What Uses do people find for IP Cameras?

Although most IP Cameras are for surveillance, many are popping up now for other purposes, and many of these are open!

Some are fortunate enough to live near a city or natural vista. Some locate a camera in such a locale. Here are some uses:

1. monitoring wildlife. Here is a good example.
2. traffic? dull but useful..
3. surf conditions, like this one
4. related to (1), bird feeder monitors like this
5. busy places, like harbors
6. party places have cams too!
7. city vistas can be interesting and beautiful
8. how about under water cameras?
9. migrating animal cams?
10. live stages

Outdoor? Indoor? Wired? Wireless? So Many Options!

IP Cameras are generally either for (a) indoor use, (b), outdoor use, or (c) both. Also, any of these types can be (a) WIRED, or (b) WIRELESS.

OUTDOOR use cameras are weatherproofed, and that capability will cost you. These have to be waterproof, UV resistant, wind resistant, and able to endure temperature swings. The wiring needs to be hidden or resistant to elements. The mounts tend to be sturdier. Some of the more expensive outdoor cameras even have built-in heaters for colder climes.

INDOOR cameras tend to be made of plastic, are lighter, less rugged, and are often less expensive than their outdoor cousins.


DUAL-USE cameras are actually outdoor cameras that can be ALSO used indoors. Presumably ALL outdoor cameras might be considered to meet this spec, but in reality that's impractical. For example, some DOME cameras (read about DOME cameras in a later entry, here) are specifically made to mount on a pole, and aside from a certain type of club (where in fact an IP Camera might be very popular!), most homes don't have poles indoors. Other outdoor cameras are bulky or unsightly for indoor use.

So generally you won't find a camera touted as *dual-use*. It would instead be an outdoor camera that you could bring indoors.

WIRELESS camera is a bit of a misnomer, since in truth, almost all IP cameras are wired to a power source (but send their data wirelessly to a router). Generally users choose wireless connection when they want mobility, such as for a tablet PC, a cellphone, laptop, etc. Yet many, perhaps even most IP cameras are in fixed locations, mitigating the typical wireless advantages. Yet wireless cameras are becoming common as wired are *yawn* old-school.


I believe most home users, including ME, choose wireless out of laziness, and the *coolness* of it. I even have one camera not more than 8 feet from a cat-V connection, yet it's wireless! 


Wireless cameras present challenges. They are far more difficult to set up, and they tend to be less reliable than their wired cousins (note- most wireless cameras can optionally be set up as wired).  Also, they are less secure, far more prone to interference, and transceive data at a much slower rate. 

But despite all the drawbacks, wireless is THE WAY TO GO.  In some locales, particularly outdoors, it's difficult to run CAT-V, or outside the range unless you add a repeater. And Cat-V may not cohabitate well with a 120v 60Hz adjacent wire, over a long run in conduit. Inductance would NOT be your friend :)

WIRED Cameras are common in the CCTV arena (see the next post for definitions), but not so common for networked cameras. They offer better speed, more stability, and more security, but all at the price of being tethered to a switch or router. And if you plan to install say 8 or more cameras, well most of us don't have that many open CAT-V ports.




Look at the next entry for a more detailed look at cameras types. 

What's so Special about a PTZ Camera?

For most surveillance perspectives, PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom) Cameras have a distinct advantage over their fixed cousins. The biggest disadvantage? PRICE. But maybe not- read on..

A PTZ camera can pan across an entire room, pool, or even a yard, or parking lot. It could take 4, 10 or even 20 fixed cameras to see this much area! 

Panning means the camera ROTATES left-to-right or right-to-left. This feature allows views up to 340 degrees! Many camera interfaces on PTZ's also offer a SCAN function useful for continuous panning. Most also offer the ability to control the pan and tilt SPEEDS; for SCANNING, a very slow speed might be desirable. For monitoring an area with a lot of fast-changing scenes, like a casino for example, fast panning might be preferable.

PAN-and-SCAN are cameras that can pan, and have software to pan continuously (scan).

Tilt also rotates the lens, but top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top. Like panning, this feature offers a much broader view area. Often TILT is 0=90 degrees although some cameras like the Sony below tilt 120 degrees.

Combined with panning, and a good perspective, almost nothing can escape the camera's eye!

Zoom is zoom, nothing out-of-the-ordinary here.  Of course the more you zoom the smaller your viewing frame. Many PTZ cameras don't offer zoom, even though they might be considered as a PTZ class. More precisely they are PT cameras. Even cameras which Do zoom might only offer 3x in the under-$500 categories. But much great capabilities are available in the $1000-and-up models. This Bosch model MIC400STS is over $10,000!

Finally, there are many FIXED cameras offering zoom. Shop around.

Happy IP Camming!

Can I Reprogram my IP Camera?

..probably NOT! This is a risky procedure which can kill, or BRICK, your camera.

The problem is, IP camera's are by-design, made to be connected through a network. Unlike a computer to which you have a keyboard-and-mouse direct-connection to the bios, you can only communicate you an IP camera through the network.  In the process of updating camera software, you could potentially loose all ability to connect, and at that point your camera is DEAD.

So I don't recommend it, unless (a) you REALLY KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING [1], and (b), you don't care if your camera becomes a useless brick.

OK so if you want to proceed, here is an example of hacking a LINKSYS WVC54GCA.

Remember- its possible that 

 Your camera may never work again!

[1] - you should understand details like unix/linux commands, and in some cases, even how to disassemble the camera and solder on a new connector, and so on.

From the Box to Broadcasting, What do I do?

Using the Loftek Spectre, I'll explain the steps to go from a boxed camera, to broadcasting. Most of these steps are described in detail in my other posts.

1. Your new camera is HERE! Carefully open the box and unpack, saving all packing materials in case you have an issue. In the box you should find:

• a driver Disk
• the camera
• a manual and maybe a quick-start guide (these may be on the disk)
• possibly a CAT-V cable
• possibly a separate mount
• an antenna (if its wireless)
• an A/C Power Adapter 

 

2. Consult the manual. It will tell you how to do the install. Usually the next step is to load the software. This is pretty straight-forward on a windows machine- you know the drill.

3. Assemble your camera- attach the antenna if there is one, plug in the cat-V cable, and plug in the power. The other end of the CAT-V goes into your router or switch.

4. This next step varies, but your computer needs to *discover* the camera. You may find it using an address such as 192.168.1.22 (fouidn in your manual). Or you may find software to do the discovery. The manual will tell you how to do this step.

5. Once you find the camera, you need to set up its network config, user access and other configs. I likwe to go through every menu option to be sure I set up everything properly.

6. TEST! Can you see the image? 

7. Set up your router. I describe this in detail in other posts. Initially you can set up to run on the WAN with your WAN DNS address. Later you can use DDNS and get yourself a cool domain!

8. Locate and mount your camera. I describe this is detail in another post.

9. Save all the packing and boxes in case you need to return the camera.

10. Tell your friends (if its open), and set up your phone and browsers to view your new camera.

Those are the major steps- ENJOY your new IP camera!

OK 'Nuff Yakking Let's SEE SOME SITES

OK, here are some (sometimes) interesting Open IP Camera Sites, in no particular Order. These may not always be online. Have fun!

a really FAST PTZ at a busy Airport Missoula, MT. this is a great PTZ 

 this was dark, PTZ control

PTZ a control room

PTZ somewhere in Asia

PTZ A busy Dock Somewhere

Pitt State College?

Looks REALLY COLD wherever this is!

 Somewhere in Macau

What is an IP Camera Hack?

Some tricks are popping up, particularly on YOUTUBE, to use Google to locate and view open IP Cameras. More on this topic soon, I'm doing research now.

Here are a few strings you can enter into GOOGLE, and then comb through the results. You'll find a few cameras in there.

Looking for AXIS cameras

A general IP Camera search

Another one