ᐅ Video doorbell system with two-wire setup, new construction

Created on: 17 Dec 2023 01:52
J
JayneCobb
Hello everyone,

Our single-family house is almost finished.

Now we need to decide which doorbell system to install.

We were a bit naive/out of touch during the planning and just thought of a basic intercom system, maybe with a camera.

After I started learning what is possible nowadays (for example, I like the option to get notified on your smartphone when someone rings and to talk to them remotely), I brought it up with our electrician shortly before and during the installation work. Unfortunately, he had no knowledge of modern doorbell technology and was unable/unwilling to advise us. I had read something about Wi-Fi-enabled systems back then and thought, okay, maybe we’ll go that route. I didn’t really have the time to dive deeper into it.

Now the topic has come up again because it is urgent. I’ve read that for a new build you should have LAN (wired network) installed, and Wi-Fi solutions are usually for retrofitting. We only have two-wire wiring. I am very frustrated that the electrician made no effort to research or advise us (surely we aren’t his first customers interested in this?).

And when I read posts like this one from 2021, my frustration with the electrician grows even more:
untergasse43 schrieb:

It’s just very old technology and no longer up to date. Two-wire is generally only used for retrofits when there is only a classic doorbell wire available. It’s always a compromise compared to “proper” LAN. Conclusion: people simply don’t use it anymore today and it’s definitely not recommended if you are going to install wiring anyway.

There is also a huge difference between “transmitting video” and “transmitting video.” I assume you want to see “who” is at the door, not just “whether” someone is there.

So my questions—please excuse me if they sound silly; I’m overwhelmed by the amount of information and options available:
Is it possible to have a solution like the one I described above even with two-wire wiring?
If yes, in what ways would it be worse than LAN (e.g., image quality)?
Or is there still something useful we can do or retrofit regarding the home technology now?
For LAN, walls would have to be opened up again, as the house is already quite far along.
What disadvantages do I have now from not having LAN installed?
We have two levels (entrance and living area upstairs, bedrooms downstairs); the lower level currently has a standard intercom planned. Is there anything we need to consider for that?

I’m really lost with all the information and don’t know what to prioritize or disregard.
Thanks so much in advance for your help!
J
JayneCobb
18 Dec 2023 01:06
xMisterDx schrieb:

Yeah... then you can’t tell the postal carrier to leave the package in the trash bin.
What worse could happen? Nowadays, Wi-Fi networks can be pretty well secured with a strong password and a MAC filter.
A hacker would have to expect pure gold in your house to bother cracking a 100-character password and tricking a MAC filter. It won’t happen, unless you’re a CEO or engineer at KWM or Rheinmetall.

Um, my concern isn’t really about being hacked. It’s just that Wi-Fi can simply fail.
For example, in our current apartment, it happens roughly every six months for a few hours.
And it was just a guess as to why video intercom systems using Wi-Fi are, in my experience so far, considered more of a last resort.
I’m not necessarily against it myself, but it confused me that it seems to have a rather negative connotation.
xMisterDx schrieb:

I hope you haven’t given up on passive security (like security windows) and now want to “compensate” with cameras...

No, we got advice on that and I think we’re well covered.
If I were to compensate for anything security-related with cameras, I’d do it somewhere other than at the front door, I think.

Regarding Wi-Fi options and locations: We haven’t set anything up yet since we don’t live in the house yet.
Araknis18 Dec 2023 01:07
JayneCobb schrieb:

Regarding Wi-Fi options/locations: We haven’t set up anything yet since we’re not living in the house yet.
Have you installed wiring and connections for access points? Or just a standard telephone jack somewhere and the usual LAN port in some rooms?
J
JayneCobb
18 Dec 2023 01:16
Araknis schrieb:

Make sure to choose a system with LAN over 2-wire rather than a “true” 2-wire intercom. The quality with the latter is usually poor.

A follow-up question:
While researching, I came across the Balter EVO. Would that be considered a “true” two-wire intercom? It has good reviews from a major retailer and is reasonably priced at a few hundred euros. The prices from 2N vary quite a bit...
J
JayneCobb
18 Dec 2023 01:19
Araknis schrieb:

Did you install cabling and outlets for access points? Or just standard telephone sockets somewhere and the usual LAN outlets in some rooms?
I don’t know (yet). 🙁
We blindly trusted the electrician’s recommendations, and that was some time ago.
I will ask.
H
hanse987
18 Dec 2023 06:57
JayneCobb schrieb:

I don’t know (yet). 🙁
We blindly trusted the electrician’s recommendation, and that was some time ago now.
I’ll ask about it.

I have a bad feeling, but hope dies last.
You do know exactly what was agreed with the electrician, right, or did you really just say “one network connection, please”?
J
JayneCobb
18 Dec 2023 09:04
hanse987 schrieb:

I have a bad feeling about this, but hope dies last.
You do know exactly what was agreed with the electrician, or did you really just say “one network connection, please”?

I have the same bad feeling. 😳
In our current apartment, almost everything runs via Wi-Fi. The TV is wired (but none in the new house), though we mostly stream now.
Only one PC is connected via LAN, and for that, we had planned a connection in the study during the walk-through with the electrician. (There are additional LAN outlets, but I can’t recall exactly where right now.) So nothing else stood out during our discussion. Obviously, we hadn’t considered that the new house has a much larger area to cover (that’s what the access points are for, right?).
Wow, we have been quite thorough on many things, but here we really just trusted the electrician. 🙁