Keeping an eye on things at home while you were on a trip or vacation was easier said than done many years ago. However, the combination of the Internet and today’s technology – keeping tabs on your home while you’re away is rather feasible. You can spy on your home no matter how far away you are.
To many people, the technology may sound a bit unusual but it is actually very attainable. The equipment used for surveillance has become reasonably priced and quite user-friendly. All it takes is someone with a bit of common sense and an Internet connection.
The Internet is the center of a real-time surveillance system which enables you to keep a check on your home from hundreds of miles away. Investing in an Internet-powered surveillance system will require you to make sure that you can get a high speed Internet connection to your home. The speeds of a dial-up connection will not allow the transmission of video images.
There are several solutions that a home owner can employ to install a surveillance camera system. A typical surveillance system requires a camera(s) and a DVR. Most DVR’s today has full networking capability allowing the video to be viewed across the Internet. The camera(s) can also be connected directly to a computer. The computer will play back the video via the monitor, and record the video to the hard disk drive or removable USB device. You’ll need to connect the computer to the Internet through your local Internet Service Provider (ISP) in order to view the video from a different location and in real time.
Another solution is to install an IP (Internet Protocol) camera. IP cameras can plug directly into your computer or DVR and use an IP address to transmit video through a network using Ethernet cable, requiring less hardware. This method is comparable to a webcam, in that it streams video around the clock.
There are pro and cons on any system you may choose. However, the more common advantages in today’s camera systems are the user-friendly hardware and the cost effectiveness. Some pitfalls are Internet down times or poor Internet connection. I would highly recommend a wired DVR system that has Internet capability. If the Internet should go down, the DVR will still record activity that can be viewed later. Portable phones and other devices can interrupt wireless camera transmissions. Wireless surveillance systems are also pricey.
Investing in a home surveillance system that utilizes the Internet, does not have to be an expensive nor a laborious venture. Technological advances had made it very easy to keep an eye on your home while you are on vacation.
By: John Godwin
www.moonlitesecurityproducts.com
