ZoneMinder Forums

If you would want to secure a big area with several camera's (and you want it to be as cheap as possible) how would you do that?

Options:
* Buy several old pc's, hook up some USB webcams to it and use Zoneminder (beware of the very high electricity bill)
* Buy serveral IPcams and hook them up to your switch or hub. These cams are much more expensive but don't need much electricity. (Does Zoneminder support IPcams?)

What would you do or do you have any suggestions?

What you refer to as IPcams, are the good old network cameras. ZoneMinder supports these camers as long as they provide a URL to read a image directly, such as http://your_ip_or_address/image.jpg.

In my personal experience, Axis cameras work remakably well with ZM. The famous NetCam from StarDot Technologies also work, and I believe Phillip Coombes has some D-Link network cameras running.

On the other hand, the old PC approach actually turns these web cams into network cameras through the attached PC. If you sum the cost of the PC, the web cam and USB extension cables, you could end up with the same cost of going for a low-end network camera in the first place. Adding to this having to maintain the PC, its size, the frailty of the USB cables arrangement and the frailty of the web cam itself, by now the network camera seems like a better bargain.

Yet, I prefer another approach, use a video server. A video server is basically a computer with a multiple-port video grabbing card and a network interface, all in one small, easy to use, easy to manage box. With it, you can use good old, plain, regular CCTV equipment and installations (including existing ones), and just hook up the camera signal cables to the video server input ports. This way, you use inexpensive cameras on exposed locations, and keep the expensive equipment (like the video servers) in a more secure place.

If the area to cover is quite large, as in an industrial setting, you can use video servers in separate locations to concentrate all video input cables in the nearby area. Then just run Cat5 cables from the video servers to the nearest network hub or switch. Maybe even wireless links could work.

This last approach may not be the absolute cheapest, but considering maintenance costs and risk of losing valuable equipment (due to vandalism or weather), this is the way I would go.

Lastly, the industry defacto standard for video servers are the Axis brand. These are also very expensive ($1300+ for a 4 input box). Since we are talking cheap, then you can go to www.stardot-tech.com and check out their Express6 video server for 6 video inputs at just $795. And if you find a better deal, please let me know. By the way, I dont work for StarDot, but I have spent considerable time on the Net looking for a good deal.

Regards,
Jose Rodriguez

I found a great/cheap IPcam from Axis http://www.axis.com/products/cam_205/index.htm
It costs about 200 euro's. If any of you can find it cheaper elsewhere, please let me know!

I'm a bit strange, since I found Zoneminder I'm all about 'securing' my home. I want to put camera's all over the place (because of burglars) and I want to secure it through code-locks etc.
If it all succeeds, I'm going to this at my work place. My boss will probably find it a great idea and I could earn $$$ from this :-)

About the (great) reaction from Jose Rodriguez:
I'm using an old/cheap computer to run as Linux router/firewall/DHCP etc. and on it I will connect the USBcams (as many as I can) and the rest will be IPcams (I don't want 5 PC's running all over the place, just so I can use USBcams)

Sebastian:
I found the Axis 205 Camera for $185.95 on pcconnection.com, which is pretty much near the 200 euro price you found.

About the USB cameras, how far can you install a camera from your PC using a USB connection? Will the signal degrade with greater lenghts?

Regards,
Jose Rodriguez

I'm not sure about USB2 but I think the USB1 spec maintained a maximum range of 5 metres or so (~15 feet). So not really long enough for any lengthy cable runs. I suspect as with most things you can probably get away with a bit further than this but haven't tried it. Half you problem might be getting any kind of lengthy extension cables, or enough of them at least.

Cheers,

Phil,

NEWS FLASH!!!

On an Axis 2401 Video Server, I've achieved a 15 frame-per-second video stream to ZM! Yoohoo!!

Did it on a 10Mbps LAN, using a 352x240 Black/White feed, one feed only. I'll try it on a 100Mbps LAN soon with multiple feeds.

Regards,
Jose Rodriguez

HI
I think its better to use Small Videocams (ccd cameras as modul),with this you can have a cable lenght with a small adapter from koax to phonecable from 500 m (~1500 feet).That was in the most settings enough. At the moment iam trying this with ZM and two BT878 Grabbercards with 4 Inputs (8 inputs for all two cards) .
ZM is in my humble opinion the only programm that makes it usable tho controll
all the input channels from one BT878 card.
And i think its a good deal ,the cards are only 40 euro (complett) and iam using an old Pentium 3 with 600 MHZ.
At this moment no problems occurs.

Thomas

Thomas can you tell me what card you using? if you have some specs!! 40 euro is a good price.. i bouth one at 75 USS same card i asume.

Fernando:
It was a Lifeview Flyvideo EZ Card. It has no Tuner but original 3 inputs,iam changed a little on the card for having 4 Inputs. I haved buy it from Ebay.
But if you can buy any TV card with BT878 you can delete the Tuner and with a little soldering (not complicated!) you can create a 4 Input grabbercard.
The result is the same as you bought an Grand Capture Card for 130 $. ;)
If you are interesting at the HowTo let me know.

Thomas