Watching Via Wi-Fi

Webcams using WiFi can do a great job of bringing remote parts of your enterprise right to your desktop. No longer tethered to their USB cables, these small cameras can now be used for video surveillance, in conference-room lectures, and for a variety of other useful applications.

In order to see how the latest Webcams rate, I looked at four different cameras from three manufacturers. Each of the units share the same basic attributes, including 802.11g WiFi connections, built-in Web servers, and bi-directional sound capabilities.

In each case, the setup process involves connecting the camera to an Ethernet cable attached to a LAN, either through a hub or switch (the wired connection is necessary in order to set up the WiFi connection). Each camera's software package includes a built-in configuration page where you can enable the WiFi function and set up other options specific to the camera. Once the WiFi settings are made you simply unplug the Ethernet cable and take the camera to its remote location. All you need is to plug the camera in to the nearest A/C source and you're set.

You view the output of the camera on the Web via the device's Web address. Unfortunately, the Internet viewing pages for all three cameras devote too much space to promoting the vendor's products, and are not user-customizable, which is a distinct limitation.

Another limitation is the problem of accessing the camera from outside a LAN's firewall. Browsers outside the firewall need to be able to address the camera's unpublished, private IP address. Some vendors offer third-part services that let you get around that problem.

Finally, there are some Webcam functions that users will not be able to access with WiFi devices. For example, because they operate using built-in Web servers, these cameras don't have a direct connection to a PC, and cannot interact directly with applications such as NetMeeting or WebEx.

All that being said, WiFi has effectively extended the reach of today's Webcams. How effective are they? And which is the best to use? Here are four of the latest to choose from.

Linksys WVC54G
The Linksys WVC54G is the most flexible camera of the four cameras reviewed here -- literally. The Webcam, which sells for $199, swivels 90 degrees up and down, and 270 degrees from side to side. Its base can be put on a desk or mounted on a wall. You can actually position the camera so the microphone faces forward rather than up toward the ceiling to better catch the voice portion of a presentation.

The Linksys has a small LCD panel that displays the unit's IP address, which is useful during setup and diagnosis. I was able to set up the Webcam quickly by assigning a fixed IP address, though the camera automatically received an address from my DHCP server. When I pointed my Web browser to the assigned address, I was taken to the password-protected management window, where I could access a live image and select a number of setup functions.

If you want non-administrators to have access to the camera outside of your firewall, Linksys offers its Sololink. For $25 per year, you can connect a domain name to your dynamic IP address and be able to access all your Linksys cameras through one subdomain. Using Linksys' Sololink may be the easiest way to provide access to the camera from the Internet -- and it avoids changing firewall settings.

I used the Linksys camera to broadcast a meeting to six viewers, while using Linksys' included viewer/recorder to record the session. The remote audience was able to view and hear the meeting clearly, and voice synchronized well with the video. The session was recorded as a Microsoft ASF file; quality was more than acceptable. This makes a convenient way to archive meetings or provide replays for people unable to attend the original session. In fact, both D-Link and Axis include software that allows the same recording capabilities.

Axis 206W
Axis' 206W camera is the smallest of the cameras I tested -- and offers the best image quality. Setup was simple, and followed the same basic steps the other cameras used..

The Axis management site, like the others, can be password-protected so you can control who is viewing your images.

All the cameras use LEDs to provide feedback on connection status with the network and also indicate whether the camera output is being viewed. When used for presentations this feedback may be useful; but if the cameras are stationed as stealthy observers, it may be helpful to be able to turn all the LEDs off. The Axis' control panel lets you change the behavior of the LEDs on the front of the camera by turning them off or changing whether they blink when the camera is being accessed by at least one viewer. (D-Link's cameras have this feature as well, but the Linksys camera does not.)

My viewing audience noticed the difference in the clarity of Axis' image: It was clearer and sharper than the others. Axis allows you to digitally zoom the image, but with a corresponding loss of quality. Its 4mm lens provides a comparatively wide-angle view.

D-Link DCS-5300G and DCS-3220G
I looked at two recent D-Link Webcams: the DCS-3220G, which is a stationary mount camera like the Axis and Linksys units, and the DCS-5300G, which has a pan and swivel head that can be controlled through the Web.

The D-Link DCS-5300G is probably the most versatile (and also, at $479, the most expensive), because you can aim the camera using pan and tilt controls on its Web page. (To avoid chaos, you should limit the number of users that have permission to control the camera -- multiple users attempting to control the movement means the camera will skew in unexpected directions.)

Though the D-Link cameras look very different from one another they both used the same software for setup and control. Likewise, they both produced the same high image quality. The 3220G has a 6mm lens that can be adjusted for near/far focus, but you can swap the lens for an optional wide angle or zoom lens. On the other hand, the 5300G (which doesn't have interchangeable lenses) has about the same field of view as the 3220G's lens, but its swivel head lets you widen your view by turning the head 90 degrees vertically and 270 degrees horizontally.

Both cameras allow for 4x digital zoom through the online control panel, but like any digital zoom, the quality of the image is degraded by simply increasing the size of the pixels. And D-Link's cameras' Web pages devote the least screen real estate to self promotion.

D-Link cameras come with their multi-camera surveillance application that lets you select from a variety of arrangements and display multiple camera feeds at the same time. None of the other cameras came with this kind of software, so if you are planning to use the cameras for surveillance, the additional price of these cameras may be worthwhile.

Last Words
Webcams have matured to the point that they are useful tools. Each of these devices can deliver your next office meeting or product announcement to a distributed audience via a standard Internet connection. You'll find each of them simple to set up and administer, but my choice is to spend the additional dollars for the remote control functions of the D-Link DCS-5300G.

Linksys WVC54G
Linksys
(800) 546-5797
Lens: Fixed 4.48mm
Resolution: 640x480, 320x240, 160x128
Compression: MPEG-4
Price: $199

Axis 206W
Axis Communications
(800) 444-2947
Lens: 4 mm, F2.0, fixed iris
Resolution: 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120
Compression: Motion JPEG and individual JPEG
Price: $299

D-Link DCS-5300G
D-Link
(800) 326-1688
Lens: Fixed focus glass lens, F2.0, 1 LUX
Resolution: 640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120
Compression: Motion MPEG-4 and individual JPEG
Price: $479

D-Link DCS-3220G
D-Link
(800) 326-1688
Lens: 6mm, F1.8, 4x Digital Zoom
Resolution: 704x480, 352x240, 176x120
Compression: MPEG-4
Price: $390