Do they even MAKE a Wi-Fi outdoor camera?

If you can handle the DIY approach, it's been done for you already. This is just one of several articles on building a streaming camera around a raspberry pi board. Other than that, there are commercial surveillance cmaeras that do what you want, plus a lot more...but more $$$.

Carlos E.R. wrote to us on Tue, 11 Feb 2025 19:50:15 +0100:

That's a neat idea, where that's all I want, and I saw a few that are Ethernet only so I ordered some and am waiting for them to arrive.

Funny though, they don't seem to be both Wi-Fi & Ethernet. Just Ethernet. No Wi-Fi.

The face recognition is pretty smart in the camera that I just tested out from Amazon that goes to the Internet, I agree, but I don't want that.

It seems from my searches, that there are five main types of cameras.

Those which are Wi-Fi (but then they're not Ethernet) and worse, they go from the camera to your router to the Internet and back to the router to your phone or computer (which is a long trip from the house to the pool).

Those which are Ethernet (but then they're not on Wi-Fi). Which is strange. You'd think they'd have a device that can do either RJ46 or Wi-Fi.

Those which are cellular (but then they don't have Wi-Fi), which again is strange. These always go from the camera to the Internet via the carrier.

Those which are hard wired analog, which isn't what I can easily use given the amount of obstructions between the house and the pool.

Did I survey all the possible types out there easily bought? Wi-Fi only (no Ethernet) Ethernet only (no Wi-Fi) Cellular only (no Ethernet or Wi-Fi) Analog

And there are the DIY Raspberry-Pi streaming cameras too, but that's out of my technical level of expertise (I have no technical skills whatsoever, as if I did, I wouldn't need to ask this question to get the answer from you).

Here's an example of each on Amazon. Wi-Fi $40

Saves hardware and the complication of configuring the WiFi initially.

Notice that Ethernet cameras are normally PoE. Maybe you haven't noticed, this means "power over ethernet". Two of the wires in the ethernet connection (RJ45) are used to provide electricity to the camera, thus saving in an extra connection and hardware. But means you mean to install a PoE Switch to provide this special Ethernet connection (which can of course power a number of cameras)

On computers, they are different cards. It is not that strange.

Possibly. I dunno, right now.

Maybe there are kits out there with easy instructions.

Strange. They say it is a body camera, but needs an external power supply.

One of the photos say "intelligent protection". That suggests external computing, but I'll continue reading.

The product description section mentions an app, for ios or android.

Then there is a photo that clearly depicts the camera at home, and watching from the office in the phone. This is a 99% indicator there is an outside server involved.

One of the reports, by Tennesota, clearly says he is using an app in the phone to tell the camera what wifi credentials to use. This is a 90% indicator there is an outside server involved.

One report mentions trying to use the camera on the car or on a bike, but they finally did not do that. Doesn't seem to me to be an appropriate camera for that usage. Normally such a camera would not require internet, not even a LAN.

All the reports I could read are marked "Amazon Vine Customer Review of Free Product". Interesting, I don't see those in Spain. One of them could be Arlen. I clicked to see more reports, but then it asked for my login, and I refused. I do my Amazon searching anonymously, so that they don't email me.

I don't think you can use this camera in the LAN without an external server. Mind, some of the cameras using an external server may be capable of directly saving from the camera to the flash cards, without sending to the server on internet.

I find off-putting that not the description nor the reports tell the name of the app or the service they register to. This is important. If you have already a camera at home, you'd want the second camera on the same app. The registration can involve a fee. And of course, there can be reports on the app or service.

Many higher end cameras like the Axis Comminications units support both wired and wireless ethernet connection and function, other than remote access, even when the internet connection is down, as long as the local network, wired or wireless, remains active. Motion detection is done by the camera itself, not the cloud - but as I said - they are NOT CHEAP.

Or you can instamm a "POE Tap" to power just the one camera - -

Amazon used to have a visibile list of questions and answers but now they have the asbility to ask questions (and to see previous questions and answers if you use the right search terms. So maybe you can get an idea that way. I think the first model uyou listed that I replied about, on eeither home repair or electronics repair, ... I asked about that, whether you could view the pictured on a PC and the alleged AI said yes. Then I asked if you could control the pan and tilt with the PC and AAI said it found nothing about that (so, No.) How that affects your needs I don't know.

I have a similar question to yours. Do they make one where you can view the image and control the pan and tilt with a PC. I don't mind having to set it up with a phone, but I don't want to need the phone after that, because my phone is rarely on, and my PC is always on.

I have no pool or kids to worry aobut. I just want to see the deer who pass by, and the robins if they are eating my cherries. Their privacy is important to me, but not enough to worry if they're on the web, but I want to do everything with a PC. (If my house is being robbed while I'm away, I don't want to know about it.)

All deer and robins look alike to me.

Because the Seller wants not to sell you a widget; they want to get you trapped into renting a service that requires you pay and pay and pay.

Not quite.

IEEE 802.3af-2003 uses Phantom Power of Olden-Daze . The transformers at center-tapped;

Secondary winding:

--------------- Bl/W To camera via CAT 5/6 \ / == CT + \ /

--------------- W/Bl To camera via CAT 5/6

The unshown primary windings provides the data. The CT is connected to the power supply.

This is just the data TO the device; an identical second one is for the data back FROM the camera. Its CT will be the power supply negative.

This is replicated at the camera.