Adding remote access to CCTV system

[Guest gewens]

HI Guys

I have been reading the forums for nearly two years now and have found it very usefull so thanks for all the info so far.

I work in retail managment and have installed many covert CCTV systems to catch theiving staff.

I now have another shop and need to monitor some of my cameras remotely from home.

I would only need to view 4 cameras and want to check that i will be doing this the correct way so this is what i am thinking of doing:

Converting an old PC into a DVR,

Puting a T-Piece onto the BNC cable coming from the camera and then taking a feed for the multiplexer and a feed for the DVR,

Connecting the DVR to a phone line and viewing remotely.

Also where is the best place to buy a decent DVR card, not one of these cheap far east cards from ebay.

Is the above the correct way of going about it, any help would be appreciated, and keep up the good work guys.

Thanks in advance

Glenn

[C.S TEK.]

Forget the PC mate.

Just buy a DVR with buit in CDRW and dial up facility. It would be a lot more reliable than a PC based system.

Wot type of connectoin are you going to use , standard dial up 56k??

Alos wot make and model of multiplexer do you have, u may allready have the function to view remotley .

chris

[ian.cant]

Avoid the T-piece, it will give you a double termination.

Why have you got a mux, is it a single way DVR?

Get a new 4 way DVR with lan ability and connect that via your router and phone line, ideally broadband for live viewing.

As for building your own using an old pc, big mistake in my opinion, buy something that will do the job instead of messing about. your probably gonna have enough problems networking a DVR as it is. Besides an old pc may not be up to it.

[breff]

Do as Ian says,watch your upload speeds on the broadband though, most ISPs give 256 upload no matter what the download speed, increase it to 512 if you can.

You will also be best to get a static IP address

[Guest]

Agreed with Ian here, get a DVR with LAN connection and then set up remote access to the LAN.

What's the connection you want to dial in through? ADSL would be easiest. A static IP is a bonus, but it is possible without.

[Rich]

Do you have a budget?

I would probably have to agree with the others here, if your looking for a cheap option then get yourself a cheap DVR with network capabilities, pref with modem built in if you want to dial in via pstn.

You are best off using a unit with a loop through rather than splitting a signal, if you had an outside company to install your CCTV system then remember they may state in the contract that only they are permitted to alter the system.

If you are remotely monitoring staff for the way they are working then you will need to add this to the DPA registration.

You can buy dedicated video servers purely for remote access.

[Guest gewens]

Thanks for the quick replys, i was looking at using a pc because i have a couple of spare ones, and i know you wont like me saying this but i need it as cheap as possible because a i will be paying for it out of my own pocket. I would be using a 56K dial up connection, i wouldn't need great quality i just need to see what they are up to before i drive down and do a spot check. The multiplexer in store does not have loop through. Would i not be able to use a T-Piece?

[Rich]

If your wanting to use a pc then those cheap cards from ebay will probably do what you need, the ones ive seen only support global 5 frames per second but it all depends what you are looking for.

For around £80 to £110 you can get yourself a GeoVision GV250 card with software, this card is 16fps (4fps per camera)

[ian.cant]

Thanks for the quick replys, i was looking at using a pc because i have a couple of spare ones, and i know you wont like me saying this but i need it as cheap as possible because a i will be paying for it out of my own pocket. I would be using a 56K dial up connection, i wouldn't need great quality i just need to see what they are up to before i drive down and do a spot check. The multiplexer in store does not have loop through. Would i not be able to use a T-Piece?

46870[/snapback]

Glen i need to be frank here (normally im just Ian), you havent really got a clue what your getting into here and i think you shouldnt go any further without some professional training or assistance. The fact you dont understand about the double termination and using a T piece proves this.

Buying a video card, i predict, will be a waste of your cash as getting it up and running and connected up for remote viewing isnt as easy as it sounds. Your unlikley to get much technical support from the supplier, depending upon where you buy it from.

I really do suggest you get a kit professionally made/supplied and a some training to enable you to achieve your objectives as i can only forsee some real banghead times ahead for you. I understand you probably have little or no budget but i think if its a job worth doing, then the job should be done properly and therefore the budget could be justified and then sourced.

Maybe one of the good fellows here could pay you a visit to see what your up against and help out with some free advice and quotations.

Whats your location?

[C.S TEK.]

I think your best bet here mate is gonna be to go down argos and buy a cheap web cam. Stick it on one of your old PC's and set it up so you can dial into it.

Leave the CCTV system alone if you've only got a small budget.

If your gonna do a job its best to do it properly when it comes to security, after all it is protecting your assets.

As ian says this insnt really DIY setting up a muliplexer for remote viewing. There are lots of factors that you have to remeber.

I get confused myself! .

chris