I’ll check out Reolink. Their products cost more, but they might be better quality.
I’ll also look into Abode. I’ve heard of them before and checked them out, but I thought they were more expensive than Cove? Cove often has sales (like 70% off equipment right now), but their monitoring might be cheaper. Cove’s basic monitoring is $17.99 per month, but Abode’s pro monitoring is $230 per year (after the first-year discount). Do you use Abode? How do you like it?
I’ve been using Abode for about 3 years now, and it’s been great—no issues at all. Before that, I had Ring and briefly tried Eufy, but Eufy was a total mess.
Glad to hear that! I just compared prices between Abode and Cove using the same type and quantity of sensors, and Abode came out several hundred dollars more expensive. I was surprised by that. So, for now, I think I’ll go with Cove since there’s about a $300 difference! Yikes!
EDIT: Actually, I realized I was a bit off. The Abode cart includes the first-year discounted subscription as an upfront cost, while Cove doesn’t. When I add the cost for Cove over a year, the “upfront” charges are more similar, but Cove still gives me more sensors for about the same price.
Eufy I had ring Eufy is way better
Costco sells them now too. They’re a great deal here in Canada.
Unifi Protect.
In my opinion, any thing that relies on the cloud is a no go.
We use UniFi for that reason—it all stays right here on our own network.
I was just looking into these, but I don’t have any other UniFi equipment. How much extra UniFi stuff do you need for it to work smoothly? Will I need to replace my PFsense router or my Netgear POE switch?
Minimum is just a cloud key. You don’t have to use any of the network stuff. You can see it here
Absolutely. For years, I had Hikvision cameras connected to a Synology NAS, and they were a pain to deal with. I finally ripped them out and installed UniFi equipment, including Protect and UniFi cameras. Now everything just works. The camera firmware updates along with all the other network equipment, making it much easier to manage.
Is anyone using Arlo here?
Yes, I have been using ARLO CAMERAS and even have the Arlo Hardwired doorbell, two outdoor cameras, and one indoor camera. I haven’t used any other systems, so I can’t really compare, but overall, I’d say it’s just okay. I’ll probably go with something else when it’s time to replace them.
The video and sound quality are pretty good, but there’s a delay of about 5-10 seconds, at least on our network. The motion detection works well enough to capture the events I care about. However, the settings for the cameras and doorbell can be a bit tricky to figure out.
I’ve also had trouble getting the auto arm feature to work properly. My wife and I both have our phones connected to the app, and I’ve set it to arm anytime we’re both away and disarm if either of us is home. However, the system only seems to pay attention to my phone, so it arms as soon as I leave, even if my wife is still at home.
The battery life on the outdoor cameras is pretty good, though they do need more frequent charging when it’s cold. During the warmer months, I usually get about 2-3 months of battery life. In the winter, when temperatures drop to the 30s (nothing too extreme), I have to charge them about once a month.
I have it too. I got it because Wirecutter recommended it so highly. But like others have mentioned, it’s just “okay.” The delay is around 6 seconds, which is frustrating. My biggest issue is that you can’t choose which types of motion notify you. I often get woken up in the middle of the night just because an animal walked by my door. It’s annoying enough that I’m considering switching to something else.
I’ve used Arlo for years. On my second set now (newer gen). They work fine.
My Ring is terrible. It always complains about a weak signal, even though it’s in a direct line to the A/C router with 1G fiber optic WiFi. On top of that, Bezos wants $7 a month just to keep it functioning. Do you really want to give him another dime?
Take the advice from the previous comment—no cloud, no monthly fees. Look into a system that uses a chip or card. The latest cameras are rechargeable, 4K, and have night vision. Those are the features you should be looking for.
I find that surprising. Two of my WiFi/solar Ring spotlights are about 100 feet from my house, and I have cameras all over. The only one that struggles with signal is in a building down the hill. Maybe there’s too much WiFi noise in your area?
Your internet speed isn’t as crucial (I have 100 Mbps); what really matters is the quality of your router.
Mine works great too. The only issue I have is with one spotlight in my backyard, where the WiFi signal isn’t strong. I’ve thought about getting a WiFi booster, but since my other cameras work fine, I haven’t felt the need to do it yet.
I know what all the local wildlife is up to. 
It sounds like you might have an older generation Ring, especially since you’ve had it for about 5 years. I’ve had major issues with lag and reception from the start too. The Chime Pro helps, but it still lags. My Linksys router is only a year old and is a Mesh 6, but even with that, the performance hasn’t improved much. My IT guy told me that Ring is “super buggy” and refused to take my money.
I started with an older dual-band 1750, then added an extender just 4 feet from the door. After that, I upgraded the router and the signal speed, but nothing really fixed the issues. When Amazon doubled the monthly fee 4 months ago, I just decided it wasn’t worth it anymore.
I wonder if the issue might be interference from other IoT devices operating on the same bandwidth nearby. My oldest Ring camera has been up for 6 years, and the newer ones are about 2 years old, but I don’t have much competition for signal in my area. That could be why I’m not experiencing the same problems.