Close Hub: Manufacturers such as Eufy and TP-Link offer smart hubs that connect wirelessly to their security cameras and provide expandable storage. Sometimes these internal hubs allow for more internal AI processing (the Eufy hub enables facial recognition). They can also sometimes extend the wireless signal and camera stability. These ports often need to be plugged directly into your router via an Ethernet cable.
MicroSD card: Sealing a microSD card Logging into a camera is a quick and easy way to record locally, but if an intruder steals the camera, your footage is lost. From time to time, camera manufacturers offer internal cameras that can be expanded via a MicroSD card.
Network Attached Storage (NAS): If you have a NAS server, you can configure it to store your security camera video. These devices have hard drives and are expandable, providing more storage space.
The best usb flash drives and external hard drives can be used to expand or download videos from some of the above.
Cloud vs. Local
I have a guide to Cloud vs. indoor security camera footage which covers the basic pros and cons in more detail, but in brief:
Cloud storage means your video is backed up online, so an intruder can’t access it, it’s usually easy to access or stream away from home, and it doesn’t require any additional storage hardware. On the other hand, you pay a monthly fee, the video won’t load if your Wi-Fi fails or is messed up, and you trust the service provider, who may share it or use it in ways you’d prefer not to (data breaches are also common).
Internal storage is a one-time cost, doesn’t rely on Wi-Fi, and makes it harder for anyone but you to access the video. But, there’s a risk if someone steals the physical hardware your video is stored on, or the hardware fails, and it can be slow to access and stream video when you’re away from home.
For maximum security, even with a local system, you can consider cloud backup. You can reduce the risk of your videos being exposed by choosing a cloud service that is end-to-end encrypted, such as Video of Apple HomeKit Secure.
Protecting Your Privacy
Access to your security camera feeds and recorded videos should be end-to-end encrypted, and you should always use two-factor authentication to protect account access. With end-to-end encryption, only your authorized devices can decrypt your videos. With 2FA, you’ll be sent a passcode to a trusted number, email or device when you try to sign in with a new device, so your sign-in and password alone aren’t enough to gain access. Sadly, these features are not always enabled by default.
- Eufy cameras offer end-to-end encryption, but you have to opt-in by tapping the menu in the top left of the app and selecting Settings, Security, Video Encryption, Deep Encryption. You can make sure 2FA is enabled by tapping your name on the menu and Two-factor authentication.
- TP-Link Tapo cameras don’t have end-to-end encryption, but you can set up 2FA to your account by tapping Me tab, View account, Login Security. For Encrypt photos on microSD cardsgo to your device settings and select it Storage and Recording, Internal Storageand knock SD Card Encryption.
- Aqara offers end-to-end encryption on your locally stored video by default. For 2FA, tap Biography bottom right, Settings, Account and Securityand make sure Two-Factor Authentication is turned on.
