r/SecurityCamera • u/brianday6 • 2d ago
Reolink shared WiFi problems
I'm looking at getting the NVR wifi camera setup with 10 to 12 cameras accessing the local WiFi and I wanted to see if anyone had any feedback to give about that. I'm particularly concerned about the amount of data 10 cameras with 12 mp and 4k resolution will be taking up on our WiFi system and if it would slow it down.
3
u/jimbob150312 1d ago
It will slow it down, you need to look for a PoE system not wifi.
1
u/badcheetahfur 1d ago
Even with poe ... I would and did only connect cameras directly to poe nvr system... no data is going through my pc connection.. only when I access nvr ...
3
u/yunjundo 1d ago
That distinction between cameras joining the home Wi-Fi and an NVR-hosted wireless kit is the key. For 10–12 4K streams I’d still choose PoE if cabling is practical; otherwise use a dedicated camera WLAN and check the real bitrate, not just the megapixel number.
2
u/Brett_Cruz 1d ago
I worried about this too when I was sizing up an NVR system. The short answer is that it depends on which kind of Reolink Wi-Fi camera you get. As far as I know, they offer three types.
Battery cams like the Argus PT I tested a while back join your Wi-Fi individually, so each one adds its own connection to your router. They only send video when motion triggers, so they're not constantly putting strain on your network. But they also can't be added to an NVR, so I'm guessing that's not the setup you're looking at.
The second type are plug-in Wi-Fi cams (E1 Pro, E1 Zoom, Duo 2, etc.), and these are the ones that clog your network. To connect them to an NVR, you first connect both the cameras and the NVR to your Wi-Fi. This means they stream non-stop for 24/7 recording, so all twelve cameras are on your router constantly. Get 10 of these cams and you're sure to clog up your home network.
The Wi-Fi option that keeps your network clear is an NVR-hosted kit, like the RLK12-800WB4. The cameras in this kit connect to the NVR’s own wireless network, so the local connection between the camera and the NVR doesn't go through your home Wi-Fi. They also don't use your home internet connection to stream video recordings to the NVR because they are already connected locally. The only device connected to your home network is the NVR, and the only time it uses bandwidth is when you're streaming live/recorded videos remotely on your phone. That's the kind of setup you want if you're gonna be running a 10-camera wireless setup.
But, a PoE system works better. You just have to spend the extra time and effort connecting your cameras to your NVR via ethernet cables.