Remote webcam - what's it called ?

[Adrian Brentnall]

HI Folks

It'd be handy to have a webcam in the shop (mostly to keep an eye on the back yard where the river overflows from time to time and inundates the shop) - which could connect over the wi-fi or wired ethernet to our broadband router, and be viewable through a web browser..

..what's one of those called - if they even exist ?

I can find lots of usb-connected webcams - but I can't guarantee that there'll always be a pc available to plug it into - but there will always be a router..

Any recommendations ?

Thanks Adrian

[Tim+]

Try "IP cam"

[Chris Bartram]

[Harry Bloomfield]

Adrian Brentnall formulated on Saturday :

Lidl had one left at a reduced price when I popped in there a few months ago (June?). It was around £50, but reduced to £42 so I grabbed one, it has been fine - on continuously since then. Supra IPC-1. Indoor only, but it is remotely steerable, able to upload images to a website when it sees some movement, including before the movement triggered it. Good colour images in low light. Colour seems distorted, with green hedge showing as purple.

It is quite amusing to be able to see what might be happening at home in real time, when you are 300 miles away sat in a caravan. 'Caught' a relative going in the house on camera, to check around and was able to ring them, which caused some amusement.

[Brian Gaff]

I was just thinking, if its only the river you are worried about why not simply get a probe and an alarm?

Brian

[Adrian Brentnall]

Thanks all for telling me "ip-cam" - it does help to know what to look / ask for !

It's a bit more complicated than that, Brian - it'd be 'nice' to know when the water's on its way - and it visits the shop via a large-ish public yard - river's normally 100m or so away from the shop. Ideal would be a cam with a view of the river itself - but I don't think I can do that from our premises as it's (normally) about 5 ft below ground level in a cutting.

There's also one or two security issues with said yard (it's fairly close to a nightclub and an off-license!), and it might be handy to have a bit of discreet surveillance available when we need it...

A lot would depend on finding a good location without knocking too many holes in walls for cables.. - I'll have a look when I'm in there tomorrow.

Thanks Adrian

[Allan]

D-Link Wireless N Day & Night Camera ; Model: DCS-932L connects wirelessly to a router, and is viewable through the mydlink website.

[Adrian Brentnall]

Seems to have variable reviews, that one... if you can believe any online reviews - read a news story the other day that reckoned that as many as 40% of the online reviews for kit were actually 'astroturf' (as in people being paid to write reviews, both positive and negative)

Apart from that, it does seem to do what I wanted - operating without a PC, and allowing remote web-based viewing...

Thanks Adrian

[Sam Plusnet]

That looks like an indoor piece of kit.

I suppose mounting it indoors, looking out through a window, should make it harder for some scrote to nick it.