PoE NVR -- Do I have to run Ethernet directly from camera to NVR?

[dj813]

So I just bought an Amcrest PoE NVR, NV4108E-HS, and I'm considering how I want to run the ethernet. Right now i have just one PoE camera, IP8M-T2499EW-28MM, but plan on getting 3 more. What i'm wondering is if I HAVE to run the ethernet from these cameras directly to the NVR, OR if I can run them to a Network switch, PoE I assume, then run just one ethernet cable from the switch to the NVR? My issue is with running 4 ethernet cables to the NVR. I'd rather not have that many cables running to the location of where I'd like my NVR. A side note: I planned on installing a network switch in my house so that i had more ethernet ports on the far side of the house. So I'm wondering if I can just connect these cameras to that switch? And would that be a PoE switch I assume? Also, could a PoE switch be used for other devices that don't necessarily need power? Any input or advice would be appreciated

[Revo2Maxx]

Hello and Welcome to the Forum

So depending on the NVR you have..

There are some NVR's out there that would require your ports to be filled. However like my 4108 that is an 8ch POE NVR I can use the ports or from the front side of the nvr meaning the Network side. Difference is that it will have your Network Range IP on them cameras and the one connected to your NVR Ports will have a different range. Also note not all have Virtual Host feature and will have limited config behind the NVR..

Now one thing to point out depending on the NVR again there was one flaw that was found and with that came a FW to plug it and any of the cameras that was connected on my Front side of the NVR had no audio where the ones on the NVR Ports did.. Again depending on your NVR if you have that issue or not..

Last thing to note. Say you have your 1 camera connected to ch1 of your NVR POE Port 1, then you load up 4 more camera from 2-5 then you get another POE camera that you want to connect to the NVR POE Port you will want to connect to port 6 or if you were to plug into port 2 it will tell you that your camera that is on Ch2 now will need to move.. Not that it is a big issue but can be when you have many cameras and the have different passwords and after you set them to your nvr you forget them lol

[dj813]

Hello, and thanks for the input. If i understand. When you say front side or network side you mean like in my case, wanting to connect them to a switch rather than using the ports on the NVR? I believe i have the same or similar NVR as you. Would it have to be a PoE switch? Also, my particular camera has audio so i would lose that capability configuring it as mentioned? I’d rather not if that’s the case.

I also considered running Ethernet to the NVR, terminating them at a wall plate (4 port Ethernet wall plate) next to the NVR, then plugging in a short Ethernet cord from the wall jack to the NVR, if that makes sense. I’m wondering if that would work? My issue is with keeping things neat and clean looking. I just didn’t want a tangle of wires and a hole in my wall.

I’ll have to look into the audio issue and wether that applies to me. Thanks again for the input

[Revo2Maxx]

If your using a POE camera then you would need a POE switch to power it yes Or normal Switch with 12v power supply for camera.. If they are just a Wifi or IP camera then connect them as they are needed to your Front side yes.. I mean your Network side.. Also if your camera has audio then for sure test it that it will work for your needs on the front.. So there are some other things that you can do as well.. If you say have a IP camera with Audio but your NVR won't do audio on first side run a cable to your NVR backside from your switch this will act like it is just connected camera to your NVR.. This can also work if your Wifi has audio and want it to connect to back side,, From switch to port on NVR then you can setup your camera for the IP of the back side of the NVR and it will pull it in... Also personally I have not and would not try to plug a POE switched port into the NVR backside when I do it I use a normal Ethernet port on my switch as I have a 24port with 12 POE+ and 12 normal with 4 extras for Crossover to another switchs.. So I use normal as I am not sure what it would do trying to plug in 2 pOE powered ports.. However the POE only powers when it sees it needs it but I have not wanted to try because I don't want to have a melt down lol..

[dj813]

So the one camera i have right now is a PoE camera. If i chose to use a switch i could plug it in to one of the regular ports and it would have power if i ran another cable from the switch to the back side of the NVR....Or would i have to have a switch like you have with PoE and regular Ethernet, plug camera into a PoE port then another cable from regular Ethernet port on switch to back side of NVR to get power to camera. And yea don’t want a melt down. I’m already stressing over this install lol Thanks

[Revo2Maxx]

Ok this is what I mean...

You have 1 poe camera now if it is able to run on the back POE port of the NVR then just run the network cable to the NVR ch1 to POE camera...

Then for the other cameras on the front side or say a WIFI camera.. you can run to a Router for Wifi and if you have a port or 2 free on the router you can even have an IP camera connected to the Router.. Like say this...

Router/Modem or Modem connected to Router depending on service provider...

Then port 1 of router Computer,
Port 2 NVR
Port 3 IP camera
Port 4 IP Camera or you could run from port 4 into the back of the NVR

Then say the router is 192.168.1.2-254
NVR has 192.168.1.25
NVR POE *Backside* 10.0.1.65-72
POE Camera connects at 10.0.1.65

you can then go into your Computer and setup a second IP address for mine I set it as 10.0.1.109 and I can access any of the cameras that are on my front side aka router side and any on the back side

Say you have Wifi 841 that you have power to the area but at this time you don't have any cable you can run it Wifi say it is 20 feet outside to garage so Wifi range is good.. You can setup the camera on your Router side or even on the NVR side.. Say you setup using WIFI settings, then go to WebUI, then go to Network, then TCP/IP and change Ethernet to wireless and setup static and if you want because the audio is broke as I expected if your on the last FW anyway.. you can change the static ip to say 10.0.1.66 and that will come up in CH2 slot of the nvr just like it was connected to the camera out right...

OR if it was a camera without audio then you can just connect to your network router say with 192.168.1.65, then on ch3 of the nvr click the + and do a device search and it will find the camera you have there at 65 because it can get network cameras on back or front side..

[Mickey]

I presently have several WiFi cameras conected to my WiFi and have used them only through my phone. I would like to buy a nvm such as the 4108 with the Poe options could I continue using the WiFi cameras without running any cables and also add Poe cameras and does it take a specific nor to do that?

[Revo2Maxx]

@Mickey Hello and Welcome to the Forum

So there are some machines that don't let people install cameras off the NVR's Ethernet side and then there are the ones that will. For me I own both the 4108h and 4108E both of them are non HS and the Poe does let you use camera off the NVR Ethernet Side.. What I always call the Front Side or Network Side.. When I refer to a Poe NVR If I am talking about POE side Then I normally say POE Side..

So The POE 4108 does let you as I was saying work off the front and POE side and is a nice nVR. However it is older and no longer supported with new FW so the last FW that I have installed isn't offered and does work but there had to be issues outside of the No Audio and the FW that is offered on the Firmware page sadly when I tested the FW anyway all my Audio Cameras that I would connect to the Front side of the POE 4108 wouldn't record any of the audio. However everything on the POE side audio worked just fine it was only cameras coming on the Front Side.. So I do have installed a FW that isn't offered anymore on the FW page and does work with audio front and back and as I said must have had some other issues that people didn't like and as such the Last FW that is offered on web works fine just not Audio with front side cameras that have audio

Personally I would not get the POE NVR unless you are just set on having a POE set of cameras as the Majority of your setup the normal 4018h has only 1 Ethernet port and that is for it's connection and I have a POE and POE+ switch that I connect my cameras too and I like the ability to have access to the cameras WebUI without having to worry about access.. I personally would go with non POE.. However if you wanted pure hidden access to the Cameras with no access of each camera on the Web then POE NVR is perfect and has a feeling of being a DVR because DVR's don't have for the most part a WebUI so no need to access a camera for changing the camera as the DVR is how most of that change is made and YEs I have a lot of DVR's that have cameras that have OSD and need to or can use for tweaking the camera and is for higher end cameras but the DVR and camera can normally make that change with UTC cabling..

[Mickey]

Thank you. I am new to this so you got over my head quickly. I was not looking forward to running cable so the idea of a poe camera was not overly appealing and since I have access to electricity most places I need to put a camera and wifi I can go that route. I have been on Amazon trying to pick out a dvr that would work if you could make a suggestion I would appreciate it. I would like to have something with more than 8 channels..

[Revo2Maxx]

Well as I said while a 4108h is no longer being updated with Firmware I would say that is good and they do have a 4116 as well as a 4432 and a 5232.. There is also a 2116-HS and a 4116E, If you would like to get into some AI in the future I would look into the 4216 line of NVR's however please a word of Caution...

Wifi camera on any NVR isn't really the greatest and personally I would limit Wifi traffic to being really close to your Router or to maybe 3 or 4 Wifi channels in a Security System setup.. More Wifi means larger demand on the Router to send the data for the NVR to process.. So I would personally buy a 16ch maybe with your intent to install 8 to 12 cameras trying to keep less then 4 Wifi as a time to add a new camera to the system and then pull Cat5e to the location and keep wifi as a way to know for sure you like the Install location of the Camera.. However there could be issues with loss from having to many Wifi channels floating around your airways...