Ring is owned by Amazon, and Nest is owned by Google. I’m uncomfortable with big tech knowing who is coming and going from my home. Are there any good alternatives to Ring that don’t involve sharing my data with these companies?
Reolink cameras let you store everything locally. If your network is set up securely, it’s a solid option.
Reid said:
Reolink cameras let you store everything locally. If your network is set up securely, it’s a solid option.
Many commercial cameras can be configured for local storage, like Reolink, Dahua, Amcrest, and Hikvision. However, setting this up requires some technical knowledge and hardware.
@Josh
This works well for cameras, but doorbell cameras are trickier. Most require apps and don’t easily allow for local-only setups. UniFi and Dahua have options, and Reolink does too, though you may need their app for setup.
@Russell
That’s true, and doorbells often need to send alerts to your phone. I’d hope for more local hosting solutions, but it does make the setup more complex.
Josh said:
@Russell
That’s true, and doorbells often need to send alerts to your phone. I’d hope for more local hosting solutions, but it does make the setup more complex.
Some setups, like Synology, can handle local storage and still push alerts to your phone. UniFi also does a good job with this, letting you keep everything local while receiving notifications.
Josh said:
@Russell
That’s true, and doorbells often need to send alerts to your phone. I’d hope for more local hosting solutions, but it does make the setup more complex.
I’ve connected my Amcrest doorbell through Frigate and Home Assistant. It handles local notifications and live feeds well.
UniFi is a great choice. Video is stored locally on a Cloud Key or NVR, and you don’t have to depend on the cloud.
Tim said:
UniFi is a great choice. Video is stored locally on a Cloud Key or NVR, and you don’t have to depend on the cloud.
Keep in mind that UniFi has had incidents where users could see others’ videos due to a security flaw. Still, you can set it up for local-only use.
Eufy cameras are a good compromise. They store data locally and offer features like encryption. However, there have been past concerns about their security practices, so it’s worth researching further.
@Laurence
Eufy had significant security issues in the past, even though they claim to have resolved them. I’d be cautious if privacy is your main concern.
Consider setting up a local system like Blue Iris. It stores everything on your server and doesn’t rely on the cloud.
If your visitors carry phones, big tech can already track them. It’s tough to avoid entirely.
I use Axis and Provision-ISR cameras. Both offer good local storage solutions.
Ubiquiti is a good choice for privacy. Their system supports local hosting and PoE wiring, so you don’t have to depend on Wi-Fi.
Here’s a quick overview of doorbell camera storage options:
- Internal camera storage.
- Cloud-based storage.
- Proprietary NVR systems.
- Open standards like RTSP or ONVIF.
If you want notifications while away, some internet access is usually required. However, you can configure systems to minimize data sharing.
There are millions of cameras out there. Why do you think big tech cares about yours specifically? They’re probably more interested in selling ads than monitoring your visitors.
If you’re really concerned, you could look into game cameras or build a custom setup with a Raspberry Pi. That way, you control all the data.