Hey everyone, I just got myself a new Reolink NVR setup, complete with a couple of their cameras and the POE doorbell. I thought I’d share my initial thoughts and some troubleshooting tips I came across while setting everything up. 
So, first off, connecting the doorbell directly to the NVR works, but there’s a catch—it creates its own subnet, making it invisible to my main home network. That’s a bit inconvenient if you ask me, especially since I’d like to integrate everything seamlessly. On the flip side, if I connect it to my home POE switch instead, I lose the ability to record footage. Hmm, tricky!
I also noticed that in the Reolink app, the doorbell shows up as just another camera, not as a standalone device. I was hoping for some unique features or notifications tailored specifically to the doorbell, but it seems like it’s all lumped together. Maybe that’s something they can improve in future updates? 
Another thing I’m curious about is how well this setup integrates with Home Assistant. I’ve heard some people swear by it, but I’m still figuring out the best way to get everything talking to each other. If anyone has tips or tricks for a smoother integration, I’d love to hear them! 
In terms of notifications and two-way communication, I’ve managed to get it working, but it feels a bit clunky. I’m still tweaking the settings to make sure I don’t miss any important alerts. The whole setup is definitely a work in progress, but I’m optimistic it’ll come together nicely. 
If anyone out there has a similar setup or has faced similar challenges, I’d love to hear how you tackled them. Let’s share some knowledge and make our smart homes even smarter! 