Need wireless battery security cameras which don't require an ongoing subscription

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openmedia

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#322951 9-Oct-2025 13:48

My daughter needs a couple of cameras to monitor the front/side of her property, but her budget is limited and she can't really stretch to any of the usual ongoing subscription offerings like Arlo etc.

In theory I could setup a raspi or similar as a local sync node if they support NFS or SMB protocols, but ideally I want something simple. Personally I've been using some os the Xiaomi Outdoor cameras which allow recording to their local base-station, but they are no longer available locally.

Mounting locations mean these have to be wireless as there there is no reasonable, or cost effective, way to wire them in as she is in a rental.

It looks like Reolink and Eufy are about the best options - any recommendations.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

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#3423393 9-Oct-2025 13:54

My folks have 4x Eufy cameras and doorbell at theirs, they are more than happy with it.

sidefx

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#3423394 9-Oct-2025 13:55

Currently use Eufy Homebase2 with 3 external cameras, a doorbell and an indoor cam. Perfectly happy with all of them.

They took a lot of flack a while ago for not encrypting video streams or something, hopefully given the publicity at the time they've tightened that all up.

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sidefx

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#3423395 9-Oct-2025 13:56

sidefx:

Currently use Eufy Homebase2 with 3 external cameras, a doorbell and an indoor cam. Perfectly happy with all of them.

lxsw20:

My folks have 4x Eufy cameras and doorbell at theirs, they are more than happy with it.

Son, is that you? 🤣

"I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." | Octopus Energy | Sharesies
- Richard Feynman

openmedia

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#3423403 9-Oct-2025 14:20

lxsw20:

My folks have 4x Eufy cameras and doorbell at theirs, they are more than happy with it.

Her budget is tight so 4 cameras is out of the question. We're probably looking at a max of 2.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

sidefx

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#3423405 9-Oct-2025 14:29

supercheap has the 2 pack for decent price:

https://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/p/eufy-eufy-2c-wireless-1080p-security-camera-system-2-pack/589063.html

(Or wait for a sale and get them to beat it)

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freitasm

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#3423416 9-Oct-2025 14:47

I just sold a couple of Blink cameras this morning. They can record to a sync module on your network and very affordable.

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Handle9

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#3423513 9-Oct-2025 18:55

We have Eufy at our place and at Mums. They do what they say on the tin.

The ones at Mums got used to catch a grub who burgled her. The police were very impressed with the quality of the video.

More details here.

Shindig

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#3423514 9-Oct-2025 19:00

Reolink get my vote and will buy again.

Solar charging. Wifi.

The Argus Pro 3 is tops.

The little things make the biggest difference.

sarg

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#3423590 10-Oct-2025 06:53

Have three Reolink WiFi with solar charging cameras and free cloud storage for one camera. Recommend them.

that would be an ecumenical matter

Batman

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#3423592 10-Oct-2025 06:57

i use tapo

sidefx

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#3423597 10-Oct-2025 08:02

Batman:

i use tapo

I had one tapo indoor camera before getting the eufy's. Admittedly it was the cheapest of cheap ones (definitely can't argue with the prices of them!) but had a lot of trouble with it losing Wi-Fi connection, to the point where I permanently plugged it into smart plug so I could remotely hard restart it.

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Benoire

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#3423599 10-Oct-2025 08:13

I'm using Eufy with 2 indoor cams, 2 outdoor cams, C33 smart lock and the security pack as well - works fine for me and has done for 5 or 6 years now.

richrdh18

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#3423606 10-Oct-2025 09:09

Eufy for me. I got Eufy a few years ago after seeing some scumbag canvasing our street. No subscription required. Only records when activity is detected. Battery life is good, only need to charge every few months for the most active camera.

boosacnoodle

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#3423609 10-Oct-2025 09:14

I have tried most brands. My views are below:

Arlo - Very, very expensive yet can require subscriptions for even basic functionality. Even if you have good Wi-Fi, you still have to use their provided hub. This can limit performance big time.
Eufy - Cheaper than Arlo but still locked down software-wise (many models don't support RTSP/ONVIF) and they also try to upsell subscriptions.
Netatmo - Pretty expensive but mostly open software (HomeKit, HKSV & RTSP available) and no subscriptions whatsoever. Mentioned online is that the hardware has a notoriously high failure rate after a while and I experienced this myself, too. The hardware is also quite dated, in many cases doing just 1080p.
Ring - Cloud only, so can be very slow to both open the live stream and to record. This means it will also not work if your internet is down. But it is very easy to use for the phone-phobic individual.
Tapo - Versatile range of camera choices, all of which are very, very affordable. Optional subscription available but not required (AI models are stored locally on the device). Has actively made moves to make their software more compatible for local only use, including Home Assistant, RTSP and ONVIF support. Does not require a hub, but one can be optionally purchased if your Wi-Fi sucks. Has a bit of an ecosystem available for sensors and other stuff, too.

I've gradually replaced all of my cameras with Tapo over time and do not regret it one bit. I've got all of them setup through a hybrid of Home Assistant and Scrypted (for iOS / HomeKit Secure Video support) and do not have any subscription.

DjShadow

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#3423613 10-Oct-2025 09:43

Running Eufy Kit but wanting to get the 24/7 version, there is a lot of new stuff announced in the USA in the past months which I think will be here soon. If you go to PB Tech and untick the "hide out of stock" filter it lists all the new stuff so hoping it isn't far away.

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