Wireless Outdoor Security Cameras
An outdoor wireless security camera system is a great way to make sure your home and family are safe both day and night. With wireless security cameras, you can install a camera in the places you think needs it the most all across your property. You won’t need to run wires under or across your yard.
The Basics of Wireless Home Security Systems with Cameras
With a solid wireless connection, these outdoor home security cameras will deliver images directly to a computer or—in many cases—an app on your phone or tablet. This means that you can see what’s going on around your home even if you’re not there. A set of wireless outdoor security cameras are a great basis to build a self-monitored home security system around.
Even with all these benefits, outdoor wireless security cameras do have limits. For one thing, you’ll have to make sure they get power. While you can find wireless security cameras that use solar power, that option relies heavily on where the outdoor security camera is located. There are many other options that have internal power supplies or simply need a wall plug relatively close by.
Also, remember that you’ll be relying on the outdoor security cameras’ connection with your wireless network. If your network goes out, so does your picture. It’s important to select wireless security cameras that have good network connections regardless of weather and range.
Now that you have a good idea of what a wireless outdoor camera can do, how do you know what the best wireless camera system for home security is? As the technology that enables wireless outdoor security cameras has gotten cheaper, more and more wireless security cameras have shown up on the market. If you look at their Amazon pages, you’ll find a page full of technical specifications and all sorts advertising promises. It can be hard for you to know what all these things will actually mean when you go to install and use the security cameras.
We’ve put together a list of five of the best wireless outdoor security cameras. We’ve broken down what their technical specifications actually mean for you, the homeowner, and why you should or should not buy them. Take a look and see if any of these wireless outdoor security cameras will help you make your home a safer place to live.
Product Features
This wireless home security system includes 6 bullet-type cameras, 2 magnet-base antennas, and the all-in-one monitor and 2 TB NVR. Each camera connects to an electrical outlet with a 10-foot long power cord.
The cameras have up to 50 feet of night vision, with a built-in row of LED lights that assist the quality of the night vision. They record in detailed 960p. They do not record sound. You cannot move the cameras remotely. These cameras also have built-in motion detectors. The IP Pro app for your phone or tablet allows you to view the camera feed on any device. You will be notified on the monitor, through the app, and through email if the cameras detect motion.
Pros
- You can add more cameras to this wireless outdoor security camera system. If you want to add more outdoor wireless security cameras, you’ll have to buy ones made by Forcovr. If you’d like to add ones from another brand, just make sure they are ONVIF compliant. They’ll need to be added by wired cable.
- Because of the monitor on the NVR, this system is the ultimate plug-and-play outdoor wireless security camera system.
- The included antennas can be used to extend the wireless signal range and direct above obstacles. The antennas sit very securely, due to their magnet bases, and you won’t have to worry about them being too delicate to handle being outdoors.
Cons
- This wireless security camera system does not come with a hard drive to record footage. You’ll have to buy your own and configure it if you want to do that.
Conclusion
The ease of setup for this security camera system is hard to beat. The included monitor makes it very easy to view the camera feed. This is one of the best wireless security camera systems for home security if you want to be able to start using it within an hour of bringing it home.
Product Features
The A-Zone wireless security system comes with an NVR and 4 weatherproofed security cameras. The cameras connect to electrical outlets using a 6-foot long power cord.
The cameras record at 960p, a nice clear resolution that holds up during both night and day. They cannot be moved remotely. You can view the feed from both your computer using the EseeCloud for either Mac or Windows or on your mobile device through the IP Pro app for both iOS and Android. The cameras do not record sound. They also each serve as a wireless extender to each other, lengthening the range you can use them, provided they are plugged in.
Pros
- The setup for the A-Zone security cameras is detailed really well by the included manual. The step-by-step visual instructions are useful for even the most tech un-savvy homeowner. The English is less than perfect, however, but the diagrams are really all you need.
- This wireless security camera system is as close to plug-and-play as you’ll find. You can start monitoring the outside of your home as soon as everything is set up.
- This system includes tools and screws for setup in the box. The system requires 2 different Allen wrenches to adjust the cameras and both are included. You should just need to provide power outlet, your router, a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
- You can view the live feed from the outdoor security cameras on multiple devices at the same time. This makes for a great home security system for household where several people are not there.
Cons
- Unless you attach an HDD and USB hub on your own, there is no playback available with this system. This means that you won’t have a record. The camera feed will only be worthwhile if someone is watching it. It still can be an effective security camera system, but not being able to keep a record of anyone poking around at your home or be able to give the police or insurance footage after an incident is unfortunate.
- The IP Pro app seems very amateur. It does its job, but the user interface is clunky and not as intuitive as it could be.
Conclusion
This system provides a very clear picture and is very easy to set up. Not having playback available without additional work and the subpar app might be frustrating for the tech savvy, but for most people, the real-time video feed is normally all you need.
Product Features
This wireless outdoor security camera system comes with 4 cameras, all of which need to be plugged into electrical outlets using 5-foot long power cords. The cameras will auto-pair with the included NVR once everything has been plugged in and the NVR has been physically connected to your router.
The cameras have a viewing angle of 62.2 degrees. They record in color at 720p, so there’s plenty of detail. They have night vision out to 65 feet. They cannot be moved remotely.
This wireless security camera system connects to the Camview Cloud app on your phone or tablet. This app is free and can be downloaded to your iPhone or Android. The video recordings will be saved and can be played back at a later date. You can store between 15-20 days on the 1TB NVR hard drive.
Pros
- The cameras on the CAMVIEW system come with a microphone outlet. They do not include the microphone, but any microphone with an RCA port can be connected to start the camera recording sound as well as video for complete home security coverage.
- This outdoor security system has a consistently easy setup. The Camview Cloud app makes the setup process a snap and it should start running as soon as everything is powered up. The cameras rarely take long to set up or configure.
- The NVR’s 1 TB hard drive is simply a massive amount of video storage. Being able to store 15-20 days’ worth of footage is incredible, especially if you live in an area where there are frequent home security problems.
Cons
- The 5-foot power cord is unusually short. It seriously limits where you can place these outdoor security cameras. 5 foot long cords will not get you very far in any directions, especially if you want to place the cameras on tall ceilings.
- The Camview Cloud app needs work. It has a very out-of-date user interface. It allows you to set up various alerts, but configuring them is surprisingly difficult. Real-time view and video playback can also have issues.
Conclusion
If you have a smaller home and want an outdoor wireless security camera system, the CAMVIEW can work very well. Its simple set up and massive storage space are very comforting. However, you’ll still have to have a bit of technology patience with the Camview Cloud app, as it can be very difficult.
Product Features
This security system comes with four cameras and a 1TB NVR. The cameras all connect to power outlets with a 10-foot power cord. The cameras will auto-pair after all cameras are powered on and the NVR is plugged into power and the router.
The cameras record at resolution of 960p with 65 feet of night vision. The picture is clear in day, night, and low light conditions. They cannot be moved remotely or record sound. You can view both the live video feed and recorded video playback via the Eseecloud and IP Pro app on your mobile device.
Pros
- Thanks to the 1TB hard drive, this outdoor wireless camera system records approximately 25 days’ worth of footage. When it gets full, it will start erasing the oldest footage to make more space.
- The NVR is very easy to set up and program. You can set it for On Motion, Time, or 24/7 Recording. The motion sensors are very accurate, making this mode actually reliable.
- This is an expandable system, so you can use it as a base to add more cameras at a later date.
Cons
- There is no picture if a computer or laptop isn’t directly connected to the NVR. You will need to download specialized software from smonetcctv.com. However, the system will connect to a monitor or TV directly via HDMI cable. This will only show the current feed.
Conclusion
This is an excellent outdoor security camera system. It’s easy to plug and play. Since it’s expandable you can use it across a larger property than many other wireless outdoor security camera systems.
Product Features
These wireless outdoor security cameras from Zmodo come in a set of 4 along with the system’s sleek NVR hard drive. Every camera needs to be plugged into a power outlet using a 6-foot cord. You can connect every camera to your already existing Wi-Fi network via the NVR. Just connect the NVR to your router with the included cable.
The cameras all have night vision out to 65 feet and a viewing angle of 81 degrees (viewing angle is the width of the camera’s view). They all have a resolution of 720p, which will give you plenty of detail for most circumstances both day and night. The cameras cannot be moved via the app and you will have to manual move them to make adjustments. They also do not record audio.
Pros
- The Zmodo app connection to this outdoor wireless security system will allow you to monitor the cameras no matter where you are. This app is available for Android 4.0 and up or iOS 7.0 and up. You can also view the video feed on multiple devices at the same time. The app allows for you to pause or playback parts of its recorded video. This app is also free.
- The NVR harddrive stores 7 continuous days of data. It will overwrite the oldest day once it fills up space. The reason it can store so much footage is that the system deliberately slows down the video framerate when nothing is moving, optimizing the amount of storage it uses. You can also turn this feature off, particularly if you live in front of a busy street or there are a lot of plants that move in the wind.
- This outdoor security camera system comes with a 3 Year Limited Warranty and lifetime tech support within the US.
Cons
- The setup for this camera system is slow and can be quite difficult. It may take some time for the NVR and cameras to connect to the Wi-Fi network properly. It might take days and a lot of frustration to get the system running, or it might be very easy to connect. You may have to tweak your router setting to make sure everything runs smoothly.
- Sometimes routers don’t like the Zmodo system very much and will identify it as a hacker trying to get into your Wi-Fi network.
- All the cameras have a default ceiling mount. You can flip them over to sit on a shelf or fence, but you’ll have to go into the device settings and invert the picture.
- While the cameras themselves can hold up in the weather, you may want to weather-proof electrical connections yourself. There are a variety of ways to do this, including placing weather boxes over the connections. It’s also worth noting that the placement of your outdoor security cameras will depend on their proximity to electrical outlets.
Conclusion
The Zmodo 8CH Wireless Security Camera System is a very good outdoor camera system for smaller property where there is easy access to electrical outlets. The ability to view video remotely on multiple devices makes it a good choice for households where more than one adult works outside the home. The picture and recording storage is great, though if you find dealing with tech frustrating, you may want to find wireless outdoor security cameras that have a record of being a lot easier to get working.
Choose the Best Wireless Security Camera System for Home Safety for You
There’s a lot of similarities and a lot of differences between the five outdoor wireless security camera systems we review above. Figure out what you want and need for your home’s security to decide what you need. Every home and area has different requirements. Knowing where you will place a wireless outdoor camera will help you decide on the best wireless outdoor security cameras.
Remember, one of the most important things that will make a wireless camera system for home security work well is your wireless network. Make sure the network is strong and fast enough to handle the security camera system before you start setting it up. Most security camera manufacturers have excellent customer service that can walk you through any confusion linking the wireless security cameras to your Wi-Fi network.
Do you have other kinds of wireless outdoor security cameras that help keep your home secure? Let us know about them!
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