Seeking to migrate from Lorex NVR to SecuritySpy

wi_pedaler

I have a Lorex NVR, Model LNR416S-N, with nine wired IP cameras. (2K IP Security Camera System with 16 Channel NVR and 8 HD IP Outdoor 5MP Cameras, 135FT Night Vision)

Given (a) the poor quality of the NVR operating system, (b) unreliable motion triggering and notifications, and (c) privacy concerns after FLIR sold Lorex to Dahua, I would prefer to have better features and more control over our cameras.

Initial thoughts are to put the IP cameras onto our home network and run them with SecuritySpy.
Has anyone migrated from a NVR "package" to a DIY configuration like that?

Key steps, I think:
- connect 9 wired IP cameras to a POE switch, which is connected to home network.
[Can I use the NVR's built in POE in a "pass thru" mode...]
- dedicate a Mac to run SecuritySpy; seems like system requirements calculator recommends only newer Macs.
[Will a MacMini 3,1 (late 2009) work?]
- buy, install, and configure SecuritySpy, and the iOS and tvOS apps

Thank you for any suggestions, good practices!

guykuo

I would plan on totally removing the NVR. It adds an unknown element to your SS network. Go with a POE+ switch.

Here are some smart switches that work reliably for me. Ability to remote power cycle (a camera) even once makes the slight cost over a dumb POE switch worthwhile. I would go ahead with POE+ switches rather than POE because you may wish to add power hungry PTZ's later.

Edimax GS-5008PL 8-Port Gigabit PoE+ Web Smart Managed Switch 150W (very quiet switch with POE+ power)
$120 at Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F14WZBQ

TP-Link 16-Port Gigabit PoE+ Easy Smart Managed Switch with 110W 8-PoE Ports (more total ports, but rather noisy fan)
$135 at Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0721V1TGV

D-Link PoE Switch, 8 Port Smart Managed Gigabit Ethernet Layer 2 VLAN Control (DGS-1100-08P) - (compact, quiet, but only regular POE. Not for PTZ's)
$104 at Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMXROIO

Your biggest question is determining whether your existing Lorex cameras are compatible with SecuritySpy. Some of the Lorex are stripped down Dahua cameras. Most likely they will work, but I would test before buying a new SS Mac.

Ttemporarily disconnect one camera, connect it to a POE switch and attempt to connect to it with SS. You can run SS as a demo to do the test. Problem is determining the IP address of the camera. It may be getting assigned via DHCP and in that case you also need a router upstream of your test SSMac and POE switch to assign addresses.

SecuritySpy is reliable and flexible. I heartily recommend it, but it is not simple plug and play to set up a system. I originally ran on an iMac, but ended up going to a Mac Pro 6,1 (upgraded recently to 12 cores) for tons more CPU headroom. The new iMacs and Mac Mini's are more powerful, low cost alternatives than available when we originally set up our system. Even with the cost, it is totally worth having total control.

Also, you may wish to think about securing your camera network from phoning home and outside hack attacks. https://ipcamtalk.com/threads/ubiquity-edgerouter-x-configuring-to-isolate-surveillance-networks.45038/

Ben

This is good advice from @guykuo - I would just add a couple of things:

- Yes, some NVR-bundled cameras do not have the full set of features that allow them to work with third-party software such as SecuritySpy, and we have specifically seen this with Lorex cameras that aren't ONVIF-compatible, so you will want to test a camera first. Plug the camera directly into your network and see if it can be found with our Network Device Finder utility.

- Our System Requirements Calculator can show you older Macs too - simply check the "Include legacy Macs in results" box.