We primarily use wired IP cameras throughout the garden and the main make of camera we use are from Hikvision. They are a mini dome IP camera with infra red for capturing images at night. As IP cameras they work using POE (Power over Ethernet,) this makes it easier for wired installation as the 12v power needed to run the cameras is past along two strands of the Ethernet data cable, therefore you only need to run one cable to the camera.

You may ask why don't you use wireless, wouldn't that be easier. In some respects yes it might however it is difficult to flood the garden with a good WiFi signal and in my experience unless you have a very good WiFi signal the wireless camera can drop signal. As you still have to get a 12v wire to power the WiFi cameras therefore you might as well use Ethernet cable and POE giving you a rock solid connection. The only thing with using POE is that you will need POE injectors or POE network switches to deliver the 12v power.

For more information our our network see 'How I organised our wired network' in the FAQ section.

We also have one trail camera which we use to monitor what is going in and out of the Hedgehog house.

Below is a list of the make, model and specification of the cameras used in our garden: