Camera/ wifi setup for barn

Does the barn have power? If so that will help a lot.

Do you need to record, or just live view?


Any way you go, I don't think there's a camera with wifi strong enough to go 300 yards reliably, especially not if there are walls in the way. So yes you will probably need a wireless bridge. What route you go here will depend on your budget and how serious you want to be about it.

I looked into this for the barn my wife's horse is at. Found $500-600 could get Poe cameras plus nvr set up, either complete system or build one. I was going to build the system as I wouldn't be stuck with a single camera manufacturer.

As far as network out there, wifi bridge is the easiest to set up. Would also suggest add an access point out there.

How much tech knowledge do you have?

I've been working on a similar project for a buddy's farm. We've upgraded the network at the house with Ubiquiti, expanded the network outdoors and are working towards further expansion. Went the route of general TP-Link POE switch to take Cat6 run from house to a shed, then jumping from shed to a pole with a Mesh Outdoor AP and Reolink PTX POE camera. We have good wifi coverage and he's talking about wanting another camera at his newly constructed pole barn so that there's video of one of the two roads/driveways that come into the property.

Reolink has been easy and user-friendly. Ubiquiti is more expensive but provides best cameras. We're prepping for a PtP so we can expand wifi/netowrk further into the pastures. If you're truly after a PtP bridge then the Ubiquiti 5 AC Loco is a cheap option ($50/ea) to handle that gape. I just installed a pair to get better connectivity from my home to my detached shed that I use as my everday office/workspace...it's been great

So if I run a pair of AC Locos from the house to the barn, I would still need a wireless access point connected to the AC Loco at the barn right? That way the cameras could connect to it? And would everything still operate off the local network at the house so that I can view the video locally without relying on shitty internet upload speeds?

Do not get wifi cameras. Get a Poe switch. Hardwire the camera to the switch. You can add an access point to the barn if you want to see the cameras out there on your phone or just want internet access out there.

quote:

---

best bet would be to plug the distant end PtP device into a switch, then wire other devices to it

---

Yes, but still keep in mind that both the 5AC loco and the M5 loco are 24V passive devices, so they will *not* power up via a regular PoE switch. I believe the M5 comes with a 24v adapter, but the 5AC does not.