garage webcam?
Discussion
Guys,
Want to set up a webcam in my lockup garage so I can keep an eye on the p+j.
Anyone done this?
Assuming that I'd need a wireless webcam with a wireless range of about 100m to broadcast back to myhouse. Wireless link needs to be secure (because I don't want the whole neighbourhood staring at my car!).
Anyone got any thoughts?
Want to set up a webcam in my lockup garage so I can keep an eye on the p+j.
Anyone done this?
Assuming that I'd need a wireless webcam with a wireless range of about 100m to broadcast back to myhouse. Wireless link needs to be secure (because I don't want the whole neighbourhood staring at my car!).
Anyone got any thoughts?
overclockers sell plenty of cameras which are network/IP based (all you'd need is something to broadcast the network to i.e. a router), but the also list this:
Linksys WVC54G Wireless-G Internet Video Camera (NW-015-LS)
The Linksys Wireless-G Internet Video Camera sends live video with sound through the Internet to a web browser anywhere in the world! This compact, self-contained unit lets you keep track of whatever's important to you. Unlike standard "web cams" that require an attached PC, the Internet Video Camera contains its own web server, so it can connect directly to a network, either over Wireless-G (802.11g) networking, or over 10/100 Ethernet cable. The advanced MPEG-4 video compression produces a high-quality, high-frame rate, up to 640x480 audio/video stream. The Internet Video Camera's unique form-factor and wireless connectivity allows you to mount it on a wall nearly anywhere, or slip it into its included stand for desktop use.
- Sends high-quality live a/v stream over 802.11g wireless network
- Viewable from anywhere
- Built-in stand-alone web server, no PC necessary
- Security Mode automatically sends email alerts with video clips upon motion detection
- Supports up to four simultaneous remote users
Price: £119.95 (£140.94 Including VAT at 17.5%)
Which might be worthwhile, but the network cameras are > £150 each just for the network camera.
How good a quality are you after?
Linksys WVC54G Wireless-G Internet Video Camera (NW-015-LS)
The Linksys Wireless-G Internet Video Camera sends live video with sound through the Internet to a web browser anywhere in the world! This compact, self-contained unit lets you keep track of whatever's important to you. Unlike standard "web cams" that require an attached PC, the Internet Video Camera contains its own web server, so it can connect directly to a network, either over Wireless-G (802.11g) networking, or over 10/100 Ethernet cable. The advanced MPEG-4 video compression produces a high-quality, high-frame rate, up to 640x480 audio/video stream. The Internet Video Camera's unique form-factor and wireless connectivity allows you to mount it on a wall nearly anywhere, or slip it into its included stand for desktop use.
- Sends high-quality live a/v stream over 802.11g wireless network
- Viewable from anywhere
- Built-in stand-alone web server, no PC necessary
- Security Mode automatically sends email alerts with video clips upon motion detection
- Supports up to four simultaneous remote users
Price: £119.95 (£140.94 Including VAT at 17.5%)
Which might be worthwhile, but the network cameras are > £150 each just for the network camera.
How good a quality are you after?
Quality - nothing amazing required - I'm not speilberg - jsut want to be able to see that the car is safe when I'm on the other side of the world for work - as car is in a lockup nobody else is gonna keep an eye on it for me!!!
Main issue is the broadcast strength of the system - wireless is all well and good, but as I've mentioned I'm >100m from the garage = will this camera have the power to broadcast that far, and will it be secure in it's transmission or will anyone be able to pick it up.?
Main issue is the broadcast strength of the system - wireless is all well and good, but as I've mentioned I'm >100m from the garage = will this camera have the power to broadcast that far, and will it be secure in it's transmission or will anyone be able to pick it up.?
you can make wireless "secure" (the algorithm's aren't that strong apparently but it takes a little longer to decrypt). I read 100m as 10 (doh!).
Suggestion is wireless will work, just very slowly at that range. Is there anyway you could run a wire to the garage? Does it have a phone line? During that 100m what is there - could you put extender's or similar up?
Suggestion is wireless will work, just very slowly at that range. Is there anyway you could run a wire to the garage? Does it have a phone line? During that 100m what is there - could you put extender's or similar up?
It's 100m of suburban housing sprawl, and two B roads running past around 50 residences! So a cable isn't an option, and although the garage has power it has no phone line unfortunately!
I'm guessing that I'll need to make up some kind of amplifier for the wireless signal to get it to broadcast through the garage walls and the street of semi detached houses between it and my network back in the house.
Surely someone has done this somewhere already....
from my limited understanding of wireless, the signal is flaky within a house, never mind trying to get it across that sort of distance and obstacle.
There was a post on here a bit back from someone who is setting up a wireless network in Ireland somewhere who was encountering problems such as this, I sure the title was something to do with problems getting worse.
edit:: here they are www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=201609&f=95&h=0
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=167924&f=95&h=0
>> Edited by docevi1 on Monday 12th September 16:52
There was a post on here a bit back from someone who is setting up a wireless network in Ireland somewhere who was encountering problems such as this, I sure the title was something to do with problems getting worse.
edit:: here they are www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=201609&f=95&h=0
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=167924&f=95&h=0
>> Edited by docevi1 on Monday 12th September 16:52
signal may be flaky within houses - but I can happily surf away on my neighbours connection (no secuirty know how there it seems!) - and thats got to be nearly 30m away through a couple of brick walls.
Didn't realise it was all such low power - surely corporates must use something a bit more powerful / sensitive for large building installations?
Didn't realise it was all such low power - surely corporates must use something a bit more powerful / sensitive for large building installations?
I recently bought one of these to keep an eye on our house in France near Le Mans.
Find them on eBay for around £275.
Best thing is they are Wi-Fi, full motion sensing and automatically upload pictures/video to your website if someone breaks in
Also come with an excellent browser-based control center.
Find them on eBay for around £275.
Best thing is they are Wi-Fi, full motion sensing and automatically upload pictures/video to your website if someone breaks in
Also come with an excellent browser-based control center.
Hi, sorry, bit late picking up on this thread.
mr_tony, do you have a direct line of sight from your house to the garage? This is the most important factor, any buildings or trees are going to cause you a problem.
Once you have line of sight then there are some things you can do to improve things, the main one being investing in upgraded antennas.
100 metres really isn't that far for wireless, but it is pushing the limit on stock antennas, however it may still work through the walls.
First thing to do in all these cases is to do a survey.
You need to get hold of an Wireless Access Point and set it up in your garage and then get a lap top with a Wirelss LAN Card and a copy of Net Stumbler, then see how far away you can pick the signal up from.
It's also a good idea to use Net Stumbler to detect any other wireless networks in the area, there are 14 Channels you can use but your link needs to be about 5 channels away from any other systems, so generally people use 1, 6 & 12.
If you can't get a clean signal over the distance then you will need to use directional antennas, and for this distance you'd only need very low gain one's so they should be fairly cheap (<£50 for the pair) - you'll also need the associated cabling, and being able to fit external antennas may limit your choice of equipment.
What kind of buget do you have available for this?
Mail me off line if you like or we can keep the chat going here.
best
Ex
mr_tony, do you have a direct line of sight from your house to the garage? This is the most important factor, any buildings or trees are going to cause you a problem.
Once you have line of sight then there are some things you can do to improve things, the main one being investing in upgraded antennas.
100 metres really isn't that far for wireless, but it is pushing the limit on stock antennas, however it may still work through the walls.
First thing to do in all these cases is to do a survey.
You need to get hold of an Wireless Access Point and set it up in your garage and then get a lap top with a Wirelss LAN Card and a copy of Net Stumbler, then see how far away you can pick the signal up from.
It's also a good idea to use Net Stumbler to detect any other wireless networks in the area, there are 14 Channels you can use but your link needs to be about 5 channels away from any other systems, so generally people use 1, 6 & 12.
If you can't get a clean signal over the distance then you will need to use directional antennas, and for this distance you'd only need very low gain one's so they should be fairly cheap (<£50 for the pair) - you'll also need the associated cabling, and being able to fit external antennas may limit your choice of equipment.
What kind of buget do you have available for this?
Mail me off line if you like or we can keep the chat going here.
best
Ex
Drop me a mail Ex - got around 350 quid to spend on the whole project (aials, webcam, wireless network etc)... Probably not doable for that really.
Other option is low gain UHF transmitter (something I know slightly more about than wireless networks)... But I'd probably wipe out the neighbours channel 5 reception or something....
Other option is low gain UHF transmitter (something I know slightly more about than wireless networks)... But I'd probably wipe out the neighbours channel 5 reception or something....
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