Alert Security Systems

[dejola]

Am seriously considering purchasing the Logitech Alert system. Have read many reviews. Most are good, some are not. Amazing to me how so many users can have so different experiences with Alert. Some love it, others hate it. I suspect user error is one problem, but who knows for sure.

The location I wish to protect is a 5 stort town house in Manhattan. The front of the Town House faces the street. There are two doors on the front of the house separated by about 10 feet with a window between the doors. The building is masonary construction. 

There is a computer in the front room on the third floor that is hardwired to a Linksys wireless router that rests on the window sill. The two front doors are two stories below this window. 

There are no electrical outlets on the exterior of the house. I would have to figure out how to get the cable from the camera into that front third floor room, possibly through the window, e.g. open window, snake cable in, and close the window. Is the cable flat? I would place the exterior camera outside this third floor window facing down to the two doors.

Some concerns:

1) It is my understanding that if I wanted to add additional cameras they would all have to be on the same electrical circuit connected to the same circuit breaker. Is this true? If so that would limit where additional cameras could be located, wouldn't it?

2) I am unsure how the house current (Homeplug) vs POE works. Does POE allow just running the cable from the camera to the router without the need for the big brick adapter that otherwise would have to be plugged into an electric outlet? Do I need some sort of POE adapter that connects to the router?

3) What about buying just the exterior camera instead of the Master 750e system and downloading the Commander software or using a different software application (Blue Iris comes to mind)? 

4) Where to purchase? Crutchfield wants $349 for the Master kit with one camera and offers a 60 money back warranty and lifetime free tech support and free shipping and do not charge tax when delivered to NY. Amazon gets $310, offers no tech support and charges tax; HP Direct wants $280, plus tax, free delivery, no tech support aside from that provided by Logitech. I'm leaning towards Crutchfield.

A ny help with all this will be very much appreciated.

Thanks.

[UselessS]

1) Not technically true, but depends on how the building is wired...the same breaker/circuit is the best chance for HomePlug to work...but no guarantee.

2) From your description of how you would run the cables, there would be no benefit to use HomePlug anyway.  Just run the cables from the cameras to a PoE switch connected to your router.  An added advantage of PoE over HomePlug is that you can put that switch and router on a UPS...so cameras don't go down in a power glitch.

3) If you go PoE, then all you need is B700e cameras ( no Master, no HomePlug stuff )...s/w download as you mentioned.

4) If you go PoE, just buy from this Logitech site...many others don't yet carry the less expensive B700 cameras ( camera is the same in all the variants ). 

http://buy.logitech.com/store/logib2c/Content/pbPage.poe-alert-cameras

[dejola]

Thanks so much for that quick reply. Can you suggest a reliable POE switch known to work with the B700e? I see POE switches for like $55, but I also see something called a POE injector for like $21. How do these two devices differ?

Thanks again.

[dejola]

I have a relatively new Linksys wireless router. You know, the black sleek form factor. May be an E1200. I not sure. Is it possible that this router is POE ready and that I might not need a switch?

Thanks again.

[UselessS]

I think routers do exist with PoE ports, but very few...I think an E1200 is a relatively low cost one without PoE.  A router can be a pretty complex thing that varies widely with what someone wants to do...whereas a switch is a really simple thing ( like a splitter/amplifier for a TV antenna ). 

A PoE injector is something that will provide the power for one device on the ethernet cable...where a PoE switch will generally have 4 of 8 ports that can supply power.  If you anticipate more than one camera, probably best ( and maybe cheaper ) to go with the switch.  I have 6 cameras...all PoE via two PoE switches.  My PoE switches are more on the higher end of consumer devices...as I also use those non-PoE ports for my gigabit network ( D-Link DGS-1008P ).  I think any brand that you are comfortable with would be fine...cameras don't need gigabit ports, but you may have other things that could use it.  If not, then a 10/100 PoE switch would be fine.  Here's a link to NewEgg's list of PoE switches for example...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100010066%20600052103%20600052101%206000...

[dejola · Accepted solution]

Thanks once more.

So I need to get a POE switch. Then, what, I just plug the switch into an electric outlet > use a piece of Ethernet cable to connect the POE switch to the router > plug one end of the supplied cable into the switch and the other end of the camera. That's it? Then I use the Commander software to view what the camera is seeing?

Sorry for all the "Explain Like I'm Five" questions. Your kind and generous to help.

[UselessS]

Yep, you got it !

[dejola]

Again, many thanks!

[dejola]

Hi, it's me again. I found this POE kit that seems to be compatible with the Lynksys E series wireless routers and ordered it. It was cheap enough. Does this mean I don't need a PoE switch after all?

Thanks again.

[dejola]

Sorry, I forgot to include the link to the kit. Here it is http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260973967727#ht_3935wt_1185