The setup instructions are clear and appropriate for configuring a whole-home network.
The setup instructions are clear and appropriate for configuring a whole-home network.
I considered the outdoor AP options. The front yard is about 20 feet from the street, while the back yard is 60x60 feet. One AP will face only the exterior wall, and the other will have both interior and exterior walls. WiFi outside isn’t perfect, but I think these two should work for me. (Only 1900 sq ft, but I really need the garage well covered and the living room/master bed area.)
I checked the camera options—pricier than Ring but they look higher quality. I prefer the smaller appearance of Ring’s bullet design; it seems too big near doors, especially since I want to mount them at eye level (around 6 feet) instead of high up. I think it’s better to see faces clearly rather than just someone in a hat or hoodie.
I’m unsure about local storage versus remote. The Dream Machine has a bay for hard drives and extra security, but it feels a bit redundant and might need replacement every couple of years. I’m not sure if the cameras record continuously or only on motion events.
The issue with ring is the recurring monthly charge and the lack of backup when the connection drops or is interrupted. They also keep uploading data constantly. My ring doorbell was notably slow, often leaving before the app could open or sync the video after a notification. The recording feature works 24/7 but only activates during motion events, which I set up to conserve storage. I don’t see the need for multiple drives for redundancy in my setup. Most of the time I just review the previous day’s recordings to check for any unauthorized access.