How To’s

How To articles for home security cameras and action cams.

How to Connect to a Device that Insists on a 2.4 GHz Wireless Network

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We recently upgraded our wireless network to a Google WiFi System.  A mesh network system is excellent for improving coverage in a home or office.  One thing that practically many mesh networks do is combine the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands together under the same SSID.  For those unaware of the benefits, the 5.0 GHz band provides significant throughput improvements but only at short distances from the router. In the case of Google Wifi, the mesh network will typically prefer the 5.0 GHz network over the 2.4 GHz band.  Google WiFi has intelligence that determines when the 2.4 GHz bands will … Read more

Is it Worth Paying for a myQ Video Storage Plan

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Seems like every camera manufacturer is making some extra coin by selling a cloud plan.  Liftmaster / Chamberlain has joined the bandwagon for their myQ Garage Camera.  Today, we’re answering the question of if the myQ Video Storage Plan is worth paying for? Everything discussed is current as of December, 2023. Any Chamberlain or LiftMaster Secure View Garage Door Opener with an integrated camera is eligible for the myQ Basic Video Storage Plan. What is the myQ Video Storage Plan? Want to watch video of why your garage door opened?  You need to subscribe to a plan.  Absence of a … Read more

How to Hide a Wyze Cam

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There are a lot of reasons to hide a Wyze Cam.  Most notable is that you don’t want an intruder to see it.  If the intruder sees the Wyze Cam, there’s a good chance it gets unplugged, smashed or stolen.  Fortunately, the Wyze Cam has a free cloud plan, so hopefully the intruder got in front of the camera before disabling or stealing it. We’re big fans of Wyze Lab products.  We previously reviewed the Wyze Cam v3 and Wyze Cam Pan.  Most of what we discuss in this article pertains to the traditional Wyze Cam although some of the … Read more

How to Save on Batteries for a Wireless Camera

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We have seen several manufacturers introduce some nice products in the wireless home camera arena.  For this article, wireless means no A/C power cable and no Ethernet cable.  Most home security cameras handle wireless connectivity these days but only a handful do wireless power.  Those that do wireless power depend upon batteries and you can blow through these quickly.  We’re going to discuss how to save on batteries for a wireless camera. Save on batteries takes on two avenues of attack.  First is the subject of reducing consumption.  Second is the subject of lowering the cost of getting more batteries. … Read more

How to Watch a Camera on Google Nest Hub

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The Google Nest Hub has been around for several years.  It’s the visual extension of Google Assistant.  The integration is tied heavily with your Google services such as Photos, Calendar, Search and even YouTube. Several manufacturers support integration.  To no surprise, Nest cameras are supported.  So is Wyze with the Wyze Cam v3 and Wyze Cam Pan.  Other supporting manufacturers include Arlo, Zmodo, Logi Circle and several other brands.  No IFTTT is necessary for these cameras to be seen on the Hub. Watching a Camera on Google Nest Hub It can also be integrated quite easily with several popular camera … Read more

How to Insert a Micro SD Card into a WyzeCam Camera

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After you setup a WyzeCam home security camera, you will quickly come to realize the importance of video history.  Especially as it relates to periods of time longer than the 10-20 seconds stored in the cloud with each motion event.  We thought the topic of how to add a micro SD card into a WyzeCam would be a good one to discuss. A micro SD card is not included with the WyzeCam purchase.   So before discussing how to add a micro SD card into a WyzeCam, it’s worth discussing what kind of card you should get.  The WyzeCam supports up … Read more

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