Category: Articles

Here is what you need to do in order to reset your Dahua IPC-HFW4431R-Z camera back to factory default settings.  This is the only way to recover from a forgotten administrator password, and while this article only covers this one particular model, the same basic procedure works on many other Dahua cameras. Here are the basic… Continue reading Dahua IPC-HFW4431R-Z Factory Reset

The Amcrest IP3M-941 and the Foscam R4 are the upgraded versions of the Amcrest IP2M-841 ProHD and the Foscam R2 that I compared here last Fall.  The comparison of these two cameras is very similar to my earlier one since these higher resolution models are based on the same basic hardware and software, but there… Continue reading Amcrest IP3M-941 vs. Foscam R4

Choosing the best surveillance hard drive is now much easier than it was years ago, primarily because all major drive manufacturers now design and market products geared toward specific segments of end use, including drives made specifically for recording video surveillance.  There are some important reasons why you should choose these specific surveillance drives over… Continue reading What is the Best Surveillance Hard Drive?

The Amcrest IP2M-841 and the Yi Dome Camera 1080p are both very popular indoor 1080p cameras that can pan and tilt, allowing them to see all around and room they are placed in.  These two models have some interesting differences, so keep reading to see what sets them apart from each other and why you… Continue reading Amcrest IP2M-841 vs. YI Dome Camera 1080p

The Amcrest IP2M-841 ProHD and the Foscam R2 are both great choices for an indoor 1080p pan-tilt camera.  Both cost much less than other popular quality cameras like the Nest cameras that I discuss in this article here.  Both of these are definitely higher quality in many ways than the cheaper models from other manufacturers… Continue reading Amcrest IP2M-841 vs. Foscam R2

Here I’ll show you how to quickly and easily build a simple Raspberry Pi security camera in just a few steps.  Follow along and you’ll have it streaming an H.264 RSTP video stream over the network that you can view live or record using many different software options. There are many different ways to use the… Continue reading How to Build a Simple Raspberry Pi Security Camera

What is it about the Nest Cam indoor and outdoor security cameras that makes them the two best selling security cameras on Amazon for some time now?  I can point you to many other cameras that I believe are much better security cameras from a technical standpoint, but that’s not what everyone wants or needs.… Continue reading Why are Nest Cam Security Cameras so Popular?

My screwdrivers were so old and worn out from use that I finally bought a complete new set, and I chose Wera over all of the others because I thought they offered the best performance for the price.  Keep reading to see why I got these particular ones and why I think this Wera screwdriver… Continue reading I Got a New Wera Screwdriver Set!

You can improve how well your security cameras see at night by keeping these tips in mind when installing and troubleshooting your surveillance system. It’s easy to make some simple mistakes that can severely degrade your cameras ability to get a useful image in low light conditions if you don’t know what to watch out for.Keep… Continue reading 10 Ways to Improve Security Camera Night Vision