The Rabbit Hole of Self-Hosted Security: When a Simple Doorbell Becomes a Journey
There’s something oddly satisfying about seeing a post from someone who’s just installed their first self-hosted doorbell camera. It takes me back to my own journey down the rabbit hole of home automation and self-hosted solutions. What starts as “I just want to see who’s at the door” quickly evolves into running virtual machines, comparing AI detection algorithms, and debating the merits of different RTSP streams at 2 AM.
The original poster mentioned they’re running MotionEye via Proxmox VE, which honestly brought a smile to my face. Here’s someone who’s taken the plunge into virtualisation just to avoid paying monthly fees to Ring or whoever. That’s the spirit that keeps the self-hosted community alive, even when it means wrestling with configuration files instead of just scanning a QR code.
What struck me most about the discussion was the passionate advocacy for Frigate. Multiple users were practically evangelising about its capabilities - object detection, facial recognition, licence plate reading. One person mentioned their upcoming 0.16 update will be able to trigger automations like “the wife is home” or “Steve is at the door.” That’s genuinely impressive technology, but it also highlights how we’ve normalised having our homes constantly analysing and categorising everyone who approaches our front door.
The technical requirements debate was particularly interesting. Some claimed you could run Frigate with multiple 1080p cameras on a Raspberry Pi with a Coral USB accelerator, while others suggested you need beefier hardware. This kind of contradictory advice is classic in the self-hosted world - everyone’s setup is different, and what works smoothly for one person becomes a nightmare for another.
What really resonated with me was the user who described MotionEye as something “if you hate yourself choose.” They were being self-deprecating about their choice, but there’s truth there. Sometimes we choose the harder path not because it’s better, but because we want control over our data and systems. Running your own security system means 3 AM troubleshooting sessions when motion detection stops working, but it also means your footage isn’t being shipped off to some cloud service you don’t control.
The environmental implications weren’t directly discussed, but they’re worth considering. Self-hosted solutions often mean old hardware gets repurposed rather than e-wasted, which is fantastic. However, running dedicated servers 24/7 for home security isn’t exactly energy efficient. There’s always this tension between digital privacy and environmental responsibility that we don’t talk about enough in the tech community.
Living in Melbourne, I’ve noticed more neighbours installing doorbell cameras over the past few years. Most go with the plug-and-play options, which I understand completely. Not everyone wants to learn about RTSP streams and Proxmox configurations. But there’s something to be said for the self-hosted approach, especially given recent concerns about how these companies handle our data and the ongoing costs of cloud storage.
The discussion also touched on integration with Home Assistant, which opens up a whole world of automation possibilities. Imagine your doorbell not just recording visitors but automatically adjusting your lights, sending notifications to your phone with AI-generated descriptions of who’s there, or even interfacing with your smart locks. It’s impressive technology, though it does make me wonder if we’re solving problems we didn’t know we had.
One thing that bothered me was the casual mention of facial recognition and number plate reading. While the technology is undeniably cool, we’re essentially normalising surveillance that would have been the stuff of science fiction dystopias not too long ago. The fact that this is now accessible to hobbyists running home servers is both remarkable and slightly unsettling.
The journey from “I want a doorbell camera” to running enterprise-grade virtualisation software shows how quickly simple needs can evolve in the self-hosted world. What starts as a weekend project becomes a learning experience in networking, computer vision, and system administration. Whether that’s a feature or a bug depends on how much you enjoy troubleshooting at odd hours.
For anyone considering this path, the advice about starting simple rings true. MotionEye might be basic, but it works, and you can always upgrade to more sophisticated solutions like Frigate later. The beauty of self-hosting is that you control the upgrade path - no forced migrations to new cloud services or sudden subscription price increases.
The self-hosted security camera journey perfectly embodies what I love about this community. People sharing knowledge, debating technical solutions, and helping each other maintain control over their digital lives. Even when the solutions are more complex than necessary, there’s value in understanding how things work rather than just accepting black box solutions.
Whether you choose the simplicity of MotionEye or dive into the AI-powered world of Frigate, you’re taking control of your home security in a way that puts privacy and learning first. That’s worth celebrating, even if it means occasionally cursing at configuration files.