Love my dropcam, and I really wanted one for outside. I followed this guide using some PVC pipe, and while it's not supported by dropcam, it's been working for a couple years.
http://jamiemoney.com/blog/2013/7/11...istant-dropcam
Enjoy!
PS - I've never seen one lose a network password or settings (I've had one unplugged for 8 months, turned it on and it connected). But I have noticed that they aren't terribly strong at picking up distant wi-fi signals.