Web Cam Installers
 

Possibly looking to have a private web cam installed at our camp. Pretty much just a single interior camera in a window overlooking our front yard. Can anyone recommend someone who can do this??

Thanks!

Dan

Hell, for you I'd do it for a beer.

Email sent! Thank You!!

I love this forum!!

Dan

It's easy...do it yourself. I love mine.

Dan,

I purchased a Foscam and installed myself, I can log in from home, work and even my cell phone.

Here is the camera I have, under a $100 and uses wireles IP
http://foscam.us/products/foscam-fi8...-camera-3.html


The cell phone app is IP Cam Viewer

Good luck!

Wow, that camera is awesome! $95 bucks you can't go wrong !!

How close does that camera need to be to your wireless router? Also, there are no cords, correct? That's a great price... I see on Amazon they can be had for $79.

Nice Cam. Mine is a TrendNet IP cam. Amazon.com for $65 bucks.

I would but a megabyte to me is someone with big teeth! :D

Dan

Dan,
I hear you and I'm as technologically challenged as the next guy...but I figured it out. Sounds like there are going to be some offers of help from the great folks here so stand by....

BT

Here is my screen shot just taken as I sit here at my desk at work.....

You need ac power with the included power supply.It is wireless WiFi or ethernet cord if desired.The distance from your router depends on the type.An N router can go to around 300 ft.

Love the idea
 

I would love to place one on the "wimpy" side of Rattlesnake looking at Sleeper. Do you need a computer hooked to the camera in order to broadcast the pictures? Can you control how often it takes pictures?

I have a Foscam and it's a great remote camera. We also use 2 at work. No one has mentioned that it is robotic. You can pan and tilt the camera remotely with your smartphone or computer. I have it on a window sill and I can pan it either outside or inside from wherever I'm viewing. It also has LEDs for night vision although they don't work well through a window. It's an amazing camera for under $100.

Others will chime in I'm sure but mine is an IP cam which means no PC needed. All you need is an internet connection (wireless or ethernet cable) and the camera. Mine is live streaming video via my wireless dsl modem. There's a little programming (called "port forwarding" or "pinhole") on the modem necessary to view it remotely but I can look at my lake view from any PC, my IPad or my Phone. That Foscam looks really awesome for the $$$...might have to look into that.

BT

Does anyone have a suggestion for a tilt/pan/zoom IP outdoor camera that will withstand the cold NH temps? I cannot seem to find an inexpensive cam that will go below freezing.

Software
 

I have 9 of the foscams. They are great for the price but have limitations.
Blue Thunder- what software are you running?

Don't get me wrong, my camera has its limitations too but for the money you can't go wrong. The viewing software I use is free. Its called IP Cam Viewer. You can manage up to 4 cameras with the free version. The "Pro" version costs something but I don't know what that is. The software for my Android phone was free, for the IPhone it was $3.99. It is called IP Cam Viewer Lite. Hope this helps.

BT

The problem with cheap PTZs is that they're, well, cheap.

Also, many times the low-temp spec is based on being able to move the unit, many of them will do just fine if you leave them in the home position when it's *really* cold out (provided that they are "IP66" (outdoor) rated otherwise).

You might be better off just buying an enclosure for outdoor use so that the camera stays out of the elements (though that would certainly increase the size of it).

You could also get any basic outdoor analog PTZ and an encoder (but this would end up costing more), which would give you a more robust system.

The Foscam cameras mentioned are OK. They're a D1/standard definition camera, and the lens and sensor are nothing fantastic. But they're perfectly adequate for making sure your dock isn't underwater or damaged by ice, etc.

There are TONS of free viewing applications out there, depending on your device and platform. If you want something fancier, there are also some free mini VMS systems that will let you record the camera and playback video and stuff like that as well.

A couple examples:
http://networkoptix.com/products/hdwitness/
http://www.milestonesys.com/products...ts/xprotectgo/
http://www.axxonsoft.com/products/ax...mart_start.php

I have 2, one is about 12 feet, the other is 25 feet. Only cord is for power.

Don,

For clarification, the model referenced here is not PTZ capable, correct?

BT

You're correct, I didn't follow the link to the specific model mentioned.

My Foscam is a FI8910W. It also costs under $100. Here it is on Amazon.

IP Address
 

Does anyone know why the IP address to the router changes when the power goes out?
I have to manually reset the cameras when this happens.

Fixed IP address
 

If you are talking about the IP address of your local area network, behind your router, there are two ways to assign addresses to the devices you want to be the same after a power failure. First, configure a fixed address, rather than DHCP, in the camera, so it does not ask for an address from the router. Second, configure the router to give a specific address to the MAC address of the camera. Otherwise, after a power failure, it is first come first serve for addresses.

That's exactly what I had to do with my webcam. I had to change my LAN settings from an "Automatic Address" to a "Static IP Address" . Also the HTTP Port and RTSP Port settings had to be correct. It has been a while since I set it up but that part I do remember.

I'm looking to help out a local business set one of these up to stream live on their website. Do the cameras come with software to do this? If not, does anyone know of an inexpensive solution? Thanks for your help.

http://i44.tinypic.com/1499wms.gif WhatTheTom, I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends. I’m sorry I hadn’t noticed you earlier. I see that you are getting some good comments and I’m sure that you will find something that will help you from the input of your friends here at the Winni Forum site.:)

http://i54.tinypic.com/2e56yqf.gif

Thanks Brk-Int!
 

I would like to personally thank fellow forum member "brk-int" for all his endless help setting up my web cams. Someone who is as illiterate as me when it comes to web cams and the technology behind it, I could have never done it without his help! He is a pro!!

As long as my island camp does not lose power, I will now have a couple nice clear views looking over my camp and the lake for the upcoming winter ice season. It's a good feeling to be able to check on things when you can't be out there!

Thanks again brk-int!

Dan

Here's a pic from one of the lake cams...

ishoot308,

That is the best webcam shot I have ever seen. Just plain fantastic!!

No problem, Dan. You were equally generous, my wife and I are still enjoying that Lyon's Den gift certificate :)

You generally don't want to use that approach...

Most IP cameras can support a limited number of simultaneous connections. It varies, but it's usually on the order of about 5 to 20. Each connection/stream is using bandwidth from the camera and the Internet connection at the business as well.

It's not that it can't be done, but that it's really not something you'd want to do in a typical case. Usually when you *do* support live streaming in that kind of environment, you do it with a re-broadcasting server in a datacenter. The camera sends 1 stream to the broadcasting server, and that server can then produce dozens or hundreds of duplicate streams, and you are using better resources to do so.

The site that is hosting Dan's cameras is something that I put together for the kinds of purposes you're talking about. The cameras upload images at some interval, and the server produces a few things:
1) A catalog of uploaded images, going back 3-6 months typically
2) A static link to the latest image, so that on a webpage you can embed a static link and my server handles keeping that link updated with the latest image. There are also provisions that allow you to adjust the time(s) the image is updated publicly, so for example you could stop serving new images from 8PM to 9AM if you only wanted it during "business hours".
3) There is also a function to create time-lapse movies of the collected images
4) I can pull local weather data and embed that (along with pretty much any other text info) in the orange bar you see at the top of the image. It processes the uploaded image and then adds this to the top of it.
5) It keeps the public away from your private camera so that you don't end up with pranksters trying to hack the camera, change settings, or flood it with excessive connections.

Great Picture
 

Thanks brk-Int for all the valuable information.

Which camera did you select for this application?

Thanks again,

Cobalt

It's a no-brand camera actually...

Is that an HD camera? Looks like it might be. Where did you get it an how much was it if u don't mind me asking?

Yes, it is an HD camera. This is it here...http://www.securitycamera2000.com/pr...IP-Camera.html

While this camera is advertised as no name, I believe it is made by Sony as there was a small Sony sticker on the box. If you buy the same exact camera by Sony it's probably twice the price, just guessing however.

Here is a shot it took of yesterdays sunset...

Dan

Great cam quality. When you going to get that raft out of the water?:laugh:

It's a Sony imager, they are one of the predominant suppliers of imagers in the CCTV industry, but not an actual "Sony" brand camera. But you are right, the same basic setup sold under a brand name would cost about twice as much.

I know that ishoot308 is a busy fella, so I removed the raft for him.

Lol!
 

LOL!! If only it was that easy!!

Island Support takes care of the raft. I don't know when he does it, but I have never found it frozen in the ice during the winter so I guess he never forgets! :)

Dan

I can't shingle roofs very fast, but it only takes me seconds to remove rafts. :D

Brk-lnt,
If I may indulge a little bit, is there a way to maintain a static IP address without having to pay the premium price for it? The biggest problem I have with my TrendNet IP cam is the fact that the IP changes very often... sometimes multiple times a week. The cam sends me an email telling me the WAN IP has changed but the folks I'm sharing the cam with have to constantly change their devices to view it. FYI, its a Fairpoint dsl line. Thanks.

BT

Short answer: No.

But you really don't need a *static* IP, so much as you need a reliable way to access your camera remotely.

This is where DynDNS (based in Manchester, NH :) ) or similar services come in. They have a way to keep track of your current dynamic IP address, and then update a static hostname with whatever your current IP is.

So, you setup an account at Dyn (they do still have free accounts, but you have to hunt a little to find it), and you get a hostname like BlueThunder.dyn.org and then depending on your exact router and/or camera setup, you configure a bit of client software to update Dyn whenever your public IP changes.

It might sound a tad complex, but it's pretty easy and once you do it, it should be set-and-forget.

If you're less concerned with live views, and only want to see relatively-current static shots, I have a service I've built that makes it so you don't have to rely on any of this, just configure your camera to throw images at my server (note that most, but not all, IP cameras have a "snapshot" feature).

Let me know if you need more info.

I have a D-Link camera and they make it easy to setup and use their free dynamic feature. Just sign up for their free service and it works good.

They also have drop a down window that shows DynDNS.org as a server to use.

I have a DCS-942L and it works real well with live streaming and snapshots.

I set it to detect motion and get an email telling me if I have a video or snapshot, depending on how I have it setup.

Fairpoint is a rip off with their static IP charge at $30.00 per month!! I needed a static IP for my security system at my home in Chester and Granite State Telephone only charged me $10.00 per month.

I think they are using pricing that is intended to discourage demand. For a company like Fairpoint they'd rather just keep everything dynamic, it gives them more ability to change and restructure their network over time.

As a point of reference, I have a full class C of public IP's at one of my datacenter locations. That is 255 IP addresses. I pay $20/mo. for the whole thing :)

In reality, all IP prices are really just made up, the top level costs to actual ISP's are practically zero.

I did go with a static IP at the island, it was less than $30 although that is what they originally quoted me. Packaged with my land line and the higher speed DSL than basic (7MB I think) it was not bad. I had a lot of problems with my system installer from day one, and finally said to hell with it and went static to cut down on headaches.

Everything finally works. It has been a long road...

Agreed, but that is $30 additional to the dsl fee of $30. At this point, I don't have a camera view for the winter months because I refuse to pay the ridiculous fee that fairpoint wants. My last day on the island was last Friday and my live streaming cam view went bye-bye. It just plain sucks....

BT

THANKS so much. I have that dyn feature in my setup software. I really want the live streaming video though...it makes me feel like I am there. Dammit..I'm so spoiled...and selfish...and...

BT

First world problems dude. I'd play my violin for you, but I left it in the Bentley that I just parked for the winter.

Thanks for the help!

Looks like a cheap solution is out of the question. They want something similar to what Gunstock uses (http://www.usrelay.com/) with the 24/7 live feed. A lot of the web cameras around the area are picture based and/or super laggy. If you know of anything similar that is up to par with what Gunstock uses I'm open for suggestions. Again, thanks for the response!

US Relay is actually my friends company :)

PM me with what you think they're willing to spend/what it's worth to them and I'll see what I can do.

We have 2 Foscam cameras we are trying to set up with no luck whatsoever. I would be willing to pay someone to come and do it!

Great! PM sent!

Foscam Cameras
 

We are also working on trying to get a Foscam camera working. It seems that if you are running Apple computers, it has significant changes. We could hook up the camera and access it (i.e. move the lens around), but could not get quicktime to produce any video. There is some type of error on quicktime that needs a change to the configuration because the camera needs an HTTP format, but the current version of quicktime does not seem to allow an easy re-set. It also has problems hitting the wifi router since the software that comes with the camera does not work with apple equipment (apple router). We may have found a solution on line, but wondered if anyone else experienced the same challenges and had other solutions.

Any advice/direction would be appreciated.

Wifi is wifi. It'll work with an Airport/Airport Extreme, provided the other settings are correct.

Not sure about controlling it via quicktime though. I was able to see BIS's Foscam and configure it on my Apple MacBook Air (didn't try any of the PTZ controls though).

I don't use Apple so I am not in the same situation. I have 2 Foscam wireless IP cameras and they both work fine for me. The only challange I had was getting them to work remotely over the internet, once I figured out the port forwarding everything fell into place. You need to access your router to change these settings. I used the software that comes with the camera to login from a PC and IP Cam Viewer on my Android phone.

The web cams come in hand especially when you can't be there for the sunrise, this is from one of the Foscams the image is not the best quality but you get the picture.

Beautiful snap shot! Thanks for posting.

We went out to the Island yesterday and took down the Christmas tree...the wildlife was the first to notice it was missing.
Thank you Island Services for getting us out there.

DynDNS
 

I have cams in my house here in Exeter and as part of the set-up to enable remote viewing from any PC, laptop etc. the techie (in Florida who sold me the gear) hooked me up with DynDNS in Manchester. This DynDNS purchase came about when this techie told me I would need a router for remote viewing (he suggested a Cisco/Linksys E1200-short money at Staples). Apparently the Westell modem I have from Fairpoint wasn't enough.

Don't quote me here but I have a paid account with DynDNS for "dynamic" vs. "static" service, and I bought one year of this service for $20. Fairpoint wanted a body part-it was absurd. A really stupid number.

Configuring these cams for remote access was also a bear-took hours with my (now paid) tech on the phone then a conference call with Fairpoint. In the end it worked out but what an exercise..........and expense...just for remote access.

As it is now my remote access is down; The tech in Florida now doesn't respond to my calls or emails (at all). I asked a guy here in Exeter who charges more than my proctologist for tech support, what might be the trouble...he thought among other reasons a power failure. Yes we had one maybe 8-9 days ago. And my proctologist, like Captain Kirk, has boldly gone where no man has gone before.

Fairpoint told me a few days ago it's not them either. The logged on to my PC here at home while on the phone and looked around-I must say the tech didn't mumble-she seemed to know exactly what she was talking about and we looked at many aspects of the configuration and she saw nothing out of place.

DynDNS says it's not them either (I go to their site to log on for remote access and their site never loads-that's how I first noticed I have no remote access). Cams work fine when viewed at the DVR though.

I have emailed brk-Int for help. You have to love the Winni Forum. Wow what a resource.

Westell router and dynamic dns
 

I can login to my webcam remotely using a westell modem/router and dynamic dns from TZO. It was an easy setup. I pay about $25 per year.

There is a setting in my cam for dynamic dns and I just make an entry in there and bada bing!

Usually when I cannot quickly an issue, I reboot everything... Including DSL. Did you try that?