ZoneMinder Forums

I have searched forums and online but haven't got a solid answer.

My motorcycle has "magic" scratches appearing on it sitting in my garage. It's either from a person or animal getting in. Hard to tell. I would like to find out.

I plan to use a wifi cam from above facing the bike. I would like to have it record anything where it detects motion (Modect). Adjusting sensitivity levels would be great, and certain area's. I think ZM has this, IIRC. 1st question - can I have this save to a linux PC over the network, or does the cam have to be plugged directly into the PC to save to a file location? I'd like to keep the cam in the garage, and the linux PC in my room. Can it record to that PC over the LAN/router? If that makes sense.

2nd question, if the cam is up and running, recording any motion as stated above, if I am at work, or anywhere, can I check a livestream of what the cam is currently seeing, even if there is no motion? So this would be the monitor feature. I saw the app. The question is can ZM record motion to a file, so it's saved, but also at the same time can I just open the app, and view a live stream?

Some may say if your'e only looking for motion then that's all you need. True, but I'd like to have a live stream too so I can quickly peek in, or have it available to watch, rather than always having to review the files to see. If I am home and people are working in the garage, I'd like to keep a livestream up and about, but still record if something were to happen so it's on footage, and I can show them so I won't be lied to that they didn't do it lol.

Thanks for any information. I look forward to getting more into surveillance and seeing the possibilities!

If the camera is a WIFI camera, it wouldn't "plug in" to anything anyway

So wireless IP cameras, or wired IP cameras, are accessed over the network, as near or far as you would like for any other network device.

A Wired IP Camera could plug direct into your PC, with a crossover cable, or if either end supports Auto MDX, it would "just work". If you have a router and existing network, just do the normal thing and plug into it.

Only USB camera and analog (via a capture card) need to be wired to the PC direct.

"Modect", when tuned correctly, will only record to disk when something moves/changes. This is what you want.

"Monitor" won't record events to disk at all. It will capture images from the camera and let you see them, but won't do motion analysis.

However, panic not, as if you set "modect" you can always use the ZM interface to have a look "live" anyway. This is independent of the mode of the camera.

Or you could connect to the IP camera directly, if you want, and bypass ZM entirely. This way ZM would handle the motion/recording, and you can have a live nosy for free

Very detailed response!

Lets say I grabbed this wifi cam:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/d-link-hd-w ... Id=5386102

It will sit in my garage for my bike. I use Modect, for recording motion moments. Can I run a PC (maybe even Raspberry Pi, or Pine64, for low pwr usg and runs 24/7) in my room, and have the Wifi Camera with Zoneminder save the motion moments to the raspberry pi over the router on LAN? Then anytime I suspect something or go in for a weekly cleaning, I can just view the file, delete or move to another location if needed.

Or would the cam have to be plugged in via USB to the raspberry pi (or any other PC) to save to the PC?

And to reassure on what else you said - So I can run Modect, for motion moments to be saved to wherever I choose, and at the same time, I can use the ZM interface (and app on my Android?) to see a live feed? I may have just repeated what I asked and will get told the same, but just double checking haha.

Also, the cam I listed has it's own software to view a live feed, so like you said I can use ZM for saving motion moments, and then I can access mydlink mobile app or interface to view a live feed. Wait, live nosy for free? What costs money? I don't mind spending $5 for the app for ZM lol. Am I missing a payment somewhere.. oh no.

Anyway, once again, I really appreciate your response. I feel much more confident and excited getting into this different side of technology. Never dipped my toes into surveillance.

I look forward to hearing back!!

Thanks!
V1k1

If you are trying to figure out what is causing the damage, I'd recommend running it in "mocord" mode. This continuously records plus detects motion. The advantage is if motion detection does not catch it (very possible as its dependent on how you configured motion detection), you'll still have full recording to go back and check footage. This obviously takes more space, but if you have disk space to run it for 24-48 hrs, you'll be more sure you'll have a recording, whether or not motion is detected. I'd recommend this mode over simple "record" because you can first look at motion frames to reduce your search time.

Live view is completely separate and is active in any mode (except for None/Disabled) - you can watch live view in any of these modes.

You're on the right track. I'm struggling to understand why you think you need to PLUG a WIFI camera into anything. It's wireless. No plug in to anything.

It will connect to whatever wifi hotspot you tell it to, and be visible as a networked item. Get that bit working before diving into Zoneminder

Even a wired IP camera would just plug into the router, and appear on the network. It would not have to connect direct to a PC or Pi, although it *could* if you insist on having no router. Very small network of two things: PC and camera!

USB doesn't come into it. Unless you are buying USB Webcams.

My comment about "for free" was not about money. I meant that you can watch the camera's activity live "for free" (without bothering Zoneminder's resources) by connecting to it directly. Most cameras can cope with multiple clients watching them, so ZoneMinder would be logged in and pulling images for your CCTV system, and also you could use the camera with its own software, or a web browser, maybe VLC or other media player, as you choose.

This is how is have ZM running: Modetect on cameras to minimise amount of stuff recorded, and then a "live feed" view in a Firefox window straight from the camera(s).

asker, thanks for your response. I would prefer to configure it in Modect mode, and tweak the settings as best as I can and I will thoroughly test it too. I want to avoid 24/7 recording for the space reasons. I can easily have enough HD space, but not sure if I want to be burdened with all that footage haha. But you make a point where I could go back and view motion frames first.. hmm. I'll think about that!

mikb, ok ok. I'm asking if I can plug the camera in because my other question that I'm still wondering about is if Modect in ZM will save OVER the network. Although the recording/saving happens through ZM, not the camera, so I suspect it just saves to wherever ZM is installed to, if that is correct. But just to clarify... lol

I have to have a PC on running ZM, Modect, and storage space to save to and where I can go and review footage. I want a low power linux pc (lets just say Raspberry Pi for now, connected with 64GB storage or more if needed, or a 1TB external HD, whatever. Lots of storage).

So I buy a wifi camera, plug it into the garage outlet and set it up. It connects through wifi to the wireless router. It's on my LAN. I need to run ZM on Pi (or any 24/7 linux pc, or maybe Windows IoT if that's possible on another tiny PC), lets say in my bedroom. I will probably connect my win10 PC to control the Linux PC so I can just use the same monitor. The ZM finds the camera on the network, or any other camera I add.

I will keep ZM running modect with tested settings so it records when there's motion from the camera in the garage. ZM Modect motion footage will save on the Pi HD, where I specify. Correct?

Oh and this is in my back garage... hopefully the wifi can reach.. I know my phone wifi reaches but at a lower signal. Any tips on that? or maybe I can run the Pi in the garage and get a larger antenna lol.

And I understand the live feed now. I can always view live feed from either the app(s), ZM at the PC, or ZM app, or software, from anywhere as long as there is internet and on a supported device/browser.

Sorry a lot was repeated. I'm just 100% clarifying haha. I think I understood it from the first responses, but I'm just clarifying it'll do what I'm looking for and the way I want it. Seems like it's a go! very nice and helpful on here. A lot of other forums have crazy people.. lol.

Any suggestions on a good cam/small linux PC such as Pi, Pine64, or any others that will support good footage and not lag the frames?
How about that cam I listed from bestbuy?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/d-link-hd-w ... Id=5386102

Thanks once again. I really appreciate the help and I really am feeling confident getting into this surveillance side of technology.