CCTVPLANNER.IO · NVR · REOLINK
Reolink Home Hub
Compact Wi-Fi 6 hub with dual microSD slots for up to 8 cameras
SPECIFICATIONS · HOME HUB
Full specifications
Specifications sourced from official manufacturer datasheet (link in hero).
About the Reolink Home Hub
The Reolink Home Hub is a mid-channel recorder positioned for the most common SMB site — typical retail chains, mid-sized offices, warehouses and clinics that sit between roughly eight and sixteen cameras. Built-in HDD capacity is intentionally lean; the unit is meant to be paired with a NAS, cloud archive, or sister recorder when retention beyond ~14 days at full bitrate is mandated. The desktop chassis sits on a shelf, IT bench or wall-mount tray and runs cool enough that ventilation is not a serious design constraint. No PoE ports are built into the recorder, so cameras connect through a separate PoE switch. That is the preferred architecture on professional installs because a dedicated managed switch gives finer VLAN control, larger PoE budgets, and easier replacement than an integrated switch tied to the NVR chassis.
Best use cases for this recorder
General CCTV recording
Records up to 8 IP camera channels at 16 MP resolution with 0-bay HDD storage.
Strengths
- •Compact chassis fits in a half-height comms cabinet or office bench
Considerations
- •No built-in PoE — budget for a separate managed PoE switch with appropriate per-port wattage for the planned cameras
- •Single HDD bay means no RAID protection — schedule regular backups or pair with a secondary NVR/NAS for redundancy
- •Codec support not declared in the datasheet — verify against the camera plan before commissioning to avoid CPU-bound transcoding
- •ONVIF support not declared — third-party cameras may need same-brand replacement or a brand-agnostic VMS instead of this recorder
Storage planning
Running all 8 channels at the industry-typical 4 Mbps/channel H.265 CBR (15 fps, 4 MP scene complexity), the Home Hub produces roughly 338 GB of footage per day — about 2363 GB/week, 10125 GB/month, and 30375 GB across a 90-day retention window. These figures are deterministic — derived from your bitrate assumption, the channel count, and the calendar — not estimated from a marketing data sheet.
Estimates assume 4 Mbps per channel H.265 CBR continuous recording. Motion-only recording typically reduces storage by 40-70%.
Installation tips for the Home Hub
Locate on a shelf in a ventilated, lockable cupboard — desktop units pull dust through the chassis quickly when sat on a carpeted floor, and the HDDs need ambient temperatures under 30 °C for rated life.
Plan storage at roughly 338 GB/day (≈10125 GB/month) for continuous H.265 recording at 4 Mbps/channel — match HDD capacity to the longest retention window the privacy policy or insurance contract demands.
Pair with a managed PoE switch sized for the camera plan — choose 802.3at (≤30 W/port) for typical IR-equipped bullets, 802.3bt (≤60-90 W/port) when PTZ or heated housings are in scope.
Power & rack
Power draw sits at roughly 30 W idle and around 30 W under full load (0-bay HDD activity). That dissipates approximately 102 BTU/hour of heat into the rack — size the comms-cabinet ventilation accordingly. On desktop placement, raise the unit on rubber feet or a vented tray rather than directly on carpet — the chassis pulls cooling air through bottom intakes and dust ingress is the primary cause of premature HDD failure.
Installer time & cost (rough estimate)
A typical EU integrator quotes 4-6 h of labour to commission the Reolink Home Hub (approximately €180-€270 excluding hardware), broken down as physical install, HDD population, 8-channel discovery and IP/credential configuration, schedule + retention setup, motion / event rules per camera, mobile-app pairing, and a brief operator handover. Allow extra time for sites with non-standard network topology (multi-VLAN, multi-site bridges) or for migrations from a legacy DVR where camera streams must be re-addressed.
Indicative EU 2024-2025 pricing — actual quotes vary by region, network topology and migration scope. Excludes hardware, HDDs, transport, permits, and VAT.
Frequently asked questions
How many cameras can the Reolink Home Hub record?
Up to 8 IP camera channels per chassis. The ingest bandwidth ceiling is not declared in the datasheet — confirm with the vendor before specifying high-bitrate (4K, 12 MP) cameras across all channels.
Does the Reolink Home Hub support third-party (ONVIF) cameras?
ONVIF compliance is not declared in the official datasheet for this model — assume same-brand cameras only, or verify with the vendor before pairing it with non-Reolink hardware.
How much storage does the Reolink Home Hub need for 30-day recording?
At the industry-typical 4 Mbps per channel H.265 CBR (15 fps, 4 MP scene), all 8 channels recording continuously for 30 days produces approximately 10125 GB (9.9 TB) of footage. Motion-only or event-triggered recording typically cuts that by 40-70 % depending on scene activity. Plan HDD capacity for the longest retention window your privacy policy or insurance contract demands.
What HDDs are recommended for the Reolink Home Hub?
Use surveillance-rated HDDs — WD Purple, Seagate SkyHawk, Toshiba S300, or equivalent. Desktop / consumer drives (WD Blue, Seagate Barracuda) are not validated for 24/7 write workloads and typically fail within 12-18 months in CCTV use. Match drive capacity across bays if planning RAID — mixed capacities default to the smallest disk size per stripe.
Does the Reolink Home Hub need its own PoE switch?
Yes — the recorder has no built-in PoE, so cameras connect through a separate managed PoE switch. Size the switch's PoE budget for the planned cameras: 802.3at (≤30 W/port) handles typical IR-equipped bullets and domes; 802.3bt (≤60-90 W/port) is needed for PTZ and heated housings.
What power and cooling does the Reolink Home Hub need?
Plan for 30 W idle and ~30 W under full load, dissipating roughly 102 BTU/hour into the rack or cupboard. Size the UPS for at least 15-minute hold-up so the unit can flush write buffers and shut down cleanly on mains failure — abrupt power loss is the leading cause of NVR file-system corruption in commercial installs.
Is the Reolink Home Hub suitable for evidentiary recording?
Depends on the retention and chain-of-custody policy. The 0-bay chassis is single-disk only; for evidentiary recording, pair with a secondary NVR or NAS for redundancy. On the export side, ensure footage is hashed and timestamped before transfer to investigators.
Related Reolink NVRs
Compare with similar-channel NVRs from other brands
Helpful Tools & Resources
Storage Calculator
Match HDD capacity to your retention policy
Bandwidth Calculator
Verify your network can carry the ingest load
Camera Quantity Calculator
Match channel count to your site
UPS Sizing Calculator
Hold-up time for clean NVR shutdown on mains failure
System Budget Estimator
Hardware + install + commissioning cost
CCTV Storage Planning Guide
Bitrate, retention, RAID — the full math
Plan your CCTV layout with Reolink Home Hub
Use our free CCTV planner to lay out cameras feeding this recorder, match HDD capacity to retention windows, and generate a professional PDF report — no signup required.
Free until you outgrow it · No card · No install