I tried the Blink system from Amazon, and it was terrible. It was so unreliable that when I really needed it, the recording was incomplete, almost allowing a crime to go unnoticed.
After that, I bought a high-end Eufy system with Homebase 3, 4K cameras, a doorbell, and three C24 cameras for 24/7 recording. The cameras themselves were decent, and the footage was clear. However, the motion sensitivity was inconsistent, and the sound quality on the C24 cameras was so poor that it wasn’t useful.
The cameras were mostly reliable, but some would stop working once a week without any notification. If you didn’t check them, you wouldn’t even know they had stopped.
Then, Eufy released an app update that ruined the entire system. For weeks, I could only access about 10% of the footage.
Eventually, I gave up, sold everything, and switched to a Reolink system. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it performed. After my previous experiences, I didn’t expect much, but the system has been in place for a few months now, and I can confidently say that it works as intended.
None of the cameras have crashed or caused any issues. I have nine cameras connected to an NVR for storage. Some are PoE (Power over Ethernet), but there’s a Wi-Fi equivalent for almost every PoE camera if that’s what you need.
I also installed a Wi-Fi doorbell, which has been a game-changer. It’s powered by the existing doorbell wires, or you can use a transformer to plug it in. It records 24/7 to a 256GB SD card and the NVR. When someone presses the doorbell, the chime (included) rings instantly, and the phone notification arrives about a second later. The camera quality is so good that I’m considering getting another one for the backyard.
I also have a 12MP dome camera for the front door, which is probably overkill, but it works great.
In addition, I have three other Wi-Fi cameras, around 5MP each, and they all perform well. They occasionally drop out for a second or two, but the system emails me about the signal loss. However, by the time I check the app, the signal is back and working.
The night vision on all the cameras is excellent. The 5MP cameras, for example, are equipped with about 13 infrared lights.
I use the NVR for primary storage and have SD cards in all the Wi-Fi cameras as a backup. The SD cards can also handle 24/7 recording.
I can view the NVR feed on my TV, through the app, or on the Reolink client on my laptop. There’s also an option to log in via a browser. If I don’t have my phone or laptop with me, I might wonder where I am!
There are likely better systems out there, but for the mid-range price of Reolink, it works flawlessly compared to the other systems I’ve tried.