IP Camera with webserver - recommendations wanted

[superman1233]

Hi,
I've bought a couple of "IP Cameras" off amazon in the past, and been disappointed in both cases to find that the cameras are only accessible through a specific Android app (or iphone). I naïvely thought that these cameras would be accessible through my browser but have since come to realise this isn't the case.
However, this is what I want! I don't trust the providers of the cameras to have access to my cameras. Everything about it just feels dodgy.

So I've been googling in my spare time to find a camera with a built in, configurable webserver, and haven't really managed to find much. Maybe there's a word for them that I don't know?

Question is, can you make some recommendations please? I have a dedicated server running Windows in the house, and I have a few Raspberry Pis so I'm happy to go down the webcam route and serve the images myself, or if there's a camera with that capability built in, I'd rather just buy that (less wiring hopefully).

I guess options are
- webcam into server and run YAWCam or equivalent
- webcam into RPi and run MotionEyeOS or equivalent
- a camera with built in server

Help please!

 

[TonyR]

Welcome to IPCT!

Questions:

1. Indoor or outdoor?
2. Fixed or PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom)?
3. How many cams initially?
4. PC hardware specs (exact CPU info/make/model, RAM, graphics)
5. Budget for the above?

 

[superman1233]

Welcome to IPCT!

Questions:

1. Indoor or outdoor?
2. Fixed or PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom)?
3. How many cams initially?
4. PC hardware specs (exact CPU info/make/model, RAM, graphics)
5. Budget for the above?

Hello. Thanks for your reply.
1. Indoor to start with. Extending to outdoor if it's easy.
2. Fixed is fine.
3. Only one to start, not needs to be scalable to any amount.
4. Can't remember exact specs. It's a 3.4 GHz with 8 Gb ram, some low spec GPU. Windows server 2008 r2.
5. Don't know. Probably won't spend more than £70 per camera. Just want some recommendations so I can weigh up the cost.

Thanks.

 

[TonyR]

This is a great starter cam, the Dahua IPC-HDW4231EM-ASE . It's outdoor rated but looks good indoors because it's not very big. It has high marks for low light operation with its Sony 'STARVIS' sensor. Here's a review by forum member @Crazykiller ==>> here.

Specs on Dahua site ==>> here.

Purchase from Andy of Empire Technolgy, a trusted vendor on aliexpress and member of this forum ( @EMPIRETECANDY ) ==>> here.

Doesn't sound like your PC meets min specs CPU-wise for Blue Iris, a favored software for a PC-based NVR, but you should have no problem viewing the cam's streams on YawCam or via PC browser.

 

[TonyR]

Hello. Thanks for your reply.
4. Can't remember exact specs. It's a 3.4 GHz with 8 Gb ram, some low spec GPU. Windows server 2008 r2.

Oops

These old eyes read "CPU", you said "GPU". What about the CPU? Please go to 'Control Panel', 'System' and see.

 

[superman1233]

Oops

These old eyes read "CPU", you said "GPU". What about the CPU? Please go to 'Control Panel', 'System' and see.

The CPU is a dual core E8200 clocked at 3.4 GHz. It'll be fine don't worry. If it's not no loss. Never hurts to have an excuse to upgrade the server.

Thanks for your recommendations in your previous post. I'll check those out.

 

[TonyR]

The CPU is a dual core E8200 clocked at 3.4 GHz. It'll be fine don't worry. If it's not no loss. Never hurts to have an excuse to upgrade the server.

Thanks for your recommendations in your previous post. I'll check those out.

You're welcome.
Regarding Hardware for BI, please read "Choosing Hardware for Blue Iris".

 

[barryrod]

I started my Blue Iris machine with an I3-4160 and shortly upgraded it to I7-4770. I am currently running 4) 3mp cams and 2) 4mp cams and it is usually about 40-50% usage with direct to disk writing.

 

[fenderman]

I started my Blue Iris machine with an I3-4160 and shortly upgraded it to I7-4770. I am currently running 4) 3mp cams and 2) 4mp cams and it is usually about 40-50% usage with direct to disk writing.

that is very high usage for that load and that system.....have you enabled hardware acceleration? what frame rates are you running?

 

[superman1233]

This is a great starter cam, the Dahua IPC-HDW4231EM-ASE . It's outdoor rated but looks good indoors because it's not very big. It has high marks for low light operation with its Sony 'STARVIS' sensor. Here's a review by forum member @Crazykiller ==>> here.

Specs on Dahua site ==>> here.

Purchase from Andy of Empire Technolgy, a trusted vendor on aliexpress and member of this forum ( @EMPIRETECANDY ) ==>> here.

Doesn't sound like your PC meets min specs CPU-wise for Blue Iris, a favored software for a PC-based NVR, but you should have no problem viewing the cam's streams on YawCam or via PC browser.

Hi Tony. I had a look at that camera on Aliexpress. I can't tell whether it has a built in webserver and just needs to be connected to the internet to work, or whether it needs a separate computer to capture the images and serve them. Your reply sort of implied that I would need the PC to use it. If that's the case it seems kind of expensive for a 2MP webcam...

 

[TonyR]

Hi Tony. I had a look at that camera on Aliexpress. I can't tell whether it has a built in webserver and just needs to be connected to the internet to work, or whether it needs a separate computer to capture the images and serve them. Your reply sort of implied that I would need the PC to use it. If that's the case it seems kind of expensive for a 2MP webcam...

I'm not sure if you're clear on some terminology or understanding of how IP cams work. I'll do my best.

I can't tell whether it has a built in webserver

It does. Using a PC, you access the camera directly or over your network to configure it and view the image it captures and streams.

.....just needs to be connected to the internet to work......

No, it only needs to be connected your network (LAN). You NEVER connect any IP cam directly to the Internet, as it could be hacked and used as a bot to attack other devices on the Internet.

With the right configuration and certain devices active in your LAN, you can have the cam viewable from outside your network, remotely, with an app on a smartphone or from another PC. But lets not go there now. Baby steps!

....or whether it needs a separate computer to capture the images and serve them.

It will capture the live images and stream them real-time to a PC on the LAN or store snapshots on an SD card in the cam. It's an IP (Internet Protocol) cam, it requires an IP-based viewer (PC, tablet, smartphone) to view. It does NOT provide an analog (composite) video output that could be viewed with a standard TV or monitor.

Your reply sort of implied that I would need the PC to use it.

You do if you want to view, in real time, what the cam is viewing. And you implied you would view with YawCam or PC browser, both of which require a PC.

The cam can capture to a built-in (but not furnished) SD card or to a connected PC on the LAN running some software.

..... it seems kind of expensive for a 2MP webcam...

Sure, you could buy some grey box Chinese $30-$60 stuff from ama2on or fleaBay but was trying to get you off to a good start by suggesting a quality cam with excellent low-light performance and a clear image. Don't get caught up on pixels on your first cam. You can get into pixels later, after you've bought your 10th cam, your significant other has left you because of it and you're wanting a LPR (License Plate Reader) cam!

 

[superman1233]

I'm not sure if you're clear on some terminology or understanding of how IP cam's work. I'll do my best.


It does. Using a PC, you access the camera directly or over your network to configure it and view the image it captures and streams.


No, it only needs to be connected your network (LAN). You NEVER connect any IP cam directly to the Internet, as it could be hacked and used as a bot to attack other devices on the Internet.

With the right configuration and certain devices active in your LAN, you can have the cam viewable from outside your network, remotely, with an app on a smartphone or from another PC. But lets not go there now. Baby steps!



It will capture the live images and stream them real-time to a PC on the LAN or store snapshots on an SD card in the cam. It's an IP (Internet Protocol) cam, it requires an IP-based viewer (PC, tablet, smartphone) to view. It does NOT provide an analog (composite) video output that could be viewed with a standard TV or monitor.



You do if you want to view, in real time, what the cam is viewing. And you implied you would view with YawCam or PC browser, both of which require a PC.

The cam can capture to a built-in (but not furnished) SD card or to a connected PC on the LAN running some software.



Sure, you could buy some grey box Chinese $30-$60 stuff from ama2on or fleaBay but was trying to get you off to a good start by suggesting a quality cam with excellent low-light performance and a clear image. Don't get caught up on pixels on your first cam. You can get into pixels later, after you've bought your 10th cam, your significant other has left you because of it and you're wanting a LPR (License Plate Reader) cam!

Thanks for taking the time to produce such a detailed reply. You're right; I might not fully understand the terminology.

So, to summarise what I've gathered from your information, I buy the camera, plug it into my router and it serves a config page that I can go into and set up the Wi-Fi (to use it wirelessly), and turn on or off an external interface, set up recording options, vpn settings or whatever? And then I can unplug it from the router and it will connect wirelessly to my network (same router in this case).
As you say, when it's internal only, and device on the local network will be able to see what it's serving as long as it can access the webpage that it's serving.

I think I confused the issue by mentioning YAWcam. In my mind (and I could be wrong) YAWcam is software designed to serve camera outputs. It is not a viewer. Easier to disregard this, because if the cam you're mentioning has a server built in I won't need that functionality.

Finally, how does this type of camera differentiate itself from the two shit models that I got on Amazon, where I have to use their proprietary apps to view the data (probably routed via some dodgy server in russia)? They called themselves IP cameras too but I can't just http into their streams.
(https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074V18CGV for example)

 

[TonyR]

So, to summarise what I've gathered from your information, I buy the camera, plug it into my router and it serves a config page that I can go into and set up the Wi-Fi (to use it wirelessly), and turn on or off an external interface, set up recording options, vpn settings or whatever?

The VPN would have to be set up on your router (if capable) or served by a PC on your LAN (with installed software like 'OpenVPN').

As you say, when it's internal only, and device on the local network will be able to see what it's serving as long as it can access the webpage that it's serving.

Sort of. By that I mean it has 1 or more video streams that software on the PC will view that don't include all the settings, etc.; the stream(s) provide only the real-time video image which is what you want to view.

I think I confused the issue by mentioning YAWcam. In my mind (and I could be wrong) YAWcam is software designed to serve camera outputs. It is not a viewer.

The YawCam that I have used is indeed, a viewer. The software resides on a PC and you "view" the live stream from an IP cam.

Finally, how does this type of camera differentiate itself from the two shit models that I got on Amazon, where I have to use their proprietary apps to view the data (probably routed via some dodgy server in russia)? They called themselves IP cameras too but I can't just http into their streams.

They likely use only P2P (Point-to-Point) technology wherein you scan a QR code and they are served by a Chinese server or cloud...not secure. Some P2P cams can be hacked and the firmware replaced to provide a stream but it's complicated and would be a waste of your time even if you were up to the task.

I suggest you read more, don't get in a hurry, buy an Amcrest IPM-721 (it's a re-branded Dahua) and play with it. On amazon for under $60. It has all the basics (wired, wireless, SD card slot, audio, Pan/Tilt/digital zoom, IR-cut filter, 720P). I've purchased and installed 4 over the last 3 years in 2 locations for clients and they're operated 24/7 without a hiccup. You can view with a browser, YawCaw, VLC or Blue Iris. The RTSP stream is accessible.

 

[Augus]

I suggest you read more, don't get in a hurry, buy an Amcrest IPM-721 (it's a re-branded Dahua) and play with it. On amazon for under $60. It has all the basics (wired, wireless, SD card slot, audio, Pan/Tilt/digital zoom, IR-cut filter, 720P). I've purchased and installed 4 over the last 3 years in 2 locations for clients and they're operated 24/7 without a hiccup. You can view with a browser, YawCaw, VLC or Blue Iris. The RTSP stream is accessible.

If I have Dahua NVR, will I able to record Amcrest camera? Thanks,

 

[TonyR]

If I have Dahua NVR, will I able to record Amcrest camera? Thanks,

This was covered extensively in another thread back in Sept. 2016 ==>> here.

The Amcrest IPM-721S that I have is ONVIF 2.42, so if your NVR is also ONVIF, it appears the Amcrest cams will work with the NVR but some motion events in the cam may not be interpreted correctly by the NVR. I'd say its worth a try with one from amazon.com or another source with a good return policy, if you're not happy with it, just return it.

For the record, I don't have a NVR, I use Blue Iris and it works very well with it.

 

[ipcamsurfer]

Hi,
I've bought a couple of "IP Cameras" off amazon in the past, and been disappointed in both cases to find that the cameras are only accessible through a specific Android app (or iphone). I naïvely thought that these cameras would be accessible through my browser but have since come to realise this isn't the case.
However, this is what I want! I don't trust the providers of the cameras to have access to my cameras. Everything about it just feels dodgy.

So I've been googling in my spare time to find a camera with a built in, configurable webserver, and haven't really managed to find much. Maybe there's a word for them that I don't know?

Question is, can you make some recommendations please? I have a dedicated server running Windows in the house, and I have a few Raspberry Pis so I'm happy to go down the webcam route and serve the images myself, or if there's a camera with that capability built in, I'd rather just buy that (less wiring hopefully).

I guess options are

• webcam into server and run YAWCam or equivalent
• webcam into RPi and run MotionEyeOS or equivalent
• a camera with built in server

Help please!

I totally agree with your description of the problem. The only consumer priced camera I am now able to find that has a built in web server is made by amcrest. Yet even that is not great, because it won't work as a reverse proxy on my website like the older simple ip cams. Fortunately I have a couple of those that still work. Ideally I'd like an outdoor camera with a built in web server that is solar powered. I doubt that one exists. I have a number of the newer cameras that are only viewable on a app on the small screen of a mobile device which isn't satisfactory.

 

[ipcamsurfer]

I totally agree with your description of the problem. The only consumer priced camera I am now able to find that has a built in web server is made by amcrest. Yet even that is not great, because it won't work as a reverse proxy on my website like the older simple ip cams. Fortunately I have a couple of those that still work. Ideally I'd like an outdoor camera with a built in web server that is solar powered. I doubt that one exists. I have a number of the newer cameras that are only viewable on a app on the small screen of a mobile device which isn't satisfactory.

 

[superman1233]

Cheers mate

 

[ipcamsurfer]

@superman1233 I take it that you haven't had any luck with this problem since you first posted.

 

[unique_username]

one way to go is to take some small computer - such as raspberry pi zero, and run your own webserver on it, showing the image of a simple camera connected.
strange development... about 20 years ago, IP network cameras were a pretty common thing...