NEW, FUTURE or RETRO: new
PREVIEW or REVIEW: review
HOW GOOD IS IT: This little camera is an amazing value for the price. While many camera-based home security systems are designed to give you information after the fact, this camera will alert your smartphone if there is unusual motion activity or sounds and let you see it live, while panning, tilting and zooming to get the "best view" before you snap photos and call authorities.
I didn't need an addition to my very adequate home security system but I found a cool use for this camera. I have cats that are used to occasionally being left on their own for a couple of days and longer if a friend or relative comes over to check their food and water. I have the camera set up to alert me when the cats move into their feeding area so I can be assured that they are all right. Then I check the level of food and water so I can call/text the human helper if the food is running low. The camera will also alert me if there is any unusual noise, like maybe a cat in distress. Convert that example to anything you might want to monitor, like maybe chickens who may be in harm's way of predators, you get the idea.
Look, this isn't a $1000 sophisticated system so it's not fair to be too harsh on a product that costs less than $150. For what it is, there could be hundreds of unique uses. The image quality won't rival an expensive video camera, but it is equal to most small home security cameras. At night the images are useful to about 20' - 25' but beyond that it would be hard to recognize anything anyway.
I have the latest generation D-Link router so setup consisted of plugging the camera in and pushing two buttons ... one on the router and one on the camera and, presto, it was all set up. Since I already had a MyDlink account (free) it instantly recognized the new camera and I was good to go.
It should be remembered that this is a WiFi camera so it must be within range of your existing router.
Regardless if you have a home security system or not, this camera can be very useful, and for the price it beats having nothing at all.
WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE: that you can pan/tilt/zoom from virtually any computer using the internet and snap a photo if need be.
SIMILAR TO: Foscam FI8910W Pan & Tilt IP/Network Camera; Wansview Wireless IP Pan/Tilt/ Night Vision Internet Surveillance Camera; Sharx Security VIPcella SCNC2606
HOW IT IMPACTS YOU: security cameras are nothing new, what's hot today is being able to use such a camera in out-of-the-box scenarios. This one is a no-brainer, plug it into an outlet, sync with your WiFi and you can monitor that area anywhere you can get an internet connection (including on your smartphone, 4G suggested)
COMMENTS: D-Link has pulled themselves out of the bargain basement and is offering some unique, stylish and well-built components lately. The more D-Link parts I add to my home computing network the less, its seems, I am thinking about it or spending time trying to make things play nice together.
TECH TOY WIZARD RATING: 4/5
WEBSITE: D-Link website
BUYING OPTIONS: Buy it at Amazon
SEE IT IN MOTION: Official D-Link camera video
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