How To Set Up Webcam As Security Camera

CNET / Josh Lowensohn

Nosotros're on the tail end of the summer vacation season, which according to the FBI is one of the summit periods of home burglaries. Chances are adept you lot're almost to head out of town, leaving your home to fend for itself against intruders.

Got a house sitter or an alert organization? Salubrious. If not, there are a handful of means to turn a computer into a tool that will alert yous if someone's there who shouldn't exist.

For the sake of this guide we're keeping things simple and limiting our list to gratis apps that work on PCs, Macs, or both. A few simply use your browser. Subsequently we also accept a department on specialty hardware that can take you beyond what almost Webcams are capable of.

The software

Software tin can offer a definite piece of mind over browser-based solutions. Most of these apps can run quietly in the groundwork, and can save footage to your hard drive for archiving. Loftier-finish Webcams ofttimes come with their own security software, so in the spirit of this guide, we're going with generic software that should work with any model:

Yawcam (PC)
Yawcam is free and PC-only. It'due south a circuitous program just not as well complex to ready-upward. The app lets you ready whether you desire to capture all of the motion within the frame or just a office of it. I used it to runway motion in a specific function of my workplace: CNET colleague Rafe Needleman'due south role door. Any fourth dimension he came in or out of his office it took a photograph. At home this is more useful if you bespeak it toward something like a door or entry way, which can continue information technology from picking up one of your pets moving around.

The app does an exceptional job at letting yous pick various ways yous want to be notified. You tin can have it upload screen shots to an FTP site or every bit an e-mail. It tin can besides play any sound on your computer, or starting time another program (such as a lock-down or keyboard locking application).

Yawcam can exist set to snap and e-mail a pic whenever it senses move. It was i of the easiest tools to set up. CNET

I prepare mine upwards with Gmail, which was a snap. You only have to have plug in the outgoing settings on Google'southward assistance page and it will transport a loftier-quality screen shot of whatsoever motion it's captured simply a few seconds after it happens. Using this with your phone'southward e-mail service address will give you a alive warning and a saved copy of all the shots in Gmail's sent binder.

HomeCamera (PC)
This software runs a streaming video client that can be accessed from any computer with a browser. You can view either live video or snapshots that can be taken at intervals or on-need. HomeCamera'due south secret sauce is being able to e-mail you when you're non there. You tin accept it send you an SMS alert, or an electronic mail--both of which tin can link to the video or a snapshot. Y'all can too prepare it to record video or take sequential shots on a precise schedule.

Yoics (PC)
Yoics is a remote desktop awarding with a lot of tricks up its sleeve. Remote Webcam security is i of them. Y'all can very quickly add together a Webcam that tin be streamed to a private Web address, along with having its footage archived to the local car.

It can also exist gear up non simply to transport you an e-mail if it detects movement but as well send a note to a Twitter business relationship and upload whatsoever footage it'due south captured to YouTube or Daily Motion. There is quite a bit of setup involved though, and the wizard that walks you through it is bound to overwhelm the average user.

EyeSpyFX (PC & Mac)
This software works on Windows and Mac and has a mobile viewer that tin be accessed on a handful of devices, including the iPhone. I tried information technology on a Mac. The software, while primitive, does a good job with privacy; the just way to admission your stream is with your camera'south special PIN. It besides supposedly keeps an online and offline archive of your footage, although I couldn't get either to work.

Honorable mention: If you're willing to trounce out $30, y'all can get with Mac-only EvoCam, which I've heard good things well-nigh. It does move capturing, e-mails, and offers mobile access. Information technology'south not included in this roundup since information technology costs coin to use.

The Webware

Webware can sometimes be less capable than software simply on the plus side there'due south nil to install. And in many cases, you tin utilise the same service with a single business relationship on several machines. Some of the ones on this listing tin as well support multiple cameras at one time, which is handy for covering more than i room (or house) at a fourth dimension.

Ugolog
Ugolog is a really easy Spider web-based security tool that displays live footage and an archive of snapshots from your Webcam. Information technology works with any camera that's attached to your reckoner or a remote photographic camera with an IP address.

While there is no fashion to receive alerts via east-mail, the service provides alerts via an RSS feed for every camera you lot have set up upwardly. Using a service similar Pingie (previous coverage), would allow you get an SMS alert every fourth dimension a new photo shows upwards.

Another thing to annotation is that archiving is not unlimited. In the class of a few hours I used 20MB of my 5GB monthly storage allotment. While this "pro" programme is free during Ugolog's beta menses, the eventual free program drops that storage down to 100MB per month. Then again, if you're using it for simply a few days and aren't expecting any motion, this isn't a trouble.

Ugolog gives you a time line of whatever fourth dimension it'due south picked up motion. You can then cruise through the stills it's taken at 4x speed. CNET

UStream.television set / Justin.tv
Both UStream and Justin.boob tube are set up to permit anyone create a live broadcast free of charge. There'due south also a style to brand the stream password-protected, meaning only you lot and those you've given the code to volition be able to see it.

There's no time limit on recording, which means yous can get out it running for days, then come back to an annal that lives on the Web. At present, this may not be equally great as using 1 of the same tools that uses motion detection, but if someone does in fact break into your house and steal your reckoner, the archive won't exist stolen as well.

An honorable mention goes to Livestream.com, which can also do free live broadcasting and recording, although to password protect the stream and limit viewers, you lot need to sign upward for the paid premium plan.

Specialty hardware

Now, nosotros're not telling you lot to go out and buy a professional security setup, but there are a few specialty Webcams that brand information technology easier to keep an eye on things when y'all're out. All of them come up with bundled software, meaning you lot don't necessarily have to use some of the tools mentioned above.

Panasonic

Tilt-and-pan Webcams:

Panasonic BL-C131A wireless network camera ($230)
This Webcam has a few things going for it. For i, you don't accept to have a estimator running for it to be on. It merely needs a power plug and a working wireless router in range. It'due south got a handful of sensors that you can gear up to watch for motility, mind for sound, or choice up thermal images. It can too pan and tilt remotely, letting you take control of information technology from another computer.

D-Link DCS-5220 Wireless Pan/Tilt Network Camera ($280)
D-Link's wireless pan and tilt camera also works remotely, and without the need to be attached to a computer. Information technology tin be accessed and controlled in a browser on a regular computer or through a mobile phone browser.

Remote-controlled robots:

WoWee's Rovio ($299)
Half RC car, half Webcam, WowWee'south Rovio lets you lot view live video and steer it from any Spider web browser. It's equipped with Wi-Fi so there are no wires for it to get caught on. And it's got LED headlights and a way betoken system you lot can place that keep you from having to manually steer it from i end of the house to the other. This gadget is obviously non so helpful if you live in a multistory abode or are trying to dissuade a alive burglary, but it gives you far more than maneuverability than you'd become with a stationary Webcam.

The Spykee is half toy, one-half surveillance unit of measurement. Erector

Meccano Spykee The Wi-Fi Spy Robot ($195)
The Spykee is a Webcam strapped to a fix of rubber treads that await quite a chip similar Jonny v from the film Short Circuit. It costs less than some of the in a higher place tilt-and-pan wireless Webcams. It also doubles equally a toy since yous can add on all sorts of attachments onto the robotic base using parts from Erector play sets.

Like the Rovio, you tin can control the Spykee from any networked computer and it has a charging dock to go back to when it needs more than juice. It tin as well be set up to have a photograph and email it to you if it detects move using the included software.

These are just a few of the tools to proceed an eye on your dwelling when you're non there. If you're serious about guarding your home, a professional security organization tin can be a lot more helpful at deterring would-be burglars and alerting the authorities. Again, if you're not willing to invest in something like that, many of these options are better than nothing.

Got a DIY solution of your own? Share it in the comments.