Help choosing the best IP Camera for a Synology NAS
NAS Devices from the big companies like Synology and QNAP are now remarkably mainstream. Being used in homes and businesses across the world for everything from backing up network devices and playing media over DLNA, all the way through to Plex Media Servers and Virtual Machines. However one of the other popular ways in which many users buy and use their NAS (or mentally justifying the buying of the NAS as an optional extra!) is with Surveillance and CCTV cameras. Both Synology and QNAP have their own fantastic, comprehensive, enterprise comparable and most of all FREE Surveillance station software. The popularity of this software that arrives an an optional application on the NAS Operating system often comes as a really surprising and useful too. By connecting relatively in-expensive IP Cameras (internet protocol) cameras to your home or office network, you instantly have a high end insurance class surveillance set up at your finger tips. However Synology does not actually provide the cameras and you populate your surveillance station setup you will need to ensure you buy IP Cameras that are compatible with your Synology NAS. Which IP Camera brands should you choose and how can you decide the best IP Camera and POE IP Camera for your QNAP NAS?
Which IP Cameras are compatible with Synology NAS?
The right IP Camera to buy for your Synology NAS system can be tricky, as often their own firmware thought compatible at first, soon falls into incompatibility as newer firmware for the Synology Surveillance Station software arrives. However we at NASCompares have played with a large number of cameras and how found that the most reliable in terms of firmware and support for the Synology Surveillance Station software is the ReoLink IP Camera range. They have been knocking around since 2009 and have a medium sized range of cameras (I always prefer that rather than a company with just 2 products i.e. no money for support, or thousands of products – tend to be less reliable) that cover everything from small scale home use for basic security, all the way up to vastly enterprise geared, motion sensor, nightvision, optical zoom features and more.
A number of the most popular IP Camera features that they provide are exactly what NAS buyers want and most of their range arrives completely compatible with Synology NAS server devices and Surveillance Station software too (as well as the likes of Milestone, SecuritySpy and Blue Iris). IP Camera features like:
- Post recording viewing and well as up to the second live viewing whilst still recording continues uninterrupted
- Nightvision for improved 24hour protection
- Significant Movement detection and with Motion Sensors
- Audio In and Out, meaning that sound is included with ever recording, as well as the ability to announce from a speaker on the camera to intruders or colleagues
- Optical Zoom, letting you focus in and out on important details for that extra CSI touch
- Active Auto Focus so that targets can be tracked or more prominent details are given priority of shutter
- Both 3rd party Pan and Tilt Controls and motion control of the camera via the Synology Surveillance Station App
- Notifications, alerts from the camera to the NAS CCTV software, as well as SMS and Email notification push for peace of mind
- Varied degrees of NightVision (with the lowest being 45 feet depth and the most being 100 feet and above)
- Both LAN/RJ45 Network connectivity and WiFi network Connectivity giving you in house and over the internet camera access
- Both mains plug powered IP Cameras as well as POE (Power Over Ethernet) IP camera devices
- POE Injector support on many of their range meaning that you can be flexible in powering the camera 24 x 7
- Total 24×7 Operation with the only real limitation being the amount of storage you have to record to, plus teh software can overwrite files after \ of days, weeks or months so you can have continuous recording if needed
- 360 degree coverage in most cases meaning no corner is missed from your coverage
What are the important buying points about choosing the best IP Camera for Synology NAS?
There are so many IP Cameras for your Synology NAS and Surveillance station, that it can be appreciated that it can be confusing. Most users can choose the right Reolink IP Camera based on one or two setup parameters – where is it going to live and how can I connect to it? If you have solid answers to these questions, you are more than half way there.
- Will the IP Camera for indoors and full accessible or outdoors, remote or somewhere where climate and weather is a factor?
- Will you need it for Home Synology NAS use, or are you using the camera(s) for Enterprise or Business Synology NAS devices?
- Will the IP Camera be located by a LAN/Ethernet port or switch, or need to be connected to your Synology NAS over the WiFi?
- How do you intend to power the IP Camera, Mains power from a wall socket or power over ethernet via the network/internet cable?
Below are my recommendations for which Reolink IP Camera you should buy for your Synology NAS. Each is based on a different purpose, budget, location or need. You can click the images to go to your nearest store to buy your reolink IP Camera.
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Recommended best IP Camera for my Home Synology NAS server?
£70 The Reolink C2 – AS mentioned in the best IP Camera for indoors, the Reolink C2 is a rather more feature ready alternative to the Reolink C1. Using the same external design, the C2 also includes added features like an optical zoom (upto 3x), improved Super HD (so 1440p resolution) recording, audio both ways (so a little like the Argus in that respect) and improved pan and tilt control providing 355 degrees coverage on pan and upto 105 on tilt.
It may cost a little more than the C1 but the price increase is minimal and the features included in this revised version more than make up for you. If you IP camera budget is a little stretched, why not have a mixture of Reolink C1 camera(s) in less priority areas, but a Reolink C2 in one or two areas that matter the most (front door, patio door, roof, etc).This is the cover all bases IP Camera for your Synology NAS setup with Surveillance station. Still geared towards the home, but a lovely camera and highly recommended.
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Recommended best IP Camera for my Business and Enterprise Class Synology NAS Server?
£199 The Reolink RLC-423 – And now we enter the more enterprise IP Camera arena! This is most likely the most expensive IP Camera featured in our Synology NAS compatibile IP Cameras today and DEFINITELY aimed at those of an enterprise Surveillance Station solution frame of mind. Take it as read that it includes ALL the features of the other cameras, but improves on every one (with the exception of wifi), as well as being floating eye IP camera styled – rather intimidating to say the least! The night vision covers an astounding 190 feet! The 2560 x 1440 Resolution of 4 Megapixels, which can be scaled up and down as needed) records ridiculously clear and is truly unparalleled. Additionally if you Synology includes a good enough CPU for transcoding, you will have insanely sharp images sent to your iPhone or Android phone from Surveillance Station (free). The 4x Optical zoom means you can focus on the important facts like faces and car registrations both Live whilst recording or set up automatically with the software.Lastly, if it wasn’t enough, it is both weather resistant and covers EVERY angle – true 360 degree coverage (an IP 66 waterproof coverage rating – which is remarkably impressive indeed). It may cost almost 3x as much as the lowest price camera on this list, but if you need a BUSINESS class IP Camera for both mains powered or POE surveillance recording onto your Synology, this is the baby for you!
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What is the best Mains/Plug powered IP Camera for Synology Surveillance Station?
£100 The Reolink RLC-411WS – Which brings us to the last best IP Camera for Synology NAS on our list. The RLC-411WS is kinda the flagship Reolink camera features EVERYTHING but Power over ethernet. All the features above are includes – the free 16GB SD Card, 4MP Recording in Super HD, WiFI, dual band signal, motion capture, optical zoom and more.
But what makes it the best mains powered IP Camera for Synology Surveillance station and NAS, is the price – Just over £120 and somehow manages to provide all features and functionality of the £249 model! If you can give up features like night vision and POE, then this is the ultimate IP Camera for your needs!
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Recommended best Wifi /Wireless IP Camera for Synology NAS and Surveillance Station?
£79 The Reolink RLC-410WS – As you may have gathered by now, Reolink have quite a few WiFi enabled IP Cameras for Synology NAS and surveillance station. It is no surprise given that most people do not want ethernet cables all over the place. But which WiFi IP Camera is the best? Not just in features but in price and value. That award goes to the Reolink RLC-410WS. Not only because it features all the functionality of most of it’s brother and sister IP Cameras (4 Mega Pixel Camera, Super HD 1440p, dual band WiFi, but also because it arrives with an SD Card slot for local recording (which can be enabled manually or automatically in the event of network failure) and includes a 16GB SD Card for free. As well as this it also includes high end night vision with the help of infrared LEDs mounted on the front and is weather proof too. But many of these features are available on the other cameras (with the exception of the local SD Card storage) – why is the Reolink RLC-410W the best WiFi IP Camera? Because it manages to have all of those features and still be under £99 including VAT – making the 3rd cheapest camera on this list!
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Recommended best Ethernet/LAN based IP Camera to use with your Synology NAS server?
£59 The Reolink RLC-410 – It Probably doesn’t come as a huge surprise that the very best Ethernet enabled IP Camera for Synology NAS and Surveillance station is the non-wifi enabled version of the Reolink RLC-410WS, otherwise known as just the plain old RLC-410. It features everything that the WS version has, but it is designed to be used in an environment with ethernet cables (RJ45) in place. Alongside this it is POE powered, nightvision covering an impressive 100 feet, 4MP with motion detection enabled and is ready to go immediately. Also it is around £25 less than the WiFi model which once you start installing multiple cameras can really prove attractive. Just a quick word of note though, if you do intend to install multiple IP cameras in your home or office, ensure your bandwidth is not completely consumed by large scale recording. Either get a smart router or switch and change the limits of the cameras recording consumption, or lower the recording quality of your output.
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Recommended best POE IP Camera for my Synology NAS Surveillance?
£80 The Reolink RLC-422 – This Dome designed camera is probably my favourite Power over Ethernet camera (POE) camera available. For those that do not know, Power over Ethernet means that the IP Camera is powered by the RJ45/Ethernet/LAN cable that connects it to the network/router/switch. No need for mains power from a wall plug socket. There are of course advantages such as lessened power consumption and less clutter, but some camera still need more power and in that case we recommend a POE injector to provide a much needed boost or to convert not POE cameras where possible. I am pleased to say that this camera does not need that though. The Reolink RLC-422 IP Camera is by far the best power over ethernet IP camera for your Synology NAS. It has al those features you need (4MP Camera, motion sensor, night vision recording, Surveillance Station compatibility and more) but also happens to have POE. SO you can set it up in a few mins and instantly forget it! Plus, at just over £80 it is a pretty affordable IP Camera too
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