If until some time ago it seemed complicated and expensive, today buying an IP camera is cheap and installing it is only a matter of minutes for the first configuration. The IP Camera is a wireless camera, identical to those of surveillance that are seen in shops and shopping centers, which can be controlled remotely and wirelessly from the computer or even from an Android smartphone and iPhone . Thanks to the WiFi camera you can control what is happening in a room or outside. The camera can therefore be used to control and supervise movements outside the home or in the garden or even to monitor your child in his room to find out, at any time, what he is doing and if everything is all right. Let's find out together the best features that an IP camera must have and the best models on the market .
READ ALSO: Best video surveillance programs with webcams and IP cameras
Features IP wireless camera
A requirement to be able to use an IP camera is the presence of a WiFi router, which is now common for those who have an Internet line at home. The video quality of IP cameras varies from 640 × 480 pixels, less sharp but easier to stream on the Internet (consumes very little bandwidth) at HD resolutions (720p or 1080p) for really high quality shooting, with details of faces and decidedly superior objects (at the expense of a greater consumption of Internet connection).A basic IP Cam also has a continuous surveillance function , alerting the owner via email or via notification of the app in the event of movements in the frame or status changes (change of light, interruption of the connection, etc.).
The optical or digital zoom system is also excellent as features, so you can enlarge the shot, the system, the local recording system (to save part of the footage even without a connection in a microSD) at any time and access to the panel control or password protected IP camera.
Optionally you can buy an IP camera which you can also move the shot by moving the lens remotely and that works even if the environment is dark thanks to the use of night vision (a camera equipped with an infrared detector).
Another very interesting feature concerns the power supply system: they can be powered via an electrical outlet but models with built-in batteries are available or the PoE system, i.e. they can use the electricity supplied via the Ethernet cable only (in this case we will need to have a router or a switch compatible with PoE technology).
Wireless IP cameras: buying guide
The best IP cameras now cost relatively little, from 40 Euros upwards depending on the technical characteristics, image quality, accessory functions and model. We have therefore collected all the models that can satisfy every type of need, all you have to do is choose the best model for your home.1) D-Link DCS-5020L
The first IP cam we recommend is the D-Link DCS-5020L (€ 90), which we chose because it costs relatively little and because on the Amazon store it is one of the best-selling with good reviews.
The D-Link wireless camera is small, with a fixed frame, without support for night vision. Thanks to this IP camera, however, they can monitor a room at home from the computer and also from the Android smartphone wherever I am, even if I'm around. The configuration of the camera on a Windows PC is well explained in the instructions, they only require connecting the camera to the router via cable, starting the configuration CD, updating the firmware and recognizing the camera. You can then detach the IP camera from the Ethernet cable (supplied in the package) and connect it, via the management program, to the home WiFi.
Once the account is created on Dlink, what comes into the room becomes accessible from any computer connected to the internet and also from Android smartphones, Windows Phone and iPhone through the MyDlink Lite app.
Through the management program it is also possible to set warnings in case of movement and record the shot by creating a video. The room can also be hung on the wall via the included mounting system and has a microphone for hearing noises and voices on the computer. The same D-Link IP camera is also available in the version with video recorder .
Obviously on Amazon there are many other alternatives of IP cameras with more functions, with better quality, with a more refined aesthetic or water resistant in case you want to put outside. Among these, some of the best cameras, depending on the reviews and for the price not too high, are:
2) The YI IP Camera (49 €), has a very compact shape ideal for being placed on a piece of furniture as a semi-hidden accessory.
The main features are night vision, FullHD resolution and above all the ability to save the footage automatically in the cloud offered together with the product, so as to save the footage even in a place away from the camera. Dedicated applications allow you to use the IP camera from a smartphone.
3) D-Link DCS-2670L (€ 161) is the camera with the best design and all the features required by this type of device.
It connects to the home WiFi network and offers the Night viewer, the movement and sound detector and finally Push notifications on your smartphone, using the D-Link app already seen in the initial part of the section.
4) The ieGeek (48 €) is the typical outdoor waterproof camera capable of recording and controlling movements, to be hung on the wall at a high corner of the wall or on the ceiling.
The camera offers movement detection, IP66 certified water protection, Email Alert, automatic registration and can also be controlled from your smartphone via the "szsinocam" app for iPhone and Android.
5) The Victure FHD 1080P (59 €) it is one of the most popular on Amazon and is always of the waterproof outdoor type.
This cam records in FullHD, offers night vision thanks to the 20 built-in LEDs and the app for iPhone and Android is available to control the camera remotely so as to always monitor what is happening in the shooting area.
6) If you want something more powerful, with higher quality and you have money to spend, we can focus on models like the D-Link DCS-8300LH (€ 96) which is also compatible with Alexa and the TrendNET Outdoor 4MP (€ 135), with the latter hanging on the ceiling and looking like a small lighthouse, but it has a framing 200 degrees.
READ ALSO: Turn your smartphone into a surveillance camera
