Best Wired Security Camera System: Lorex vs Swann vs Arlo vs Night Owl vs Reolink vs Avertx vs Amcrest & More

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Outdoor
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Security cameras can help you stay aware of your home and its surroundings while keeping your family safe. Do wired security cameras provide a more reliable connection than their wireless counterparts? We dive into these questions and more as we explain the ins and outs of wired cameras in easy to understand language.

Additionally, our experts have reviewed and ranked the best wired cameras in several categories, and provide features, pricing, pros, cons, and user feedback.

Article Overview

Wired vs Wireless

One of the main reasons people choose wired security cameras is reliability. Because these cameras are hardwired with power and ethernet cables or one cable that combines power and ethernet (POE cables, or power over ethernet), they aren’t likely to lose their connection. Wireless cameras rely on WiFi, and as you probably know from your home internet, that doesn’t always provide a consistent connection.

Most wired cameras also have the option to connect to a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) or Network Video Recorder (NVR) system. That means you can record video from your cameras locally and do not have to rely on cloud recording. There won’t be a monthly fee for recording, and you don’t have to worry about protecting your WiFi from hackers.

Wired cameras do have some negative features. There are a lot of cords, and you have to connect those cords to a power source and router. Cords limit your placement options and make cameras more complicated to install. Wireless cameras give you much more flexibility with location, and installation is simple. You’ll also lose power with a wired camera (if it doesn’t have battery backup) when you have a power outage, while most wireless cameras rely on battery power.

Man looking into security camera: Home Surveillance Cameras 101What Features Should I Look For?

To know what features you’ll need in your home security cameras, you’ll first want to think about how you’re going to use them. Check out our article on everything you need to know about security cameras for some examples. Pay close attention to the section on features.

Best Wired Home Security Cameras

Our experts consider the quality of each camera, available features, ease of use, installation and other important factors when choosing our top picks. Here are our choices in the following four categories:

Overall | Indoor | Outdoor | Camera System

Best Overall: Lorex 4K Ultra HD Active Deterrence Camera Review

Lorex Analog Wired CameraView on Amazon

Our pick for the best overall wired home security camera is the Lorex 4K Ultra HD Active Deterrence Camera. In addition to some great features, it offers a motion-triggered LED light and the ability to trigger an alarm remotely to deter potential intruders.

This indoor/outdoor camera has 4K HD resolution, which is the highest resolution of the cameras we review. It works with Lorex’s 2 TB hard drive DVR and allows you to choose from three recording options: continuous recording, scheduled recording and motion-activated recording. There’s also a five-second pre-recording function so you can see video before recording starts.

Other features include activity zones, IP67 weatherproof rating, remote viewing in the Lorex app and compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google home. This camera is easy to install and doesn’t require professional installation.

While this camera has digital zoom, it doesn’t have pan or tilt options. Also missing is audio, and the Lorex app doesn’t get great reviews. You’ll need the DVR for local storage. You can purchase multiple cameras with the DVR and add on additional cameras as needed.

Pros

Cons

  • Indoor and outdoor use
  • Three recording modes
  • Highest resolution available
  • Zoom available in-app
  • Activity zones
  • Easy to install
  • Weatherproof IP67 rated
  • Local storage with DVR
  • Remote viewing capabilities
  • App available for Android and iOS
  • Works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa
  • Two-year warranty
  • No pan or tilt options
  • No audio recording or two-way audio
  • App gets poor reviews

Tech Specs and Pricing

  • 8-Camera System With 16-channel 2TB DVR: $799.99
  • Add-on camera only: $129.99
  • Color night vision up to 90 ft
  • 4K HD resolution
  • Field of view: 87°
  • Operating temperature: -22° to 140°F (-30ºC to 60ºC)

Best Indoor: Amcrest ProHD 1080P POE IP Camera

Amcrest ProHD 1080P POE IP CameraView on Amazon

The Amcrest ProHD 1080P POE IP camera is our top choice for the best indoor wired security camera. This is a Power Over Ethernet (POE) camera, which means you only need one cable to connect to power and your network connection. POE is a great way to minimize the wires connected to your camera.

This camera features two-way audio, pan, tilt and digital zoom and activity zone detection. You have the option of local storage with an NVR or a microSD card, and you can also subscribe to the Amcrest Cloud for cloud storage. Installation is easy, and you have remote access to viewing through the user-friendly Amcrest app for Android and iOS. You can also connect the camera to your Amazon Alexa smart speaker for voice-activated control.

This camera is made for indoor use only, and the Amcrest NVR that works with it doesn’t include the hard drive. However, the NVR will support up to two 10TB hard drives.

Pros

Cons

  • Two-way audio
  • Pan, tilt and digital zoom
  • Activity zones
  • Easy to install
  • Local storage with NVR or microSD card
  • Cloud storage subscription available
  • Remote viewing capabilities
  • User-friendly app for Android and iOS
  • Works with Amazon Alexa
  • One-year warranty
  • Indoor only
  • NVR doesn’t include a hard drive

Tech Specs and Pricing

Amcrest Cloud

  • Free: Four hours for one camera
  • 7-day storage: $6/camera per month
  • 14-day storage:$10/camera per month
  • 30-day storage: $15/camera per month

Best Outdoor: Reolink RLC-423 Review

Reolink RLC-423View on Amazon

We chose the Reolink RLC-423 as the best outdoor wired security camera. Its 360º field of view when you’re using the endless pan feature increases visibility and reduces blind spots.

This POE camera has features like audio recording, activity zones and pan, tilt and zoom. It works with the Reolink 3TB NVR and Reolink’s user-friendly app. You can receive motion detection alerts through the app or email, and the camera captures images when it detects motion. Installation is simple, and it can link to Google Home for voice activation.

The one thing this camera doesn’t have is two-way audio. Also, if you live in a place with extreme winters, you need to consider that the operating temperature doesn’t go below 14º.

Pros

Cons

  • Records audio
  • Pan, tilt and zoom
  • Activity zones
  • Easy to install
  • Weatherproof IP66 rated
  • Supports continuous and motion-detected recording
  • Local storage with NVR or microSD card
  • Remote viewing capabilities
  • User-friendly app for Android and iOS
  • Works with Google Home
  • Two-year warranty
  • No two-way audio
  • Operating temp cannot withstand severe winters

Tech Specs and Pricing

  • Camera: $159.99
  • NVR: $339.99
  • Night vision up to 190 ft
  • 5MP Super HD resolution
  • Field of view: 87° (static), 360° with endless pan
  • Operating temperature: 14° to 131°F (-20° to 60°C)

Best System: Swann Home Security POE Camera System Review

Swann Home Security POE Camera SystemView on Amazon

If you’re looking for a wired home security camera system for your home, we suggest the Swann POE camera system. It comes with two different indoor/outdoor cameras: the bullet cam and the spotlight cam. You also get a Swann 2TB NVR included with the system.

The cameras in this system have two-way audio, digital zoom and the ability to designate activity zones. One unique feature is sensors on the spotlight cam that trigger recording and turn the lights on when they sense heat. You will also have the option to connect to your Dropbox account to save video, and remote viewing is available on the app.

This camera system doesn’t have any pan or tilt options and doesn’t work with a smart speaker. You may also find that you have trouble with the Swann app since it gets a lot of negative reviews.

Pros

Cons

  • Indoor and outdoor use
  • Two-way audio
  • Digital zoom
  • Activity zones
  • Easy to install
  • Weatherproof IP67 rated
  • Local storage with NVR
  • Save video to Dropbox
  • Remote viewing capabilities
  • App available for Android and iOS
  • 12-month warranty
  • No pan or tilt options
  • Doesn’t work with a smart speaker
  • App gets poor reviews

Tech Specs and Pricing

  • 8 camera system with 8 bullet cameras, 1080p HD DVR: $365.99
  • Color night vision up to 100 ft
  • Infrared night vision up to 115 ft
  • 5MP Super HD resolution
  • Field of view: 82°
  • Operating temperature: -22° to 131°F (-30° to 55°C)

How Can You Hide The Wires Of Your Camera?

This three minute video from C Videos shows you how you can hide camera wires during installation.

Why Get Just One Camera When You Can Have A CCTV (Security Camera System)?

Wired home security cameras are an excellent choice for reliable recording with lots of local storage. If you find yourself purchasing several cameras, you may want to consider a wired camera system that makes them all work together. Our experts review the best security camera systems (CCTV).

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The information provided through this website should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease; it is not intended to offer any legal opinion or advice or a substitute for professional safety advice or professional care. Please consult your health care provider, attorney, or product manual for professional advice. Products and services reviewed are provided by third parties; we are not responsible in any way for them, nor do we guarantee their functionality, utility, safety, or reliability. Our content is for educational purposes only.

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