No Internet at Your Barn? Don't Start With Cellular Cameras

If your cattle, horse or livestock barn doesn't have internet, you may be told to buy cellular cameras. For serious livestock monitoring, that's usually not the solution we recommend.

If you have cell service at the barn, it's generally better to use a cellular hotspot or router to provide internet to a commercial multi-camera system. One internet connection can serve the entire system, while you use cameras actually designed for the job.  If you can see the barn, use your homes Internet and the included commercial antennas.  They are rated at 3 miles line of sight and will simplify and improve the entire system.

How Well Does Your Cell Phone Work Inside Your Barn?

Think about how well your cell phone works inside a metal barn. A good signal outside can become weak or unreliable once you walk inside.

A cellular camera has the same basic problem. And if you have several cameras, you're depending on a good cellular connection at every camera location.

Why Not Cellular or Solar Cameras?

Most standalone cellular cameras are designed primarily for security or occasional remote monitoring—not continuous livestock observation.

For livestock, field of view is extremely important. Many cellular cameras don't provide the wide-angle view needed to see an entire stall or calving pen.

Solar and battery power can also become a weak link. Short winter days, cloudy weather, cold temperatures and frequent live viewing all affect battery life.

When you're monitoring an expensive cow, calf, mare or foal, reliability matters more than saving a few dollars or avoiding a wire.

Use the Right Camera and Solve the Internet Separately

If you have internet at the house, a commercial wireless bridge may be able to carry that connection to the barn.

If you don't have internet available, a cellular hotspot or router can provide it.

Either way, the lack of internet at the barn shouldn't determine what camera you buy.

Use cameras chosen for wide coverage, dependable nighttime viewing, continuous operation and reliable recording. Then choose the best way to connect the system to the internet.

Barn Camera Systems Since 1997

Riverwind has specialized in remote barn and livestock monitoring since 1997.

Whether you need one camera or sixteen, our approach is simple: design the system around the livestock and the farm—not around the limitations of a consumer camera.

When you need to see your livestock, the system needs to work.