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Keep an eye, and even an ear, on what’s most important to you
Keeping watch
By Robert McFerren
Bad nannies (or even bad dogs), beware.
While most people think of webcams as strictly a means for chatting with family or friends over the internet, the Dropcam home- security wireless camera lets you keep watch over your home and possessions while at work or halfway around the world, 24 hours a day.
And with the holiday shopping season beginning, this is the peak season for home burglaries.
While most home-security camera systems can cost more than $1,000 and require hours of setup time running wires from each camera to a recordable Digital Video Recorder (DVR), the wireless Wi-Fi Dropcam is just a fraction of that price, with two models: the video-only surveillance camera ($199), and the Dropcam Echo, which has video and audio ($279).
Installing your Dropcam could not be easier, and better yet, no technical skills are required. Just plug it in and start watching over your house.
Connect the provided ethernet cable from your home wireless router into the back of the camera, plug your camera into an electrical outlet, and that’s it. Intial setup is complete.
From your computer or iPhone, log in to the Dropcam website and enter your camera’s registration number.
The front of your camera will flash red, yellow and green while booting up.
Once the flashing stops, a green light will indicate that your camera is setup and ready to be unplugged from the router and placed anywhere in your house with an electrical outlet.
The Dropcam immediately streams live video, just like a webcam, but does not need to be attached to a computer.
Once your camera is set up and streaming live video, you can watch your Dropcam on your computer using any flash-compatible browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Apple Safari.
If you want to watch over your home while you are out and about, download the Dropcam iPhone app.
What sets the Dropcam apart from other home- security camera systems are the activity alerts, which notify you by e-mail or iPhone when motion or sound (on the Echo model) is sensed inside your house.
Keep in mind that if you set your Dropcam in a high- traffic area of your home, it is easy to be quickly overwhelmed by alerts when your family is at home.
It is best to set this feature online daily when no one is expected at your house.
While it is legal to make a video-only recording of anything happening at your home without informing anyone, audio recordings are a different story.
It is illegal to record someone’s voice without their permission in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Many home-security cameras and baby monitors produce choppy, black-and-white video. The Dropcam security camera streams amazingly clear, smooth H.264 technology color video and does not slow down your Internet connection.
With a conventional home-security camera, if someone breaks into your home, they can simply remove your DVR and your evidence is lost.
With Dropcam’s online DVR service, the video is stored in secure data centers, preventing theft of the recorded footage.
Your video is visible through your Dropcam account. No one else can see your video unless you share your connection with them (a feature available on set-up of the camera).
The Dropcam connects securely to any Wi-Fi network using industry standard Wi-Fi Protected Access technology, ensuring that only authorized users can access the video.
Dropcam DVR service has three plans to choose from.
The live-streaming video can be viewed at any time for free, but if you want the ability to store and review your video at a later time, there is a seven-day online DVR storage available for $8.95 per month, or 30 days for $24.95 per month.
With DVR service, the Dropcam uses an easy-to- view timeline interface.
“Dropcam gives people a fun and simple way to check in on the things they love,” said Greg Duffy, Chief Executive Offer of Dropcam. “Normal security cameras are a huge hassle. Less than one in six homes install security systems due to high fees and long-term contract commitments. Do-it-yourselfers can simply plug in the Dropcam camera and watch over their home from anywhere.”
While the Dropcam will not replace a standard home- security system, it is a great addition to add to your system. It is a good investment, especially for the peace of mind, knowing your house is secure, 24 hours a day.