MV Test Lab

[snafumaster]

I plan on setting up a Meraki camera test lab.  We have CCTV in all (9) locations now.  Their numbers range from 16 to 32 cameras. These are traditional camera and DVR with web access.  One issue I have with these is that they lose support from the DVR manufacturer too quickly, making my investment obsolete too quickly.  Otherwise, I am happy with the solution.

This plays well into the Meraki solution, as they are constantly updated (I presume) like the other Meraki equipment.

A couple of quick questions:

1. How many would you suggest to get for a viable test scenario?  I was thinking no less than 2 but as many as 4.  This should let me work with multiple locations, assigning permissions for access etc., and also the viewing 'grid'.

2. Has anyone recently made this migration, and if so, were there any pitfalls...or even great gains?

3. Concerned about the limited storage...should I be?

Thanks...and other information would definitely be welcome.

-Matty

[BHC_RESORTS]

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@snafumaster wrote:

A couple of quick questions:

1. How many would you suggest to get for a viable test scenario?  I was thinking no less than 2 but as many as 4.  This should let me work with multiple locations, assigning permissions for access etc., and also the viewing 'grid'.

2. Has anyone recently made this migration, and if so, were there any pitfalls...or even great gains?

3. Concerned about the limited storage...should I be?

Thanks...and other information would definitely be welcome.

-Matty

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We did a similar 'bake-off" of different branded cameras. We utilize some...other...."ubiquitous" type solution for some of our smaller properties.

1. I would get at least 4. Just depends on what your environment is like. The field of view is pretty wide, so put it in some locations where you want a wide angle. Get some up high, to see how much detail you can pick up based on height. Put some in sunny locations so you can see how well the auto exposure works. Put some in dark locations so you can see how well the IR works. Things like that.
2. Overall we are happy with the MV cameras. They are fairly large, which is a bit of a minus, but at least they are stylish and blend in well to our environment. One major complaint is the Ethernet jack on the camera. It is terrible. You have to shove the cable in there at an awful angle to get it in, there is barely enough room between the jack and the camera housing for the RJ45 jack, let alone any sheathing. They only sync at 100mbps, so you have some wiggle room with bending the cables, but still. Lack of a central viewing station/appliance is also a bummer. We ended up rolling a NUC with a limited/kiosk mode account, and Chrome set to auto refresh every so often. Works well enough, but it is kind of janky.
3. Our main lobby of a 160 room hotel has around an 18 day retention. That's our lowest. A side hallway with not much foot traffic has 55 days of retention, our most. Average is around 24-32 days. We also have it set to Enhanced Quality.

Good luck!

[LindseyM]

HI! The Meraki solution sounds like a great one for you. You're correct that they are constantly updated via the cloud therefore you won't ever be out of complaince! 

I would suggest 4 cameras to test, with a mix of indoor/outdoor if you use both types. 

Personally I don't think retention is a big issue. The camera's can average 90-120 days, how often do you need to go back farther than that? 

[BHC_RESORTS]

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@LindseyM wrote:

Personally I don't think retention is a big issue. The camera's can average 90-120 days, how often do you need to go back farther than that? 

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Even with standard quality, I'm a little dubious about that amount of footage in real world scenarios.

[MRCUR]

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@BHC_RESORTS wrote:

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@LindseyM wrote:

Personally I don't think retention is a big issue. The camera's can average 90-120 days, how often do you need to go back farther than that? 

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Even with standard quality, I'm a little dubious about that amount of footage in real world scenarios.

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Perhaps with standard quality and motion retention enabled, but I also agree. I'm only seeing that kind of retention on cameras in server rooms with little to no movement. 

[stevebyatt]

Hi all

I've got MV deployed in my wife's retail outlet (in a popular tourist location with around 250,000 visitors per annum). The camera facing the front door is set to motion based retention at enhanced quality and we are showing 38 days. Even at peak season we never dipped below 30 days, which is more than adequate for our environment. 

Hope this helps 🙂

[snafumaster]

This is all great information. I think I will start with 4 devices, mixed. If I can get 30 days real world, that should be fine. I have some setups that are only getting 3+ weeks. These are slated for upgrades. 

Thanks for all the info. You each were helpful. 

Kidos to all

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