Top 10 best Home Surveillance Systems 2022 Passed Our Test

I’ll leave my previous 4-star review below, but I’m highly upset that not too long after receiving my NVR and camera kit, a newer version of this same NVR was released at the same price and Reolink stopped supporting the old NVR hardware. I know this as I referred friends and family to this setup and they received the updated NVR. Updates are no longer included on mine, compatibility with newer released cameras are not supported, and with that added future features are no longer included. I now am forced to upgrade at full cost, my entire system if I want to be included in purchasing new cameras with better clarity, color nightvision, advanced motion detection, or even keep up with security updates. Such a shame that if I would have just waited a couple of months, I would have gotten the updated NVR that allows all this for the same price. It’s a money grab that turns away their dedicated customer base in my opinion. I have no longer recommended Reolink to friends, neighbors or family due to this. I have found another manufacturer that seems to support their products better that I myself will be switching to when I upgrade.PREVIOUS REVIEW:First I’d like to state that I’m not new to surveillance systems. I have had one installed since 2014 personally and installed many others for friends and family. Having that I’d paid $1,200 for my previous system and replacing it with one now in 2020 with more features at a fraction of that price point deserves a star in itself. With all the different brands and models I’ve gotten to tinker with over the years it has provided a good position for comparison. The Reolink system has a lot to offer but also has some room for improvement as well. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed across the variety of surveillance systems I’ve had the opportunity to set up it’s the broken software and lack of updates. Many systems are shipped with outdated, clunky and buggy firmware. My high-end name-brand system from 2014 never had an update available from the manufacturer and was discontinued and unsupported a few years after release. So for me it was a big deal to set my sights on a company that was focused on their product and did not offer umpteen different versions of an NVR to where it was too overwhelming for their developers to patch any issues. Reolink only sells a couple of different NVR’s, and many of their cameras are compatible with it..even their PTZ RLC423 and wireless RLC511W. Mobile viewing was a must as was viewing with a PC client. So when researching, I found Reolink to be the best value for the money and I still stand by that. I added the RLC511W to my setup along with an additional RLC511 for a total of 6 cameras as seen in my screenshots.In the box :Everything you need is included. Some instructions, 4 Cameras, 4 POE 59ft Cat5 cables, the NVR, a wired mouse, and power adapter. The window stickers, mounting template, Cat5 weather seals (while not useable unless you plan to cut your Cat-5 wiring and re-crimp) and hardware are a nice touch.Installation:Setup really is a breeze with this system. I’d recommend first setting this up on a dining room table or workbench to connect everything and get familiar with the setup. After you have everything how you want it you can run your wires and flip it on and be ready to go. This will also give you the opportunity to make sure everything is functional out of the box in case you need to return or replace anything. Getting yourself set up on the phone app at this point is also a good idea.Although I already had Cat5 cables ran from my old system I decided to run the new cables provided in my Reolink kit. Using electrical tape I attached an end of the old wire to the new one and pulled it through. For a new install I recommend drilling your holes for your cabling and electrical tape the Cat5 cable to a fiberglass wire running rod kit if installing in a hard to reach area. These fiberglass wire running kits can be had for under $10 and are well worth it. Once you’ve drilled your holes and ran your data wires mount your camera bases and twist-lock the cameras to them. Plug everything up to the NVR and switch it on. I used the phone app to log into the cameras and make my adjustments from my ladder. I have the NVR providing output to both my big screen TV via HDMI and a 23″ TV next to it via VGA output. The wired mouse is cheap but works. I have found that all of my name-brand wireless mice do not work with this NVR, but did find a cheap 2.4gz wireless mouse that works well. Once in a great while I have to unplug the reciever from the USB port and plug it back in for it to work again.Software:Overall the NVR software is functional and provides you with the capability to live view and playback as needed. The NVR, Client, and Phone app all have 1-way audio capability as well. As stated in the beginning of my review, the software is not without some needs for improvement. I’ll break those down below:Playback on the PC client is slow to react and you can’t slide the time mark easily. Selecting 2x 4x 8x etc playback speeds removes the video picture and reloads. A 64x playback speed option would be very helpful as 32x is time consuming and trying to move the time mark around will almost put you into a epileptic seizure. Exporting clips to video is pretty easy and a feature I like, it’s just navigating around the playback to find it that’s challenging. Navigating on the NVR directly with the mouse or via the phone app is much easier and quicker.NVR virtual keyboard is tiny. Get out your readers! Even on an 86″ TV via HDMI the virtual keyboard is so small and hard to read I have to sit closer. The blue keys with white lettering are also very hard to make out from any distance.Motion detection to full screen live viewing is not available on this unit. Many of the systems I’ve installed and my old one from 2014 had this feature and we miss it dearly. Whenever anyone triggered a motion alert, our monitor would open that channel full-screen so we could see what is going on. It was also helpful as this transition would get our attention, so now if someone walks up to our home we do not notice it on a static screen that is always on a 4-channel split layout. If we were to use a layout with all 6 of our used channels we’d definitely miss things as everything would be too tiny to stand out. PLEASE make this an option in a future update Reolink!Privacy Masks are limited. You can only place 4 per camera and with wide-angle lenses nothing is really straight. As you can see in some of my pictures, I’ve had to put blocky masks on certain areas that are white because the nightvision IR is so intense that the light bounces off and creates a bright glare. It would be nice to be able to draw around items with the privacy masks or at least have unlimited reign.The phone app is phenomenal and easy to use. The motion alerts are quick and can be fine tuned to where you want motion activation, and sensitivity can be adjusted along with a time schedule as well. Matter of fact I find myself just using the phone app for most things versus messing with the PC client or even the NVR itself. Well done on this Reolink!Video & Audio quality:This is where the system shines with only a few small drawbacks. The 5MP quality is just great! You can opt for 3 different quality feeds from your mobile app or PC client to save on data. Things are pretty clear and sharp for the most part but the camera sensors aren’t the best under certain lighting conditions. The dynamic range seems to choke a bit on my front door channel. As you can see with the pictures of my mailman, colors are just fine in the daylight, but all shadows turn a dark green when he is in the shaded area. My front porch is where I really want the best definition so it’s a shame that the camera does this. We can blame it on my lighting conditions but my old camera system did not have this issue. I’ve included pictures of the nightvision, and it is astonishing! My old system couldn’t hold a candle to the nightvision quality of the Reolink. The IR on the cameras goes out much further, and the dynamic range at night is just unbelievable. If you’re needing to digitally zoom at night however, that quality quickly diminishes and receives a LOT of noise. In my setup whether day or night you are not going to be able to read a license plate (unless they are backed into my driveway with the camera facing the plate head-on perhaps) . Audio on all cameras is very good. I can hear people’s conversations as they walk down the sidewalk. Unfortunately with that you’ll also pick up wind noise as well from time to time.Support:I was not receiving push notifications to my phone for motion alerts. Reolink’s tech support was friendly and patient. Although emailing back and forth every 24 hours is a little slow, it worked out and they resolved the issue. I had my system designated to a static IP and for whatever reason it wouldn’t allow push notifications unless under DHCP mode. It’s great to have a company stand by their brand and provide support.Conclusion:This Reolink system provides a cost-effective and reliable surveillance solution for home and business. Clear audio and video of an event could provide priceless evidence in an unfortunate situation. I believe that Reolink is here to stay and have made a name for themselves in home security systems. The quality, features, price, and support all make this a most bang-for-your-buck system. I have recommended this system to others, and will continue to do so as I see fit.

This review applies to Firstrend Wireless NVR Kit Model # FTUS-W843M1TA-XM, which includes a wireless NVR unit, (4) 3MP wireless bullet cameras (resolution: 2288×1288), 5 power cables, a mini mouse, drill templates, a short ethernet cable and a user manual. This was my first purchase with a CCTV solution and it was an easy learning curve. Unboxing was straight forward, no issues there. The NVR itself is housed in a metal chassis with a 1 TB hard drive, the outer ports are (1) VGA, (1) HDMI port, (1) Ethernet port, (2) USB ports, (1) power port, and 2 wifi antennas. The unit does not come with an HDMI or VGA cable, so you must supply yourself if you want to setup the unit through the onboard setup. Once you connect the unit to power, and you can see a picture on the TV/monitor, the NVR will run through a setup wizard that is self explanatory. You cannot type in this interface, or hook up a keyboard, but the on screen menu will let you use a virtual keyboard where you can click the letters to setup a password for the system.The cameras come pre configured and paired from the factory. All you need to do is supply power. If for some reason your camera isn’t paired, you can run through the menus and pair them by using the supplied ethernet cable. Each camera comes with an antenna, an adjustable ball socket that will clamp down, a mounting bracket with (3) screw holes, and a pair of wires that hold an ethernet jack and a power dongle. Placing them is relatively easy, and there are packs of drywall mounting screws if you need that.I tested this system for 30 days.What I liked:Easy setup: I was able to get it running in about 20 minutes, unboxing to NVR setup.Wireless connection is very strong. It runs the cameras on its own wireless network using an MKK protocol by default.Silent: the unit isn’t noisy at all.Interface: the onboard interface can be clunky, but once you’ve been in the menus, everything is just a right click away.Storage: the entire 30 days I was recording, I managed to fill up about 600GB of the 1 TB storage. This is 24/7 footage with motion alert clips.Backup: you can backup your clips to an external storage. My 5 TB drive wasn’t recognized, but a 2TB drive worked just fine.Voice: each clip was also accompanied with audio.Playback: I could see all of my clips through the interface by using a quick search.Support: their technical support is top notch. They will usually respond to emails in a day or so, and their phone tech support is amazing.RTSP support: it is not explicitly mentioned anywhere, but after trying varying combinations of rtp:// urls I was able to get a feed from the different cameras to stream to YouTube or Twitch. For those interested it is rtsp://[username]:[password]@[ipaddress]:[port]/channel=%5Bcamera number]&stream=[0 or 1].sdp?Remote login: You can setup your router to port forward 3 different ports to login and view the clips or live feed.Phone app: XMEye Pro is what is recommended for this NVR. It connected flawlessly and I was able to manage the cameras and NVR easily.What I disliked:Power setup: each camera needs to be individually plugged in. Be prepared to use extension cords.Backup: to backup your clips, you must use the onboard software or the VMS software. You can only backup 1024 records or files at a time, and each backup of 1024 records takes on average about an hour. I had about 14,000 records. Customer service said they would fix this in a future update.Backup format: you can choose between three different formats to backup in: .h264, .avi, .mp4. The .h264 standard this NVR system uses is a proprietary version, so if you want to somehow view them on your computer, they won’t play unless you use the included video codec executable the backup software writes to the backup directory. If you want avi and mp4 backups, be prepared for clips that are sped up too fast. I think it has something to do with the conversion trying to force a 30fps framerate on a 6-7 (average) fps clip. Also, sometimes the mp4/avi clips will drop entire chunks of video (20 seconds at a time).Windows software: You can also control this NVR through a windows application that is not included with the package nor available on their website. You need to contact customer service to get it. Once you have it, the interface is intuitive, and you can reach most settings for the NVR. The camera live feed is nice, but if you click on another tab of the program, it will sometimes bug out and not be able to load the feed. Restarting the software fixes this.Hard drive: As mentioned before, you need to use the software to get your clips. If you physically take the hard drive out to backup your clips, the drive is not recognized in any OS – Linux and Windows (didn’t have a Mac). This is for security reasons I’m sure, but it’s annoying when I just want to copy the raw data.Wireless positioning: The wireless signal is strong, but you will need to find a place somewhere in the middle of your cameras if you want the sweet spot without having to piggyback one camera off another. The piggyback solution uses one of your cameras as a repeater of sorts to connect a far away camera to a camera that’s closer to your NVR. I tried doing this to one of my cameras, and it fixed that cameras connection, but left the repeating camera’s connection slower.Inconsistent clips: The cameras come with a resolution of 2288×1288 max, but sometimes they will record in 1280×720, 1920×1080 and the framerate will vary wildly from as low as 4 fps to 25fps. I know this cuts down on size, but it’s annoying when I want to use the clip elsewhere.

I promised to rate and review this product which I purchased by ratings and review, the system went defective 1 month prior to purchase of 1 year warranty so I contacted customer / tech support which I must say were VERY supportive and helpfull thru Email and text to diagnose the issues to resolve the problem, I was requested to send the unit back to be tested( diagnosed) at thier facility. I was amazed and surprized when they sent me a email stating they where replacing the intire unit free of charge ! System is working fine the only draw back is needing a more detailed instruction manual for non savy tech people , I would recommend this product for price ,quality and customer support

This product was a great deal! We got an excellent price on it, and it arrived early. It was well packaged and everything was secure with boxes and boxes of cameras, hard-drive and wiring. Install was super easy, since we were replacing our old system. Took my husband approx 1hr and 30 mins to get all the old cameras down (4) and new cameras (5/8) installed. We were able to use the old wires to pull new wiring through. Setup was also super easy, as we have not run this through our wifi. When we go through that process, I will try to update the review with information regarding setup and app installation.Picture quality is great day and night, but the night vision is fairly limited depending on light. The scope of details for the cameras are bright to dim where there is little to no light, covering an estimated 10’W by 30’D area. In well lit areas the distance is much greater with clear picture for up to 150′ or more. That is the one negative and would be the one area needing improvement, or there may be another system that offers further coverage at night.The 2T hard-drive is big but not bulky. The system we replaced was only 1T and was about 4 in more narrow from front to back.We chose this system because of the ability to hook 8 cameras up. It also has the capabilities to mix and match so we can use wireless cameras if wanted as well. Since we were going from wired to wired, with the exception of one, we chose to keep the wired cameras instead of buying all new wireless. When we get the 3 wireless I will update the review with that info if able.Setting up the system was as easy as following the prompts. Password protected or not, it is up to you. We chose to go with a wireless mouse of our own rather than use the corded mouse that is included, and it works fine like that.Easy to configure cameras and set them up. The one area that we don’t like is viewing options. You can set them up with all 8 on the screen but not just 5, so we have 3 black screens where those are not connected. 1 is displayed larger than the other 7, that are all smaller around 2 sides of the 1 larger. You can also display them 1 at a time that flips from 1 to the next, and if motion occurs it will jump back to the screen and hold there for designated time. There are other options as well if you decide to do the wifi and internet option- you can set alerts to shoot an email and even contact the monitoring app for remote viewing of every alert if necessary. The motion sensitivity can be set to certain areas in a grid or for entire screen and you can have it sensitive enough to alert when a leaf falls 20 yards away during the day or less sensitivity so that it doesn’t trigger further than 5ft away. The whole program is really easy to maneuver and the possibilities are endless with this system.Hopefully this review helps. I definitely recommend this product if you want good quality, excellent picture and an easy install, all for a very competitive price.

I spent so much time researching different security camera systems. With such a wide range of prices, features etc. it’s hard to decide which one is the right one. After a while, they all start to look the same. The bottom line is, purchase the one you can afford, and the one you can’t afford NOT to have. Having a security camera system makes me feel safer knowing I can check on my property anytime, 24/7.This ANNKE 5MP Lite Wired Security Camera System is a decent system. Is it a top-of-the-line, high-end system? No. But, it is a basic system that offers a decent picture and a fairly easy set up. I didn’t want to spend a fortune on a system, knowing that after a few years, I would have issues, and or, have to replace the whole system. From reading all of the different reviews on various systems, it sounds like all of these only last a few years before having to replace them and I anticipate the same thing with this one, but we’ll wait and see. I’m actually hoping it lasts many years.I am using this system to replace an older system and I was hoping the cameras would be compatible with the old wires so I wouldn’t have to run all new wiring, but I think each manufacturer makes it so that all of their equipment isn’t used with any others. The hardest part of any hard wired system is running all the wires to the various locations, through walls, through attics, under eaves. It is a very time consuming process, especially if you want a clean installation without a lot of visible wires. Luckily for me, since I was replacing an existing system, I was able to attach the new wires to the old ones and pull them through to the new hard drive.After downloading the software for my computer (I use a Mac), I did have a little struggle getting the cameras to show up but after a phone call with Annke tech support, I was able to get it up and running so I could see the cameras. The phone app was even easier and I was able to see the cameras right away. It’s important to write down all of the settings, passwords, etc. because if everything doesn’t match, it won’t connect.It’s only been about a week, and so far, so good. As time goes by, and if I run into any issues, I will definitely update my review.

Likes – Color picture in daylight is wonderful.-Night Vision is good, clear, bright, even better with ambient light.- Cameras are rugged and perform well in all conditions.DISLIKES – CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HIT OR MISS AT BEST!- UNREACHABLE ON WEEKENDS.- LANGUAGE BARRIERS ABOUND ! ( unless you speak Chinese)- Warrenties are some what misleading.Buyer beware!Not sure I would recommend or buy again.-Barely 1 yr old and have lost 2 channels !- Company Logo spends a lot of time on the monitor/w blank screens Customer service was no help at all.**** Will update review after dealing with CUSTOMER SERVICE.UPDATE** Customer service reached out and has graciously offered to solve my issues completely. They are very kind in doing so.

The media could not be loaded.  Where to start. This tech is outdated, picture quality is acceptable for 2008. Cameras cut out randomly daily and needs to be rebooted I retuned the first set in hopes it was a lemon unit but this is just a waste of money. I have the best possible internet and yet its constant leg in the images. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY.Wouldn’t recommend this to anyone unless you like wasting money.

This security system is one of those that does not deliver what it promises. The video quality is bad. Before this system I have installed and run a more cheap security system that the annke system. I used this system for two years when two of the cameras stopped working and the company don’t offer replacement (you got for what you pay and it was very cheap) . So I went with this company and I’m not satisfied with the result. My old system was 4 megapixels and the quality of the video was much better than this system that supposedly it is a 5 megapixel. Maybe you pay because it will last but don’t buy this system if you are looking for video quality.

The media could not be loaded.  These seem like pretty good looking security cameras.Can’t talk much about picture quality, but the cameras themselves seem nice. I like the design and think they look like what you’d see in a commercial setting.If you’re not sure how to install, call a professional like an electrician or security installation company.They seem pretty good looking and I like the design

This is the second time I have bought Swann camera’s. I absolutely love them easy to install.

Works very well, easy to set up, cameras have very good resolution and night capabilities. Tech support was/is surprisingly responsive both email and direct phone customer support (call in the early morning) The chat though was not good, with numerous tries I could not get past the Bot. The only reason I give 4 instead of 5 stars is there is no ability to have motion trigger any kind of alarm. there are settings in the OS but I guess that’s a future upgrade. You can set up and I have, connecting a small amplifier and speaker and one can speak through the mobile app, slight delay but works well and easy to turn on in the event you want to talk with someone who has triggered a event.

Love the zoom feature

After several months of use the night vision started going bad. It got to the point that I had totally black screens at night, totally useless. I contacted tech support and was connected to a man named Jar who went to work on the issue. It took several nights of exhaustive troubleshooting to determine the exact malfunction, but Jar came through with the answers. He arranged for me to return the defective items and promptly shipped the replacements to me. I have received and installed the new items and I am happy to report that the system is back up and looks even better than it did when it was new.I want to commend Jar for his hard work and his courteous friendly service. I believe he should get a bonus and a raise for being something that is rare in customer care these days.

I love these cameras. The setup is really easy to follow and the app is easy to navigate. I love all of the features, especially being able to select a specific area for motion detection. They are so easy to use, I will definitely be buying more for the rest of the house.

At 15.99 Amazon was almost passing these out for free. This is a Zozi Camera but I do not have a Zosi security system. My security system is an old THD series Night Owl system and I had a few available inputs left to add additional cameras to my system. I bought this to see if it would work. My Night Owl accepts TVI video and the camera has TVI video as one of four video output choices so I figured It would work and I was right. It does and it works well. I bought a Zosi cable for it and the BNC video connectors fit perfectly well with my system inputs. The power plugs fit and worked exactly as they should also. Since the security system itself provides many of the features like record on motion, continuous record, establishing private zones, and playback functions it should be a pretty good fit with other some systems. I haven’t installed it outside yet so I can’t comment on that but the picture is pretty good.

Bought 2 sets of Hiseeu 4K PoE Security Camera System,8CH 8MP NVR with 4Pcs 5MP IP Security Camera for Outdoor, Face/Motion Detect, Waterproof,1TB Hard Drive,H.265+ Home Surveillance Kit. Installed in my home and a rental building. The installation and setup is easy. Works well without any issue. The customer service is fast, friendly, and helpful. Price is affordable and quality is excellent. I would highly recommend to everyone.

These cameras were much easier to install than i thought they would be, there is a bit of frustration involved with getting the cameras facing where you want, mostly because it involved loosening the screws on the base and rotating the camera pieces individually… I can NOT STRESS ENOUGH… do not FULLY LOOSEN the screws because they are VERY FRUSTRATING to get to go back in, just a turn or 2 will be good enough to pick up the locking cogs and turn them the direction you want. They have to be wired in, so if you plan to put the DVR a fair distance from where you place your camera, it would be smart to buy the longer BNC/Power cable cords along with the cameras. So far i’ve not had a problem with the 60ft length I have used because I have a rather small house.To install you simply:1) Drill a hole where you can place the cords through the wall (if applicable). If you are running these all indoors, this does not apply as you can just run the cords along the ceiling and do not need to go through a wall.2) Push the wires through and route them along the ceiling.. attic.. wherever you want them till you get to your DVR. (There will be a red power cable, and a blue BNC cable for each camera)3) Part of the kit will be 2 power blocks/cords and an ethernet cord. 1 of the power cords is for the DVR. and 1 of them will be used to put power on the cable splitter included that will be used for your cameras to plug into and receive power (this will be the red ended cables) . In other words.. where you put your DVR, make sure there are 2 power outlet spots available, and you are able to plug into an ethernet port (or you can buy a USB wifi adapter if you do not wish to run ethernet through the house. This is because this specific unit DOES NOT COME WITH BUILT IN WIFI.)4) Once you have run the cords for the cameras to the spot where your DVR is, plug the BNC (blue ended cable) into the slots on the back of the DVR (labeled 1-8), for whatever camera you want to show up as whatever number on the DVR display once you get the DVR up and running.5) The next part will be easy, this is just setting up your DVR. The basics are to have a monitor of some sort (able to use HDMI as the back of the DVR has an HDMI slot), and a mouse (the kit comes with a mouse). Once you get the monitor up, there will be an initial setup screen and will ask you for a login.. the username is “admin” and the password is blank.6) To set up and test your internet connection, you will click “settings” and on the right will be “network”there will be a box to select “get IP address automatically”, be sure to select that.at the bottom you will see the option to hit “apply” and “test”. Once you hit “test” a quick message will display at the bottom saying “ok” which means.. your connection is good, or will just say “unable to establish connection” which will most likely take a little troubleshooting.7) Wifi option.. since this unit does not have BUILT-IN wifi.. you will need to buy a USB WIFI adapter in order to use this function. You will go through the same steps by clicking “Settings” and “Network” but on the tabs, you just select Wifi and search for your network.I struggled through this a bit at first so I figured I would give a bit of a breakdown review so others dont run into the problem of not being prepared.