Swann 4K Master Security Camera System, 8pcs PoE Bullet Cameras, 8CH Cat5e Wired NVR System with 2TB HDD, Sensor Spotlights, Color Night Vision, 24/7 Home Surveillance, True Detect, Indoor/Outdoor

I’ve just finished installing all the cameras. This system replaces one I’d been using for 8 years. I thought I was happy with my old system, but this new Swann system has raised the bar on what qualifies for happiness! I’m using the default settings until I have time to digest the massive, well-written manual. The lightweight plastic camera housing let me dangle the cameras from the Cat5 connector without creating strain on that connector. A camera needs to swing freely while I attach its base to the soffit. Coincidentally, the three(3) screw holes in the base lined up perfectly with those in the old system, so I did not need to drill new holes.I needed to loosen all the camera housing screws to enable all degrees of freedom. For my installation, all the cameras are shipped “upside down”. There might be a software setting to rotate the image, but, as I said, I’ve not read the entire manual yet. I found it easiest to screw the base into place, stuff excess cable up into the soffit hole, fit the camera onto the base, fine tune alignment with those previously loosened housing screws.During installation, I used an iOS tablet running the Swann app to verify the cameras are oriented properly, then I tightened all the screws. It’s good to check with the app to see if the camera is actually connected and functioning before mounting it and tightening the screws.Using Cat5e cables already in place from the old system, I attached all cameras to the soffit sheltered by the roof eaves.I’m happy enough with this system to give it 5 stars, but I think a 5-star system should be able to sense a power outage, send an alert, shut down the hard drive, wait for restoration of power, reboot, then resume normal functions. Such a system would, indeed, be a security system. My old system couldn’t do that either, so I have to hope a UPS keeps the NVR alive and that I’m home to deal with manual shutdown, reboot, etc. I did ask about this before purchasing. The Swann rep said to use surge protection. (You can find that advice in the Q&A section of this product’s reviews.)If I remember, I’ll revisit this in a few months. I still need to test remote access from outside our home network, try the warning light and sound, set masks on image areas where PIR motion will trigger alerts.But right now, out of the box with default settings, I’m quite pleased with this system. I can sense a lot of work went into it.

Easy to set up. Had it installed for quite some time now and have had no issues with it. Excellent product!

A wired camera system is better than wireless. I installed a similar 8-channel Swan system at my parents last year, so finally got around to installing one at my home. Cameras are crystal clear, install was not very difficult (except the crawling through the attic part), and the 2TB drive is storing over 2 weeks now without issue. My only issue may be that the system has too many options that I still need to learn about, so I downloaded the specs and manual (which were not included in the box) and need to start reading. So far two systems installed and happy with the quality and ease of simple use - just need to see how far into the weeds I can get ;) Hopefully it's a system I will not have to actually use/rely on, and my neighborhood stays safe; however, fun project to implement and great sense of safety and security.

I really don't understand why anyone has issues with this system. From reading the reviews, I was a little scared to spend this kind of money on a new system. The only reason I did, is that I had an older swann system that worked well, so I gave this one a shot.It is incredible. It is much more receptive to low light/color video than my older system. With all lights off, the black and white video is still crisp and clear. With a small amount of light present, it shows in full color.I wasn't expecting audio, so that was a nice inclusion to be able to hear what was being said (1-way audio only/you cannot talk back).As with other POE systems, the install was a breeze. Just run a supplied ethernet cable to where the camera is going, and you are done. All cables supplied are 60 foot long. If you have a longer run, you can get an ethernet couple and use another smaller cable, or just order a longer cable for very little from Amazon. Just remember to make sure that you are staying within 330 feet for operation.Also, in order to hear audio, you need to change some settings. By default, everything is set at 15 frames per second. If you change this to 20 or higher, you use more bandwidth, but get a better image and audio.I highly recommend this system.

9/23/24 Update:I heard back from Swann through their customer support website. Maeve was superb! I was given detailed troubleshooting instructions and they were able to confirm replacement cameras. While the cameras have not yet been shipped/received, I sincerely appreciate the warmth and genuine concern that Maeve showed throughout the process. I had purchased the cameras as a gift for my parents who live 6000+ miles away and had to do most of the troubleshooting remotely given that my family isn't too tech savvy. Maeve was not only empathetic to my parents' needs but also demonstrated such an urgency to resolve the issue. I hope we can get the replacement cameras delivered and installed soon. I'll update this post as new information comes in.Original Post:I installed this system per manufacturer guidelines for my parents’ home as a Christmas gift. Everything worked as expected and the instructions were great, that is until we started to use the software’s user interface to configure the cameras. After a couple hours, we finally figured out how to use the entire system and everything seemed fine. Now, after 9 months, two of the cameras completely stopped working. We swapped the cameras with other working cameras (from the set) to troubleshoot if it’s a wiring or camera issue and sure enough the cameras were bad. It’s really disappointing that we have a defective system installed as so much time and money were spent installing this security system around the house. Swann, if you are reading this, please reach out to me to help resolve this issue. All others, I will keep you updated on whether or not this actually gets resolved.