security using x10 wireless cameras

[rentacop74]

I use x10 cameras wired and wireless around my home and other places.

i use them to keep an eye on my property to help in detering criminal activity.
But do most people that use any wireless cameras realize that they are not a secure connection to just your monitor. thats right folks if your not aware of that better think twice about using them then. ( unless your not concerned) most wireless cameras like the x10 cameras use frequencies in the 2.4 ghz range and can easily be monitored by anyone within range of your cameras with there own monitor and Receiver capable of receiving on 2.4ghz and they can see what your seeing. and also microwaves and other radio transmitters can cause harmfull interference to these cameras and render them almost useless.

Im not saying wirless is a bad idea but most wireless cameras that you buy at your local walmarts or radio Shack are only good for about 100ft. depending on if you add repeaters or whatever to your system. most of the x10 cameras are 380 tvlines meaning that its not the best quality picture but its not that bad either. Im pretty pleased with my system and other peoples systems i have installed for them. During the day there just fine but at night unless you have alot of light forget it wont see a thing. you will still be able to hear good and they do have great microphones built in them to.

so when your looking at security cameras always keep in mind what you want in security cameras, quality,how much should i spend,quanity what do you really need to monitor. there really good for backyards to keep an eye on your kids playing or in the babies room to see if the baby is crying or awake. good for the front door to see who is there before you open the door, great for driveways to see who is pulling up. lots of great places to use cameras and make it easier for you to see what is going on around your place. but wireless isnt always the answer so keep it wired and be safe.

When thinking of purchasing a camera system its not always the cameras and cable that is expensive i have found very good prices on both, its really the monitors and the dvr recorders that cost alot you can set up a pretty nice system with about 4 cameras,dvr,monitor for about 300.00 give or take, all depending on where you purchase your equipment from, size of monitor, colored or b/w, kind of dvr and its size of recording handling etc. i actually found a nice colored camera dome system with dvr for computer for 110.00 on ebay just had to buy cable not bad at all. even came with software and everthing brand new.

notsure if i can post commercial websites here but if your interested in websites i have purchased from send me a message and i will link you up.
i can buy video/audio/power cable in one 65feet long for 20.00. they come in many different lengths.

well give me your thoughts on the use of wireless or even just x10 cameras im a big fan of x10 and i use alot of there stuff.
like to hear from you all on who else has had experience good or bad with x10 or just the use of wireless cameras.


rentacop74

http://webpages.charter.net/kb0vkt

my personal website.

[N. A. Corbier]

I like the X10 protocol for several things (I like home automation), including the security subset and the X10 cameras. When using X10 wireless cameras, or any wireless camera in the 2.4Ghz range, keep in mind that the same place that sells you the X10 can sell the bad guy a Wireless Camera Scanner and viewer, which is basically a monitor hooked up to the detector.

Ask yourself, before deploying something that's consumer-based the following questions:

1. Can I secure the input/output? Either by hardening the control/output lines, or by seeing if it has a secure scramble on the wireless protocol.

2. Can someone hijack my cameras/devices? Most consumer 2.4Ghz stuff, its possible with a little effort and some planning. Its almost into the James Bond realm, but it depends on how dedicated the aggressor is.

3. For IP based products, do I put the security traffic with the customer access? Alternatively worded as, "Do I allow everyone with a wireless device or device plugged into an ethernet port complete access to my IP devices?" Seperate runs of CAT5 for security devices. If they need internet, stick them behind a hardware firewall and a network bridge. If they need to be wireless, that wireless router and every device should support SPA/RADIUS at a minimum, and be calling home to an inexpensive OpenRADIUS server for authentication. Don't let some "businessman" with a laptop start pulling your IP camera feeds, or the kid next door with his PSP.

[EMTGuard]

As already poited out, wireless cameras can easily be intercepted and monitored by others. They are RADIO TRANSMITTERS and anyone with a compatable receiver can pick them up. Most of the 2.4 gig video cameras share 4 common frequencies. By taking the 4 channel reciever which comes with many camer systems, hooking it to a portable TV and driving around town you can pick up many of these cameras in use. This is called WARSPYING.
It is similar to WARDRIVING which is the hobby of driving around with a computer running a wireless internet receiver looking for open wireless internet access points in homes or businesses.
Why Warspying and Wardriving? A few years back in the Matthew Brodwick film War Games the main caracter used his home computer to dial every phone number in a particular area code searching for computer modems which he recored and hacked into later. Thinking he was hacking into a Video Game company computer he actually broke into a military super computer and almost started WW3. "Would you like to play a game?"
A few years later hackers used a similar technique to steal long distance phone accounts and called it WARDIALING in reference to the film.
Most people don't realize how easy it is to view these wireless cameras. I often have my video receiver scanning for cameras and when a new 2.4 Gig camera was installed in an out building at work I saw it as I approched the plant before the Security Supervisor had finished hooking up the monitor in the Guard Shack.
To make others aware of how easy it is to intercept these signals the News director at a TV station in Baton Rouge which I tip for asked me to help with a story. While the video, which runs about 2 minutes, is not available you can read the shorter print version of our report here-> http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?s=%20%201520163 .

[N. A. Corbier]

Aren't these things wonderful? Its amazing how insecure you can make yourself with off the shelf electronics.