Network cameras let you harness the power of your home network to set up a video surveillance system that you can view from a remote location, and many manufacturers now offer single and multiple-camera systems to let you effectively monitor your home. In this roundup, we put five IP-based network cameras to the test, and each one features the ability to view snapshots or live video from a remote PC.

Typically, network cameras offer a number of features not available on Web cams, such as an integrated Web server to let you send images or video via FTP or email without the need to connect to a PC. And many network cameras feature internal motorized controls to let you pan, tilt, and zoom the camera from a Web client on a remote computer or mobile phone. Additionally, most Internet cameras come with software to configure and use the camera, such as to set up a video archive, to configure video recordings based on motion detection, and to set a patrol mode for the camera. All the models in our roundup can send email alerts based on a motion alarm trigger, so you can immediately be notified of suspicious movement or simply know if the dog walker came to walk the dog. Some models also feature audio capabilities for both audio capture and transmission, which allows you to play prerecorded audio or even use the camera as an intercom during an alarm event. In our tests, we considered the quality of the camera’s features as well as ease of use.

And although image quality is subjective, we noted the quality of the video, because if you can’t identify subjects from the video, the camera has limited potential for video surveillance.

Linksys WVC200
The Linksys WVC200 is a wireless network camera with remote pan, tilt, and zoom functionality rare features on a model with a $299 price tag. Additionally, the WVC-200 lets you set up to nine preset patrol points, and you can use the zoom, pan, and tilt features to automatically monitor different areas of the room. It offers a 67-degree pan and 34-degree tilt, and in our tests, the 67-degree pan let us view most of a room when we placed the camera in a corner or to one side of the room.

The Linksys software comes with a detailed wizard, but setup requires you to manually enter a lot of network settings, which makes for a lengthy configuration process. In addition, the Web client was not as intuitive as the other cameras in the roundup. However, once you find what you’re looking for, the settings are fairly easy to change. For instance, to set a preset patrol point, you only need to adjust the camera to the appropriate focal point and press Set Preset Position. For remote viewing, you can configure the WVC200 to take snapshots and upload the images to an FTP site, and Linksys also includes a 90-day trial of Sololink, a service that lets you view real-time video from a Web address, but you can also use free DDNS (dynamic DNS) services.

To record audio, the WVC200 features an integrated microphone, which did a more-than-adequate job, and you can also attach an external microphone. The WVC200 can capture video at a resolution of 640 x 480 and operate at up to 30fps. If you feel the camera uses too much bandwidth, you can choose a lower resolution or fps setting. The picture quality was good in daylight, but low-light scenes introduced a lot of green and purple color into the video. Therefore, if you plan to monitor a room without much natural light, the WVC200 may not provide enough image detail for the job. However, if the room offers plenty of light, the WVC200 offers the best features in the lower-to-middle price range.

WiLife Indoor Camera Starter Kit
WiLife offers several indoor and outdoor surveillance packages, and all the cameras use HomePlug technology (transfers data over the AC wiring of your home) to connect to your PC—making the cameras extremely simple to set up. For instance, with the Indoor Camera Starter Kit, we only needed to plug the camera into a wall power adapter via Ethernet cable, plug the receiver into a wall and connect it our computer via USB cable, and install the WiLife Command Center. The WiLife Command Center can handle up to six WiLife cameras, and you can add other WiLife cameras by connecting the camera to the wall outlet. We should note that Logitech purchased WiLife in November 2007, and in April 2008, Logitech plans to rebrand the WiLife packaging, but the device and included software will remain the same. One of the primary advantages of HomePlug technology is that you don’t need a broadband router to connect the camera, so the WiLife cameras don’t use up your network bandwidth and you avoid wireless signal interference.

For mounting, the camera comes with a suction cup, a desktop stand, and a wall or ceiling mount bracket. Choosing the right location for the camera is important, because the camera doesn’t offer built-in pan, tilt, or zoom controls. The WiLife Command Center lets you set how much disk space to set aside for video recordings, and WiLife automatically compresses the video into WMV files. To view video remotely, you can create an online account at online.wilife.com and view live video from the camera for free.

The video quality from the indoor camera offers both good color depth and image detail, but you can only record video at up to 15fps, so video may seem jerky if subjects move quickly. We like that the WiLife Command Center lets you configure up to 16 motion-detection zones, and you can even set a minimum duration of motion to avoid alarm triggers based on changes in light. If you’re looking for a system that’s easy to set up and use, it’s tough to beat the WiLife Indoor Camera Starter Kit.

Trendnet TV-IP212W
The Trendnet TVIP212W features an allwhite design and is a little less than 4 inches tall, which is handy for surveillance because you won’t immediately recognize the device as a security camera. And with 802.11b/g and Ethernet connectivity, as well as an integrated Web server, Trendnet packs a lot of features into the tiny camera. You have to manually adjust the camera, but Trendnet includes a camera stand with an adjustable mount so that you can place it on a desk or mount it on a wall.

The TV-IP212W comes with software to help you configure the IP address of the camera, and once you set up the IP, you just log in to the IP address from a Web browser to configure the camera.

The Web-based client offers convenient buttons for the configurations you’ll want to adjust, including Network, Video/Audio, Motion Detect, and Event Configuration. The Motion Detect option was particularly helpful, because you can pick and resize two motion-sensitive windows, so the software only triggers alarms based on movement in a specific area. Additionally, you can set a motion sensitivity threshold to avoid alarms based on shifting light or a flashing LED.

The Web client lets you send live video over free DDNS services as well as lets you configure the integrated Web server to send snapshots or recorded video via email or FTP. Additionally, the TVIP212W includes a USB port to let you store files on a USB flash drive, but you can also send recorded files to a host PC or network server.

The TV-IP212W delivers good image quality and color depth, and with a lens that can operate at 0.5 lux at F2.0, the TV-IP212W delivers enough detail to identify people and objects in dimly lit rooms. On the down side, you can’t remotely pan, tilt, zoom, or adjust the focus of the TV-IP212W, so you’ll have to position and focus the camera to capture a wide enough view of the room you want to monitor.

Zonet ZVC7630W
Zonet touts the ZVC7630W as a night vision security camera, and this wireless network camera delivers excellent video in both bright light and lowlight conditions (0.5 lux capability at F2.0). We were particularly impressed by the crisp detail the camera was able to capture. The ZVC7630W works over 802.11b/g networks as well as wired connections, and it features a built-in Web server that can send video for realtime viewing over free DDNS services.

The Web configuration tools allow you to set up 128-bit WEP or WPAPSK encryption to keep others from easily viewing video from the camera’s Web server. And the included Zonet software lets you monitor and record video from up to 16 different cameras. Installation was simple and took less than 20 minutes. You can record video and audio to your hard drive, to FTP, to an email account, or to a USB flash drive (which connects to a USB port on the network camera). The auto-iris was quick to respond to changing light conditions, which is good because it’s a long trial and error process to change the brightness, contrast, and saturation settings through the Web client. The ZVC7630 features a built-in microphone that accurately captured highs and some lows, but you’ll need to connect speakers to produce sound based on motion detection alerts.

The ZVC7630W can capture video at a resolution of up to 640 x 480 at 30fps, and with infrared LEDs, it’s possible to see the video in total darkness. If you’re looking for an affordable camera for low-light or night video, the ZVC7-630W is ideal.

D-Link DCS-6620
D-Link has been manufacturing network cameras for a few years, and the DCS-6620 is one of its more advanced models. It offers a 10x optical zoom, a 270-degree pan, and a 90-degree tilt, so the camera monitors a wall-to-wall area from one side of the room. Additionally, the lens can operate at 0.5 lux at F2.0 to
let you record in low-light conditions. And as you may expect from the $850 price tag, the DCS-6620 delivered the best video quality out of the cameras in our roundup.

D-Link includes excellent installation software, and it took us around two minutes to get this wired model up and running. The only downfall is that the Web client limits you to a resolution of 352 x 240 when you record at 30fps. You can capture video at 704 x 480 at 10fps, but 10fps isn’t ideal for surveillance video. However, because the camera provides automatic iris and focus controls, you can still easily identify subjects in 352 x 240 resolution video. The D-Link software lets you manage up to 16 cameras at once, and up to 10 users can log in to view video over several popular DDNS services.

Another plus for the DCS-6620 is that the camera makes hardly any noise while panning, tilting, or zooming, so an intruder won’t immediately notice the camera in the room. And D-Link built a study base on the camera to keep the Ethernet, power, and audio cables from moving the camera out of position. The two-way audio feature is easy to use, but you’ll need to attach a speaker to let the camera generate sound. The $849.99 price tag may scare off some users, but when you consider the ease of use, integrated features, and superb image quality, the DCS-6620 is certainly worth the cost.