Video surveillance in an apartment building, rules for installing cameras, legality, how to install, at whose expense

Video surveillance in an apartment building is now not uncommon, no one will be surprised by the presence of video cameras above the entrances and on the landings.

The unfavorable crime situation and the desire of residents of houses to protect themselves from theft, to record the illegal actions of uninvited guests at the entrances and, in general, to increase the level of security of their home, forces them to use effective methods of protection, one of which is the organization of video surveillance in the house and its surrounding territory.

From the article you will learn what tasks video surveillance should solve in an apartment building and the local area, how legal it is, the rules for installing video cameras, organizing video surveillance in the entrance and on the stairwell, online viewing and other technical issues, which IP video camera and registrar to choose, and much more other.

The main tasks and methods of organizing video surveillance in an apartment building

Of course, the main tasks of the system are the safety of residents and the safety of property, which are achieved by constantly recording everything that happens in the entrances (who enters and exits), on landings, attics and basements, nearby parking lots, on playgrounds and even on the house territory.

In an apartment building, you can organize the operation of a video surveillance system in several ways:

1. Equipment of the security room and hiring of appropriate personnel. All information from video cameras comes to the monitor screen, and is stored on hard disks, access to which is conditionally available only to security personnel.
2. The absence of a security or concierge room in the house, and video surveillance is organized in such a way that access to cameras and video archives is provided for all residents of the house online. At the same time, restrictions on access to viewing certain cameras are introduced. Some cameras can be viewed by all residents, for example, a playground or a parking lot, while others can only be viewed by certain persons (residents of only a certain entrance or on their landing). One or more activists are appointed to watch the video filmed during the day and monitor the general situation in the house, who, in turn, devoting up to 30 minutes of their time, will monitor what suspicious events took place in the house during the day. To simplify the work, you will need to activate the inclusion of video recording by motion sensors.

The first method is not very common and in most cases is suitable for elite high-rise buildings, where residents can afford to maintain specialized security or a concierge.

The second method involves online video surveillance, which means that you can watch the video from anywhere in the world, it is enough to have a laptop, smartphone, tablet or other mobile device nearby, or just a computer, and of course Internet access. Although in the first method such an opportunity can also be organized.

We will dwell on the second method in more detail, since it is more convenient and advanced, and has several implementation methods.

But before talking about IP video surveillance in an apartment building, you need to figure out how legal it is so as not to get into a mess.

How legal is it

Organizing video surveillance in an apartment building is not prohibited by law, but even before equipping the house with a system, you need to know that:

1. Video cameras should not be hidden by disguising themselves as any objects, building structures, or built into walls for stealth. They should be clearly visible from a sufficiently large distance. Accordingly, special signs must be installed that video surveillance is underway.
2. Before equipping a system for monitoring the situation in the local area and other areas of an apartment building, it is necessary to gather not only residents, but also all owners of non-residential premises. The goal is to hold a general meeting with an agenda for the installation of a video surveillance system and determining the locations for mounting cameras. Also at the meeting, important technical issues are discussed, such as the availability of screens and ways to view recordings, camera hours, online access procedures, etc.
3. The minutes of the meeting must include: the consent of the owner to install a video surveillance system, its technical capabilities and camera locations, the procedure and terms for storing records, as well as access to them, the cost of work.

When holding a meeting, it is important to remember that it is considered legal when at least ½ of the total number of residents and owners of premises in the house take part in it.

But according to Article 46 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation and its first part, CCTV cameras are common property in an apartment building, and at least 2/3 of the total number of residents and other owners in the building must vote for the ownership and commissioning of such facilities.

For example, 150 families live in an apartment building. 75 representatives came to the meeting, which means that it is considered legitimate, but it will not be possible to make a decision to install video surveillance cameras in the house, it is necessary that at least 100 owners attend the meeting who would not mind installing such a system in the house.

If you do not follow these rules, then in the future problems may arise in court, which will lead to the dismantling of the system.

As for townhouses (multi-level apartments in a house with separate passages, another name is “Blocked Houses”), at the legislative level, the legal status of such houses in the Russian Federation has not yet been determined, therefore, before installing video surveillance in them and on the adjacent territory, follow the recommendations indicated higher.

In general, be sure to read the housing code, below is an excerpt from it.

Rules for installing video surveillance in an apartment building

Video surveillance in an apartment building should be organized in such a way as to minimize, and ideally eliminate, the presence of dead zones in the local area.

Where should the cameras be?

Cameras should be mounted where cars can drive or stop, or people can pass.

The main areas that cameras should constantly look at:

1. Entrance to the entrance;
2. Elevator hall on all floors (stairwell, without a view of the entrances to the apartments);
3. Tambour in front of the apartment (if any);
4. front door (if any);
5. Playground;
6. Parking;
7. Vehicle traffic zone;
8. Pedestrian area, especially the gate (if available);
9. Entrance gate for cars (if equipped).

Video surveillance and privacy are incompatible

To avoid a negative reaction of residents and guests of the house, common house video cameras should not be installed:

1. To view the entrance to the apartment on the stairwell;
2. Inside the elevator cabins (although now you can find cameras in these places, but how legal this is is a big question).

Emergency exits

Many people make the mistake of not installing cameras in these places, because an experienced criminal first studies the area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbits future crimes and calculates the escape routes or, on the contrary, entering the premises.

Emergency entrances and exits are usually closed, but this is not an obstacle for a burglar. Therefore, it is in these places that it is important to install video cameras. Or at least models that will play the role of a delaying factor.

Mounting height

Cameras should not be installed at eye level. Although this will allow you to take a good and detailed picture of a person’s face, but as practice shows after two to three weeks, such cameras are removed, since being at eye level such a device attracts too much attention to itself and, as a result, arouses interest, especially among young people.

It is necessary to mount the camera in the minimum accessible place for a person, so that it does not immediately catch the eye, and it was very problematic to dismantle it. But it is not recommended to set it too high, since the face of the criminal cannot be seen.

The wires must be hidden so that they cannot be damaged.

Camera angle

The task of any CCTV camera is limited by its functions.

It is impossible, for example, to use a device used to monitor the situation in the adjacent territory in an elevator lobby or a narrow corridor.

Each camera has its own purpose and it is important to remember this. According to their fictions, they are divided:

1. Preventive – a dummy camera is installed, which does not record the events taking place nearby, but limits the illegal actions of people and is a delaying factor.
2. The identification function is a clear fixation of car numbers, faces of people. They are equipped in narrow corridors, on landings opposite the elevator doors, in vestibules and front doors. Here you need a camera with a focal length of 20 – 100 mm, which provides a small viewing angle. You can also use inexpensive 1 megapixel devices, which will also provide good face fixation from a short distance.
3. The function of monitoring the general situation, the movement of people, cars, and other objects. You need a camera with a focal length of 2.8 – 20 mm, which provides a wide viewing angle. Do not purchase cheap devices, they will not provide a detailed view of the object from a long distance. Here you need at least 3 mega pixel video cameras.

Timely response to the situation

A guard post with a monitoring system for a quick response to an offense is not a panacea, but its presence is preferable.

After all, it is desirable that someone constantly monitors the situation in the house and quickly responds to illegal actions.

But modern technologies allow the use of other solutions, which we will talk about later.

Options for installing a video surveillance system on the landing and in the entrances

Today, three options for installing video surveillance systems have become widespread:

1. Individual installation – the homeowner independently orders the installation of a video peephole, a camera above the front door, or does it with his own hands;
2. Video systems whose actions are limited to entrances – intercoms, cameras above the entrance to the entrance, opposite the front and elevator shafts;
3. Outdoor devices for monitoring the situation in the local area;
4. All three of the above types are combined into one system with video output to one monitor and recording to one recorder, or uploading it to one cloud to a remote server.

Modern video intercoms in the price range above the average have the ability to connect several more cameras to them to monitor the situation in the stairwells and in the entrance. How it connects is shown below.

Many systems provide for the use of motion sensors in them, which significantly reduces the amount of space occupied on the HDD.

Motion files can be marked with a special marker and this saves a lot of time to find the information you need.

To install video surveillance can be used:

1. Digital IP video cameras;
2. Wireless web cameras;
3. Registrar or cloud service;
4. Power Supply;
5. HDD;
6. cable;
7. Monitor;
8. Switch (switch);
9. RJ-45 connector;
10. Mounting kit.

Software:

1. IVideon;
2. Axxon Next;
3. ISpy;
4. Other programs.

Ways of technical implementation

Technically, the idea of ​​​​video surveillance in an apartment building can be implemented in several ways using:

1. IP systems;
2. cloud service;
3. Turbo-HD systems;
4. Other solutions that are offered to customers by different companies.

For video surveillance installation companies, the methods listed above may be called differently, but their technical implementation is practically the same.

Cloud service

This solution involves recording video to a special cloud service, for example, Ivideon.com or Ezvizlife.com. Local recording to the registrar is not provided.

The beginning and end of the recording is controlled by a motion sensor. Recordings are stored on a remote server, as a rule, in archived form for up to 7 days.

Hikvision DS-2CD2120F-I 1080p and DS-2CD2110F-I 720p cameras are commonly used for video surveillance, as they are supported by the ivideon.com cloud service. But other models can be offered to customers.

At night, infrared illumination of objects at a distance of up to 30 meters is possible.

Access to live video directly from the apartment is possible from the following devices:

• on Mac OS web—Safari client;
• smartphones Windows Phone, iOS, Android;
• from MS Windows web devices—IE, Opera, Mozilla Firefox Chrome, etc.;
• devices running on MS Windows OS (integrated software).

Camera layout.

Benefits of cloud video storage:

1. Inexpensive system compared to others;
2. Storing video on a remote server eliminates the theft of recordings that in other solutions are stored in the apartment on registrars. It will not be difficult for experienced thieves to find such a registrar; it is enough to track which apartment the cable is laid into;
3. Night operation;
4. Enable video recording by motion sensor.

Installation kit included.

Disadvantages:

1. In the absence of electricity in the house, the routers installed by the provider will stop working, which will exclude the transmission of video online;
2. Failures in the Internet will also negatively affect the operation of the system, so the provider must be trusted and reliable;
3. Possible failures in the operation of the server on which the video is recorded (rarely happens).

IP system

This video surveillance system provides for video recording both on a remote server and locally on a DVR recorder.

This solution can also use Hikvision day and night cameras with infrared illumination.

Video signal transmission is possible both via cables and WI-FI.

IP system included.

Video recording is carried out:

1. On a 4-channel recorder, which is installed in one of the apartments. The amount of allocated disk space for video recordings is recommended to be at least 1 TB, the data storage period is at least 1 month;
2. In parallel, the recording is carried out in the cloud on a remote server.

Access to video recordings is possible from the same devices that we mentioned above, we will not repeat.

Advantages of the IP system:

1. Parallel video recording both to the recorder and to the cloud on a remote server, where data can be stored for a long time;
2. Two data storage locations, which will protect against loss of video files;
3. Possibility of video signal transmission via WI-FI;
4. Night operation;
5. Motion sensor work.

Disadvantages:

1. The need to use one of the apartments to install the registrar, and, consequently, to lay cables through the housing;
2. More expensive than the usual cloud service described above. As a rule, the cost of installing such a video surveillance system will cost 2 or more times more.

Turbo HD—System

This system provides for video recording only locally on the recorder, while remote access to video files via the Internet is available.

The video is recorded without sound, but this service can be ordered separately as an option.

The system includes:

Video recording is carried out only through a 4-channel Hikvision recorder on 1 TB HDD, which are installed in one of the apartments.

Files can be accessed online from any of the devices described above (see “Cloud Service”).

Turbo HD Benefits:

1. Moderate installation cost, cheaper than IP system, but more expensive than “Cloud service”;
2. Permanent online access to the registrar of residents of the house from many devices (tablets, smartphones, etc.);
3. Night IR illumination up to 20 meters;
4. Enable recording by motion sensor.

Disadvantages:

1. Only one data storage location;
2. The Internet, to which the cameras must be constantly connected, must have a good speed;
3. One of the neighbors will have to give access to their router by specifying the details for setting it up;
4. Since the recording goes on around the clock, the registrar must be turned on all the time, which can cause inconvenience for people living in this apartment.

More about CCTV cameras with remote access, popular models, connection methods, selection criteria.

How to make video surveillance with your own hands

On your own, without resorting to the services of companies, you can install video cameras in the entrance and on the stairwells, on the balcony for video surveillance of the parking lot, but this requires certain knowledge and training.

You can install both analog and IP cameras. The latter will be preferable, as they transmit the picture better and have better characteristics.

IP cameras are also easier to install and configure. The overall price of an IP system will be cheaper than an analog one.

If you install analog video surveillance, then in order to get good picture quality day and night, expensive cameras are needed, since cheap analogues will have only foggy pictures.

To further reduce the cost of installing IP video surveillance, you can use Chinese Hikvision cameras and DVRs, which can be ordered directly on aliexpress.com or other similar Internet sites. They have proven themselves well.

A hard drive for storing video recordings must be selected in size from 640 GB to 1 TB or more.

But it all depends on the number of cameras. If you have one, then a 640 GB disk is enough for two weeks of continuous recording.

You can use external HDDs, which must be connected to an external power source, or conventional ones, which are used in computers with a form factor of 2,5 or 3,5 inches.

The second type of devices, as a rule, is mounted inside the registrars and connected via a SATA connector, 12V power is also connected there.

Decide what you will shoot and in what capacity. For example, to view the area in front of the house, you need to select 3 Mpx cameras, and 1 Mpx is enough to shoot in the entrance and on the landing.

The first camera is considered outdoor, which means that it must record events around the clock. To connect the wires in this case, it is imperative to use a sealed box.

The second camera should start recording on an event, i.e. triggered by a motion sensor.

The next thing you need to pay attention to is the NVR. It can be 4, 5, 8, 9, 16 and 32 channels.

For home use, a 4-channel (for four cameras) Hikvision Line MicroNVR or Super MiniNVR recorder is quite suitable.

You can also use a computer or laptop as a medium-power recorder, but since they must work around the clock in recording mode, the electricity consumption per month will vary from 100 to 150 kW, which is not suitable for us.

For the initial setup of the system, you will need a monitor. The setup consists in assigning IP addresses to cameras, setting the correct time and other settings.

For ease of maintenance and management of the system, as well as connecting more than one camera with Internet access to the system, you will need a router or network switch.

It will also allow you to remotely view video online from any device.

To power the camera, you need to use a high-quality power supply for 12V and at least 1A.

If you plan to install several devices, and they will be located at a distance from each other, then use one power supply for 12V and 5A.

The cameras can be powered via the same cable as the signal (POE support). To do this, you need a splitter, an injector and a power splitter.

Connecting an IP DVR, algorithm of actions

The first thing to do is connect a hard drive to the recorder.

A common case is when the HDD is inserted inside the recorder and connected there.

Next, to carry out the settings, we connect a monitor to the registrar. To do this, you can use HDMI or VGA cables. It all depends on what type of interface is supported.

Next, we connect the IP camera to the RG-45 connector and through the power supply to the network.

If you want to connect several cameras at once, you will have to use a switcher with several RG-45 connectors or purchase a recorder with several LAN ports already built in.

Power on the recorder and start it, the monitor screen should light up.

Normally, the first time the recorder is turned on, it will format the hard disk.

Next, the setup wizard will start. The default login is “admin”, the password field is empty.

We set the real time, date and language.

Click NEXT where we are prompted to restart the registrar for the changes to take effect.

Next, we will be prompted to configure the network.

If you have only one camera, then we prescribe network settings for it manually, they are indicated in the user manual of the recorder.

We enable DHCP only if we use several cameras connected via a router.

We press OK. If the message “Test gateway ERR (error)” appears in the next window, just ignore it by clicking “Ignore”.

Next, a window for installing a mobile application for viewing videos remotely via the Internet may appear.

While you can skip these settings, the application can be installed later.

If you will register IP cameras manually, then select manual mode in the next window and click NEXT.

In the next window, add the device (video camera) and its IP address.

Enter the default username (admin) and password (admin).

Click next and DONE.

Reboot the recorder. In the future, an image from the camera will appear on the monitor in the window.

To start recording, click the record all channels button. And to go to the video recording settings, you need to click the corresponding menu.

Connecting two IP cameras to the registrar through a router

Our goal is to create a small network of IP video surveillance from two cameras – one outdoor, the other indoors.

You can connect to this network through a computer or laptop (netbook).

And you can also set up remote online viewing of images from cameras via a smartphone.

Here, a 2,5-inch HDD from a 500 GB laptop will already be used.

Install the HDD in the recorder.

Cameras can be connected in several ways. The easiest is to connect them directly to a POE-enabled switch, in this case we do not need a separate power supply for each camera.

If you use a PSU, then you will have to lead a separate 12V cable to each device.

But in order not to do this, you can supply power to the camera directly over the twisted pair cable. To do this, use the brown and blue cores.

The orange and green wires are used for the signal.

The fact is that not all cores are used in a twisted pair. Only the orange pair (orange and white-orange) and the green pair (green and white-green) are involved.

And the brown pair and blue are not used, so we can drop 12V power supply through them.

Select the blue and brown pairs, and tuck the rest of the lived back into the cable.

Crimping occurs according to the same principle as a conventional twisted pair, but at the same time blue, white-blue and brown, white-brown wires are excluded from the connector.

Since the connection will be made directly to the computer, it is better to crimp according to the “Cross” scheme.

We connect the blue pair to “+”, and the brown pair to “-“.

We connect the connector and the power connector.

So that the wires do not hang out, and are also protected from moisture, you can use a junction box.

In the same way, we connect the second camera.

Next, you need to supply power to the cameras. It should be 12V with a current of 1A.

If we have two devices, then we can use an adapter for 12V and 2A, and to connect them, you can purchase or make your own splitter.

We connect it to the adapter.

And we are already connecting video cameras to it.

Plug the adapter into a power outlet.

Next, connect the cameras to the router.

Next, connect the DVR itself. First the power adapter, and then using the network cable to the router.

We connect the monitor to the registrar.

After you have connected everything, turn on the power. As soon as the software loads, a message will appear that the hard disk formatting is complete.

Further, as in the first case, the setup wizard will appear and one of the cameras will immediately pick up.

Then he sets the language and time, everything is done, as in the first case.

Testing the gateway with a positive result indicates that there is direct access to the Internet through the router.

We then repeat the steps in the previous section.

The second camera is configured manually. Click “Settings” and then “Add”.

Click OK and go to digital channels. There we observe the second camera.

On another channel, we activate the second camera, it should pick up.

Video surveillance via smartphone app

When you reach the “Install mobile application” section in the settings wizard, the system prompts you to install the application on your smartphone via a QR code.

Install the QR Scanner application on your smartphone and launch it.

For Android, scan the right QR code.

You will be taken to the application page, then click the download button.

After the XMEye application loads, install it.

In the future, you need to create an account by registering in the system.

Go to the application and click “+” to add a device.

Think up and enter the name of the device in Latin.

Next, go to the settings on the monitor. Proceed to the next QR code by clicking the “Next” button.

In the application on your smartphone, activate the QR code scanner and scan it on the monitor.

This barcode will add the device to the app.

The third line is optional.

Click search. The app will find the device.

Close the setup wizard on the monitor and access the device on your smartphone.

Select the desired camera and get the image.

Similarly, remote online video viewing can be set up on a Windows tablet or computer.

To do this, just download and install a similar Xmeye APK application developed for this operating system.

IP video cameras and registrars that the market offers

There is a wide range of IP video cameras and registrars on the market. You can purchase them, as in your city or order via the Internet.

To save money, we recommend placing orders on aliexpress.com, but you will have to wait two or more weeks.

Камеры

The main manufacturers to look out for are:

1. Hikvision (supported by ezvizlife.com and Ivideon.com cloud services);
2. TP—LINK;
3. I eat;
4. Dahua;
5. VSTARCAM.

Hikvision DS-2CD2120F-IS

Wired dome 2 Mpx IP video camera for outdoor use. It is designed for round-the-clock operation and has a powerful infrared illumination.

Support for the Ezviz cloud service allows you to watch videos online, just register on the site and add equipment to your account.

See the full specifications of the device below.

Hikvision DS-I-2CD2020F

Purpose and characteristics are similar to the previous model.

Distinctive features:

1. Focal length 4mm, not 2,8mm;
2. No microphone input (DS-2CD2120F-IS has it);
3. Viewing angle 79 degrees (for DS-2CD2120F-IS it is 90 degrees);
4. SD memory card slot (for the previous model MicroSD.
5. See below for full specifications of DS-2CD2020F-I.

IP Camera ESCAM QF502

1 Mpx camera for office and home with Wi-Fi support and video recording to cloud storage, memory card, or HDD. It has a built-in speaker, microphone, motion sensor.

The full specifications of the device can be found below.

TP-LINK NC220

Inexpensive wireless camera with support for day and night shooting. Thanks to the tpCamera application, you can access online video viewing from your smartphone.

Wi-Fi support and signal booster function allows data transfer at speeds up to 300 Mbps.

The full specifications of the model can be found below.

Dahua DH-IPC-HDW1220SP-S3-0280B

Combined chamber for outdoor and indoor use.

It has features:

1. Shooting mode day / night;
2. LED IR illumination;
3. Input voltage protection is less than or greater than 10% of the rated;
4. Zone of interest, thanks to which it is possible to control certain areas of the frame in good image quality, while the overall image will be displayed in lower quality;
5. Rotate the image in steps of 90 degrees;
6. The ONVIF standard allows you to combine the device with network video devices from other manufacturers;
7. Support for H.264 standard.

The full specifications of the model can be found below.

DVRs

Consider inexpensive devices for home use.

Major manufacturers:

1. hikvision;
2. gassing;
3. Tecsar;
4. Dahua;
5. GT Electronics;
6. long;
7. PRC.

Hikvision Turbo HD 7108HQHI-F1/N

Budget 8 channel recorder with HDD support up to 6 TB. Possesses all possibilities for installation of analog video surveillance in the house. It’s easy to set up and manage. Has 1 audio channel.

You can see the full capabilities of the model below.

Full specifications.

Dahua NVR4232-4K

32 channel DVR—Recorder with 4K resolution support. An excellent solution for organizing video surveillance in an apartment building.

The 3840×2160 video format will allow you to make out the smallest details on the monitor (car numbers, people’s faces, etc.). The maximum recording resolution is 12 MP.

Supports two HDDs up to 12TB each.

The features of the model are shown below.

Dahua NVR4232-4K full specifications.

Gazer NI 416

Allows you to simultaneously connect up to 16 4-x Mpx IP cameras with simultaneous sound recording from all devices.

Support for HDD up to 6 TB with SATA interface allows you to store all video files recorded from 16 cameras up to 30 days.

The kit comes with a special Gazer CMS program, with which you can remotely manage the registrar using a regular browser.

Watching videos online from devices running iOS or Android is possible thanks to an application that can be downloaded from Google Play.

Technical characteristics of the device.

Complete set and additional characteristics.

LS-N3525U

25 channel recorder with powerful processor. It has a wide range of video settings for each camera. Recording is possible both continuously and on schedule.

Data storage is possible on two 4 TB SATA hard drives.

Allows you to open access to files remotely online from smartphones, iPads and other mobile devices.

See the full specifications of the model below.

Of course, there is no way to list here all the models of IP cameras and DVR recorders, their number is simply huge.

Therefore, when choosing cameras, pay attention to:

1. Where can it be used (outdoors or indoors);
2. Appearance;
3. Interface type (we considered IP, except for one camera);
4. Is there infrared illumination for working at night and the distance at which it operates (10 m is enough for the room);
5. Wireless with WI-FI support or wired;
6. The presence of a motion sensor;
7. viewing angle;
8. Resolution (from 1 to 5 MP and above);
9. Focal length (for a wide viewing angle, choose cameras with a focal length from 2.8 to 20 mm, while the resolution should be from 3 megapixels or higher. For a clear indication of objects, choose models with a focal length from 20 to 100 mm, they have a narrow viewing angle and clearly record numbers of cars and faces of people).

As for DVR recorders, when choosing, pay attention to:

1. The number of supported channels. But this does not mean that the more, the better, optimally for video surveillance in an apartment building, from 8 to 16 channels will be enough for an entrance.
2. Interface type (in our case IP), but there are also analog devices, AHD, HDCVI, HDTVI (Turbo HD), hybrid.
3. Compression format (pay attention to H.265 / H.264 / MJPEG);
4. Supported Resolution;
5. Availability of ports and video outputs: USB 2.0, LAN (RJ-45), VGA and HDMI;
6. Support online video viewing from mobile devices and network control;
7. The number of maximum users. For an apartment building, it is desirable that this be 128;
8. Alarm inputs and motion detection support.

But these are not all the criteria for choosing IP cameras and DVRs—there are a lot of them and each model has its own generalizations, so it’s better to trust specialists in this matter, but it doesn’t hurt to have knowledge in this area yourself either.

As practice shows, a knowledgeable customer of a service or a buyer of a product can save a lot.