Can 4 outdoor security cameras be wired with a single cable to the router?
Solved
Hello everyone,
I have 4 surveillance cameras (dome IP type) around my house, each with its own power supply and working via Wi-Fi with my box (Freebox Pop delivered with a Wi-Fi repeater that can be moved around the house to slightly increase the Wi-Fi range).
The problem is that my Wi-Fi has a hard time reaching my 4 cameras; I often experience dropouts with 3 of them despite the Wi-Fi repeater, and it’s a bit inconvenient (frequent burglaries in my neighborhood)...
I feel like I have no choice: to have a stable connection, I'd need to decide to connect my cameras with Ethernet cables to my box, but I don’t have 4 Ethernet ports behind my box...
So can we use some kind of "Ethernet splitter" that would combine my 4 cables into 1 before connecting it to my box? (of course, it must allow me to view each camera live on my phone if I wish, and I should receive alerts from all 4 just in case....).
And if so, what is it called, please?
Thank you!
I have 4 surveillance cameras (dome IP type) around my house, each with its own power supply and working via Wi-Fi with my box (Freebox Pop delivered with a Wi-Fi repeater that can be moved around the house to slightly increase the Wi-Fi range).
The problem is that my Wi-Fi has a hard time reaching my 4 cameras; I often experience dropouts with 3 of them despite the Wi-Fi repeater, and it’s a bit inconvenient (frequent burglaries in my neighborhood)...
I feel like I have no choice: to have a stable connection, I'd need to decide to connect my cameras with Ethernet cables to my box, but I don’t have 4 Ethernet ports behind my box...
So can we use some kind of "Ethernet splitter" that would combine my 4 cables into 1 before connecting it to my box? (of course, it must allow me to view each camera live on my phone if I wish, and I should receive alerts from all 4 just in case....).
And if so, what is it called, please?
Thank you!
4 answers
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ModeratorHello,
This device that multiplies Ethernet connections is a switch: https://www.amazon.fr/D-Link-GO-SW-5G-Switch-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B009TZE41I/
You connect the box to the switch and the cameras to the switch; the cameras are recognized by the box in the same way as if they were connected directly to it.
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Alright, thank you very much for these clarifications!
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Oh, great, thank you very much for this super quick response, if it allows for working as if each camera had its own cable that's awesome!!
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After doing some research, I found that there are indeed Ethernet switches, some of which are POE, meaning that the power supply for the cameras can also be provided via Ethernet cables (as long as the cameras are POE compatible), which is simpler and more convenient (but the switch is more expensive)….
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ModeratorYes, that's correct, PoE can be used by cameras designed to be powered via the Ethernet connection, and it's also a method used to power Wi-Fi access points or IP phones.
If you need to run cables to connect your cameras, you need to pay attention to the type of cable. When wiring a home, solid-core cable (with a single copper core) is used; the cable is quite rigid, and at both ends, there are two female RJ45 connectors. For connecting a device, stranded wire cables are used, which are more flexible, with male RJ45 connectors at both ends.
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