I think the Reolink RLK4-210WB4 is the best wireless camera system for anyone looking for a complete wireless package. I’ve looked over all of the wireless security camera systems on the market today and believe Reolink offers the best combination of features, support, and value for the price. If you’re looking to get a small camera system, or your first camera system, and you’ve decided that you need to go with wireless cameras instead of wired cameras, keep reading to see what this system has to offer and why I think it’s the best one.
Everything you need is included
Everything you will need comes with this complete system except for a display that uses VGA or HDMI video input. You can borrow a display if needed because once the initial system setup is done you don’t need to leave the display connected all of the time unless you want to.
- One 4-channel WiFi NVR with 1 TB hard drive
- Four RLC-210W 2MP 1080p IP cameras
- One NVR power adapter
- Four camera power adapters
- Four 18M camera power extension cables
- One USB mouse
- One HDMI cable
- One 1M Ethernet cable
- One software CD
- Five camera mounting templates
- Five sets of mounting screws and anchors
- Five allen wrenches to adjust camera position
- Four surveillance warning stickers
- One quick start guide
Easy to install and configure
Reolink’s quick start guide and user’s manual walk you through connecting everything and the initial system configuration. It’s designed to be plug and play and you should have no problems if you follow the step by step guide. If you do have any difficulties or have a question, Reolink support is happy to help you out. The cameras will automatically connect to the NVR using an encrypted wireless connection.
Reolink apps
You can view live and recorded video directly from a display connected to the NVR if needed, but the real usability of this system comes from the Reolink apps that they provide for free. PC apps for both Windows and Mac are available, mobile apps for Apple iOS as well as Android devices, and you can even use a web browser. I used the Reolink apps quite a bit during my Reolink RLC-411WS review and they do work well and are easy to use. You can even setup email alerts and have pictures or video sent to you when motion is detected.
Reolink support and 2 year warranty
All Reolink products come with a two year warranty. Their only support center is currently in China, and I have emailed them questions several times and they always get back to me in less than 12 hours and are very helpful. I’ve only seen a few complaints about their support, and Reolink says that they have a US customer service center under construction which is expected to be completed in Q3 of 2017 and it should really improve their already great support performance.
The NVR (Network Video Recorder)
This is the heart of the system and it runs on an embedded Linux operating system. It’s a wireless access point for the cameras to connect to, a video management system for video recording and playback, and a server that you can access with a web browser and all of the Reolink applications.
It comes with a 1 TB drive which holds approximately 11 days of 24/7 continuous video recording from 4 cameras at 1080p 15 fps and a 2048 kbps bit rate. The internal hard drive can be upgraded up to 4 TB if desired. The NVR also has an eSATA connector where you can connect an additional external hard drive up to 4 TB in size. You can record video continuously or set it up to only record when motion is detected, which saves hard drive space.
It has USB port on the back for a mouse and a USB port on the front that can be used to save important video clips onto a thumb drive.
The cameras
You get four Reolink RLC-210W cameras with this system, and that’s the maximum number supported by the NVR. There is also a version of this system with only two cameras included at a slight reduction in price, but I would always recommend getting this one with four cameras even of you only need two, since it’s a very inexpensive way of getting a spare camera or two. I also find that once you get one or two cameras up, it’s easy to find another location where you might want another one.
These cameras are IP66 rated and fully weatherproof, just make sure that the cables coming out of the camera aren’t directly exposed to moisture. They can be mounted to any solid surface and they have a full range of motion adjustment allowing you to point them in any direction.
They have built-in infrared light illuminators allow the camera to see in complete darkness up to 100 feet away.
The camera lens is 4 mm giving you an 80 degree horizontal field of view. Not too narrow, and not so wide as to distort the view.
They’re 2 megapixel cameras that run at 1080p (1920 x 1080) at 15 fps or 720p at 30 fps. 15 fps is plenty for security camera footage and saves on network bandwidth and hard drive storage.
The cameras require 12 Volts DC to operate and each one comes with a power adapter and 18M (59 feet) extension. You just need to run the low voltage DC cable from the camera to a power receptacle located within 60′, and the rest is wireless .
These cameras also have a built-in microphone so you can record audio. This can be turned off if audio recording is not desired or not legal in your jurisdiction.
The maximum distance that these cameras can be from the NVR varies with the environment that they are installed in, just like with any wireless device. Reolink states a maximum distance of 270 feet in open space, but this is reduced when obstructions such as walls are in the signal path. Metal walls block the signal more than concrete, and concrete blocks the signal more than wood. There shouldn’t be any issues when installed around typical wooden residential construction. Reolink suggests a distance of 10 to 30 meters (33 to 98 feet) with two wooden walls in the path, between the NVR and each camera. Plenty of range for most home installations.
Great value for the price
There are other wireless camera systems available that seem similar to this Reolink, but I found every one to be lacking in one or more ways compared to this system.
The Reolink RLK4-210WB4 wireless camera system has 1080p resolution, reliable apps, a well-written user’s manual, great tech support, excellent performance, and everything you need to get up and running. Every other system I looked at was lacking in one or more of those areas.
