Question about a camera setup in apartment

[onebullet]

Hello ️
i just jump right to the problem:
We live in an apartment building with multiple households, and we want to install cameras to monitor the entrance and the basement areas , all inside the building, in the shared hallways.
All residents and the landlord are okay with having cameras and temporarily storing the footage locally.

One issue: the ceilings are very low, so anyone could easily reach up and grab or damage the cameras. That’s why I don’t want the footage to be stored on an SD card inside the cameras themselves. I’d prefer an external storage option , something safer, like a hub or base station that stores the video separately.

I’ve been looking into budget solutions, and here’s what I had in mind:
We place cameras in the hallways and basement, and they all connect wirelessly to a hub, which is stored in one of the apartments (as long as it's within range of the cameras).
The hub is then connected to a small standalone router, so no one needs to share access to their private internet (i want every household to be able to look at the camera footage).

I’ve read that some systems — like Eufy, for example — require an internet connection to access the footage or to verify users.
But what I actually want is a setup where each resident can access the footage stored on the hub — ideally by connecting to the hub locally (e.g., with their smartphones) over the mini router’s Wi-Fi, without needing internet.

I also came across i.e. Tapo C420 camera, which seems to offer decent image quality for the price. However, I read in a forum that the range is not very good, especially when there are walls between the camera and the hub — which could be a problem in a multi-floor building like ours.

My question:
Is this kind of setup possible in a budget version?
Can the hub and cameras work without a constant internet connection, and still let multiple residents connect locally to view the stored footage?

Also:
Is this kind of setup suitable, or are there easier and more straightforward solutions?
I know there are standalone systems that might handle this better, but they tend to be more expensive — and we're trying to stay within a reasonable budget.

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[TonyR]

Wi-Fi cameras are not known for reliability, a requirement of any good surveillance system.
Since even Wi-Fi cameras require a cord for power, why not run CAT-5e cable for POE which supplies power AND reliable video stream to/from the IP camera.
The "hub" you mention could be a NVR (Network Video Recorder) and all the IP cameras are homerun to it via the CAT-5e cable and stream their audio and video to be recorded on a hard drive in the NVR.
Is it really necessary to give tenants access to the NVR? I don't think that's a good idea and it complicates an otherwise simple solutions but that's just my opinion.

 

[onebullet]

Thanks for the quick reply.
This is a typical apartment building in Germany, and the landlord doesn’t live in the building. Recently, there have been a few break-ins in the neighborhood, which is why the residents decided to install some surveillance cameras inside — mainly to monitor the shared areas.
As I mentioned earlier, all the residents agreed, and the landlord is also okay with it. However, the landlord made it clear that they won’t take care of the installation or setup. They told us that if we want cameras, we have to buy and install everything ourselves.
So, there’s no central landlord or building management who would host the hub. That’s why I’m trying to find a fair solution where every resident can access the footage, and it’s not limited to the apartment that happens to store the hub. We also don’t have any power outlets in the stairwells or hallways, which is why I thought it made sense for someone to keep the hub inside their flat.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a hub — I’ve just come across that option a lot during my research. A mini router with external storage would also be fine. But almost all the solutions I’ve found so far rely on a hub setup, which is why I’ve focused on that for now.
I was also thinking of a wireless setup, because I’m quite sure we’re not allowed to run cables through the stairwells or common areas, and we probably can’t drill into walls or install cable ducts either.

 

[Chokolinho]

Thanks for the quick reply.
This is a typical apartment building in Germany, and the landlord doesn’t live in the building. Recently, there have been a few break-ins in the neighborhood, which is why the residents decided to install some surveillance cameras inside — mainly to monitor the shared areas.
As I mentioned earlier, all the residents agreed, and the landlord is also okay with it. However, the landlord made it clear that they won’t take care of the installation or setup. They told us that if we want cameras, we have to buy and install everything ourselves.
So, there’s no central landlord or building management who would host the hub. That’s why I’m trying to find a fair solution where every resident can access the footage, and it’s not limited to the apartment that happens to store the hub. We also don’t have any power outlets in the stairwells or hallways, which is why I thought it made sense for someone to keep the hub inside their flat.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a hub — I’ve just come across that option a lot during my research. A mini router with external storage would also be fine. But almost all the solutions I’ve found so far rely on a hub setup, which is why I’ve focused on that for now.
I was also thinking of a wireless setup, because I’m quite sure we’re not allowed to run cables through the stairwells or common areas, and we probably can’t drill into walls or install cable ducts either.

You'd better buy something good. You want to provide the police with useful material, don't you?

 

[Palladini]

Like what has already been said, wireless cameras are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. An NVR is a good choice, and IP cameras are the best choice. You can buy an NVR on Amazon for about $100 CDN, but then you need to purchase a Hard Drive to put in it. Also on Amazon, you can buy 4K IP cameras for 89 Dollars CDN
I have no idea what the walls of your apartment building are made of, but you could run the cables to the cameras in 1/2-inch plastic tubing to protect them.
The Image below shows what a 4K camera system looks like

 

[TonyR]

You can buy an NVR on Amazon for about $100 CDN, but then you need to purchase a Hard Drive to put in it. Also on Amazon, you can buy 4K IP cameras for 89 Dollars CDN

What is stated above may be factual but a 4K (8MP) camera will ideally need at least a 1/1.2" sensor to provide a decent picture at night or under reduced lighting when there is any motion.
And I can guarantee it will be a LOT more than $89CDN/ $64USD.

The Image below shows what a 4K camera system looks like

Again...in daylight and no apparent motion many cameras may provide a comparable image to the posted one. Maybe an actual snapshot from the camera or NVR and not a smartphone image of the monitor screen would look even better.

 

[TonyR]

The twelve 4K cams you have for sale in another thread...as also asked by @mat200 , why are you selling them?

 

[Palladini]

What is stated above may be factual but a 4K (8MP) camera will ideally need at least a 1/1.2" sensor to provide a decent picture at night or under reduced lighting when there is any motion.
And I can guarantee it will be a LOT more than $89CDN/ $64USD.

Again...in daylight and no apparent motion many cameras may provide a comparable image to the posted one. Maybe an actual snapshot from the camera or NVR and not a smartphone image of the monitor screen would look even better.

I run Linux Mint, and my NVR cannot take snapshots of the TV. If I had Windows installed, which I have had on any hard drive, since they stopped supporting Windows 7. I will post again with another image after it gets dark here in a couple of hours to show what they look like at night

 

[TonyR]

I run Linux Mint, and my NVR cannot take snapshots of the TV. If I had Windows installed, which I have had on any hard drive, since they stopped supporting Windows 7. I will post again with another image after it gets dark here in a couple of hours to show what they look like at night

Can't Linux Mint can perform a "print screen" using the "Print Screen" key or the "ALT + Print Screen" keys and then caould be pasted into a image viewer / media player?

 

[Holbs]

For those in the future timeline researching apartment camera systems, I'll give my opinion:

9ft ceiling are standard height for drop ceilings and hard ceilings in regard to hallways. Could get lucky and get 10' or higher but building standard is usually 9'.
Any camera you have to put in these environments will always be at risk of someone taking a swipe, busting with hammer, or kids throwing balls at them. Unavoidable, no way around it.
I wouldn't go for plastic domes as easy to break (they are plastic, after all) and collect dust like socks on the carpet. Go for turrets that have metal encasements and the lens is set back a hair from the surrounding encapsulation metal material.
For entry/exit doors, these cameras have to be better than standard because of sitting in a dark hallway facing out into the bright outdoors.
You will have to run Cat5e at the minimum for network & POE. Unavoidable, no way around it. If it is drop ceiling, not a problem. If hard ceiling, I hope you have DIY skills. Else, hire low voltage company to do it for you in days, save the headaches and MONTHS it takes to complete the wiring.

Maybe back in the 90's and early 2000's, it would of been cool to have a apartment camera system.
In today's world? Near mandatory, especially with liability & insurance being involved.
This type of project is usually considered a capital project for a reason, not DIY.

Example: I quoted a 3-story office building complex in the shape of a big "U" well over $30k for 30+ cameras & cabling. I won the quote because the competing alarm company's quote came in well over $60k.
Now that the pricing is up that high, might as well consider outdoor cameras & PTZ's and IR blasters. If it turns into a capital project, might as well treat it as on and get all the bells & whistles.

 

[Palladini]

Can't Linux Mint can perform a "print screen" using the "Print Screen" key or the "ALT + Print Screen" keys and then caould be pasted into a image viewer / media player?

The times I have opened the URL for the NVR, it asks me to download an app to see the cameras, but that app is an .exe file, and Linux cannot understand that type of file

 

[TonyR]

The times I have opened the URL for the NVR, it asks me to download an app to see the cameras, but that app is an .exe file, and Linux cannot understand that type of file

My bad...I thought you were viewing the NVR's live view on the Linux PC's screen.