Buying a Reolink Home Hub or NVR without understanding the differences could leave you with a setup that doesn’t fit your needs. This is especially important if you plan to use both PoE and Wi-Fi Reolink cameras, as the way your cameras connect can affect which recording solution is right for you.
So, should you choose a Reolink Home Hub or a Reolink NVR?
In this article, I’ll break down the key differences between the two, explain what to consider when combining PoE and Wi-Fi cameras, and help you choose the right solution for your home security system before you spend your money.
What Is the Reolink Home Hub?
New to the Reolink Home Hub?
If you’re reading this article, you might still be wondering what the Reolink Home Hub actually is. Simply put, it’s a centralized storage device for Reolink security cameras. You can connect compatible cameras to the Home Hub and store their video recordings locally without paying for a cloud storage subscription.
The Reolink Home Hub models currently available support up to 8-12 cameras.
The Reolink Home Hub uses microSD cards for storage rather than a hard drive, as it does not have a SATA connection. It supports microSD cards with capacities of up to 1 TB.
What Is a Reolink NVR?
Most of you are probably already familiar with NVR, which stands for Network Video Recorder.
Reolink currently offers three main NVR models:
- RLN8-410
- RLN16-410
- RLN36
Like most NVRs, a Reolink NVR uses a hard drive for video storage, with supported capacities depending on the model.
One advantage of a PoE NVR is that you don’t need a separate power supply for each PoE camera, as power is delivered through the Ethernet cable connected to the NVR. In addition to PoE cameras, you can also connect compatible Reolink Wi-Fi cameras on the same network.
Reolink Home Hub vs. Reolink NVR: Which Is Better for Local Storage?
Both are good options, depending on your specific needs and how you plan to use your security camera system.
The Reolink Home Hub is a good option if you’re using Wi-Fi cameras located relatively close to your wireless network. However, some users have reported that the Home Hub’s Wi-Fi signal coverage is not particularly strong. It also has compatibility limitations, so you should check whether your cameras are supported before purchasing one.
Additionally, if you want each camera to have its own local storage, you’ll need a microSD card for each camera.
A Network Video Recorder (NVR) provides a more stable, centralized recording solution and offers greater flexibility when choosing cameras. With an NVR, you don’t need a microSD card in each camera to view live footage or play back recordings stored on the NVR. However, using microSD cards in individual cameras can be a useful option for backup recording.
Another advantage of using an NVR is its expandability and long-term flexibility. Reolink offers NVR models with multiple hard drive bays, allowing you to expand storage as your needs grow. You can also upgrade or replace your NVR in the future while keeping your compatible cameras, rather than having to replace the entire system.
Finally, some NVRs offer greater flexibility by supporting ONVIF, allowing you to integrate compatible security cameras from other brands. For example, if you already have an EZVIZ camera, you may be able to connect it to a compatible Reolink NVR and manage it alongside your Reolink cameras in one system. However, this cross-brand compatibility is not available with the Reolink Home Hub, which is designed for compatible Reolink cameras.
Why Do Cameras Still Need an SD Card When the Home Hub Already Has One?
The Reolink Home Hub acts as a central connection and storage device, particularly for Wi-Fi cameras.
The Home Hub provides a Wi-Fi network that compatible cameras can connect to. As long as the connection remains stable, video recording to the Home Hub should work normally. However, if a network issue interrupts the connection between a camera and the Home Hub, recording to the Hub may stop.
That’s why installing a microSD card in each camera can be useful.
If the connection to the Home Hub is interrupted, the camera can continue recording locally to its microSD card, helping you avoid losing footage during network outages.
Conclusion
An NVR is still the better choice, especially if your setup includes more PoE cameras than Wi-Fi cameras.
One more thing to consider: if you use an NVR with built-in PoE ports, you can connect your wired cameras directly to the NVR without needing a separate network switch. You’ll only need an additional switch if you expand your system beyond the available ports. The 100 Mbps ports on the Reolink Home Hub Pro can also become a bottleneck when handling multiple high-resolution video streams.
I hope you find this article helpful!