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.
1. SMONET Full HD 8CH 1080P Video Security System
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.
2. Zmodo 8CH Wireless Security Camera System
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!