By installing a security
camera or surveillance system in your
home or office you can build up your
Personal Security Zone. Keep track of
everything from activities in the kid's
rooms to who is approaching your property.
Even if you already have a home or office
security system, like ADT home security
or another brand, you can increase your
security and you can also get valuable
information with a camera that may include
features such as these:
Remote viewing and recording of
videos and snapshot images
Wired vs wireless
Camera features like color vs black/white,
indoor/outdoor, day/night vision
Hidden or out-in-the-open cameras
Internet capable viewing and control
Internet Security
Cameras are also known as "IP Cameras"
Internet viewing capability is one
of the most desirable features you can
get in a security camera. When you install
one or more IP camera, you can view
what's going on at your property, even
when you are away from your home or
business. You can also have "eyes
in the back of your head" and see
what is going on outside or in another
room at home or office, just by opening
a window on your PC or by looking on
your cell phone to see what the camera
is seeing at any particular time. That's
because your IP Camera can upload image
and videos to the Internet or to your
PC, and you can view what's going on
from there.
1.
Choose your Internet ready IP
Camera.
2. Follow the setup instructions
on your home or office computer.
3. View your surveillance videos
on any cell phone or computer
that has Internet.
The "IP"
in IP Camera refers to "Internet
Protocol" which allows your camera
to connect to the Internet and upload
images. This is what allows you to view
the camera's images from anywhere in
the world as long as you have an interenet
connection. What a great capability
for monitoring your property!
But, you don't have to upload your
images to the Internet. You can use
your IP camera just to load images on
your own PC and view them there. This
is useful if you just want to view or
record onto your PC what's going on
in another room or your driveway.
Whether you are viewing your security
camera images over the Internet or you
just want to see and store your images
"locally" in your property,
you set up your IP security camera similarly
in both cases - using your home or office
router. It's the same router you use
to connect your computer to the Internet.
Then, you can choose where you want
to view what the camera sees - either
live or as stored images - from your
local PC or from another location, such
as your desk in your office or even
your cell phone.
Your IP Camera can allow you to view
images of your property real time over
the Internet, or your can look back
in time at a history of images. For
example, if your office does not have
a view of the driveway, but you want
to see when a car drives up, you can
train your camera on that area and view
the image on your PC to see when the
UPS driver shows up with your packages.
Your IP camera may even send you an
alert when it detects movement! Then,
you can fee secure knowing that you
will be notified when it's necessary
to use your Web browser or Internet-enabled
cell phone to see what's going on.
How easy is it to install a home monitoring camera?
Here's
One Scenario...
You arrive at work on Monday morning
after a troubled commute, during which
you could not remember if you shut the
garage door. With nagging thoughts,
you fire up your Web browser (Interent
Explorer, Firefox or other) on your
office PC. You quickly bring up the
Web page where you can view your IP
camera real time. You can see live streaming
images from your Internet security camera
that is pointed at your garage and driveway.
Good News! The image shows your garage
door is shut and nothing has been disturbed.
So, you breathe a sigh of relief! Now,
you and can go about your morning feeling
secure that you did not leave your garage
door wide open for the taking!
Or, if you do see something amiss,
you can take action. You might call
the neighbors and ask them to please
go over and shut the garage door for
you. Or, you may see something that
may make you decide to pick up your
phone and call the police. Later on,
if a burglar is caught, you will also
have video evidence to show the burglar
on your property.
Or, have you ever wondered if your
baby sitter is doing her job watching
your kids or if she is zoning out and
texting friends while your kids are
running wild all over the house? Your
Internet security camera can be used
as your nanny camera.
IP Cameras Use
Your Secure Internet Connection
IP cameras are hooked up using Ethernet
cables which transmit the images from
the camera via a secure IP address.
They are sometimes referred to as remote
cameras because you can view the
camera feed from a remote location.
All you need is an Internet connection
to see exactly what is happening with
this camera feed.
This means that if you have this type
of Internet security in your home you
can keep a watch on your property, even
while you are at your office, through
a live video feed via the Internet.
On that same note, you can watch your
business while you are at home.
About Wireless
Internet Cameras
We are all becoming familiar with the
term wireless. But some folks are surprised
when they purchase wireless Internet
cameras to find they do need some cables
to operate.
However they need far less cables than
traditional hardwired home security
cameras and so are known as wireless.
Any Internet surveillance camera will
need a power supply and unless the camera
is powered by batteries it will need
a power cable. A wireless Internet camera
does not need an Ethernet cable to connect
to your computer or a modem. Less wires,
easier installation and more options
of where to fix the cameras.
Features And Benefits
Of Internet Security Cameras
Many Internet security cameras are
designed to pan, tilt and zoom. These
features allow the camera to cover a
much wider area. You can remotely maneuver
the camera from your Internet browser
using an options menu.
The various systems available vary
in the features and benefits they offer.
With most systems it is not necessary
for the cameras to be recording all
of the time. Motion detectors are incorporated,
so that the Internet security cameras
only start transmitting and recording
images when movement is detected.
Some systems also send you an alert,
by email or text, when something triggers
the system. You can then check up on
what is going on via a web browser on
your PC, laptop or Internet enabled
cell phone. You then decide if any action
need be taken or not.
Which IP Security
Camera is Best for You?
Here's a light
hearted introductory video to introduce
the types of security cameras available
from one of our suppliers: D-Link.
Now that you have a feel for what's
available in the world of Internet surveillance
cameras, you can make an informed decision
about which system is best for your
needs.
You want to trust in only the best
when it comes to something as important
as the security of your family and home.
With the many options Internet security
cameras that are available, you can
keep a watch on your property and loved
ones at all times, even when you are
away from home.
Easy Internet
Camera Surveillance System
If you're too busy and don't have much
time or interest in delving further
into IP Security Cameras for home or
business, Archerfish has some complete
solutions: SOLO and QUATTRO systems.
These are for folks who want a wireless
surveillance system but don't have a
clue where to get started. Archerfish
includes customer support and a package
that won't require a lot of your time
to figure out how to install.
Archerfish Solo Wireless IP Interactive
Video Monitoring and Recording System
with Built-In Day/Night Weatherproof
Camera (Grey) - If you want to go wireless,
you’ll want Solo. Only Solo combines
a video camera, recorder, and Homeland
Security technology into a multi-functional
802.11 wireless device. Teamed with
the Archerfish SmartPortal™ for remote
system management, interactive video
monitoring has never been easier.
The award-winning Archerfish Solo
features built-in Homeland Security
technology to monitor your home or business
more effectively than motion detection
systems. Solo understands what it sees
so you don't have to watch hours of
video – something other video surveillance
systems require. Just tell it what to
look for – expected events, unanticipated
intrusions, or just the odd things that
can happen when you’re not around –
and Solo notifies you with a video message
to your mobile or email. It’s perfect
for the user who wants to combine the
power of Homeland Security technology
with the convenience of 802.11 wireless.
Archerfish Solo includes:
1 Archerfish Solo 802.11 wireless
IP video monitoring and recording
device
What About Baby
Cams or Elder Cams?
They're not IP Cameras. But...
they're EASY to use, inexpensive,
wireless,
and also
Baby Cams are great gift ideas - a
nice way to get started!
Want to try out security cameras but
don't want to spend too much or get
into any kind of project? Then how about
buying an easy ready-out-of-the-box
solution: a baby cam or elder cam.
These are not really IP Internet Security
cameras, but instead they are self-contained
portable surveillance solutions that
are perfect for monitoring your baby
or anybody for that matter. So, if you
just need to monitor without actually
being in the room, and you are not too
far away, and if you don't need to have
your images viewable over the Internet,
a baby cam is something to consider.
Basically, baby cams include 2 parts:
a camera and a monitor. The camera has
a wireless connection to the monitor,
and sends images to it, so you can view
on the monitor.
Since you do not need to setup wires
between your baby cam's camera and monitor,
this means you can take it with you
and use it where ever and whenever you
need it. For example, if you are going
on vacation and renting a vacation rental
home, you can use it there.
A baby cam's convenient size and digital
frequency make remote monitoring easy
and effective, allowing functionality
without radio or interference from other
wireless devices using the same frequency
such as cordless phones and wireless
Internet routers. With the ability to
monitor up to a distance of usually
300 feet, this device is definitely
the simplest solution towards guaranteeing
your peace of mind.
These are simple basic cameras, though.
So, don't expect high resolution color
or higher end features like recording.
But a simple inexpensive baby cam may
be just the surveillance system you
need.
Product
Review:
We have been testing TrendNet
TV-IP600 Security Camera
We give it a 5-star Rating
*****
Ease of Installation, Ease of Use and
Economy!
This
diagram shows TrendNet TVIP600 and TVIP600W
cameras and a router
Product Review:
This TrendNet TVIP-600 Security
Camera has been great! This is an IP
Camera (Internet Protocol) which means
you can connect it to the Internet through
your Internet connection, so you can
view the camera's images from anywhere
over the Internet.
We have installed it in
several places around our office, and
its motion detection capability allows
this camera to reliably detect and record
whenever people or animals come into
view. Tom set ours up quickly and easily.
It took about 30 minutes, and now we
can see from his computer monitor when
the FedEx driver or anybody else shows
up. We can also see when the deer show
up to eat our roses, so we can shoo
those pesky beggars out of the garden!
Several months ago, we
also used this camera to video tape
a bear who was menacing our bee hive!
The video capture was activated by a
security light we setup out by the bee
hive, and when we pointed the motion
detecting camera out of a window and
toward the hive, we caught the bear.
If you haven't see that video, check
out Bear
vs. Electric Fence on Youtube! By
watching the video you can learn a little
bit about how we setup the bee security
system, and you can also see why the
bear has not shown up since!
The TVIP-600 will store
video clips on your PC hard drive, showing
activity that it has recorded, and you
can view the videos when you return
to your home or office. Here's an example:
A couple of days ago, our insice-the-house
security alarm went off due to a pesky
rodent activating it, and coincidentally
while reviewing our videos during the
incident, we saw the video of our local
police officer who came by soon afterward
to check our doors after being called
by the alarm monitoring service. Now,
that gives us peace of mind. (Except
now we have a pest problem to fix!)
The motion detection setup
software has a nice feature that allows
you to setup "hot spots" in
the surveillance camera field of view.
So, you can setup a hot spot on your
driveway, or the front door step, thereby
making the camera pay attention to only
your hot spots. This allows you to ignore
some things that you don't want to activate
your camera, like cars that might be
driving by out on the street, if those
appear in the field of view of your
camera.
This camera comes in
two versions: wired and wireless. We
chose the wired version, which requires
that you spend some time running wires
from the camera to your Internet router
or hub. This is the same equipment you
have for accessing the Internet. So,
as long as you have a PC with an Internet
connection, you can use this camera
to view your images over the Internet
(you get a password so you can keep
your images secure, too).
However, if you prefer
going wireless, TrendNet's TVIP-600W
requires no cabling at all. This is
easier and faster to setup out of the
box.
We also mounted our TVIP-600
camera in an outdoor
dome enclosure. Funny thing - the
dome cost more than the camera! But,
it's a sturdy and weatherproof dome
that and hangs from the eaves of the
building, giving us the ability to use
all the pan, tilt and zoom capabilities
of the camera. The dome is packaged
with a couple different mounts, so you
can choose which one works best for
where you want to hang your camera,
say on the side of your building, on
a pole or from under the eaves as we
did.
Setup and configuration
was easy, and the software prompts are
explanatory and good. But, you also
get support in case you have any questions
or hit a snag during your installation.
We took advantage of TrendNet's support
services and TrendNet customer support
was excellent.
If you have trouble setting
up and using your camera, the telephone
support technicians have the ability
to take over your computer (with your
approval) via the Internet, so they
can set it up for you. This remote control
feature allows TrendNet support staff
to make sure your camera is working
for you.
Also, they fix problems!
When we found that the motion detection
software had a flaky spot (a.k.a. software
bug) the TrendNet staff escalated our
issue and notified us when we could
download and install a new version of
the software. The new version works
like a charm and we are happy with the
results.
This camera works as advertised
andtherefore we recommend checking out
the TVIP-600 or TVIP-600W for your home
or office surveillance needs.
Demo
Videos
