and fails when set to static, then some part of the static address setup is incorrect. For successful networking, ALL parameters are essential (IP address, network mask, gateway, etc.) Have you tried setting the static IP to

exactly

Yes, the camera is supposed to automatically connect to WiFi when power is restored. My cameras do this after a power outage (or a reset). My first guess is that something about the WiFi connection was not "saved". I sometimes get in a hurry when changing things on my Reolink cameras and click "close" (the X in the corner) instead of "OK". It is good that you are testing before climbing a ladder to install the camera.

If you press a paperclip into the reset hole long enough, it will "reset to factory settings" which means you have to set the camera up from scratch.

Not that I have found. It bugs me that it is grammatically incorrect. "The program is shut down. Do you want to continue?" HA. It should read, "Do you really want to close the program?" Obviously, the program is NOT "shut down" (yet).

I agree an option to close immediately without confirmation is something a lot of us would appreciate.

I have not done a firmware update recently, and I just now confirmed that my Reolink RLC410-WS and Argus cameras do not respond to telnet. "Connection refused." No chance to log in or anything. Do not have a C1 camera, so have no idea if there was a vulnerability in that model.

I have never heard of a security camera (Wi-Fi or not) that has a 120v plug. EVERY camera is powered either using a "Wall Wart" adapter or over the Ethernet cable (PoE). This is what makes the battery powered cameras so attractive. (What makes them NOT attractive is the way they eat up batteries, cannot do constant monitoring, and lack many features.)

There are companies making floodlights with security camera built in (not Reolink). If you have not made a huge investment in Reolink, you might want to look around before getting in too deep.

For me, cost of the camera is not the major factor in adding more security cameras. It is "how the heck can I get power/signal to that location?"

I am not 100% certain that the RLC-422W would even mount to a standard electrical box.

My RLC cameras that are mounted externally have the Ethernet and Reset cords hanging inside the wall. ONLY the power cord goes through the wall.

The RLC-410 can ignore motion in areas that have "too much", like passing traffic.
It's the grid under "Sensitivity". If you block out the picture except for right around the mailbox, you should get motion only when someone enters that specific area. The "pre" and "post" record would capture walking up to the mailbox, walking away, etc. I have not had much success reading license plates, although my cameras are 30+ feet away from the street.