
My standard welcome to the forum message.
Please read the 
IP Cam Talk Cliff Notes and other items in the 
IP Cam Talk Wiki. The 
wiki is in the blue bar at the top of the page.
Read  
How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!)   in the wiki also. 
Quick start
1) If you do not have a wired monitored alarm system, get that first
2) Use Dahua starlight cameras or Hikvision darkfighter cameras or ICPT Night eye cameras (
Store | IP Cam Talk) if you need good low light cameras.
3) use a VPN to access home network (openVPN)
4) Do not use wifi cameras.
5) Do not use cloud storage
6) Do Not use uPNP, P2P, QR, do not open ports, 
7) More megapixel is not necessarily better.
8) Avoid chinese hacked cameras (most ebay, amazon, aliexpress cameras(not all, but most)) 
9) Do not use reolink, ring, nest cameras (they are junk), no cloud cameras
10) If possible use a turret camera , bullet collect spiders, dome collect dirt and reflect light (IR)
11) Use only solid copper, AWG 23 or 24 ethernet wire. , no CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum)
12) use a test mount to verify the camera mount location. 
My test rig: rev.2
13) (Looney2ns)If you want to be able to ID faces, don't mount cams higher than 8ft. You want to know who did it, not just what happened.
14) Use a router that has openVPN built in (Most ASUS, Some NetGear....)
15) camera placement use the calculator... 
IPVM Camera Calculator V3
Cameras to look at
IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED  
Review IPC-T5442TM-AS-LED (Full Color, Starlight+)
IPC-T5442TM-AS      
Review-OEM 4mp AI Cam IPC-T5442TM-AS Starlight+    - 4MP starlight+
IPC-HDW2231R-ZS     
Review-Dahua IPC-HDW2231RP-ZS Starlight Camera-Varifocal
IPC-HDW2231T-ZS-S2  
Review-OEM IPC-T2231T-ZS 2mp Varifocal Starlight Camera
IPC-HDW5231R-ZE     
Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE
IPC-HFW4239T-ASE    
IPC-HFW4239T-ASE
IPCT-HDW5431RE-I    
Review - IP Cam Talk 4 MP IR Fixed Turret Network Camera
DS-2CD2325FWD-I 
IPC-T2347G-LU       
Review of the Hikvision OEM model IPC-T2347G-LU 'ColorVu' IP CCTV camera.    (DS-2CD2347G1-LU)
N22AL12             
New Dahua N22AL12 Budget Cam w/Starlight  -- low cost entry 
Other dahua 4MP starlight 
Dahua 4MP Starlight Lineup
My preferred indoor cameras 
DS-2CD2442FWD-IW
IPC-K35A            
Review-Dahua IPC-K35A 3mp Cube Camera
If interested in 
Blue Iris and other setup items see the following post
	
	
		
			
			
				
				This is an intermediate / newbie guide for people just starting out looking for a surveillance setup.  I know this setup might not be for everyone and there are many options. You can find a lot of this information in the Wiki: IP Cam Talk Wiki | IP Cam Talk  A great place to start in the Wiki...
				
					
						
							 
						
					
					ipcamtalk.com
				
 
			 
		 
	 
Read,study,plan before spending money ..... plan plan plan 
Test do not guess