The need for security is intrinsic, which is why the connected home and security monitoring services market is expected to reach $13.8 billion this year.
[Related: How Coding Helped This Young Professional Double Her Salary in One Year]
Home and office monitoring solutions can be pricey. Services including those from Time Warner Cable, ADT and others, charge a monthly fee for monitoring, plus the price of leasing necessary equipment (this is in addition to the monthly fee you pay for Internet).
What if you only need to monitor a relatively small space and don’t want to invest in a monthly monitoring service? There is a way you can set up video surveillance on the cheap.
What You Need
For video surveillance of a small home or office, you need a web/IP camera, an Internet connection, and a computer or mobile device for configuration.
Some good webcams are ones from Netgear, D-Link, Axis, and Logitech. They can range in price from $20-$200 depending on video quality and features.
I am going to show you how to set up video surveillance using Netgear’s Arlo Smart Home Security Camera. The HD, two-pack bundle costs a one-time fee of $300.
The Set Up
You need an Internet-connected router and a web cam (and maybe more cams, depending how large a space).