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TP-Link only works with a permanent internet connection
7 points by roscas
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4 comments
TP-Link Tapo C100 model only works with a permanent connection to their servers.
The second you cut internet on the camera it powers off. Why would anyone put a "security" camera in their house with a forced connection to TP-Link servers? And what does it transmit?
So my question is does anyone have a TP-Link camera that works without internet?
TP-Link has a ton of cameras but I don't want any that connects to the internet. Thanks.
rankiwiki
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This trend worries me too.
Losing basic local functionality just because the internet is down feels like a step backward.
Bender
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I think a starting point to avoid such things even if one does not use Zoneminder would be to look at their hardware compatibility lists [1] and ask on their forums [2] to find stand-alone cameras and keep them on an isolated network using a layer-7 proxy such as HAproxy [3] to reach your management interfaces so they do not have a gateway but you can still access your devices.
The forums of all the assorted open source NVR's would also be a good place to share your findings. Zoneminder, Shinobi, Frigate, etc... I mentioned Zoneminder as they are used by a number of corporations and requiring an outbound connection to a 3rd party would be a show stopper for many of them so this topic should be a shared concern.
[1] - https://wiki.zoneminder.com/Hardware_Compatibility_List#IP_C...
[2] - https://forums.zoneminder.com/
[3] - https://www.haproxy.org/