LAN Camera Review

xulphlux writes "The guys over at Tom's Hardware have an excellent review of 4 LAN cameras. While not currently commonplace as of yet, they have good potential for relatively low cost security uses. Keep an eye on the kids outside, your sports car out front, or the good looking girl next door... A couple even have built in 802.11b so no need for wires."

Comments

lan cameras are FUN!

[laymil]

lan cameras are ultra fun. you can use them for a variety of applications: security, relief of boredom. we've been using an AXIS 200+ (which unfortunately doesn't do video) to keep an eye on things. if you'd like to check it out it can be accessed here. if anyone knows of any hacks to let the cam do video or upgrade anything, it would be much appreciated.

AXIS runs linux

[bodin]

If it is not clear enough, you should know that Axis supports the community and actually runs embedded Linux with features like NTP, FTP, SMTP and dial-up-when-triggered-by-external-switch and other nifty features.

Uh

[cscx]

or the good looking girl next door

Uhh... this treads into "pervert" land. You know, you could just try talking to her, I've heard it works sometimes. :)

Re:Uh

[nagora]

You know, you could just try talking to her, I've heard it works sometimes. :)

Yeah, the wife will like that just fine!

TWW

Give 'em a REAL test

[EvilStein]

They have embedded web servers?

Which one will get /.'ed first? Which one bursts into flames first?

The Axis one was $299.. they've really come down in price over the past couple of years.

are yiou nuts?

[Lumpy]

relatively low cost? what?

These cameras are at least 2-3 times more expensive than a regular camera and the required equipment to do it the regular way.

These lan cameras are the way to install a horribly overpriced security setup not low cost, not by any means.

These cameras are great if you have lots of extra money lying around and in your way, otherwise buy regular security cameras, they are much smaller, better built, and available in water/weather proof designs.

Heck I even have a color/nightvision version in my back yard that is my most expensive camera and it cost $250.00

Warpeeping?

[Hobbex]

How about rather than pointing a camera like this at the girl next door, you just give her one of the 802.11b units so she can secure her house, and then sit back and pick up the signal through your Pringles tube?

I mean seriously, given it's notorious lack of security, isn't mounting a _security_ camera via 802.11b suicide? Broadcasting who is in the building out over the entire neighborhood seems _slightly_ counterproductive for burgulary protection (not to speak of privacy!) It seems to me that security should be the prime concern for any such purchase, yet I find little or no mention of it in the article (the D-Link unit mentions WEP passing, but we all know how great that is...)

Re:Warpeeping?

[mmol_6453]

Indeed. there's a reason you'll see "This building covered by closed circuit television."

It means it can't be jammed or overpowered.

Just thinking about the wife ten years from now discovering porno among my old security tapes...<shudder>.

these lan camers suck for security...

[Skal Tura]

Best of these lan cameras isn't amongst those tested, i've seen an popup ad of a Spy Cam 2 or whatever it's name was atleast dozens of times.
That lan camera is smaller than any of those plus you can remotely turn it to watch some other place, although it's also too big for security usage, i prefer very small, perhaps even poor image quality but if it cannot be seen it's much better because the burglar or someone cannot avoid being caught by it if s/he doesn't see it.

Also you can get from normal/security cameras a video feed to you'r comp also with right kind of hardware.
Just use something like Dazzle or attach it to you'r tv-in's camera port, also if you are skilled in electronics you can make an 'multiplexer' to multiplex many video feeds and attach it to you'r tv-in port and just change 'channel' to see another camera =)

These has something good also in them, cause they are lan cameras they are a way to better way, because they most likely doesn't care what os you use to configure it (by telnet prompt or serial cable, who cares?). I personally wish to see a lot more devices attached to lan, thus making it easier for many people to use simultaneously, no need for drivers etc... etc..

and more negative critic about these: why don't you just use some small normal webcam with very long cable instead of these, cheaper and smaller, i have Quickcam VC and it's a lot smaller than my fist, thus making it easier to hide if needed, although that webcamera is shaped as ball so it's a bit harder to make without ssomething to put it stand on or to attach to point right direction and stay that way, also it has a place where you can but a bolt to attach it...

Also, if you don't care to disassemble it you can make it 50% smaller taking the casing away, if you plan to put it outside you can use some plastic or something to protect it from rain then, you would need to do that anyways cos it hasn't been designed to be water proof....

There is a lot to do before these lan cams are something else than pretty toys...

Saw this LAN cam at show, $139, but where can buy?

[wherley]

This thing (eCAMit) has IP and built in motion detection which none of the four Toms reviewed had. It doesn't look as nicely designed, but for $139 if it works who cares? Anyone actually seen/used one?

Other info on it.

Privacy?

[AnnaBlack]

Keep an eye on ... the good looking girl next door

Hang on.... here we are on Slashdot, where every mention of possibly privacy-invading technology provokes an intense discussion involving civil liberties... and this phrase gets posted in a headline story?

Just a little sexual politics for y'all - pointing hidden cameras at girls (or anyone else for that matter) is not nice. It's offensive. It's rude. It's an invasion of privacy.

Anna B

You'd think so...

[wirefarm]

So would have I...
But as it turns out, these things are a bargain.
A few months ago, I was in Akihabara and grabbed a Connectix QuickCam on impulse - I got the cheapest one, assuming that it was the most likely to have Linux drivers. After all, I had the original B&W Quickcam the week it was released years ago and it had Linux drivers after something like 25 minutes.
Guess what? The new QuickCam has the most Linux-Unfriendly thing you could imagine. It's Windows-only and the only way to upload pictures to an FTP site is to use some POS service that's free for the first 30 days and only works with some half-dead proprietary service.
All I wanted was to be able to take a picture from a command line and save it to a file - I'll take care of the rest.
So that was $70 wasted.
At my office we just got one of the ones that Tom's reviews that does Pan and Tilt (the Panasonic?) and the thing is GREAT. $400 or so and it comes with a web server (Nmap tells me it's Linux) and does everything that a Linux-friendly webcam connected to a normal web server would do, *if* I could find such a camera. Plus, the pan and tilt and refresh rate are excellent. Such a thing would have cost 4 times the price a year ago.
I've got enough computers running in my apartment that power consumption is a real consideration too - another real appeal of this thing.
I went to try to find one of these today at lunch (before reading the article,) but the store didn't have them yet, or I'd have one tonight.
I'd buy one just to not waste a weekend or two fscking around with unsupported hardware and drivers and he worry of facing a Windows box to the Internet.
I guess I'd say to you, Just wait a few months - this is the direction that this sort of equipment is going - embedded Linux and network transparency - plus,it will be half the price by February.

Cheers,
Jim

PS - I think any CCD camera has night vision capabilities if you crack it open and take out the filter - at least i heard that somewhere...

Why have a LAN camera?

[cr0sh]

I can see very little need for any of these cameras by home users. In the commercial realm, there are more uses, but they still seem waaay overpriced for what you get, compared to what it would cost to build a comparable system.

A wired LAN camera (with built in web server) is only really needed if you are doing something where you have a nearby network connection and don't want to run a long run of coax or other cable for video (though CAT5 should handle video fine), same for the wireless (though it is better if you need such a camera in an area where you can't get wires to AT ALL). I can see using these cameras for a quick setup/takedown for a "fly-by-night" live-webcam porno operation, or in a warehouse, or on a remote ranch - but not much else. Maybe I am short-sighted - where else would these be justified for the expense that a cheaper system wouldn't be worth it?

At home? You have to be kidding. This winter I plan on installing security cams in my house - I am going to use cheap b/w (maybe a single color cam for the front door) cams, most "single-board", which supply 1 Vpp composite video, and need a 12VDC hookup, all of which can be run over CAT5. I will terminate the cameras back at a central location where I plan to hook them up to a custom parallel port driven relay (or IC) based switcher, and into a video capture card for recording. I plan on running the wires in the attic - no big deal. I figure the total cost of this thing will be in the realm of $200 total - the computer is free (junk from work), the video capture card I have lying around, the cameras cost about $25.00 - $50.00 each - why should I buy a LAN camera?

Re:Nifty battery power?

[kesuki]

There are plenty of solar pannels that can deliver 6.5 watts, or better, so a solar panel + Lithium Ion battery pack, and you've got a webcam that can pretty much run all day, with essentially no wires. the battery enables it to run even on cloudy days, although if you want the cam to run 24/7 you need to have it plugged in, or else you'd have problems with outages.
And for what it's worth, none of the cameras are housed for outdoor usage either, so basically the point is that everyone has power outlets everywhere inside their house, but not everyone has an ethernet jack right next to each and every power outlet for 'convenience' sake. Besides, don't you want that girl next door to be pulling out her laptop, browsing for 802.11b networks, and find to her shock that her bedroom window is currently being broadcast across a wireless webcam ;-) (BTW the 802.11b access can be overridden for cabled use too)