Greetings:

So i’ve had some crappy luck with “security systems” just to name one was Lorex- $690 for a “nvr” system with god awful video- 2way audio that is beaten by 1980s brick phones- and garbage interface that is inexcusable for being 2023.

I have done a minuscule amount of research and found a lot of companies will use “off the shelf” cameras. This got me thinking- Why cant an average joe who knows nothing like me DIY. I want to add 3 cameras to my house- POE and will record locally via that same patch cable like a Normal NVR does.. I dont want inflated prices- BS wonky app that restricts you- maybe be able to integrate it with my sometime soon venture into Home Assistant.

Where should I start? Can some more experienced recommend a starting point for camera POE delivery? I plan to repurpose a older Intel I3 16GB ram and GTR950 PC for my “system” HDD arent to bad- 14TBs can be had for $200 on amazon. Im not looking to spend baller money right now- that will come later when I am more experienced and can afford better hardware. Anyone else taken on this similar task?

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My Goal- Local self controlled need no ones permission to access my data and its protected..Im going to research home assistant and that thing call IFTTT so I can try get alerts on my phone.

And hey if anything here is just bonkers let me know and help guide me- im open to learning. Just trying to get my feet wet at a entry level to get rolling.