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:
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!
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
JayneCobb17 Dec 2023 12:58Araknis schrieb:
Yes, it exists. You can do PoE (power over Ethernet) over 2-wire as well. Some offer this, and I have had multiple good experiences with 2N (Verso IP or more recently the Verso 2.0 with an improved camera). They definitely have adapters that convert LAN > 2-wire > LAN, simply called "2Wire" by 2N. Essentially, it’s nothing other than powerline (for example, from Devolo) with slightly fewer disadvantages. But it works.
Not at all. We aren’t transmitting 4K here, and for HD well under 100 Mbit is sufficient. There are just more devices in between (converters from LAN to 2-wire and back) and you have a media conversion. Otherwise, it’s doable and better than Wi-Fi as well. Just make sure you actually get a system with LAN over 2-wire and not a “true” 2-wire intercom. In that case, the quality is poor.That sounds great and I’m a bit relieved. 🙂 Thank you for the specific tips and what to watch out for!
JayneCobb schrieb:
Our single-family house is almost finished.I'm glad to hear that.JayneCobb schrieb:
Now the question is, among other things, which doorbell system to install.That seems surprisingly late in the process, and it surprises me (your architect is surely not yet eighty). Wi-Fi wasn’t invented to compensate for electricians’ lack of interest and/or skills. Powerline adapters are already not the best solution, but the rule still stands: “an empty conduit is a good conduit.” Reopening the plaster should be a matter of pride for the architect (and certainly more pleasant than having to file a claim with their professional liability insurance). In my opinion, using plain doorbell wiring is well beyond the tolerance threshold for retro solutions. You wouldn’t use a mechanical typewriter to access the internet, after all...https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
My electrical engineer also had an irrational fear of conduit pipes penetrating the building envelope. Something about the blower door test. I don’t know why, because as far as I know, they simply put a plug on them. He was also absolutely against running any conduit into the attic and only wanted to install cables directly (as preparation for photovoltaic systems). Maybe the electrician feels the same way?
X
xMisterDx17 Dec 2023 22:51Tolentino schrieb:
My electrician also had an irrational fear of conduit pipes penetrating the building envelope. Something about the blower door test. I don’t know why, because as far as I know, they just put a plug on it. He also absolutely refused to run a pipe into the attic, only the cables themselves (as preparation for photovoltaics).
Maybe it’s the same with your electrician? Completely absurd, indeed. We had a core drill hole made for the kitchen hood by the electrician, and the blower door technician simply sealed it with foil and duct tape. That reminds me, we also have conduit pipes on the roof, which the electrician sealed with tape at the bottom.
No one made a fuss about that.
The blower door test was excellent, it would have qualified for KfW55 standards.
What I can’t quite understand… I’m watching streaming media in HD over hotel Wi-Fi… so why shouldn’t a doorbell be able to send a clear HD video over Wi-Fi to the router in the utility room, which is usually less than 5m (16 feet) as the crow flies from the doorbell?
I mean, maybe that’s true, but the problem definitely isn’t Wi-Fi; it’s the manufacturer.
Bosch manages this with their outdoor cameras, and they don’t even have a LAN port.
Maybe that’s an alternative? I’m waiting for the Bosch Smart Eyes II for outdoors. It has everything you need. Combine that with a simple doorbell that notifies you via an app when someone rings. The rest you handle through Bosch…
You know, I’m also in the East (well, in Berlin, but really far to the east), and my electrician guy is an East German too. Here in the neighborhood, nobody really follows any rules (floor area ratio exceeded, driveways either unpaved or paved but probably not by a company with proper approval, regularly burning garden waste in summer, watering the lawn during the day, building strips up to the street even though the building authority said 5m (16 feet) must remain clear, and so on). But this guy was one of those who thought he knew better. To be honest, I almost had a big fight over the conduit because it was arranged differently. But at some point, I just lost interest and wanted nothing more to do with the general contractor and all his people.
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