what is needed to interface with iOS or Android "doorbell cameras" on ubuntu?

[David Fletcher]

On Sun, 2023-01-15 at 20:55 +0000, ubuntu at howorth.org.uk wrote:
> dave at thefletchers.net wrote:
> > I fitted a Reolink PoE camera to the front of my house up above my
> > porch about 18 months or so ago. I use the motion package from the
> > repos on my server to get recordings of things that are moving.
> 
> I have a few Reolink PoE cameras too and they seem to work well.

Indeed. Mine worked fine through the 35℃ heat last summer with the sun
beating down on it, then through the rain snow and cold.

The silly thing they have done is have the Ethernet, DC in and reset
button all on the same length bits of cable so to get it all through
the thin walled length of 22mm steel pipe that I used to get the cable
through the wall behind the centre of the camera base I had to tape the
DC socket and reset button back towards the camera. You'll see what I
mean if you have one.


> The cameras I have have built-in motion detection and that seems to
> work well and wasn't too much hassle to set up. I thought about using
> motion (I have a system elsewhere) but in the end bought a Reolink
> NVR instead. That works and can FTP the video clips to a backup
> system automatically.

I've set mine up with a mask file to stop motion reacting to a tree
moving in the wind etc., and I have motion putting in the date and time
stamp itself. It's running on the very low power system I use for my
email server so I doubt it would cope with multiple cameras.

The problem I had with the IR lights on the camera was a strand of
spider silk right across the lens that then got dew drops on it and
triggered recording all night long as it moved in the breeze. A
separate IR lamp on my dusk-dawn switch would be good if I could find a
suitable one.