Can I get a really cheap wireless outdoor security camera?

AKRIS PETERSSON, ABERDEEN

Oh, sure. Amazon is becoming basically overrun with Chinese wireless cams, some as cheap as £40. But you’re not an idiot (or you might be, Guru isn’t here to judge) so you’ll realise that a budget security solution is basically the tech equivalent of buying cut-price toilet paper: it’s neither pleasant nor a particularly secure experience, and one which may just let human waste through.

GaGu would absolutely steer you towards a known brand that costs slightly more, be that the onlyvaguely-known Kami (check out the chunky Wire Free Outdoor Camera, priced around £80) or

Amazon-owned Blink (the XT2 is compact, costs £100 with the required hub, and lasts for two years on a pair of AAs). Or even, y’know, going wired, which causes a bit more pain when installing but generally bags you cheaper, more reliable hardware that doesn’t require you to shimmy up a ladder for regular battery changes.

Expecting Lady Gaga to pop by? Make sure you keep the moment forever!

If he were truly steering you, Guru would take the bypass and park up in a higher bracket still. Where security is concerned, the little benefits of pricier cams take on a far higher value. The QHD resolution of the Arlo Pro 3 (£550) or even the full-on 4K of the Arlo Ultra 4K (£680) gets you far more admissible footage should you need to get a perp collared, for a start; lower cams have a cheeky way of overstating their resolution, using lesser sensors and upscaling them into a smeary mess. Arlo’s top-line cams are also both lightning-quick to fire up for live view. Decent battery, too.

A budget security solution is the tech equivalent of buying cutprice toilet paper: it’s neither a pleasant nor a secure experience