Example plan · House with attached garage · data checked 2026-09-15

How many security cameras do I need for the front door and driveway of a house with an attached garage for under $500?

Plan on 2 outdoor cameras plus a video doorbell for the front door and driveway of a typical house with an attached garage for under $500. This plan costs $390 up front and nothing a month, $390 over 3 years. Every required area is covered day and night. Your layout will differ, so start from this plan and adjust it.

We picked the plan with the most daytime and night coverage within your limits. This is a template result, not a site survey: your doors, trees and outlets move the numbers. Open it in the planner to match your own home.

Cameras

+ video doorbell

Up front

$390

Buy now: $390

Monthly

records locally

3-year total

$390

hardware + 36 months

Daytime view Key spot seen ×Key spot missed Router (R) / mesh node (M) Planning estimate only: check the live view before you drill.

Area	Day	Night	Status
Front door Required	100%	lit	Covered
Driveway Required · unlit at night	100%	100%	Covered

Shopping list

Phase 1 covers your required areas; phase 2 can wait.

#	Device	Where	Power	Phase	Price
1	TP-Link Tapo D210 Battery Doorbell	Front door frame	Rechargeable battery	1	$59.99	Tapo store ↗
2	Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi	Above the garage door	Hardwired to an existing light fixture	1	$249.99	Reolink store ↗
3	Wyze Solar Cam Pan 2K	Front eave, left corner	Solar + battery	1	$79.98	Wyze store ↗
Hardware total					$389.96

Monthly fees

None. Every device in this plan records locally without a subscription.

What you give up by skipping the plan

TP-Link Tapo D210 Battery Doorbell: cloud video history, cloud backup
Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi: cloud backup
Wyze Solar Cam Pan 2K: cloud video history, person detection, package detection, vehicle detection

Wi-Fi check

Add one mesh node near the right side wall. 1 spot is likely out of reach.

Front door frame -62 dBmgood
Above the garage door -86 dBmpoor
Front eave, left corner -69 dBmfair

Most cameras only connect on 2.4 GHz. If your mesh merges bands into one network, turn on a separate 2.4 GHz network for them.

Power and install, spot by spot

1TP-Link Tapo D210 Battery Doorbell · Front door frame Rechargeable battery

Use the quick-release mount so the camera is easy to take down and charge.

Charging: About every 9 weeks at ~30 events/day (estimate; maker: 180 days, usage not stated (we assume 10 events/day)).

• Wi-Fi battery cameras can be knocked offline by a jammer. If you can, wire the camera at this key spot.

Planning reach: ~24 ft by day, ~24 ft at night, 135° wide.

2Reolink Elite Floodlight WiFi · Above the garage door Hardwired to an existing light fixture

Replaces the existing outdoor light. Turn the breaker off first, or hire an electrician.

• Hold it in place with tape and check the live view before you drill.

Planning reach: ~34 ft by day, ~34 ft at night, 180° wide.

3Wyze Solar Cam Pan 2K · Front eave, left corner Solar + battery

Aim the panel toward the south, clear of shade.

Charging: Should stay charged most of the year in direct sun (estimate).

• Wi-Fi battery cameras can be knocked offline by a jammer. If you can, wire the camera at this key spot.

• Hold it in place with tape and check the live view before you drill.

Planning reach: ~40 ft by day, ~30 ft at night, 108° wide.

What to know about this plan

Most microSD cameras ship without a card. Budget for a high-endurance card; it isn't priced here.

Assumptions we had to make (3)

night-vision range not published; assumed 30 ft
sensor width taken as 2304 px from the "2K (3MP)" label
motion-detection range not published; capped at 40 ft (typical PIR sensor)

Start from this plan and edit it Move cameras, mark what you already own, change the budget: everything recalculates.

The settings behind this plan

Areas: Front door (required), Driveway (required)
Monthly fee: Allowed
Wiring: Existing outlets, lights and doorbell wires only
Budget: $500
Smart home: Any
Climate: Mild winters