I picked up a few TP-Link Tapo Cameras and also a few Energy Monitoring Smart Plugs, which are on sale at Amazon currently (with the lowest prices historically, according to CamelCamelCamel). Tapo seems to be the name of TP-Link's newer smart home devices, although they are still selling the Kasa line of similar devices. Many of the TAPO devices are "Matter" compatible, which means they will work with Alexa, Google, Samsung SmartThings and Apple Homepod. I'm no expert on smart home stuff, but I found a link which indicates that both Kasa and Tapo devices can also work with Home Assistant. I am pretty impressed with the value of these smart home cameras and switches though.
As far as the sale is concerned, I picked up several Tapo cams and smart power switches, since they are the lowest prices ever according to CamelCamelCamel's price history:
I've so far received and installed the P115 Smart Plugs, the C120 and C520WS cameras. All the cameras I installed are being integrated into an older NVR (Network Video Recorder), which has a mix of IP and analog cameras. The Tapo cameras require setup via the Tapo app, but otherwise worked well with the third party NVR, using ONVIF and RSTP to stream the video. For cameras I set up, they can record locally to an SD while also streaming to the NVR, which is a nice bit of redundancy (however that is not possible with the Tapo solar or battery powered cameras, which will either record locally or stream).
The night vision is pretty good on the C120 and C520WS (I have not yet tested the others), but there is something a bit odd about the way the Starlight sensor cams work. The C520WS has great black and white night vision, however to use the color night vision, the white light LEDs need to be on, which is not really well noted in the amazon listing. The color night vision is also not as crisp as the black and white, so I have left it off after trying it out. I also don't like the idea of having the LEDs on all night. There is a mode where the camera will normally run in black and white, but switch on the LEDs and change to color if it detects movement, which may be a decent balance.
Interestingly, the C120, which is the cheapest camera, seems to run with color night vision in lower light than the C520WS (which has the Starlight sensor). The color night vision on the C120 will switch to black and white below a threshold, but it has been working in color, with a low amount of light (less than from a typical outside porch light). Both cameras have good quality daytime video, and the C520WS has pretty sharp nighttime video (in black and white). They also support audio with a microphone and speaker to talk through the camera.
If running the Tapo cameras with an NVR, the setup for the cams has to be done via the Tapo App, however once that is done, the App is not required further. The Tapo App can also be used in combination with an NVR, but it will of course only control the Tapo and Kasa devices. To set up an NVR, a local account must first be set up on each camera, with a username and password. This has some security implications, so it should only be done on an isolated network, where the cameras are not exposed to the internet. After that, they can be set up as RSTP and ONVIF devices. The RSTP port is 554 with a URL similar to this (rtsp://192.168.YYY.XXX:554/stream1). The Pan Tilt camera uses ONVIF and RSTP, and is set up using ports 554 (RSTP) and 2020 (ONVIF). For the C520WS, I used the RSTP port as 554 and set the HTTP port as 2020 (same as the ONVIF), since the NVR only had options for RSTP and HTTP under the ONVIF camera setup. Using HTTP port 2020 was the only way to get the NVR to work with the pan and tilt functions of the Tapo C520WS. It also took a reboot of the camera and the NVR to get them to talk with each other, but that's sort'a par for the course with security cameras and NVR's unfortunately.
During the install of the C520WS, which I first set up wireless, and then changed over to wired ethernet, I noted that the MAC address was the same on wired ethernet or wireless. Therefore, I think it's an either/or, and the WIFI and wired would not be used at the same time. I actually deleted the camera as a WIFI camera, and then re-installed it as a wired camera, but I am not sure if there was another way to switch it over (I had some unrelated network issues to deal with during the install, so much of that is a blur lol).
The AI detection on these cameras works very well, with simple to configure zones and very good detection. The alerts are quite a bit more accurate than older systems, which can be tricked by moving branches. And it all runs locally on the cameras which is really nice. There have been a few false positives, but the AI tracking really will track a moving car or person. Since the features run on the cameras, the NVR doesn't need to be smart, it just needs to record.
The P115 Smart Plugs are being used to monitor power usage on several PC's, a couple appliances, and also a 3D printer. They were easy to set up, each taking a just a couple minutes, with it all being done over Bluetooth (the initial config is over Bluetooth, but they use WIFI once set up). The data they are collecting is going to be very useful to track down some devices which may need an energy diet. The plugs provide some nice graphs of usage, and also current power utilization. They claim to be able to handle 15A, and otherwise they do what they claim, so I'm happy, especially at the current prices.
Aside from the unique challenges of setting up the C520WS with an NVR, the install on these cameras went pretty smooth, and they they offer a good (and inexpensive) upgrade to older analog (dumb) cameras. The only downside I found was the pretty weak mount on the C120, which has a magnet and a couple thin arms to point the camera. It will work if it's up high and out of the wind, or better, inside, but I don't think it is robust enough to rely on if mounted in an exposed spot. Since I never can be really happy with something, until I've 3D printed something else to make it "better", I designed a "wall wart" mount for the C120 which converts it into a more secure, and a bit more tamper proof camera. It's of course plastic, and won't stop somebody who is determined to knock it out, but hopefully the camera will have performed it's mission by then at least. I'm still testing the new mount design, and may make a few changes, but I'm mostly happy with it so far.
As far as the sale is concerned, I picked up several Tapo cams and smart power switches, since they are the lowest prices ever according to CamelCamelCamel's price history:
- Tapo P115 Power Monitoring Smart Plugs (4-Pack) $27.99 (before a $5 off coupon and another 25% off if using the Amazon Prime credit card to check out).
- Tapo C120 2K WIFI (only) Indoor/Outdoor Camera $27.99
- Tapo C520WS 2k WIFI or Wired Indoor/Outdoor Pan and Tilt Camera with a Starlight Sensor $54.99
- Tapo C310 2K WIFI or Wired Outdoor Camera $26.99
- Tapo C320 2k WIFI or Wired Outdoor Camera with Starlight Sensor $34.99
I've so far received and installed the P115 Smart Plugs, the C120 and C520WS cameras. All the cameras I installed are being integrated into an older NVR (Network Video Recorder), which has a mix of IP and analog cameras. The Tapo cameras require setup via the Tapo app, but otherwise worked well with the third party NVR, using ONVIF and RSTP to stream the video. For cameras I set up, they can record locally to an SD while also streaming to the NVR, which is a nice bit of redundancy (however that is not possible with the Tapo solar or battery powered cameras, which will either record locally or stream).
The night vision is pretty good on the C120 and C520WS (I have not yet tested the others), but there is something a bit odd about the way the Starlight sensor cams work. The C520WS has great black and white night vision, however to use the color night vision, the white light LEDs need to be on, which is not really well noted in the amazon listing. The color night vision is also not as crisp as the black and white, so I have left it off after trying it out. I also don't like the idea of having the LEDs on all night. There is a mode where the camera will normally run in black and white, but switch on the LEDs and change to color if it detects movement, which may be a decent balance.
Interestingly, the C120, which is the cheapest camera, seems to run with color night vision in lower light than the C520WS (which has the Starlight sensor). The color night vision on the C120 will switch to black and white below a threshold, but it has been working in color, with a low amount of light (less than from a typical outside porch light). Both cameras have good quality daytime video, and the C520WS has pretty sharp nighttime video (in black and white). They also support audio with a microphone and speaker to talk through the camera.
If running the Tapo cameras with an NVR, the setup for the cams has to be done via the Tapo App, however once that is done, the App is not required further. The Tapo App can also be used in combination with an NVR, but it will of course only control the Tapo and Kasa devices. To set up an NVR, a local account must first be set up on each camera, with a username and password. This has some security implications, so it should only be done on an isolated network, where the cameras are not exposed to the internet. After that, they can be set up as RSTP and ONVIF devices. The RSTP port is 554 with a URL similar to this (rtsp://192.168.YYY.XXX:554/stream1). The Pan Tilt camera uses ONVIF and RSTP, and is set up using ports 554 (RSTP) and 2020 (ONVIF). For the C520WS, I used the RSTP port as 554 and set the HTTP port as 2020 (same as the ONVIF), since the NVR only had options for RSTP and HTTP under the ONVIF camera setup. Using HTTP port 2020 was the only way to get the NVR to work with the pan and tilt functions of the Tapo C520WS. It also took a reboot of the camera and the NVR to get them to talk with each other, but that's sort'a par for the course with security cameras and NVR's unfortunately.
During the install of the C520WS, which I first set up wireless, and then changed over to wired ethernet, I noted that the MAC address was the same on wired ethernet or wireless. Therefore, I think it's an either/or, and the WIFI and wired would not be used at the same time. I actually deleted the camera as a WIFI camera, and then re-installed it as a wired camera, but I am not sure if there was another way to switch it over (I had some unrelated network issues to deal with during the install, so much of that is a blur lol).
The AI detection on these cameras works very well, with simple to configure zones and very good detection. The alerts are quite a bit more accurate than older systems, which can be tricked by moving branches. And it all runs locally on the cameras which is really nice. There have been a few false positives, but the AI tracking really will track a moving car or person. Since the features run on the cameras, the NVR doesn't need to be smart, it just needs to record.
The P115 Smart Plugs are being used to monitor power usage on several PC's, a couple appliances, and also a 3D printer. They were easy to set up, each taking a just a couple minutes, with it all being done over Bluetooth (the initial config is over Bluetooth, but they use WIFI once set up). The data they are collecting is going to be very useful to track down some devices which may need an energy diet. The plugs provide some nice graphs of usage, and also current power utilization. They claim to be able to handle 15A, and otherwise they do what they claim, so I'm happy, especially at the current prices.
Aside from the unique challenges of setting up the C520WS with an NVR, the install on these cameras went pretty smooth, and they they offer a good (and inexpensive) upgrade to older analog (dumb) cameras. The only downside I found was the pretty weak mount on the C120, which has a magnet and a couple thin arms to point the camera. It will work if it's up high and out of the wind, or better, inside, but I don't think it is robust enough to rely on if mounted in an exposed spot. Since I never can be really happy with something, until I've 3D printed something else to make it "better", I designed a "wall wart" mount for the C120 which converts it into a more secure, and a bit more tamper proof camera. It's of course plastic, and won't stop somebody who is determined to knock it out, but hopefully the camera will have performed it's mission by then at least. I'm still testing the new mount design, and may make a few changes, but I'm mostly happy with it so far.
Update 9/18/2024: I decided to make up some junction boxes to fit the wires that will connect up these cameras. So far I have made a couple versions of the boxes, one that fits PG16 cable glands (maybe other sizes in the final version), and another type of box that fits my own cable gland design (which is needed for the larger 23mm connectors on the outdoor cameras). For the C120 cameras, which use a USB-C for power, and will be mounted in the wall warts as shown above, there is a box that will have a 12v->5v buck converter, a fuse holder, and three WAGO 221-413 (3 port) connectors, to make the wiring simple. The boxes will use M3 hardware, and do not require supports.
Update 9/25/2024: I have installed a couple boxes, but have not installed the C120 cameras with the printed "wall wart" mount yet, since I am waiting on one more part (some 5x20 fuses). It's amazing how hard it is to get decent Bussman or Littlefuse 5x20 glass fuses without spending an arm and a leg for them. I don't trust the no-name brand glass fuses thanks to several reviews like this one, which demonstrate how they are not always properly rated. I ended up buying some Bussman fuses from Arrow, and got a decent assortment to have on hand for projects. I also found a bunch of Raspberry Pi and electronics projects related items that must have been getting blown out at really good prices (some I think were considered "obsolete" - but wire and switches don't go bad lol), so loaded up a reasonable amount on those as well. When I get these mounted and tested in the printed enclosure, I will post another update.
Update 9/26/2024: I received the fuses and hooked up the C120 camera enclosure with the 12V -> 5V buck converter, fuse and WAGOs, and then tested everything. Just a side note, Arrow does too good a job at packaging their products. Everything was packed in anti-static bags, even the fuses and some wire I picked up. Some of the LEDs I ordered were already in antistatic packaging, but were also placed neatly into their own (second) anti-static bags. It's pretty crazy how well some of the fuses were packed too (some were packed in a box with foam). I really hate seeing all that waste, but I guess if I ever need a bunch of anti-static bags, all I need to do is put in an order to Arrow LOL (they have good prices and ship quick too). Now back to the enclosure business - it works well, and draws between 160-180mA on the 12V input to the buck converter when the camera is in use (with WiFi, sound, speaker and detection, etc), or about 2 watts. The pics below all show current being measured (I forgot to take the meter off the 10A input, but the reading should be close). I also got some pics of the basic box, which was installed with a POE power splitter and some cable glands.
I'm gonna make some changes to the box, and add a TPU washer for the cable glands, and maybe a weather cap for the fuse holder. I may not include the cable glands in the final version, since they are not waterproof if the cable is too large or small (they are more water resistant). I think standard PG-16 or other more water tight cable glands are probably a better option anyway, but I like my version for the size and cost.
Update 9/26/2024: I received the fuses and hooked up the C120 camera enclosure with the 12V -> 5V buck converter, fuse and WAGOs, and then tested everything. Just a side note, Arrow does too good a job at packaging their products. Everything was packed in anti-static bags, even the fuses and some wire I picked up. Some of the LEDs I ordered were already in antistatic packaging, but were also placed neatly into their own (second) anti-static bags. It's pretty crazy how well some of the fuses were packed too (some were packed in a box with foam). I really hate seeing all that waste, but I guess if I ever need a bunch of anti-static bags, all I need to do is put in an order to Arrow LOL (they have good prices and ship quick too). Now back to the enclosure business - it works well, and draws between 160-180mA on the 12V input to the buck converter when the camera is in use (with WiFi, sound, speaker and detection, etc), or about 2 watts. The pics below all show current being measured (I forgot to take the meter off the 10A input, but the reading should be close). I also got some pics of the basic box, which was installed with a POE power splitter and some cable glands.
I'm gonna make some changes to the box, and add a TPU washer for the cable glands, and maybe a weather cap for the fuse holder. I may not include the cable glands in the final version, since they are not waterproof if the cable is too large or small (they are more water resistant). I think standard PG-16 or other more water tight cable glands are probably a better option anyway, but I like my version for the size and cost.
Update 9/29/2024: I removed this update since I decided to go with a commercially available cable pass through. Much simpler and will do the job better I think.
Update 9/30/2024: I still need to get the wire pass through box printed (edit - I decided to go with another option for the pass through), but I picked up a couple more Tapo cameras, and a wired doorbell cam as well for $50 on sale (the wireless version is a couple bucks cheaper after $3 coupon). But when I went to check out, I noticed that on the page right before hitting the button to order, there is an option which said "Device linked to your Amazon account to simplify setup." with "Change" below it. Clicking "Change" will allow un-linking the cameras from the Amazon account, which I'd recommend, unless you intend to use them with Alexa. I'd expect this if I was ordering a Fire Stick or Tablet, but it seems kind'a sneaky that Amazon is slipping in Alexa preconfiguration on a Tapo camera. Opting in to that really should not be the default option, as well. Just something else to watch out for.
I could not find anywhere on Amazon to check if there are any devices tied to Alexa (so they could be removed), so I expect that the Alexa app may be required for that, which I don't plan to install. The sneaky checkout Alexa setup default option seems like the only downside to the cameras though, they are working really well, and are a big upgrade from the old analog cams they are replacing. I have had a few issues with the app, but they seem likely related to the Wi-Fi connection between the phone and router, since the cameras seem to connect OK. They also record locally, so if the cameras lose the network connection to the NVR, they can still record to their local SD card.
The Tapo cameras are simple enough to set up with the Tapo app anyway.
Update 10/8/2024: I picked up yet a few more Tapo cameras, which are still on sale, now for the Amazon "Big Deals" day (October 8-9). I really like the C320WS, which sits in the middle of the pack between the C310 and C325WB. I'm too cheap to buy the C325WB, though I have heard it has really good color night vision. The C320WS however seems more responsive than the C310, has a wider field of view, looks sharper and maintains color night vision in areas with some lighting at night. The C320WS however does not have what I would call "true" color night vision, since if it is very dark, it will either need to use the built in white lights, or switch to black and white with IR illumination. For "true" color night vision, I think the C325WB is a better bet (though it costs almost twice as much as the C320WS).
The very cheap C120 is also a really nice camera for the money, and also stays in color night mode as long as there is some light in the area (like from a porch or street light). I'm still tweaking the design of my "wall wart" mount for the C120, since I decided it needs some holes to drain any water that may get into the mount. I'm running some more tests of that new iteration of the design, and will update here when it's done.
I could not find anywhere on Amazon to check if there are any devices tied to Alexa (so they could be removed), so I expect that the Alexa app may be required for that, which I don't plan to install. The sneaky checkout Alexa setup default option seems like the only downside to the cameras though, they are working really well, and are a big upgrade from the old analog cams they are replacing. I have had a few issues with the app, but they seem likely related to the Wi-Fi connection between the phone and router, since the cameras seem to connect OK. They also record locally, so if the cameras lose the network connection to the NVR, they can still record to their local SD card.
The Tapo cameras are simple enough to set up with the Tapo app anyway.
Update 10/8/2024: I picked up yet a few more Tapo cameras, which are still on sale, now for the Amazon "Big Deals" day (October 8-9). I really like the C320WS, which sits in the middle of the pack between the C310 and C325WB. I'm too cheap to buy the C325WB, though I have heard it has really good color night vision. The C320WS however seems more responsive than the C310, has a wider field of view, looks sharper and maintains color night vision in areas with some lighting at night. The C320WS however does not have what I would call "true" color night vision, since if it is very dark, it will either need to use the built in white lights, or switch to black and white with IR illumination. For "true" color night vision, I think the C325WB is a better bet (though it costs almost twice as much as the C320WS).
The very cheap C120 is also a really nice camera for the money, and also stays in color night mode as long as there is some light in the area (like from a porch or street light). I'm still tweaking the design of my "wall wart" mount for the C120, since I decided it needs some holes to drain any water that may get into the mount. I'm running some more tests of that new iteration of the design, and will update here when it's done.
Update 10/18/2024: The design works, but after thinking about it some more today, I had some ideas on how to improve it. Installing the prior version was not as simple as it should be, and I also wanted to make the drain holes optional. The current, I think 3rd version of this design, covers those improvements an a few more. The drain holes are now hidden, unless they are needed, and then they can simply be punched out of the base during installation. The parts also go together much simpler, with less pre-assembly (the camera should still be installed in the ball part of the mount beforehand). Finally, there will be an option for a TPU gasket on the camera, to better seal the front from moisture. This housing is not designed to be water tight, rather it is designed to allow for drainage when water does get in, but the TPU seal on the front of the camera should limit water from getting into the mount. The cameras are outdoor rated, so the housing just needs to keep water from accumulating around it. I plan to test this once my prototype is done printing.
If running this without the TPU gasket, everything fits on one plate (without supports), and the print time should be about 6 hours. If everything looks good when I get this printed, installed and tested, then I will post links to my MakerWorld and Printables libraries where the models can be downloaded.
If running this without the TPU gasket, everything fits on one plate (without supports), and the print time should be about 6 hours. If everything looks good when I get this printed, installed and tested, then I will post links to my MakerWorld and Printables libraries where the models can be downloaded.
Update 10/19/2024: After running off one of the new version mounts yesterday, I found a few more small things to fix or improve, and once I can test those later today, I think this one may be in the bag. I also added a version of the cover without the holes, since the new design no longer requires them. The new mount design has an M3x8mm screw which holds the cover on through a groove in the base, which would be attached to the wall with screws. That is the more typical design for these wall wart style mounts, and should work fine in most cases. Really though, there are 2 ways to mount it, and I think that using the mounting holes which through the cover will add a lot of strength in any location where the camera could be reached easily. I also added some bumps on the base of the mount to help indicate where the holes are, if using the three screw holes through the cover to mount it.
There is also an update to the TPU gasket design, which will now index itself in the correct position, since I realized when testing the initial gasket design, that it can rotate out of position during installation (though it was not really a big problem). The ball design also required a small change to allow the gasket to index, so that is being re-printed as well to test.
Finally, I added a few bends and bumps to better hold the USB-C power cable, when routing it through the base of the mount. That change should make for bit of resistance to better grip the USB cable.
Hopefully these updates will move this project over the finish line, since I have two more of these C120 cameras to install yet.
There is also an update to the TPU gasket design, which will now index itself in the correct position, since I realized when testing the initial gasket design, that it can rotate out of position during installation (though it was not really a big problem). The ball design also required a small change to allow the gasket to index, so that is being re-printed as well to test.
Finally, I added a few bends and bumps to better hold the USB-C power cable, when routing it through the base of the mount. That change should make for bit of resistance to better grip the USB cable.
Hopefully these updates will move this project over the finish line, since I have two more of these C120 cameras to install yet.
Update 10/22/2024: The C120 mount is now uploaded on Printables and MakerWorld, you can find them at the links below:
https://www.printables.com/model/1047621-tapo-c120-camera-wall-wart-mount
https://makerworld.com/en/models/722213#profileId-653148
https://www.printables.com/model/1047621-tapo-c120-camera-wall-wart-mount
https://makerworld.com/en/models/722213#profileId-653148
Update 11/5/2024: I uploaded a simple sign for the camera, which you can find at the links below:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/761519#profileId-696242
https://www.printables.com/model/1063786-video-surveillance-sign-with-screw-or-3m-command-s
https://makerworld.com/en/models/761519#profileId-696242
https://www.printables.com/model/1063786-video-surveillance-sign-with-screw-or-3m-command-s
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