Archive for the 'Network Camera' Category

IP Network Cameras are designed to work in a Local Area Network (LAN) and over the Internet. Within
a LAN, IP Network Cameras allow for motoring local to the computer network to which the cameras are
attached to. With additional configuration of your computer network you have the ability to allow
for your IP Network Camera to be monitored not only locally but remotely as well using the Internet.
For advice on how to configure your network to allow for your camera to work over the Internet please
follow this guide.

Configuration - Local Access

Before you are able to configure your camera to work over the Internet we suggest configuring the
camera for local access first. Please refer to the technical documentation that came with your camera
for proper instructions on initial configuration of your camera. Once the camera has been configured
for local access you are then ready to start configuration for remote access to the camera over the
Internet.

Configuration - Remote Access

Before you proceed to configure your local network to allow your camera to be monitored from a remote
location, we suggest that you contact your network administrator to ensure you have the proper authority
to configure remote access to the camera. Once you have consulted with your network administrator you
may proceed to configure remote access to the camera.

In order to configure your camera to work over the Internet you will need to configure what is called
Port Forwarding. Port Forwarding allows for you to access the camera from a remote location by
forwarding the network ports used by the camera onto the Internet. These ports are usually forwarded
by accessing your network’s router and configuring the router to forward the ports used by the camera.
For details as to what ports will be required for forwarding for your IP Network Camera, please consult
the manufacturer of your camera. For additional information beyond this guide regarding Port Forwarding,
please visit www.portforward.com where you will be able to find step by step guides on Port Forwarding
specific to different models of routers.

Step 1 - Obtain IP Address Information

In order to access your network’s router for configuration of port forwarding you will require the IP
Address of the router to which the camera is connected to. You can obtain this IP Address information
by consulting with the network administrator of your network or by opening up a Command Prompt within
Windows and entering in the “ipconfig /all” command. To open a command prompt window you will need to
click on the Window’s Start button and then proceed to click on Run. Now you will enter in “cmd” and
click on “Ok” to proceed.

Once you have displayed the IP Configuration for your computer using the “ipconfig /all” command, you
will then be able to record the IP Address for your router. You will need this IP Address in order to
access your router for configuring Port Forwarding. Your network router’s IP Address will be displayed
as the Default Gateway.

Step 2 - Accessing your Network’s Router

Now that you have obtained the IP Address for your network’s router you will then need to proceed to
access your router by typing in the router’s IP Address in a web browser.

Step 3 - Configuring Port Forwarding on your Router

Now that you have access to the network router you will then need to proceed to browse to the
configuration section on the router where port forwarding is to take place. Please consult with the
manufacturer of your router for details as to where this section is. You may also review the website
NetworkCameraReviews.com where you will find detailed forum posts on port forwarding with various routers.

The Private IP Address for the camera (local IP Address of camera) has been entered in as well as a unique
name that will be associated with this particular port that is to be forwarded. In this example port
80 will be forwarded for the camera. Please consult with the manufacturer of your camera for details
on what port(s) will be forwarded. Some IP Network Cameras require more then one port to be forwarded
in order for you to obtain all the features the camera has to offer. You will also be presented with
an option to select a Protocol to be to be used. Common options found are UDP, TCP or Both. Your router
may have additional options. In most cases you will need to select the protocol option “Both”. This
will associate both UDP and TCP protocols to the port(s) being forwarded. In this example we with click
on the Apply button once all required information has been entered.

After the settings have been saved within the router’s configuration you should be able to see this
information displayed in a list. There may be other entries in this list already by default.

Step 4 - Accessing your IP Network Camera over the Internet

Now that you have configured port forwarding on your network’s router to allow the camera to be accessed
over the Internet, you are now ready to attempt to access the camera. We suggest attempting to access
the camera from a remote location and not within the local network for confirmation that port forwarding
was configured properly. At a remote location you will need to type in the Public IP Address that is
provided by you Internet Service Provider (ISP) in order for you to be able to access your camera.
Please contact your ISP if you are not sure what your Public IP Address is. You will not be able to
access the camera by it’s Private IP Address (Example: 192.168.0.100) because the camera’s Private IP
Address cannot be seen on the Internet and can only be seen within the local network to which the camera
is attached to.

In most applications port 80 will be forwarded and because of this no port information will be required
in the Address Bar when attempting to access the camera. However, there are cases where an IP Network
Camera will not use port 80. These cases are usually related to security concerns with using port 80.
We suggest contacting your network administrator or the manufacturer of you router to inquire upon the
possible security concerns with forwarding port 80. If port 80 is not the port being used you will be
required to enter in the full IP Address followed by a colon and the port number used.

You should now be able to fully access your IP Network Camera from a remote location using the
Internet. If you require any additional support for configuring your camera for remote access, we
strongly suggest that you contact the manufacturer of your camera, the manufacturer of your network’s
router or review the detailed guides found on NetworkCameraReviews.com

There are are number of reasons why you should choose an IP network camera for your surveillance system. Sure, analog cameras have been around longer, but the IP camera has proven its worth in performance.

The IP tetwork camera has existed since 1996. During its release, network cameras lagged a mile behind analog cameras in professionalism. In the early years, IP network cameras were simply thought of as web cameras used for broadcasting events or objects over the Internet. Fast forward to a decade later, and the good ol’ web cams are now part of hundreds of operating surveillance systems.

Catching Up with the Analog Camera

A few years after it’s introduction, the IP network cameras have been updated and upgraded to catch up with the analog camera in terms of function. Today, the IP camera is at par with the best analog camera in the market, even surpassing it in some aspects.

Winning the Race Against the Analog Camera

Before you choose the model of the camera you want for your surveillance system, you will first have to decide whether you’re getting an analog cam or an IP network camera. For you to make the right choice, it is important that you first understand the important differences between two. By the end of this article, you should be able to understand how the IP network surveillance camera gives you more value for your money.

Interlacing

The first notable difference is seen in the camera’s interlacing. The IP network surveillance camera is at an advantage in this criteria as analog cameras have significant problems with interlacing. High resolution analog camera are not able to capture fast-moving objects and keep the quality of the image because, with in an analog video signal, images are made of lines and all images are created from two interlaced fields. While the analog camera produces blurry images of fast-moving objects, the IP network camera provides crystal clear images because the whole image is captured at one time.

Power Over Ethernet

Getting power to an analog camera means hurdling a major obstacle and shelling out a major amount of cash. With the IP network camera, you have an IEEE 802.3af standard PoE (Power over Ethernet), which means that your networking devices get its power from an PoE-enabled switch over a standard cable that transmits data and video. The device offers major savings to IP camera users as the standard in place means all models or equipment are compatible with the device. PoE also gives the camera centralized backup power, so they continue to work even with a power failure.

Megapixel Resolution

The analog camera follows the olf NTSC/PAl specifications, which corresponds to 0.4 megapixels at 4CIF. The newer IP Network cameras require a higher megapixel range. The higher the resolution of the camera, the more the detailed the coverage of large areas. The camera’s higher resolution also enables essential surveillance functions such as tilt, pan, and zoom.

The above mentioned comparisons are just three of many advantages offered by IP cameras over the analog version. If you want to get a good surveillance camera, get an IP network camera.