Cisco-Linksys WVC54GCA Webcam 640x480 802.11G Wireless Internet Home Monitoring Camera by CISCO SYSTEMS - ENTERPRISE
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Digital camera reviews of Cisco-Linksys WVC54GCA Webcam 640x480 802.11G Wireless Internet Home Monitoring Camera
Digital camera Review: Downgrade to v1.00R22 firmware for WPA security
Summary: 2 Stars
Honestly the camera does work really well. Rather impressed actually. I have owned this for at least 6 months and haven't had a problem yet. The only issue was initial setup since you can't use a secure wireless network unless you downgrade the software. I tried and tried and tried with the most updated software until looking at the Linksys website and finding multiple postings regarding this issue. It seems as if Linksys has given up on the product and is no longer fixing the issues. The last update was over a year ago, and it messed up the networking. After downgrading to V1.00R22, I was able to use WPA wireless security.
The only other issue is that at night, I used to get multiple false motion alerts until I turned the sensitivity down. It works great during the day and I've set it up to email me when there is motion, and then I forward it to my phone via SMS. Works great.
Digital camera Review: Easy to use
Summary: 5 Stars
Purchased the Linksys WVC54GCA a few days ago to be able to monitor the dogs/dogsitter when we travel. I followed the installation instructions very carefully and it was extremely easy to install and worked flawlessly. The picture quality over the internet is very good and bright. I am able to access it with any of the browsers that I use (internet explorer, Firefox and safari (IPOD touch)). It was so easy to install and works so well that I plan to add a second camera. Highly recommend this product.Digital camera Review: Easy, simple, exactly what I needed.
Summary: 5 Stars
I wanted a way to watch the construction being done on my home while I was at work. It was easy to setup and has worked every day with no problem. You will need to know how to open port 80 in your router and direct the traffic to your camera. I'm very happy with this camera.Digital camera Review: Ended up returning it for a refund
Summary: 2 Stars
For starters, the camera is larger than I realized. But that's my own fault for not paying attention to the dimensions listed. And as mentioned before, the swivel base is very flimsy in design.
It works OK in bright light, but not so well in the evening. Didn't get around to testing the motion capture because there's no way I can set-up the device to send clips to my NetGear ReadyNAS Duo only when motion is detected. The motion detection feature requires that you use the included software which means you need a PC or notebook on 24/7, which I do not.
Seems to me that this shortcoming could be resolved if they just added that feature into the camera's built in configuration.
Oh well. Still looking for a wi-fi cam that will capture video directly to a NAS without the use of software.
Digital camera Review: Excellent Product - Great value
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an excellent product, especially for the price.
Pros:
* Very inexpensive
* Has great audio pickup. You are able to hear a pin drop!
* Easy to setup (some experience with routers and port forwarding is recommended)
* Allows for E-Mail and FTP of video files captured after motion detection
* WiFi built in, all you need a WiFi network and a power outlet and its ready to go
* Small in size
Cons:
* The swivel base is adequate, however it seems a little flimsy. You have to tighten it down with a plastic ring that could break if you have a heavy hand
* Small bug with FTP transfer for motion capture video. The configuration settings do not allow any special characters in the FTP server name, username, or file path. So if you are going to ftp files you will need to configure it with plain usernames, and server names. I used the IP address of a local computer on the network and changed the username to NOT include an underscore.
Overall:
I would definitely recommend this product. I am planning to purchase two more of these now that I have my first one. I have spec'ed out a traditional security camera system, both IP and RF. With the cost of a DVR, cameras, cabling, etc you could be facing a $1500+ bill. However with a few of these, a WiFi network, and a PC to store the video, you can do almost as good for under $300 (assuming you already have a PC).
The setup I have is:
PC running Windows XP
-Filezilla FTP Server (make sure to open port 21 on your PC firewall)
Belkin Wireless G Router:
-You will need to setup port forwarding to be able to access the video from off of your network.
WVC54GCA
-Save yourself some time and trouble and assign it a static IP in your router. That way it wont be changing on you.