Hi all,
I'm researching how people connect their security cameras with smart home devices, and I'd like to learn from real setups instead of spec sheets.
1. What ties your system together? (NVR/VMS, hub, Home Assistant, something else?)
2. Which automations turned out to be genuinely useful? For example, motion turning on lights, or a door sensor triggering recording.
3. What compatibility problems did you hit, and how did you fix them?
4. How do you keep it secure? (separate VLAN, 2FA, limited remote access)
Any brand, any budget. Lessons learned and mistakes are welcome too.Full disclosure:
I work with
Digital Watchdog , so I'm coming at this from the manufacturer side, but I'm here to learn how people use this in real installs.
Thanks!
This might not be helpful but I use several different
tools to solve all of my vision and surveillance wants… nothing holds it all together. Most touch home assistant (docker) but only if they have to: it’s a necessary evil.
NVR - Frigate - I very rarely actually look at the UI but it controls all objects/zones, LPR, and runs state sensors for things like my garage door. All Dahua cams, yolo26L f16 detection. It’s actually a compliment that I’m obviously an enthusiast yet almost never actually have to look at my NVR. That means it’s doing its job.
Zone, state alerts - Frigate home assistant integration sending webhooks to my real time system for web push.
Real-time notification target: server-PWA combo I developed specifically for this: onedoor. It also allows for instant per-camera communication and per-camera automation activation all on one very simple screen. It’s not for zooming or investigating, it’s for responding.
Rat traps in the attic: built my own ZSAD tool using DINOv2 and kNN sims. I made it to work for frigate so you could get all your baselines in one click, but next week it will make RTSP an option so that you (and me) don’t have to waste resources by leaving that camera in Frigate, but wait a day to gather baselines instead. frigate_anomaly
Vision based automations: python/ultralytics. I haven’t published these but I use calibrated vision for some various precision automations like lights that precisely stay just ahead and on of moving people.probably building a Halloween one in coming weeks.
Security: NPM, fail2ban, web tokens. I only expose OneDoor, Frigate, Home Assistant, and some media stuff. If I get hacked it isn’t a big deal. Everything is in docker. If they mess with my WLED stuff I’m in pain though. That’s actually tedious.
No compatibility problems. Most useful for me is Frigate’s state classifications. Can build proper, safe garage control without additional sensor. Most useful for surveillance is combining zone/object with things like family presence, time of day, activity on other cameras, lock status, etc. no more alerts for normal activity. Second most useful is a proper real time app so I can respond tactically without a bulky NVR and be in instant communication with whoever triggered the alert or activate a siren right there on the same screen.
Lessons:
1. LLM VLM is useless for surveillance. You lose valuable seconds and it’s always wrong.
2. All video doorbells are terrible. Tried most. Best one is actually the $40 Tapo d130 because it can be used fully local and actually sends and receives audio using a proper telco codec. Still not good though. They all look trashy too so just get rid of them already.
