My Critter Cam Guide to Installation & Configuration
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Table of Contents
Overview of IP Cameras ...................................................................................... 3
Send them to the Cloud ...................................................................................... 4
Keep it Simple ........................................................................ 5
What NOT to do (at first) .................................................................................... 6
Plug in Your Camera ............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Loading the Software ............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Logging On to the Camera ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Loading and Audio troubles – and solutions .......... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Setting up the System ............................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
FTP - Sending Motion Detection Images to the Internet ...... Error! Bookmark not
defined.
Arming the Motion Detection Software ................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Aiming and Controlling your Camera ..................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
View Your Camera on your Smart Phone ............... Error! Bookmark not defined.
If you Really Must… ..................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Audio and Recording .............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Multi-Camera Viewing ........................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Firmware Versions ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
ActiveX Control Module for Windows 7 ................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Setting up no-ip – Make Your Routers External IP Static ...... Error! Bookmark not
defined.
How to Set Up Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless Router with ComcastError! Bookmark
not defined.
My Critter Cam Guide to Installation & Configuration
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Overview of IP Cameras
IP stands for Internet Protocol. The new IP ‘Internet Ready’ cameras represent a recent breakthrough in
small, lightweight and inexpensive surveillance cameras priced so everyone can afford to set up a
system if they have access to a high speed Internet connection. Adding a wireless router to your high
speed internet makes for a more flexible system, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. You can run Ethernet
cables to your cameras and they would work fine.
The best part about a wireless router is that you don’t need a bunch of cables. The wireless cameras
need only a power outlet to operate. You can move a wireless camera anywhere in the house or yard
where you have a power outlet as long as you are within the range of your wireless. Once you’ve set the
cameras up to ‘listen’ for wireless signals, they are as portable as a radio.
The Figure below depicts a sample set up for a ‘Nanny Cam’ or generic ‘watch the house’ system. This
guide will walk you step by step through the procedures needed to set up your camera, connect it to the
internet for secure storage of the images the camera collects, and install an App on your smart phone to
view your cameras from anywhere in the world.
Sample IP Camera set up
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This guide details setting up and operating based on the recommendation that the Foscam FI8910W and
FI8905W are the IP Camera of choice for the system described within this guide.
This guide intends to help the user set up and use a home surveillance system in the simplest manner,
and requiring the least amount of maintenance.
The new generation of surveillance cameras are a miniature web farm – They have storage, an
Operating System (OS), and a Web Server all built into a 5” (or less) size. They have a camera which can
be remotely panned, tilted, or (for some models) zoomed by an operator in the room, or anywhere in
the world. They connect to your home network and the Internet and transmit images over Ethernet
cables or wirelessly to Internet storage sites far from your home. The camera systems can transmit
sound (listen and talk). The systems can record continuous video to home computers, detect and
capture motion, sound alarms and email you image captures of motion detected.
If you think that sounds complicated, you’re right. It’s the Sorcerer’s Apprentice with some clones.
Send them to the Cloud
My vision for the simplest system to set up and use these amazing devices is to set them up, point them,
and release them to the cloud. My little home computer only gets in their way when I look live at what
they’re doing.
You are free to configure these cameras however you’re equipped to run them – I only ask that you set
them up to run autonomously initially. Keep them off your PC if they are running well, and transmitting
images and alarms correctly. Look at them from the cloud – see what they’re sending to the Internet
storage site, view their point of view remotely on your camera, or from work or any other computer
anywhere.
Remember – they are powerful little computer systems all their own – train them, cut the cord and let
them live in the cloud.
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Keep it Simple
The overview above lists the amazing technologies built into each IP Camera. If you have a very powerful
PC and have scads of power used for computer games, dozens of Gigabytes (GB) of memory, you
probably aren’t reading this guide.
I’m running my home system on an acer Aspire One notebook computer. It can hardly do 2 things at
once. Because my little toy computer (sorry, Aspire One) is so GB challenged shall we say, it is the
perfect machine to find out just how simply this amazing technology can be put to work.
There are 3 major steps to enable your home system, here’s a high level description of them:
Set up Your Camera carefully
o Load the Software
o Log on to your Camera
o Configure the System as specified in this Guide
Use the Powerful Systems in your Camera
o Turn on Motion Detection in your Camera
o Send Motion Detection Images to the Internet using File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
o Selectively use the ‘email alarms’
Use ‘the Cloud’ for storage instead of your computer
o Let the Cameras tell you their URL (URL is the acronym for uniform resource locator)
o View the motion events at the FTP site from home or anywhere
o View Your Cameras on your Smart Phone while away
Once you have set up your system to run in this manner, they don’t need to even talk to your computer
to do their business – they do need your cable or DSL modem, and wireless signals if you are using the
wireless set up, but they are independent little systems unless you need to change something.
Keep in mind as you read this document, and as you notice the many other capabilities I’m
recommending you ignore (at first), that the goal is simplicity. Someday down the road when you buy
the Lightning 300 Dynamo “world’s fastest computer”, you may try some of the exciting features not
addressed here. But please, until you get the Lightning 300, keep it simple.
Some later sections of the guide involve topics such as Audio (talk and listen), Recording to your
computer, Multi-Camera Viewing, Firmware Versions, ActiveX Control Module for Windows 7, setting up
a DDNS service like No-IP (or DynDns), and a short Wireless Router Overview section. For now I need
your promise to keep it simple.
The next short section contains my recommendations on what not to attempt at first. Some of the items
may prove to be necessary or irresistible. A popular blogging/texting acronym is the ‘Your mileage may
vary’ acronym (ymmv). One perfect example - you may not need to set up a Dynamic Domain Name
Server (DDNS) on your computer. Why set one up if it turns out you’re fine without it?
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What NOT to do (at first)
In the overview section above, the amazing capabilities of the new IP Cameras were briefly described.
Here’s a short list of capabilities to avoid based on lessons learned from many pain filled hours on my
part setting up home surveillance on underpowered computers (like my toy Aspire One).
What to avoid:
o Audio
o Recording to your computer
o Multi-Camera Viewing
o Firmware Version changes
o Setting up a DDNS service
I’ll take them one at a time and explain why they’re on the ‘what not to do’ list.
Audio
I’ll be delicate here – the audio isn’t ready for prime time. In time it will mature and be a fun thing to
play with, but now is not that time. If you notice a process called ‘audiodg’ has arrived coincident with a
massive slowdown in your computer’s ability to cope, please kill that process as soon as you can.
Recording to your computer
This is great stuff – not. Aside from the obvious storage issues (think about over a Gigabyte (GB) of
storage per camera per day), there’s a reality based problem or 2. The immediate problem after storage
is accessibility – if you have 3 cameras how do you search through 72 hours of recording looking for
something? Most home computers aren’t up to the task of recording real time for even a single camera
for any length of time, let alone 3 or 4. After you have mastered the simple cloud based approach
recommended here, by all means have fun with this. Just let it wait a bit.
Multi-Camera Viewing
Multi-Camera viewing is not recommended, but it isn’t because the setup is difficult. The problem is the
load it puts on your computer. After you have mastered the simple cloud based approach recommended
here, by all means have fun with this. Just let it wait a bit. Your computer may thank you for waiting.
Firmware Version changes
Bricked is a bad thing - I’ll just repeat the Foscam warning here:
NOTE Please check the system firmware version of your camera before upgrade, If the first three [file
name numeric] sections are the same as the one you are going to upgrade, you can upgrade it safely, if
they are different, please DO NOT upgrade it, Otherwise, your camera will be bricked and you will need
to send it to be repaired!! Each package of firmware contains read me and upgrade guidance, some
models contains new feature of firmware, please read them before you upgrade.
Setting up a DDNS service
If you find that your URL (IP address) keeps changing you may need to set up a DDNS service for your
home network. I have a DDNS on my home system, but I don’t use it for my IP Camera set up. I don’t use
it because Comcast (my Internet Service Provider (ISP)) doesn’t change my IP address.
After you set up the notices and alarms you’ll have a chance to notice whether the URL being emailed by
your camera on reboot or when you want an alarm email keeps changing. If it’s annoying you can fix it.
Ok, now we’re ready for the fun part – setting up the cameras and your home surveillance system.
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