Chinese Direct Disruptor Reolink Tested

Author: Ethan Ace, Published on May 31, 2017

Another Chinese disruptor, Reolink, is gaining attention.

This one is selling direct from its own website, with fulfillment by Amazon. And a number of their prices make Dahua and Hikvision look downright expensive. For example, a fixed lens 4MP camera for $75, a varifocal zoom 4MP camera for $105, etc.

They have been aggressive, spamming sites as well as with affiliate programs claiming 10 to 20% comissions [note: IPVM never does any of these programs.]

We did want to see how Reolink performed, so we bought the fixed 4MP camera, the zoom 4MP camera and an NVR, shown below:

Inside, we examine performance and other issues in detail.

******* ******* *********,*******, ** ******* *********.

**** *** ********* ****** **** *** *** *******, **** *********** ** ******. *** * ****** ** ***** prices **** ***** *** ********* **** ********* *********. *** *******, a ***** **** *** ****** *** $**, * ********* **** 4MP ****** *** $***, ***.

**** **** **** **********, ******** ***** ** **** ** **** affiliate ******** ******** ** ** **% ********** [****: **** ***** does *** ** ***** ********.]

** *** **** ** *** *** ******* *********, ** ** bought *** ***** *** ******, *** **** *** ****** *** an ***, ***** *****:

******, ** ******* *********** *** ***** ****** ** ******.

[***************]

Test *******

** *** *****, ******* *** ******* ********* ******** ** *****, Hikvision, *** ***** *** **** *** *******:

  • ***** *******:******* *******' ***** ******* *** ******* ** ***** *** ********* day *** *****, **** ** ****** **** ***************,**** **, ******* ********** ** **** ***** ** ****** *****. ************, *** *** interface *** *****, ******* ********/********** ******* ****** ** *********/************* ******** seen ** ***** ***** *** **** ****, **** ******* ** professional ******.
  • ** *********** ******:****** ***** ******* ****** ****, ****** ******* ** *** ********** conformant, **** ******* ****** *** ********* ******** ** *** ***** tested (********, *****, *****, *******, *********, ******* *****/** ********).
  • ****** ***** ******:*******'* ***** ****** ***** *** *** ******** ** **** ******, with ****** **** ************* ********* *** ***** ******* *** ****** devices ******* **** ***** ***** **** ***********, * **** ******* process **** ****** ***** ********* ******* ******* ** ** ***** one ** * ****.

*******, ***** **** *** *** ******* *********:

  • **** *******/** ***** *****:*******'* ******** **** ******* ** *** ****** ******, *** ** their ****** *** ************** *********** **** **** *** ** **** as ***** **** ** ***** ***** *******, *** ******** ** many ***** *******.
  • ******* *** *************:*** ****-*** *** ********* **** ******* *******, **** ** ***** party ** ***** *******, *** **** **** ********* ** *** rear *** *****, **** ** *** ** *** ******* ******* elsewhere ** *** *******.

Integrator *********

******* *** ***** *** ********* ******** ** **** ********** ** camera ************* ***** *** ****** ** ****** ******* ***** ***********:

  • **** **** *******:******* *** ** ******* ********* ******* ** ***** ****** *****. There ** ** ****** ******** *******, **** *********** ****** *** same ***** ** *** ***** *** *******. ** ********, ***** Hikvision, *****, *** ***** ******* *** ** ****** ***** ******, these ************* ***** ****** ******** **** ********** **********, ****** *********, etc.
  • ** ***** *******:** ******** ** *****, *********, ** ******, ***** *** **** extensive ***** ******** ***** *************, ******* ** ***** ******** (**** Kong/Shenzhen) **** ** ***** ****, *********, ***., ****** ** **** difficult ** *** ******* ** ******* ********* ** ****** **** equipment, ** ***** ******** *** ********* ** ***.
  • ** ***** **** *******:******* ******* ** ****** ********/****** ****. ***** ** * ******* ****** ** ***** *******, *** it ** **** **** *****, **** ****** ***** **-** ***** ahead ** ** ****. ** ********, *****, *********, *** ****** have **** *********** ***** ******** **** ******* *****.

Reolink *******

******* ** ******** ** **** **** *********** *** ** *** lack ** ***** ******* *** ******* **********. *********** *** ******** to ****** **** ****** **** ** *****, ******, ** *********, all ** ***** ***** ********* ***** ******** ******* ********** *** at ***** **** ***** ** ******* ********** (****** *** ***** are ******* ********* ****** ** ****** ***** ** ******, ** well).

*******, ***** ***** ********** ********* ******* *** ****** *****, ******** with ****** ***** *** ****** ******, ** **** ** ******** usability *** ***** ******* ******** ** ******** ***** *** **** brands, ******* ** ****** ** **** **** ******* **** ***/***/**** users, ******* **** ********* *** ***** ** **** ******.

*******

**** ******* ******* ****** *** ************* **** ********* **** ******* low **** ****** **** ** ********* ** *****.

*** ****** ****** ** **** **** **** *** ***** ** Dahua *** ********* *********** ******.

***** *** ********* **** **** ** *********** */*** *** ***** of ***** *** *********.

*** ****-*** *** ** ****** ********** ***** **** *********** *** models, ~$*** ******, **. $***-*** *** *****/*********.

************

******* ******* *** ********* *** ********* ******** **** ***** *******. Reolink **** *********** ** ******, ******* **** ****** **** **** with *-*** ******** *** ***** *******.

*** ******* *** *** ******* ** ******* ****** *****, ***** here, **** ** ****** *********** ****** ******* **** ******* ******* Technology ** *** ******* ****.

Who ***** *******

******* *** *** ******** ************ ** ******* ******* ** ** difficult ** *********.

** *******'* ******** ****,** ******* ** **** **** ** ******, ***** ***** ****** *********** *** ******** ***** ***** (************ ****) ***** * ******** *******.

*******, ******** *** *** ** *** ******* ******' ***** ******* manufacturer, **** **** ** ******* ** ******** (****** ********* **** above).

**:**:** ******** ******** ******* ********** **., ***.

** **** ** ** *** ****, ** ** ************** ********** ** ***** ***** **** ************* *** *******, ** ****** appear **** ******* *** ***** *** ** ****.

Physical ********

*** ***-*** **** **** ** ******* ** **** *** **** factor ** ***** ********* **** *******, ***** *****.

*** **** ** **** ** *** ****** ******, ******** **** to * ********* **** ******.

*** ******* *** **** * **** ********* **** ****** **** other **** ** **** ******, *** *********** *** **** **** types, ***** ***** ******** ** *********. *** **** ******* ********* are *** **-*** *** */* **** ***** ** *** ********* NVR, ** **** ** ***** ** (******* ******** **** ***** out).

Default ******** ******** ****

******* ******* **** **** *********** ******* ******** ** *** ****** label: ***** / (*****). ***** **** ********* ** ******** ********, this ********* ************* ** ********** ** *** *******' ***** ****** being ** *** ***** ****, ****** **** ********** **** **** cameras, ***** ******* ***** ** ***** ****** ** ****** *** reset ******.

Web ********* *********

*** *** ********** ** *** ******* ******* *** *** *** better **** **** ******* **** *********** ****** ** **** ****** (see******* $** ***** *********** *** **** ******* ****** ********) ***** ********* **** ******* ***, ***-*********** ********, ******* ***** won't *******, ***. ** *** **** ** ***** ****** ** the ******* ****** ******.

*** *** ********* **** **** ** ******** ******** *** ******** ActiveX.

** ****** *** *** ********* ** **** *****, ************ *** areas ** ** ***** **.

Reolink *****

******* ****** **** ** **** ********** ***** ******, ***** **** simply **** "**** & ****."

****** **** ***** ************* ***** ******* ******* ** ** ***** one ** * **** *** ** **** ** ****** **. Instead, *** ******* *** ******** ******* ** *** ***** ******* and **** **** ** *** *** *************, ********* ***** **** & **** **, ********* ***** **** ** ***** *** ******* password (** ******* **** *******). ***** **** *********, ******* *** be ******** **** ******* *** ********, **** ** **** ********** or *** ********.

**** **** **** ******* ** ******* ** *******, *** *** be ****** *** ** ****** *****.

NVR *************

*** ******* ****-*** *** *** *** *** ************* ******** ** others:

  • **** ******* ******* *********:***** ***** *** ***** ******* *** *** *********, **** ******* models.
  • ***** ******* ****:**** ******* ******** ** *** **** *** ***** ** *** NVR *** *********. ***** ** ** *** ** ****** *** cameras ** *** ***** *******.

** ****** *** ****** ******** ** **** *****:

Camera *****/*** ***************

******* ******* *** *** ***** **********, *** **** ***** "***** 2.4" *******. ************, ***** ****** **** **** **** **** ** used *** ***** ******* ** **.

** *** *****, *** ******* ********* *** ******** ******** ** all ***** ******, ********* ********, *****, *****, *******, *********, *** NX *******/** ********. **** ***** ******** ****** ********* ****** **** the ******* (***** ***** ******* "***** ******" ***********).

Image *******

** ****** ***** ******* ** *** ******* ******* ****** ***** and ********* *********** ** **** ***** ** ****:

********* **** *******

** **** *****, *** ********* **** ***-*** ******* ******* ** the ***** *** *********, **** ******** ****** **** **********, *** similar ******* *******.

** *****, **** ********** ** ***** **** ** *** ******* camera, **** ******* ******* ** *** ********* *****. **** **** the ***** ******** ***** ********* ** **** *****, *** *** focused ***** ** ********. ** *** **** ***** ** *** original********* ** ***** ****-*** *** ******* ****, ** ****.

****** *******

******** *********** ** ****** ******* *** *******, **** *** ******* camera ********* ******* ******* ** ********* *** ******** ****** **** Dahua, ****** **** **** ************ ** *** ***** ** *** test *****.

** *** *****, ** **** *** **** *****, *** ******* bullet ******** *** ******** ******* ** *** ******* *** **** chart.

Bitrate **********

**** ******* *******' ******** **** **** ******** ** ***** *** Hikvision *** ** *** *** ******:

  • ******-*** *********:******* ********* * "*** *******" *******, ******* ********* ******** **** like ***, ******** **** *** ******* ***** *** ********** ** activity ** *** *****. ************, **** **** ***** ** ** way ** ******* *********** ** ******* *******, ****** ******* ***/*** implementations.
  • ** ***** ******:**** ** *** ******* **** ****** ******** ***** ******, **** "regular" *.***.

***** ****** **** ******* ** **** ********* ****:

*** ****** ******:

Test **********

******** ******** **** ** **** ****:

  • ******* ***-***:**.*.*.*
  • ******* ***-***:**.*.*.*
  • ***** **-***-********:*.***.****.**.*
  • ***** **-***-********:*.***.****.**.*
  • ********* **-*********-*:*.*.*
  • ********* **-**********-**:*.*.*

Comments (2)

Thumbnail newheadshot

Sean Nelson

Nelly Security | 05/31/17 05:55pm

*******. * ****** ******* ***** **** **** ****** *****

Thumbnail image

Jon Dillabaugh

Pro Focus LLC | 06/02/17 11:58am

****** *** ******** **** ***. * ***** *** **** **** they ***'* **** **** ***, ***** *** ********* *** ***** do ****, ** * *** ************** **** *** *** *********** the ******** *****.

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