Webcam - limit data usage per IP address?

Wakatashi

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We'd like to set up a webcam at a location at which the only option for Internet access is a metered connection - ie only a set number of GB of data transfer is allowed per month.

It would be good to be able to allow good quality / reasonably high frame rate streaming to viewers. But the concern is that if a user leaves the camera's feed open in a browser for a long time, it'll consume too much of the monthly data allowance for the camera's Internet connection.

Do there exist cameras with which it is possible to cap the amount of data used by IP address? For example, to allow any given user to stream video for up to 30 seconds per day?
 

TonyR

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Welcome to IPCT ! :wave:

I don't know about a camera with that ability, perhaps someone else does, but....

If you can have a suitable PC at the site to be a server for Blue Iris (a very inexpensive and flexible VMS software) a user can be allowed access only during a particular time of the day, view only specific cameras and/or recorded video clips, view for a specified amount of time and up to a specified bandwidth limit!

You can also allow access by specific IP addresses as well.
 

Wakatashi

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Many thanks TonyR. There isn't a PC we can press into service for this, unfortunately, so we'd need the functionality to be built into the camera firmware. We'd like people to be able to access the camera anonymously (ie without the need for each person to have their own user credentials), but have the camera keep track of which IP addresses connect to it, and give them no more than, say, 30 seconds' worth (or a given amount of megabytes) of video streaming per day. Technically possible, I think, but has anyone done it?
 

TVille

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I suspect there are cameras that do that, but they will be specialized, (expensive) and not the types normally used by folks on here. I suspect you could even do it with a Raspberry Pi, if you knew what you are doing with one.
 

Wakatashi

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Thanks TVille, that's an interesting idea I hadn't thought of. Main objections to having a PC there and switched on 24/7 would be power consumption and the cost of the PC. A Raspberry Pi would definitely be an improvement on both counts (although would have to factor in the time commitment of figuring out how to make it do what we want it to do). Will keep that in mind, while still hoping that someone knows of a not-too-expensive camera that does this "off the shelf". :)
 

Mike A.

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Doubtful that you'll find a cam, especially and inexpensive cam, with that sort of functionality built into it. You'll need some other computer of some sort to manage the connections. Might be better/easier to spring for some sort of unlimited connection if available.
 

Wakatashi

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Thanks everyone for getting back to me on this. Looks like it's no go on this as far as built-in features go. But I've had a look at other options, and looks like it might be possible to do what I want to do using a bit of jiggery pokery with a Mikrotik router. Then could attach an ordinary Ethernet cam.
 
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