Advice on IP cam CCTV setup
I am in the middle of setting up a IP camera CCTV system for my office. I am planning to put in about 3-5 cameras in all. Non negotiable requirements are:
1) cameras must be 720p and above
2) have night vision
3) ceiling mountable
4) be able to stream 25 FPS at HD quality (preferably over wifi)
5) streams for all the cams must be recordable on a dedicated NVR i.e. not going to use it as a NAS at the same time.
I have already bought a D-Link DCS-2132L camera and the D-Link DNR-322L NVR. I also have a dedicated router for the setup (D-Link DIR-600L). I am not a fan of D-Link but the DCS-2132L and DNR-322L pair up is the only setup that I have found is guaranteed to work without breaking the bank. I considered getting a Synology NAS but I had to pay another $270+ for a 4 camera license pack.
After testing out my setup, I am happy to say that there is so far no issue with compatibility between the camera and NVR. The NVR also works as advertised and is able to format the 2 HDDs I put in in JBOD format. Playback is easy to figure out.
While the DCS-2132L has got good video quality (day & night), the built in wifi in the cam is really lousy. I am not able to get 720p at 25 FPS with the cam and the router side by side; that is only achievable with a wired connection. When I take the cam out of the room, with only a false wall separating the cam and router, even the connection becomes unstable.
I am now reconsidering getting more DCS-2132Ls due to the flaky wifi. While not having wifi is not a deal breaker, it would save a lot of money and simplify installation. Else I would have to explore getting powerline plugs to create wired ports.
I would like to ask the experts here if there are other brands of HD IP cams that are 100% compatible with the DNR-322L at about (or cheaper) price point than the DCS-2132L. The camera must also not be too heavy as I am planning to use 3M Command strips to ceiling mount (the 2132L is really light) but if I have to, I can do screw mounting. Also, I am aware that the DIR-600L is a 'half N' router and am prepared to change that since a 'full N' router is not very expensive; I am using the 600L because it was a free gift.