Posts made by md

@stevenpdaniels53_507944075575461 I'm not sure I understand. Reolink cams work with your home wifi and also will work through your cell phone company but that's not for storing videos in the cloud. Reolink has a cloud storage plan but only for a few cams models and it depends what country you live in. Check their cloud plan site. Reolink cams can send recordings using the FTP function if you set up renting server space with a company. Use your browser search to find companies that rent digital storage space. You can also set up an email account to send recordings for free. There's info how to do this on Reolink support site. A lot of Reolink users do not use cloud plans, we prefer to record in our homes to cards in cams, NVR or Home Hub.

@wellington_701696338968769 I assume you mean E1 Outdoor Pro. The E1 Pro is only an indoor cam. It doesn't have vehicle detection. Person, vehicle, pet detection is in each cam's alarm settings of the client and phone apps. Click the cam gear icon, click alarm, see sensitivity and smart detection. Lower the vehicle detection. In the notification schedule you could turn off "vehicle" and also turn off "any motion" to reduce false alerts. At night car lights can make it more difficult to dial in the settings. You can also try making a non detection zone, try object size and alarm delay to help. If your cams do not have vehicle, person, pet detection then they could be several years old before Reolink added those features. You could check their download site, compare your hardware number to any firmware update that might be available.

I have a Duo 2 facing the street to record. I want to record just in case something happens like last year some kids tried to break into my neighbors car. But I have notifications turned off. There's no need to be notified every time cars drive by. I have other cams pointing at my driveway, sidewalk, front door for notifications.

@joseph_1979 Thanks for requesting the same and for all you do to help users. Reolink would be a better company and would increase sales if they implemented your suggestions!!

Dear Reolink, I am requesting Reolink create a news page here and on Reolink Reddit. This would be used to update information for customers. Please include ALL of the above:

1. New camera/NVR release info, dates of release or delays in release.
2. New firmware updates, please also report known glitches/bugs in firmware and expected fix dates.
3. Report cameras and products no longer sold/supported, including products that are announced then withdrawn like the smart plug. I and others were very disappointed when Reolink announced the smart plug but then went silent when they decided not to release it.
4. When there are known issues with cameras, report it, like the bad audio on some CX410 models.

Reolink is a good brand. I recommend them. But their communication with customers is not very good, it needs improvement.

@stuart_185312528715954 I used to keep a document of how many security cam companies there are, the year the company started, headquarters location, etc. I stopped when I reached 40, ugh. I don't know how you define "serious" but Reolink has a lot of cam models, NVR, Home Hub, they have more camera options than a lot of consumer cam brands. Everybody wishes a camera had every feature we want, subscription free. Reolink is great for home owners and small businesses, their market is not big business, high security like banks, casinos, military bases etc. Techy users that use Home Assistant, Blue Iris, Synology etc will find Reolink apps lacking. But as you said most home owners aren't that techy and don't want to be. There's a YouTube channel The Hook Up that has compared Reolink cams to other brands, how they work with Blue Iris, etc. For the money Reolink cams are good in his opinion and my opinion too. It takes a while but Reolink does implement new features. I've been using Reolink for over four years, before they released AI firmware. I don't know if they'll add patrol mode to trackmix but I don't use that feature anyway on my 823A x5, prefer auto tracking mode. In my opinion it's much better to have two cams covering an area rather than one PT/PTZ. While looking one way a bad thing could happen where a PT/PTZ is not looking, the incident will be completely missed.

@farmeunit_845196579786910 You can record to PC using the Reolink client. Find it clicking the upper right gear icon. But I don't think many do that. It requires a massive hard drive and fast processor to have reliability. Your hard drive will fill up faster than you think. Give it a try if you want. The Reolink client is best used for live view, changing settings, update firmware, not 24/7 recording in my opinion. If you only have a few cams recording motion only events it might be okay, more and you may have issues. It's better to record to a Reolinnk NVR or something like Synology. See below links:

https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003593554-How-to-Record-to-PC-New-Client/

https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/articles/360006073894-How-Long-Can-Reolink-NVR-Record-for/

@user_650239966015490_650239966015490 You could try to clean the jack with a tooth brush and rubbing alcohol. It's important to protect the camera cable ends from moisture, it's written in the install guide. Reolink provides a cover for the ethernet connection but not other camera cable ends though some new models have end caps. Some use a junction box, waterproof tape, put the cable ends inside the wall or up in soffit.

I don't know if Reolink sells the cam cable separately but you'd need to take the cam apart and disconnect it from the circuit board. Maybe you could ask others if they have a spare one they'd send you. For the ethernet RJ45, you could buy a RJ45 crimper tool, carefully look at the sequence of the wires and write it down. Cut off the jack and add a new one. Contact Reolink support and ask.

@pa-woodchuck_802982477914301 Battery cams are better than no cams at all, but wired low voltage wifi cams are better. They both need a good wifi signal outside to be reliable. The distance they can operate depends on your wifi system. Reolink cams can record to SD card inside without an NVR but having an NVR is better. POE wired cams are the best if you can install the cables. If you buy cameras and NVR in a bundle together they are cheaper. But you only get one model cam. It's better to buy an NVR and the cams separately so you can buy different model cams to fit specific field of view you are looking for, maybe a PTZ cam or Reolink's new low light cam CX410 or wide angle view like the Duo series with 180 degrees view, do you want cams with spotlights for color night vision or just IR black/white at night, etc. 8MP and 12MP have the best resolution. Home consumer security cams can ID faces depending on the distance, the cam model, if it's day or night. At night cams cannot ID faces nearly as well due to lack of light.

Reolink makes several NVR models, you can read their specs, how many cams they support, how much HDD storage they have. Reolink has an 8 channel NVR if you don't plan on using more than 8 cams. Reolink's newest model is the 36, supports 36 cams, lots of HDD storage, but it does not have built in POE or HDD, you have to buy your own POE switch and HDD drives.

You could read the first post on Reolink Reddit, lots of info about Reolink cams including cam specs charts, see below link. You could also watch YouTube channel LifeHackster who reviews Reolink cams, you'll get an idea how they perform, how to install and use the app. Take your time, do some research before you buy so you know better what you are getting.
https://www.reddit.com/r/reolinkcam/comments/133vod7/welcome_to_the_official_reolink_subreddit_please/?rdt=43409

@rohan_748713748697288 How old is your NVR? Older NVRs were limited to maybe one or two brands of wireless mice. I don't think new models have a problem with most any brand wireless mouse. Have you checked to see if your NVR has a newer firmware update, might help. Contact Reolink support and ask. The normal range for a mouse to connect to it's USB is about 30 feet, beyond that I don't know.

@user_588567793635436_588567793635436 Settings can vary a little between the phone app, computer client app and NVR. All Reolink cams can post-motion record but not pre-motion. I have a pre-motion record setting on my newer Argus 3 Pro in the client but it's not there on my older Reolink battery cams. Battery cams are inferior to wired cams. Battery cams use PIR motion detection, wired cams use pixel based detection. PIR has limited range of about 30 feet. PIR detects better with movement across the view rather than motion coming straight to the cam. Battery cams stay in low power mode to save battery life. It can take a little bit for it to detect motion and trigger to start recording. If a runner is only briefly in the cam's view or at the limit of detection range, it's understandable the battery cam will miss it. I assume you've experimented with the sensitivity, set to maximum.

Pre-motion recording works well on my wired cams. For the pre-motion setting in the client for battery cams, there's a page on Reolink support that says it's only for recording during live view. It's not for detection recording. Recording live view would have a limit, the firmware would time out I assume after a few minutes so save battery life. I don't know if it works recording live view, haven't tried it. I suppose it's a new feature for new battery cams. See the note at bottom of link:

https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/articles/900000784786-Introduction-to-Pre-Motion-Record/

@user_753931108643014_753931108643014 Try rebooting and restoring the cam. When restoring you'll need to re-enter the password. Also try resetting the cam with the reset cable on the camera. Did you protect all the cable ends from moisture? It says in the start up guide to protect the ends. Water on the cable ends can cause camera problems. Some use a junction box, put the cable ends in a big enough hole in the wall, put cable ends up in soffit or use waterproof shrink tape. Reolink provides a cover for the ethernet connection but not for the other two cable ends. Also test your ethernet cable and it's wiring/RJ45 jack. If all that does not help, contact Reolink support.

@reolinkshayla I really like my Reolink cameras, great value for the price. Reolink releases new cams every year with new features and firmware updates. Reolink customer service to good too. However, every business, no matter what they sell, can have problems sometimes. The E1 Outdoor is a good cam but it has a flaw which Reolink knows about but has not fixed. The prior E1 Outdoor versions cannot go back to monitor point reliably, there is degree drift. It's very frustrating for users. I don't know if it's a firmware or hardware problem. At the very least Reolink should put it in the cam specs there can be monitor set point drift. It hurts Reolink's reputation to continue to sell a cam with a problem. I hate to criticize Reolink because overall I like the brand. But I will be honest, I would not recommend any E1 Outdoor model unless they fix this problem. Those reading this can watch YouTube channel LifeHackster who reviewed the E1 Outdoor and shows this problem. I have an 823A 5x which is a better camera, better motor and does not have point drift. Buy a POE 823A rather than a E1 Outdoor in my opinion.

@p5ycho A serial number on a product is for identification from the manufacturer for warranty service, tracking possible defects, identifying if stolen, etc. A camera UID is a unique number used for wifi and mobile internet communication from the camera to Reolink servers to process notifications and connect with the Reolink phone app. When you buy a camera you should register it using the Reolink app so the camera and its UID is assigned to you. So each camera has its own unique number for internet traffic and it also serves as the warranty serial number. At least that's how I think it is. Maybe someone else can explain it better if I'm wrong.

@marian-siczek_715086104985814 It can be frustrating trying to learn and adjust the settings. A lot depends what cameras you have, the settings. Reolink cams can detect further during day sunlight, only about 30 feet at night due to lack of light and just using their IR. My Reolink POE cameras can detect up to about 90 feet during the day and are reliable doing it. I and others record 24/7 with some cameras be sure all movement is recorded. Are your detection settings high? Use the search line on Reolink support page, You can type in questions, how to update firmware on the NVR, how to update firmware on the cameras, how to use and adjust motion detection, etc. NVR firmware can be downloaded to your computer from Reolink download page, then put on a flash drive, then insert the drive into USB port of the NVR. Camera firmware can downloaded to your computer and installed using the Reolink client app. The auto update button usually does not work well.

There are YouTube videos you can watch. Reolink has a Youtube channel. I like LifeHackster channel to learn about Reolink cams.

https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/

https://reolink.com/download-center/

@user_748581736141008_748581736141008 That would be a nice feature. The problem would be if the person leaving forgets to turn notifications back on, the place could be burglarized during night and nobody would know at that time to call police. Notifications can be set to a schedule, that would not work for someone needing to go in at an unscheduled time. But maybe most employees could turn notifications off or set their notifications to a schedule so only one or a few would receive notifications during certain times. I assume many small businesses usually only have the owner and/or manager have access and control of the cams.

@thongsleigh_263573017145565 My first cams were battery cams, getting started, easy to install, learned how they run. You need a good wifi signal outside for them to connect. Later I bought a couple low voltage powered wifi cams then finally ran cables in the attic and now have POE cams. Battery cams are better than no cams at all. But they are inferior to wired cams. Battery cams use PIR motion detection which is okay going across the field of view, but they can record late when someone heads straight toward the cam. Battery cams sometimes don't record long enough to see a whole event. Their detection range is less than wired cams. A battery cam will detect to about 35-40 feet during day, less at night. My POE cams can detect up to about 90 feet during day. I live in a cold winter climate. Batteries do not charge well below freezing. I have to take my battery cams down, bring them inside, let them warm up to charge. It helps if you used a solar panel though. Even with a solar panel a battery cam will not be able to record 24/7. My Reolink Argus 3 battery cams are on the side of the house where there is not much traffic. For my street, front door, back door I use POE cams. I have a Duo 2 POE above my garage, I like it's 180 degree view. Even if you had to hire an electrician to get power to the cam it would be worth it in the long run in my opinion. You could watch YouTube channel LIfeHackster, he has reviewed the Duo 2 and other Reolink cams.

@user_744890082836685_744890082836685 Yeah sometimes features and settings are not fully explained or hard to find, here it is:

https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/articles/360007684614-Introduction-to-the-Logout-Time-of-Battery-Powered-Cameras/

If you just bought the cam you could return it for free and go for a wired one, up to you. Wired cams have more features, can record 24/7, have longer detection range, etc. Reolink has a YouTube channel you could watch and my favorite channel for Reolink cam reviews is LifeHackster.

@user_744890082836685_744890082836685 To save battery life they are designed to go to sleep after a few minutes live view. This is normal. It does not matter if it is plugged into a solar panel or not, the view will change from live view to not connected until you tap it again in the phone or client app. If you want constant live view you'll need to buy wired cameras, either wifi low voltage powered or POE.

@user_610695079637035_610695079637035 Some have used tape, thin vinyl wrap or painted their cams. I'd use a method that could be removed if the cam needed warranty service. I have a CX410, really like it.

@bearhug Yeah, some of the descriptions of cams vary a bit. If a cam has a mic then it will have two way talk too, etc. You could go to YouTube and watch a channel I like, LifeHackster. He reviews Reolink cams, shows how to use them etc. Reolink also has its own Youtube channel and support site with info. On Reddit Reolink the very first Welcome post has lots of info about Reolink cams including specs comparison charts. There's info there about the differences of buying a bundle with cams and NVR or buying cams separately and using a POE switch between the cams and the NVR. It's good to do some research before buying so you know what you are getting and how to install.

https://www.reddit.com/r/reolinkcam/comments/133vod7/welcome_to_the_official_reolink_subreddit_please/?rdt=33235