What’s new: Smart home cameras are consuming significant upload bandwidth, leading to network slowdowns. The article suggests transitioning to a local-first surveillance infrastructure using RTSP (real-time streaming protocol) to alleviate this issue.
Who’s affected
Homeowners using multiple cloud-based smart cameras may experience degraded internet performance, particularly during video calls or online gaming due to asymmetric upload speeds from their internet service plans.
What to do
- Switch to RTSP-capable cameras that support local streaming to reduce reliance on cloud services.
- Set up a self-hosted backend using open-source software like Frigate NVR or Scrypted for local video processing.
- Isolate camera traffic on a dedicated subnet or VLAN to prevent interference with other devices on the network.
- Enable RTSP streaming in the camera settings and configure a local storage solution for video feeds.
- Stop paying for cloud storage subscriptions by utilizing local storage and processing capabilities.
