REOLINK 36CH Network Video Recorder for Home Security Camera System, Only Work with 16MP/12MP/4K/8MP/5MP/4MP REOLINK PoE Security Camera, Integrated O/I Alarm System, No HDD Included, RLN36

Overall the features of this NVR are good for recording Reolink cameras and playing back video. You have the option to select the events you want to see, people, vehicles, animals, or all motion. The set-up is easy. The one feature that caught me by surprise was that the NVR acts as a DHCP server and reassigns the attached cameras to its own subnet. This causes issues trying to to use rtsp.The software has a defect, when the NVR is rebooted, cameras randomly do not reconnect, which are on that subnet. WiFi cameras always reconnect, just the wired cameras have the issue. I sometimes have to unplug and replug a camera several times to get it to be reconnected to the NVR. I have multiple camera models, and this issue happens with all of them.Update: March 31, 2025 - The reconnection issues have been resolved. Support had me upgrade to the most current firmware. Also, I reconfigured my LAN so that all of the PoE switches now connect directly to the back of the NVR. All of the cameras reconnect now just fine after a reboot. The latest firmware also has some nice enhancements. I am changing my rating to 5 stars.

So, I really only have 1 Reolink camera, it's the POE doorbell cam (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7S1HMPC/ref=sspa_mw_detail_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams). I've had it for approximately a year now and have been using it with a 256GB SD card. So far, I have been happy with the performance. I have Wyze cams all over the place, but they aren't as reliable as I need them to be, so I decided to start replacing them with Reolink cams. I was debating whether I should get a kit with cameras, NVR and pre-installed HDD or with this one 36 channel. Since I have about 18 Wyze cams, I decided it would be best to get the 36 channel NVR. I bought a 16TB Toshiba N300 Pro HDD (https://www.amazon.com/your-orders/pop?ref=ppx_yo2ov_mob_b_pop&orderId=112-8633424-2744236&lineItemId=jhqmsvmonrmtqups&shipmentId=Qkflgn1S8&packageId=1&asin=B09TQ6ZZPV). Over the next 6 months I'll buy 2 more HDDs.The NVR was super easy to set up, it connected to my camera right away. Having 36 channels makes this NVR great value for the money spent. It connects to the camera quickly and it's picture quality is great. The NVR is very quiet even though it has a NAS HDD.

We previously owned an Amcrest DVR and upgraded to this Reolink NVR. At this point I have drank the Reolink coolaid so I'm not sure how objective this review is but here goes...First the client software:So, some sticky fingered people stole a trailer from us and our first reaction was to go over our video footage to find the pictures for the police, but the process was agonizing with the Amcrest client software. About every 2 minutes the software would just stop playing and report "Playback Error", AND THEN it would forget it's position so we had to write down the time period on paper to keep track of it. Also, the camera's would constantly switch between 4:3 and 16:9 like every 30 seconds making watching the video even more agonizing! Now you might be thinking network, hard drives, etc right? Wrong, we took the drive out of the Amcrest, put it in this Reolink NVR on the same network and all these problems went away. The Reolink client software remembers where we were watching, doesn't drop out, doesn't switch aspect ratio, and doesn't have a load of other problems the Amcrest client had, like the TINY font the Amcrest would default to on my 4k monitor that made it unusable on that computer. The Reolink client software isn't a panacea of wonderfulness but it is so much better then the Amcrest that I will NEVER even consider Amcrest again.The biggest issue with the Reolink client is you can't go fully headless. Some of the system settings and camera set up options just aren't available on the client so you have to have that connection whether you like it or not. Amcrest could set up everything on the client. I went with a HDMI over cat5 to get the 100 feet of distance I needed from the NVR location...and a blue tooth mouse.I agree with another reviewer who said "It's all about the software" and it really is, and for my money the Reolink has much better software.Expect to use Reolink cameras. We had a mishmash of other cameras (none of which ever worked with the Amcrest) and had hopes that some of them would work with the Reolink NVR. NOPE. NOT ONE! One even crashed that #$%&! thing! The Reolink authentication for ONVIF appears to have serious short comings. Disabling all security got us logged in to one camera but that is what precipitated the system crash. Another expensive camera just won't connect, it works fine with software based NVR's on the PC but not with the Reolink (or the Amcrest). We got rid of it to, I'm sick and tired of 20 different pieces of software to view various cameras. Anyway, that was a major disappointment, we bit the bullet and just have been replacing all our cameras. That includes our Ring doorbell which is saving us 3 bucks a month has all the bells and whistles of the Ring gets recorded locally (which ring could never do) and has a better image then the ring. So maybe this review would be better titled Reolink vs The world! We like the Reolink doorbell so much (which also integrates with our Homeseer automation system) that we are getting two more for the back doors and replacing an over priced battery powered thang that has never worked or integrated with the system.NEXT: We have a second building that had its own Amcrest junkware which we have removed, and ran a cat5 line to the Reolink NVR so now all our cameras across the entire property are integrated into a single source and we can look at them all from one piece of software that we can bring up on any device, laptop, PC, phone, bring it up on the TV if something suspicious happens at night. Needless to say we are happy campers.One of the reasons we went with this NVR is the 48 terabytes of hard drive wonderfulness that keeps months of recordings for us. Provided by 3 12 terabyte hard drives, on my nickel...now we're cooking with gas!Okay so that's it, the Reolink software is just better, is the hardware better? The Amcrest was reliable hardware wise, and we just haven't had the Reolink long enough to determine how the hardware will hold up...

I bought an Amcrest 4108E NVR and this Reolink 36 NVR to use at two different locations. The cameras on both systems are basically the same at 4k. Nothing special. Where the difference is noticed is the user interface on these NVRs. The Amcrest is clunky and slow. Amcrest android app is slow and basic. The Reolink interface and app is way easier to use and much faster. I am quite happy with this Reolink and will buy another for the next location. I wont waste my time with Amcrest now that I've tried both..Update- After using a PTZ camera on both the Amcrest and the Reolink, the Reolink user interface is way way better than the Amcrest for moving/zooming a camera. The Amcrest is frustrating at best.What it comes down to is the user interface on an NVR. They all basically have similar camera resolutions and they all record video/audio. The place where one is better than the other is the interface - direct and via app. Reolink wins.