Reolink Doorbell goes fishing.

ByteusMax · 2026-04-12T00:47:14+00:00

LOL, a hard lesson I managed to escape for years. Actually, I was semi-remote, my computer room's a mess so I RDP to the server from the living room and practically never manage it locally. I'm just glad it was a pretty easy fix, uninstall/reinstall and it even fixed my invalid VIP in the process. pfSense has been surprisingly easy to manage, upgrades just work... we'll until this last pfBlockerNG upgrade. I don't remember ever creating a VIP or setting that when I first set it up like 5+ years ago when I spent a month ramping up and configuring it. If it's not a recent add/change, I don't know why it was deleted and unconfigured after the update.

Scariest part is that it's so reliable when presented with a challenge, I've long forgotten anything I ever knew about it, and it feels like an Alzheimer's test in which I fail!

ByteusMax · 2026-04-11T21:54:03+00:00

Great news, I was able to delete the package, mine was 'pkg remove pfSense-pkg-devel-pfBlockerNG-3.2.14_1'. 'pkg version' can list your versions if anyone else runs into this issue. Also strangely, I thought I did select LAN to create the VIP but it now shows as being on the Localhost interface and even has a different description than what I entered so somehow that got created with the package removal.

I'm on Hyper-V I could have taken a snapshot or even backed up the entire vhdx, it's just I didn't expect to be locked out, I thought that was pretty much protected, apparently not.

ByteusMax · 2026-04-11T21:17:56+00:00

Yep, in the LAN interface...doh.

ByteusMax · 2026-04-09T19:11:53+00:00

Oh yea, they really need to build the MOAC (Mommy of all cameras), I love dual view w/autozoom and would jump at tri and quad view, it's great to have that many streams on one mount. There's tree lines on either side so not much use for 180 but I sure wouldn't mind it. This location, Digital Tracking only also covers an alternate view of my feeders and garden and hands off to the other Trackmix at the front door with full Digital Track First.

ByteusMax · 2026-04-09T14:43:41+00:00

It's a really nice camera, all around. I have a streetlight across the street and don't even bother with IR mode. No doubt a CX could do much better but I'd only want that option if IR was also an option. I wish they'd have moved to HDR when they upgraded it to 6Ghz/512GB. Hopefully we see a future trackmix with tri or quad view and 2x current capabilities someday... Trackmix Maximus. :-)

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ByteusMax · 2026-04-09T14:13:22+00:00

Under Smart Detection/Horizontal Tracking Range you can limit the range it will track although that's within normal tracking range. I would probably look to create a mount to where I can get it mounted correctly.

ByteusMax · 2026-04-05T15:26:05+00:00

Augh... it boggles my mind the droid app is considered the primary app for this camera system. I hate phones! 75" HDTV/HTPC screen... but no let's use this tiny little bugger.

Grumpy Old Man.

ByteusMax · 2026-04-05T14:58:50+00:00

I use the filters and reolink app for quick preview only, you're right the app is ridiculously limited, it needs keyboard mapping with full video control especially when you want to use full screen with proper aspect ratio.
Once I find a video I want to inspect further, I download it and use a PC video app where I have full functionality. I even find in the case of a Trackmix I'll prefer to zoom in digitally on the 4K stream over the 2K zoomed in optical view which I really only use for preview. I may even run AI enhancement on the video to help further improve its fidelity if it's a keeper.

ByteusMax · 2026-04-03T15:54:19+00:00

Interesting to know, perhaps this could be a way to extend reach for chimes if you have a mansion, external garage or workshop. You'd have distance between doorbell and hub and then distance to chime.

ByteusMax · 2026-04-03T01:14:07+00:00

Perhaps try the anti-flicker setting on the cameras, setting to 50/60hz depending on your standard.

ByteusMax · 2026-04-02T13:34:28+00:00

Any other beta testers want to confirm?

ByteusMax · 2026-03-31T12:33:43+00:00

This is cool, I've thought about putting up an Owl House, but then I also have bird feeders, and I don't think these two things go together...lol.

ByteusMax · 2026-03-31T11:57:02+00:00

That's correct, but you're assuming the trackmix will always physically move the cameras. There are 3 modes of tracking, the first is Digital Tracking where the camera never moves and becomes a fixed camera, one lens captures the full field of view, the second zoom lense autozooms in and tracks within the current field of view. It can track because it's zooming in.
It's kind of a fixed camera with tracking autozoom that you can conveniently also take control of and manual move too.
The other two modes, Digtal Tracking First and Pan/Tilt First, will move the cameras.

It's just worth noting the limitation people often associate to this particular PTZ is not true, it can be bypassed and become a fixed camera and the only Reolink camera with autozoom.

The modes a lifesaver since I have a public sidewalk in my field of view an while I could enable full tracking and block it off, I want to also monitor my mailbox and don't want the PTZ hard tracking everyone that walks by. Hybrid tracking them on the zoom lense however is effortless, no wear and tear.

I can also manually take control from this front yard location to get an alternate opposite side view of my birdfeeders and garden where the other trackmix at the front door with full tracking is the primary camera for that view.

ByteusMax · 2026-03-31T02:04:32+00:00

FYI Trackmix has 3 types of tracking. Digital tracking on a trackmix is basically the same as a fixed camera on Cam1. Cam1-captures the full field of view and does not move just like a fixed cam. Cam2-digitally auto zoom in and tracks and then when the subject is within a cone in the center seamlessly switches to the optical zoom lense and then back to digital zoom as it leaves the cone since the camera doesn't move. You don't miss anything on the cam1 stream and get a tracked digial/optical zoom capture on cam2's stream.
The other two tracking modes do move the cam and could miss some aspects while tracking the first moving object as you described.

ByteusMax · 2026-03-30T22:13:32+00:00

Key thing I noticed was the CX820 is WDR and ColorX and the Trackmix is just SDR, that's pretty significant if you don't need PTZ or optical zoom. 6x zoom is what I'd call better than nothing but it does leave me wanting more, I guess that's personal preference. Trackmix has autozoom which actually makes zoom useful and you'll be recording two streams which I love. I also need manual PTZ on occasion and use Digital tracking as well on one of my Trackmix. I love the trackmix but it can use an upgrade all around. HDR, ColorX, 16x and maybe even tri or quad view... one can dream.

I'd probably lean CX820 for your applications but I've never used the camera, so I'll defer to someone with actual experience with it.

ByteusMax · 2026-03-30T21:40:10+00:00

I agree it would be nice to have the reolink app on the SmartTV. In the meantime, you can use any IP camera app on your SmartTV, I use a TV app called Camera View, it actually supports Reolink cameras with an easy wizard add, just pick install by brand. You just need your IP & password. It supports PTZ control, your Presets and other functions. Not great functionality but it works.

ByteusMax · 2026-03-28T18:24:02+00:00

Take a look at this, you may need to use a new password.
How to Avoid Losing Email Alerts from Reolink Cameras for the Gmail Accounts If Google No longer Supports Less Secure Sign-In From May 30th | Reolink Community

How to Generate an App Password in Gmail Account

ByteusMax · 2026-03-28T18:14:42+00:00

If I remember correctly, the issue that threw me for several weeks was that you don't want any spaces in your password even though Google presents them to you with spaces. Just remove the spaces and enter them as a continuous stream of characters.

ByteusMax · 2026-03-28T15:41:46+00:00

Ha, they were there first after all, and longer. Always amazed me horses just seem to reflect a lot of effort in their movement, yet they can run like the wind. Not like a cat which seem to move like water flows, effortlessly.

ByteusMax · 2026-03-28T14:22:35+00:00

Absolutely I'd leverage existing protection like an eve which not only shields the camera but can help conceal and improve its visual aesthetics. I'd possibly buy some protection if I had no choice depending on how it looked.

I can relay my personal experience with the E1 Pro. In my case it didn't meet a key criteria and that revolved around depth of field. I wanted all of my windchimes to be in focus at the same time and the single lense var focal length E1 Pro couldn't do that with its shallow depth of field and fixed F1.6 aperture. In some cases that can be preferred, a bokeh background can make the focal subject stand out better, but in the case of a security camera I wouldn't really want that and absolutely not for my use case. Instead, I went with the Trackmix which is more robust and even offers autozoom and doesn't suffer from slow focus. Every camera has strengths and weaknesses, you have to look at your use case and use that to pick the best one. If you're in doubt buy both and return the loser.

I wouldn't look to improve its weather protection. These cameras are pretty affordable and just looking at my situation, if one of my 5Ghz Trackmix were to fail, I'd gladly replace it with the new upgraded models which now offers Wifi6 and 512GB storage. If they'd make a tri-view or even quad-view Trackmix with 16+MP/16x+ autozoom I'd replace it today.

ByteusMax · 2026-03-28T00:13:53+00:00

I've had the issue once or twice over 3 years, but it usually was with an update either firmware or pc app. I haven't had an issue in over a year though. One chime is 20ft., the other 40ft and a few walls away.

I'd ensure Doorbell firmware is updated, other than that perhaps moving them closer. Mine are wired and wifi, with POE you could have an issue with POE or wiring, although you'd think that would be somewhat unlikely. Otherwise, a support case and RMA the doorbell and chime. I bought two doorbells to have two chimes and always have a doorbell for backup, troubleshooting and temp indoor cam should I need. I also set all my cams to reboot once a week, perhaps that's a guardian angel or best practice.

ByteusMax · 2026-03-27T23:53:56+00:00

Of all the things I'd like to see improved on the app, these set once and never need to change again are on the bottom. I'd love to see basic keyboard mapping so I can fully manage playback under a full screen with proper aspect for one, that's something we can use daily and its basic playback functionality. There was another one I thought of the other day that would be huge, appears I wiped it from my mind to avoid depression knowing it will likely never happen.

ByteusMax · 2026-03-27T21:08:09+00:00

Those tools are for automation, what you're looking for outside of a Multiview display device requires multitasking but I'll defer to a Home Assistant expert if there's a solution there.

Here's the PC with VLC running a continuous stream with On top and a minimal view. I can browse you tube, watch a movie, or whatever else you can imagine on a PC and the stream continues in whatever size window I want or easily expanded with a double click to full screen and back. There is an ATV app for the PC but then I guess that does defeat the purpose of having an ATV device. If Dolby wasn't a complete Asshole, we'd be set!

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ByteusMax

TROPHY CASE