DIY baby cams/monitor(s) with privacy?

Question

Hey HN!We're expecting soon, and I'm seeking the latest advice for setting up a multi-camera system. I'd like it to be secure (cameras should be dumb), always-on (so powered by USB, not battery), some kind of standard protocol (e.g. RTSP), good quality/dynamic range (doesnt need to be 1080p, even 720p is fine). General plan is to have a 1-3 VLANed cameras, preferably with safe/integrated auto-IR mode when dark and integrated mics. I'd like it to be remotely accessible/stream-able via a web ui/webrtc with auth.I have Synology NAS, Asus/OpenWRT router, and an OPNSense device between modem and router.The hardware landscape looks kinda crappy. I wanted to maybe do a camera module [1][2] with Pi Zero 2 W [3] but the latter is unavailable due to supply chain stuff and the former is either USB or lacks a built-in mic. Banana Pi M2 Zero [4] might be an alternative. Most of these modules don't support 5Ghz, but i guess that's fine. Seen some other mentions of open source firmware for Wyze cameras. In terms of software, https://zoneminder.com/ looks like the winner?EDIT: This looked promising, but not made anymore? https://www.varia-store.com/en/produkt/97613-banana-pi-bpi-d1-open-source-ip-camera-board.htmlAnyways, thanks for any advice :)[1] https://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Camera-Webcam-OV5647-Adjustment/dp/B08QFM8TVV/[2] https://www.amazon.com/Arducam-Computer-Fisheye-Microphone-Windows/dp/B07ZRJDTBQ/[3] https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-zero-2-w/[4] https://www.amazon.com/WayPonDEV-Banana-Pi-M2-Zero/dp/B0B87F72B1/

bombcar · Accepted Answer

Setup a LAN with PoE and use whatever crappy PoE cameras are the current cheapness. Bonus if you find confirmation they zonemind.
Block that entire lan from accessing the Internet after its setup. If you need to get video out, use a bastion host to do so.
Homeassistant was able to make the cameras work with HomeKit somehow but i forget the details.
(For most of them I just RTSP direct with a password in VLC, and internal website links to them all and it works well enough for quick checks. You can make playlist, too)

denis4inet · Answer

What about MotionEye on OrangePi Zero? You can install Armbian on OrangePi Zero board and then install `motioneye`.I have used this script to install it on my board: https://gist.github.com/dzianisv/b299785c9ec697b78ad2f4bed53...

kleer001 · Answer

That sounds like a fun rabbit hole.You'll want to balance its upkeep with being sleep deprived for a year or so.Wait, where are you located? The states? Are both of you taking parental leave?Me, I'm mostly happy with the Wyze camera. It's not open, but it's security is good enough for me. The software is shite, but it's not owned by a foreign gov't.

gregjor · Answer

I have to ask, for what? I raised three kids without cameras. My wife and I used the time-tested "monitoring" technique: we kept our own eyes on the kids. It wouldn't have occurred to me to watch my kids on camera through a phone or laptop when I could just have them in the same room with one of us. Maybe we just got lucky, but in my experience babies and toddlers can sleep through almost anything if you hold them or keep them close by.The questions seems to ask how to turn a very human activity into a technical problem.

june_twenty · Answer

I would assume most people buy a camera from a store and plug it in. Is there need for more security than strong passwords on the device and router?