Peak Wi-Fi SOHO Internet Camera

Once you've mastered set up, you can either log into the camera and use the web interface to watch the video streams through, or use the supplied IPView application. Up to eight users can connect simultaneously to the camera using either the web interface or the IPView software. The advantage of the IPView software is that you can use up to four cameras at the same time and record video from all of them at once.

The camera's software is functional in that it allows you to change a wide range of settings but, more importantly, it offers two different ways of watching the video - either through Java or an ActiveX plug-in. This gives wider flexibility when it comes to the type of web client you can use to watch the video. The video can be set to three different resolutions, 160 x 120 (QCIF), 320 x 240 (CIF) and 640 x 480 (VGA). The frame rate is 30fps at QCIF, 25fps at CIF, and a mere 10fps at VGA resolution. While it’s unlikely that most users would need a live feed, you can lower the frames per second and resolution to save bandwidth and drive space if you’re recording the video stream to your PC.

The camera can also be set up to upload still images to an FTP server, or have them sent to an email address. Combined with the motion detection option, this could be used as an intrusion detection system. If you're using more than one camera, names and locations can be assigned to each one so you know which camera the email was sent from.

The image can be flipped both horizontally and vertically, allowing for the awkward positions the camera can be mounted in.

Even if you don’t have a static IP address, the SOHO Internet Camera can be used over the internet as it offers built-in support for dynamic DNS services. You can set up a separate HTTP port for it if you’re already running a web server, as well as user access, allowing you to disable admin rights but still allow access to several users.

The Peak Enhanced SOHO Internet Camera is also available in a wires-only version which, at £70, is less than the wireless model, but there's no real reason to go for the wired version unless you can’t take advantage of the wireless connectivity option.

Verdict

The Peak Wireless Enhanced SOHO Internet Camera is an affordable security solution for anyone that wants to be able to receive live video from the camera's location. It takes a little bit of know how to set up, but the price point makes it accessible to a wide range of users. You could even set one up at home if you’re paranoid about what the kids are doing while you’re in the office. ®