Focus IP Cameras

[jimchatt 0]

I need to focus an IP camera by laptop and be at the camera itself an the jobsite. How do I do this without two people.

[Soundy 1]

I need to focus an IP camera by laptop and be at the camera itself an the jobsite. How do I do this without two people.

 

Well, if the camera is powered by a 12/24 power source (ie. not using PoE), you can plug a laptop into it directly with a crossover cable. You can buy them or make them... I carry a retractable network cable that includes a switch to toggle straight-through/crossover. You can also use a crossover adapter with a standard network cable - something like this: http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/7470/. If you laptop has a gigabit network port, chances are it will even support auto-crossover switching.

 

Personally, I carry a cheap 802.11n router (D-Link DIR-615, goes for about $55 - 11n gives you a lot better range than 11b/g) that I just plug in to the network along with the cameras, and then connect via WiFi. That also allows me to run the DVR's remote client to adjust ANY of the cameras, analog or IP, via my laptop. My co-worker has also used this setup to adjust IP cameras with his Archos, and if you have cameras whose web interface will work with a mobile browser, any WiFi-enabled phone would work for this as well.

[robert 0]

I need to focus an IP camera by laptop and be at the camera itself an the jobsite. How do I do this without two people.

 

Power up camera from power adaptor, then connect it to laptop via cross over cable. Hold your laptop and with other hand turn lense ring I have done it before, no problem

[hardwired 0]

If you want to still use PoE through to the camera, there is a unit from Nitek, http://nitek.net/networkextenders/IPT148.htm that will allow the camera to still be powered PoE, and split off a port for the laptop.

 

Veracity's Pinpoint is also a similar unit.