Webcam help please techies ....

[Howard]

Gang ,

Hypothetically speaking , if i wanted to set up a webcam at work (overlooking the lock) . What would i need ?

Imagine we have nothing (just like Whitney Houston) , no PC , no software , no webcam .....

What would we need ? talk me through it please .....

Cheers all

H

 

[HughJarse]

OOoooooooooh now then where to start....
I gather you want other people to view them? On Internet?
This can get expensive if you want live video. If you just want the camera to take a picture every now and then and upload to a website its cheaper (less bandwidth)
So :
Camera, Pc/laptop, Internet connection.
You could use a free service, (http://www.webcamnow.com/) but your opening yourself up to porn etc (on adverts) and I dont think the environment agency are gonna like that).

Software try reading here http://developers.webcamworld.com/slist.html
Try reading this page for an overall idea http://cowboyfrank.net/webcams/HowTo.htm
or here
http://www.urban75.org/tech/webcam.html

 

[Howard]

We've got an internet connection ....it wouldn't be an EA thing, it would be through my private site , i take all the free services are gonna have crappy adverts ?

I can get an old PC from somewhere , so is it really as easy as buying a webcam and downloading a bit of software ? ....

We wouldn't need it to be streaming video, just a few piccys a minute or something ....

Do they do USB extension cords, as we could mount the camera in the window but stash the old PC in a cupboard somewhere and the lead wouldn't be long enough ...

 

[Spinal]

Couldn't you get an IP compatible camera? I've seen these floating about as I was/am looking for some CCTV for my house. Simply put, you plug them into a router that is connected to the internet, tell the routing table (firewall) that any connection on a specific port should be redirected to the IP of the camera and voila! To load that into a site, all you would need to do is embed the feed from the camera into your site...

Bandwith is a concern, but it is just an idea

Michele

 

[Howard]

Hmmmmmm.....

Think i could do that ? sounds complicated ....

How would i tell the router what to do, we don't have access to it, it is a third party router ( myhotzone.com ) but we have a free account ....

 

[HughJarse]

You can get usb extensions, but theyre limited to length unless you get a one that has a self powered repeater box on the end.

 

[Spinal]

Hmmmmmm.....

Think i could do that ? sounds complicated ....

How would i tell the router what to do, we don't have access to it, it is a third party router ( myhotzone.com ) but we have a free account ....

Had a look at their services, I am assuming that the router is 'yours' (as in, you are not a wireless client, but the person who pays for the router). At that point, from any computer connected to the network, click on start then run. Type 'cmd' then hit enter. In the MS-DOS window that pops-up, type in 'ipconfig', and hit enter again. Make a note of your "Default Gateway". (usually something like 192.168.0.1)

Now, open internet explorer and type 'http://192.168.0.1" (replace the ip with the numbers you noted from the ms-dos cmd window). This is the default way to access most routers configuration panels. You will probably be requested to input a username password. If you dont have this, try searching google for "<router make/model> default password" and try the default password. If that doesn't work, you might want to contact hotzone and ask them for it.

Once in, the proceedure varies from router to router; but generally is roughly the same. You will need to find something that says either "Virtual Server" or "Routing Table" or "Firewall table" (or something to that effect). These will contain a list of private IP's, and a port number (and in some cases, nicknames, protocol nicknames and scheduling info).

From the IP camera manual (that piece of paper you throw in the bin once you open the box), get the "Port Number" that it likes being connected to and the "MAC ADDRESS". The MAC address is not necessary at this stage, but as you're there, might as well get it and do the job properly.

Back in the router config page, add a new rule. The Private IP will be the IP of the camera; the port, that of the camera, but the public port can be anything you like (some are reserved, so pick something HIGH and RANDOM, like 8080x (x being a number other than 0). These are nice as 80 is reserved for http traffic, so it reminds you that the stream will be http connectable (as most IP cameras are). Lets assume you picked 80808.

Not finished yet (almost), but lets summarise. You have connected the camera to the network, you have opened your router config and assigned a public port to the camera. (aka you created a bridge to it).

Now, to do the job "nicely", you will need to assign a static IP to your camera. That way, if the power goes off, you wont need to reset manually the IP in the routing table. In the router config, browse around until you find something that allows you to assign a static IP to a client. This usually is in a DHCP table. It will contain something lik: host name, ip address and mac address. Remember that MAC address you noted? (something like 00-55-ba-c6-68-15) type that in a new rule, and then type in the IP that was automatically assigned to the camera (or one of your liking, but picking the one auto-assigned has the advantage of you knowing its free at the moment).

Voila

To test it... from inside the network, type in the camera's internal IP in internet explorer. This will create an internal link.

Once that works without issues, test the router link. Type the IP address given to the router by your ISP into internet explorer. (to find your public IP, goto a site like whatismyip.com, or just google "my ip" from any computer on that router). To access the camera now, assuming your public IP is something like 82.61.91.01, open IE, type 82.61.91.01:80808 and hit enter. That tells it to check port 80808 instead of the default port 80.

What else... uhmm... oh yeah, to see it from other computers, just type in the public IP, voila. Embedding it is something I'm not too clear about, but can do some research if you want.

If you have any issues or troubles with my clear-as-mud post, I'll be happy to fling more mud your way

Michele

quick edit: you can get some fairly long usb cords around, but as hugh said, the longer you go, the higher the need for a powered hub/cord. There are usb "repeater cables" around. That said, you would STILL need to configure your router to assign a fixed IP to the PC (instead of the IP camera) and to redirect traffic coming in from a specific port on the router to a specific port on the PC. I.e. the router set up would be practically the same as with a IP camera; only difference would be that you would be running 300/400Watts on the PC in addition...

 

[guydewdney]

Howard - what michele has posted may seem long and complex - but it isnt. It really is quite easy - just a set of typing numbers in carefully!

IP camera is the way to go - am doing the same thing here on my water wheel / leat system

 

[WLeg]

www.axis.com make farily decent IP cameras.... although at a price.
We used them for "Staff monitoring and security" at a previous place of work.

 

[agatward]

www.axis.com make farily decent IP cameras.... although at a price.
We used them for "Staff monitoring and security" at a previous place of work.

I second that. Failing that, I hear from the Physics department here that the D-Link IP cameras are also good, and come in wireless and wired varieties.

Andy

 

[Howard]

Thanks everyone, will look into it further ....

 

[robert.saunders]

Did anything come of this Howard? I'm wanting a decent cam to acquire, for internet broadcast.......

 

[Howard]

Hi Rob,

Predictably , as with a lots of things i do , it didn't get any further ....

Sorry

 

[robert.saunders]

hehe no worries chap

 

[gaz_l]

What are you trying to achieve? I may be able to offer some suggestions..

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[robert.saunders]

I have a cheap cam which is old and rubbish; so I want to upgrade not just to use for me on MSN etc but to position on a site to allow for refreshed access over web to monitor something fairly long term (12 months+)

 

[Sp!ke]

In the past I used a standard security camera connected to the video in port of my cheap TV tuner card. This allows standard coax cabling and much greater distances, plus you can get a much better quality camera for a lot less money than IP cameras.

You can then use one of the free dynamic DNS offerings so that you can broadcast your camera image direct without using a hosting service (just dynamic DNS and some free software). You'll have full control with no adverts.

I did this when my son was about to take his first steps. It meant I could have a window of my PC at work tuned in on my living room so I didnt miss them. Worked well.

Bit more detail here

 

[gaz_l]

I have a cheap cam which is old and rubbish; so I want to upgrade not just to use for me on MSN etc but to position on a site to allow for refreshed access over web to monitor something fairly long term (12 months+)

Sorry, I've never used a webcam but I have some knowledge of CCTV. Do you want to use this (as an example) to monitor your front door/garage/whatever when it's not being used as a webcam? And, how are you planning to access the product from the camera? Broadband? Dial-up? Or (god forbid) GSM????

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[robert.saunders]

I want it to be relatively portable in that I would still use it sometimes for MSN etc as we have family dotted about, but equally I want a semi-permanent fixing to view outside (through window is fine). It's not for security purposes.

I would want access over web, I would place it over my broadband I would say

 

[gaz_l]

If it's not for security purposes, then that kinda blows me out as that's where most of my experience lies. Like I say, I've never had cause to use a webcam.

Having done a few minutes idle digging though, it seems there's quite a few bits of software that could work with your webcam of choice to enable you to stream your video product over t'internet. Here's an example:

http://www.webcamsoft.com/en/watchdog.html

There's a free download to trial it, and even if you decide to purchase it, it's ~£25. Hardly wallet breaking stuff..

HTH,

Gaz