Adding a Wireless Internet Camera with Windows XP
Published: April 22, 2002
By Barb Bowman
Editor's Note: Articles by members of the online community are archived for your use, but the information may become outdated as technology changes. To find the most current information, please search the Web site or post a question in the newsgroups.
The WiFi networked device evolution has begun. My wireless world is no longer limited to networked computers running Windows XP. I've just put a D-Link DCS-1000W streaming video camera on one of my 802.11b networks. I can see what the camera sees in real time no matter where I travel, if I have Internet access and Internet Explorer. And at home, I can monitor the video stream from any room using any computer on my network.
What makes this device far superior to the current crop of X10 cameras, video senders, and other home automation gadgets that use the 2.4 GHz band is that this one becomes an integral part of your existing wireless home network, including the ability to use WEP for security and privacy, as opposed to becoming a potential privacy risk and source of interference to an 802.11b (WiFi) network.
Camera Hardware
The camera has two adjustable antennas for WiFi use, an RJ-45 port for wired Ethernet, and although it ships with a mini tripod and mounting bracket, it can be used with any standard tripod. After manually focusing the camera using the front-mounted focus ring, you'll see top quality images and video streams.
The camera has both traditional wired Ethernet and 802.11b wireless capabilities, and ships with a blank Service Set Identifier (SSID) and a default static IP address of 192.168.0.20. No password protection is initially set for the administrative interface. I used a PCMCIA Ethernet adapter that I statically configured to 192.168.0.21 with a cross-over cable to set up the unit. Because I have multiple wireless networks running, I needed to configure the wireless settings on the camera for the network I wished to place it on. Note that multiple cameras can be used on a single network if you want to install a whole home security system.
After attaching the antennas, plugging the camera into an AC power source, and installing software from the CD that ships with the unit, I used the Web browser interface to set up the camera and specify preferences.
Securing and Configuring the Camera
The first task was to set up an administrative ID and password so that the camera would not be available to strangers over the Internet through the browser interface. Although I preferred to use static addressing for the camera, the unit easily obtains an IP from a variety of sources, although I do not recommend configuring to obtain an address using DHCP from a Windows XP-based host with Internet Connection Sharing enabled. These types of devices are much better suited to be used with small office/home office (SOHO) routers/wireless routers that have advanced port forwarding capabilities. The internal IP of the router is entered as the default gateway, which is shown in Figure 1 as 192.168.1.1.
Figure 1
Next, set the Connection mode to Infrastructure, and enter the Network Name (SSID) of the wireless access point and configure WEP settings. The camera supports up to 128-bit WEP in either HEX or ASCII.
(If you have only a single computer and an 802.11b wireless Ethernet adapter, ad hoc mode will let you keep tabs on the kids in another room. Specify a network name and ad hoc mode in camera set up and the wireless zero configuration service in Windows XP, using a supported 802.11b card, will automatically display the camera's network name as an available wireless network. In Making the Ad Hoc Wireless Connection, I provide more information on ad hoc 802.11b wireless networking.)
Viewing the video stream from a remote location on the Internet is dependent on an ActiveX control that will need to be downloaded and installed on the viewing computer. To accomplish this, I needed to place the control on a server that was always accessible and specify the path in the field provided. I elected to place the small OCX control on one of my personal Web sites and uploaded it by using the FTP process I described in The Publishing Connection, an earlier column on Web publishing using FTP. Note the trailing backslash in the directory path in Figure 2: it must be specified because it is not automatically added.
Figure 2
The camera automatically runs a Web server on Port 80 (the default). If you are already running a Web server on your network, you can specify an alternative second port for the camera to use. As shown in Figure 2, port 8080 is specified. You'll need to forward the correct port(s) on your router to the IP you've assigned to the camera.
All image properties are configured using the Web browser interface, including video resolution (up to full VGA at 640 x 480), as well as the quality of the image/video stream, which can be controlled by the compression and frame rate settings. Brightness, contrast, hue, and even light frequency can be adjusted. Figure 3 shows a selection of settings best suited for internal room-to-room viewing or for high speed viewing over a fast broadband connection. A smaller image size, high compression setting, and slow frame rate allow reasonable viewing even over a 56K dial-up connection.
Figure 3
If you leave home and need to change any of the settings, the browser interface for the camera can be accessed remotely. To prevent anyone else from accessing the video stream and the controls, be sure to set up an administrative, password-protected logon as the first step in setup.
To provide view-only access, a user administration feature is provided. This provides an easy way to allow selected viewers to view the output while preventing access to administrative and camera control functions.
Figure 4
The camera can obtain the time and date from either a Network Time Protocol (NTP) or time server, but you'll need the actual IP address of the server to use this function rather than the friendly server name. Alternatively, you can specify the time manually (in military time), but you will need to re-enter these settings if you unplug the camera from the AC power source.
E-mail Notification
E-mail notification is a feature that sets the camera to take snapshots at specified intervals and e-mail them to a specific e-mail address. Some corporate firewalls or mandatory company-configured browser settings block the ability to watch the video streams through the browser interface, so this configuration option can be extremely useful.
If you're traveling on business during the winter months to the other side of the country, pointing the camera at your walkway and specifying regular e-mailed images could let you know if you'll need to shovel snow upon your return. For use as part of a home security setup, an interface to attach an optional motion detection device is provided along with a trigger function to e-mail an image.
Viewing Video over the Network or Internet
Using the Web browser interface, I viewed the video stream from a computer in my home office on the internal LAN. Figure 5 shows the clear, full-color 640 x 580 VGA image.
Figure 5
That's me on the laptop watching a movie on TV. I've deliberately chosen the combination of a computer and television to illustrate the quality of the image as both are normally difficult to capture well through a camera. Note the detail, realistic color, and good color balance of the image.
You can also view the video stream remotely over the Internet. After properly specifying Web server ports and establishing forwarding for these ports on a router in my home office, I set up a camera user account for a friend a few miles away. He captured the remote viewing session and I produced a very short Windows Media movie file from his capture. As you can see, the quality and clarity of the streaming image configured at one frame per second is quite good.
Looking at the Networked Future
The real world possibilities for this camera go beyond the security and surveillance category that D-Link uses to position the product. From keeping a watchful eye on your kids while you do the laundry, to dining out and checking on the babysitter and children over the Web, to keeping an eye out for an express delivery, this wirelessly networked camera can do it all.
I've gotten an early look at an exciting extension of 802.11b network technology by using a wireless Internet camera. I believe there will be tremendous growth in interconnected wireless devices and that they'll change and improve our high tech lifestyles. I am hopeful that in the near future, more manufacturers will enable 802.11b wireless connectivity options in their devices. From next generation video senders to televisions to home entertainment systems, the possibilities for interconnected devices seem endless.
New Microsoft Technologies
In the near future, devices that support “Mira” and “Freestyle” will extend the use of wirelessly-enabled devices anywhere within the home. I'm excited about the possibility of using a Mira-enabled device to control and view the output of my wireless camera. As these devices become available to augment traditional computer-based networks, I'll share my experiences with them here!
Barb Bowman enjoys sharing her own experiences and insights into today's leading edge technologies. She is a product development manager for AT&T Broadband Internet Services, but her views here are strictly personal.
