Connect Raspberry Pi to IP Cameras – All You Need to Know

Can I Connect IP Cameras to Raspberry Pi?
“I’ve been playing around with my pi for several months now, using the likes of Raspbmc or openELEC. I’ve recently installed a wireless IP camera outside which is connected to my home network.

My question is this: is it possible for my Raspberry Pi to connect to my camera and maybe record images/videos to an external HDD?”

It is an effective and cost-efficient way to DIY a security camera system with Raspberry Pi. This system can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as, use it as a baby monitor, secure your pets when you are out, and more.

So, how to connect Raspberry Pi to IP cameras? What components do you need to build a Raspberry Pi security camera network? What should you pay attention to during the whole process?

Below you will find out the answers to all your doubts about making a Raspberry Pi surveillance camera quickly and easily.

Components Needed When Connecting an IP Camera to Raspberry Pi
In order to make a Raspberry Pi IP camera viewer, you require certain items.

First of all, you need Raspberry Pi itself. There have been several generations being released, including Pi model A, model B, A+ and B+ models, Pi 2 model B, and the latest Raspberry Pi 3 model B.

Then you require a keyboard. Power is required which is provided by a Micro USB.

To view your actions, you will need to attach a monitor. This can be an HDMI or VGA model.

An IP camera is required to capture your images and videos. The higher the quality of the camera, the better the images and video quality will be.

Finally, a wireless adapter is required to ensure that the whole process runs smoothly.

Detailed Steps to Make a Raspberry Pi IP Camera Viewer
When you prepare all the things required for Raspberry Pi home security, here comes the most important part: how to make your own security camera system with Raspberry Pi.

Step 1: Select and install a screen, such as Adafruit PiTFT, NeoSec/Tiny, for your Raspberry Pi, so that you can view the camera feed on it. You can pick the perfect LCD or touch screen compatible with the Pi on Amazon and other online stores.



Step 2: Install Raspbian for your Pi. Raspbian is the official supported Raspberry Pi operating system. Or you can use NOOBS, an easy installer for Raspbian.

Step 3: Then you will need an internet connection for your Pi. It is best to set up WiFi on it, which enables you to run your Raspberry Pi without a monitor. You can SSH in remotely using the IP address, username and password.

To set up WiFi for Raspberry Pi, you will need to connect your screen, keyboard, mouse and WiFi adapter to the Pi, and then log into the Terminal. Set up the adapter and then input your WiFi network information, so that the adapter knows how to connect to WiFi. If you have problems with it, you can turn to Raspberry Pi forum to get suggestions.

Step 4: Use the command: sudo reboot to reboot your Pi and test to see if your Pi is truly WiFi enabled.

Step 5: Get the user name and password of your IP camera. If you forget, the only way is to reset the IP camera to go back to its default password.

Step 6: Choose a proper player used as a Raspberry Pi IP camera viewer. Generally the MPlayer is OK, for it is easy to use. You can also choose other players to satisfy your needs.

Step 7: Start access the camera video stream from the player. Make sure you change the IP address, username and password to match your IP camera.

Done! After a while, you can see the live IP camera stream. If it fails, try to install MPlayer once again.



Things You Should Pay Attention to When You Connect IP Cameras to Raspberry Pi
When you decide to connect IP cameras to Raspberry Pi, make sure you have the proper equipment. You should also ensure that the IP address you record and use is correct. You can check this through the command prompt in Raspberry or through the main Raspberry interface that displays your connection information.

To turn off your Raspberry Pi, avoid unplugging the power cord. You can use the following command:

pi@raspberrypi~sudo shutdown now

Issues with a DIY Raspberry Pi Security Camera
One of the best parts of a Raspberry Pi surveillance camera is low-costing. Raspberry Pi, a tiny, affordable computer, can be used for video monitoring along with a cheap IP camera.

However, there are also downsides of this system. Firstly, the images captured are a little fuzzy, compared to videos/images of HD security cameras. Then, through the monitor, you can’t see several cameras at the same time. And the whole installation is far more than complicated than that of PoE IP cameras and wireless IP cameras, which are real plug-and-play.

In summary, setting up a Raspberry Pi security system is useful and cost-efficient to providing video surveillance for home. But if you want more, like motion detection, super long night vision, etc, a professional and high quality home security camera is a better choice.




Hope this would help

 

I think it's way less complicated to just get a security camera that connects to your phone via the app. Actually, I thought about coming up with something like that myself, but then my friend decided to install an ajax system in his house, and he told me that it was his best solution. After checking how it was working, I understood that it was convenient indeed, and ordered one for my house. And at least I know that it won't break after some time because that's something I wouldn't be sure of if I decided to do it myself.