Self-hosted NVR: record cameras on your own hardware (Frigate guide)
Facts last verified · Every claim is linked to its source · Methodology
A self-hosted NVR keeps every recording on a computer you own, with no vendor cloud in the loop. The best-known open-source option is Frigate, which describes itself as "a complete and local NVR designed for Home Assistant with AI object detection" that runs object detection locally for IP cameras. 1
What you need
- A computer. Frigate's hardware page says anything with an Intel CPU with AVX and AVX2 instructions that can run Debian should work, and suggests a mini PC with dual network ports so cameras can sit on a private network blocked from the internet. 2
- A detector (recommended). Frigate says a recommended detector is optional but strongly recommended, and CPU detection is for testing only. Its hardware page suggests machines with an M.2 or PCIe slot for accelerators such as Google Coral or Hailo. 12
- Cameras that expose a local stream (RTSP and/or ONVIF). Home Assistant's ONVIF and Generic Camera integrations are both Local Push. 34
Cameras and doorbells in our database with documented RTSP/ONVIF
| Device | Score | RTSP/ONVIF | Local storage | Home Assistant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubiquiti UniFi G4 Doorbell ProDoorbell · Wired (doorbell wiring or PoE kit) | 90 | Yes | Yes | Local push |
| Ubiquiti UniFi G5 FlexCamera · PoE | 90 | Yes | Yes | Local push |
| Ubiquiti UniFi G5 BulletCamera · PoE | 90 | Yes | Yes | Local push |
| Ubiquiti UniFi G4 InstantCamera · USB-C, Wi-Fi | 90 | Yes | Yes | Local push |
| Reolink Video Doorbell (PoE / WiFi)Doorbell · Wired (PoE or 12–24 VAC) | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push |
| Reolink E1 Outdoor ProCamera · Plug-in, Wi-Fi | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push |
| Reolink RLC-811A (PoE)Camera · PoE | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push |
| Reolink E1 ZoomCamera · Plug-in, Wi-Fi | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push |
| Reolink Duo 3 PoECamera · PoE | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push |
| Amcrest AD410 Video DoorbellDoorbell · Wired (doorbell wiring) | 73 | Yes | Yes | Local polling |
| TP-Link (Tapo, Kasa) C210Camera · Plug-in, Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) | 68 | Yes | Yes | Local polling |
| TP-Link (Tapo, Kasa) C120Camera · Plug-in, Wi-Fi | 68 | Yes | Yes | Local polling |
Reolink RTSP/ONVIF setup note (added Oct 22, 2026): on many current Reolink models, RTSP and ONVIF (and on some, HTTP) ship switched off. Reolink says to enable them once in the Reolink App or desktop Client under Network > Advanced > Server Settings, or in the web interface where it is reachable56. For cameras attached to a Reolink NVR or Home Hub, enable the ports on the NVR/hub instead5. The App and Client can manage a camera as a "Local Device" using only its UID, username and password, so no Reolink account is needed for this step7. Home Assistant users report the same out-of-the-box behavior on recent firmware8.
Ones that won't work (or need workarounds)
- EZVIZ DB2: EZVIZ lists its protocol as "EZVIZ Cloud Proprietary Protocol". 9
- TP-Link (Tapo, Kasa) Kasa KD110: TP-Link says you need the Kasa app or a Google/Alexa display to view it, not a PC. 10
- Wyze Cam v4: Wyze offers RTSP firmware only for Cam v2, v3 and Pan v1. 11
- Ring, Blink and Nest devices document no RTSP/ONVIF; see each device page.
Lock the streams down
Consumer Reports found that many cameras' RTP video streams need no authentication at all: anyone on the network can open them in VLC with a simple rtsp:// URL. 12 Put cameras on a separate network or VLAN, never port-forward RTSP to the internet, and keep firmware updated.
Informational only, not legal advice. Found an error? Tell us.
Sources
- Frigate docs: Introduction · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Frigate docs: Recommended hardware · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Home Assistant: ONVIF integration · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Home Assistant: Generic Camera integration · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: How to configure Reolink ports settings · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Reolink Home Assistant integration (prerequisites) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Local Device vs Account Device · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Home Assistant Community (user report): Reolink cameras ship with open-protocol ports off · checked Oct 22, 2026
- EZVIZ (EU site): DB2 battery video doorbell · checked Oct 22, 2026
- TP-Link: Kasa KD110 FAQ · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Wyze: Wyze Cam RTSP (firmware for v2, v3, Pan v1 only) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Consumer Reports Innovation Lab: Risks of RTP video streams (Apr 2024) · checked Oct 22, 2026