Network video-surveillance cameras can help
you monitor your home or office from anywhere. We tested five consumer and
business models.
Webcams are good for holding video chats.
They're also great at snapping a few shots when they detect motion, and
emailing the photos to you. For thorough monitoring and protection, however,
turn to IP (Internet Protocol) video cameras.
The main advantages of such specialized
cameras: They can handle low-light situations better than webcams can, and they
let you easily record happenings at your home or office via your local area
network and then review the video footage from wherever you may be.
Network cameras are a cost-effective crime
deterrent; even if a thief ignores them, they can provide evidence that should
help a law-enforcement investigation. You can add some cameras to home
automation and alarm systems, too.
Better-quality models carry a two-digit IP
rating (in this case, the initialism stands for "ingress
protection"). The IP rating specifies the degree of protection that a
camera's enclosure provides against solid objects (indicated by the first
digit) and liquids (indicated by the second digit).
I tested five network cameras. I'll cover
the consumer models – from D-Link, Logitech, and Trendnet – first, and then
I'll discuss the business-oriented models, from Axis and Trendnet.
D-Link DCS-5222L
If you want a pan/tilt IP camera for
security purposes, but you don't need top-shelf performance and design, the
$250 D-Link DCS-5222L is worth a look. It offers many of the same features as
the Axis M5014 business model does, at half the price. It also boasts night
vision and two-way audio, which the Axis lacks.
So what do you give up in exchange? Video
quality, for starters. Although the DCS- 5222L offers 1280-by-720- pixel
resolution, just as the Axis M5014 does, video from the D-Link Looks much
fuzzier. The DCS-5222L is also vulnerable to tampering, since its lens and
pan/tit mechanism are unprotected. And anyone who wants to prevent it from
recording need only pull out its easily accessible MicroSD card.
D-Link's software wizard handles setup
basics, but a complete configuration will have you jumping through hoops. In
addition to the wizard, you need to learn the D-View local client interface,
the MyDlink online interface, and (if you want to get into the camera's
firmware) the Advanced Settings interface.
D-ViewCam lets you monitor up to 32 D-Link
cameras using a local PC. MyDLink, a free companion app for PCs, smartphones,
and tablets, allows you to view video streamed from your cameras over the
Internet. The app has some limitations: You can view only one stream at a time,
you can't resize the window any larger than 645 by 350 pixels or so, and
streaming automatically times out after a few minutes.
The D-Link DCS-5222L provides a lot of
features and flexibility for $250, but it stumbles on the quality of its
footage. If image quality is paramount to you, check out Logitech's Alert 750e
night-vision camera, which offers much better results despite a lower
resolution.
Logitech Alert 750e
The most impressive feature of the $350
Logitech Alert 750e system is the quality of the camera, in terms of its video
output and its physical construction. At 960 by 720 pixels and 15 frames per
second, the video-capture resolution of the Alert 750e is lower than that of
competitors, but the video quality is exceptional. In addition, the camera's
exterior is made from zinc, not plastic. The drawbacks are the relatively high
cost and the fact that you can't install and monitor more than six cameras.
The setup I tested uses HomePlug AV
powerline networking, in which electricity and ethernet data packets travel
over the same cable. This arrangement means you must have an AC outlet within
the vicinity of each camera, but you don't need to string cable from your
router or your PC; you just insert a Logitech HomePlug AV adapter (included
with each master system) into an outlet near your router. Each camera also
comes with its own HomePlug AV adapter.
If your home or office has poor electrical
wiring, powerline networking might deliver spotty performance or fail
altogether. Logitech also sells the same outdoor and indoor cameras configured
to run on Power over Ethernet.
The camera saves motion-triggered video
recordings to a MicroSD card (a 2GB card is provided, but you can use cards as
Large as 32GB). In addition, you can set the 750e to transfer recordings to
your Dropbox account.
The Logitech Alert 750e system is top-notch
in nearly every respect: The camera is rugged, it produces great-quality
footage, it records audio, it doesn't rely on a host PC, and it's easy to
install and configure. If you don't mind the six-camera Limit, you won't find a
better choice.
