Using IP Cameras for Home Security

More and more home owners are becoming interested in the idea of using surveillance cameras to monitor their homes, garages or even vacation properties while they are away. One popular product for doing this is an IP camera.

What is an IP camera?

An IP camera is very similar to the traditional surveillance camera that you see in retail stores you shop at but they offer more features. Most surveillance cameras are CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) or Analog. This means they have an analog signal going to a VCR or DVR (Digital Video Recorder). While these types of security cameras get the job done, they still do not offer the network benefits of IP. IP stands for Internet Protocol and is the same technology used for computer networks. This means an IP camera can be setup on a computer network. This allows many more benefits such as viewing live video over the Internet or locally at home via a web browser. You can also record to a computer or hard drive instead of a VCR tape. IP cameras also now offer the ability to view video on mobile devices like iPhones and Android phones.

How is an IP camera Beneficial for Home Use?

Being able to view video remotely while you are away gives you the peace of mind knowing your home is safe. Some parents also use these cameras for baby monitors or pet cams. With the ability to record to your computer, it is easy to go back and view past recorded video to find events. If you have an off site PC, you can also record remotely to that PC. This gives added protection from theft in case someone steals your computer.

Installation

IP cameras offer many benefits for installation. IP cameras make installation easy by including setup software which detects the camera once connected to your network. You can then configure the camera to have optimal video quality and connect it to your recording device or software. It is best to ask if the camera includes recording software as most, but not all, include free recording software. Recording software can be costly depending on your camera choice.

IP cameras can also offer wifi connection. Once the camera is initially configured, you can enable the wireless functionality and remove the network cable. The camera can be easily installed in another area in the wireless range of your router. This makes for an easy installation and flexibility if you ever want to install the camera elsewhere.

In Conclusion

IP cameras are ideal surveillance cameras for home use and offer many benefits. The range of use is practically endless. Be sure to follow releases of these products as manufacturers are constantly releasing new cameras with mind boggling features.

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