Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The documentation for this product undersells the product.
As a Mac user, Internet Explorer and ActiveX is not an exciting proposition, which the other reviewers point out. However, you don't need IE or any other software beyond the basic Mac installation to make this camera do its thing.
You will, however, need to know how to find the camera on your network. The camera ships with DHCP enabled, and you need to go your DHCP server (such as your router) and find the IP address that corresponds to this camera. This means looking at the most recently assigned IP address shortly after you plug-in the camera, or comparing the Ethernet hardware address with the entries in your router's DHCP logs.
The above isn't easy for a networking novice, but intermediate or advanced users can probably sort through this. I assume the softare that gets installed serves to find the camera, based on the directions, but I didn't use it.
Once you know the IP address, you can point FireFox or Safari to that IP address and login as admin/admin. From there, you can stream the live feed with QuickTime. The video quality is amazingly good--Far better than the built-in iSight on my MacBook Pro. For the camera quality and integration with standard protocols and tools, this camera really shines. You can also integrate the camera with email and FTP without requiring a computer, which is the whole point. The web UI is fair at best--it's a little clunky, but functional and consistent. For remote access where bandwidth might be limited, the right decision was probably made to keep the UI light.
The camera itself is well-constructed, but it's not going to win any beauty pageants. It's functional, which is perhaps all that is needed of a security camera. The base, arm extension, and a ball joint enable a number of mounting options, but you may find yourself needing to build a custom bracket for specialized positions.
There is a port on the bottom for connecting an external speaker to use the camera as an intercom--I am guessing that use case does require software, but I didn't investigate it first hand. There's also some remote access services that I didn't explore either, but would clearly be handy for the network novice user who doesn't want to deal with static IPs, port forwarding, or FTP.
Overall, the build construction, the ease of use, and the incredibly good quaity video warrants 4 stars. However, the lack of crisp, clear documentation and discovery software that precludes using a Mac when it should not costs the camera 1 star. It is a good product, if you can get through the initial hurdle. The camera exceeded my expectations on video quality, but was about what I expected otherwise.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Lorex LNE3003 Wireless Color Remote Easy Connect MPEG4 IP Network Camera
- Lorex IP network camera- No networking knowledge required - plug in camera, run discovery CD, and connect- No DDNS/Router configuration required- Wired / Wireless IEEE 802.11b/g (up to 250ft in open space) connectivity for flexible installation- Remote easy connect (Yoics and MSN), no networking knowledge required- 10x Digital zoom- Superior low-light performance with night-vision LEDs- Supports VGA (640x480) resolution, 30 frames per second (real time)- Browser support: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome for viewing on PC or Mac- Supports MPEG4, MJPEG, 3GPP- MPEG4 enhanced compression for efficient video streaming- Motion event triggers e- mail notification with JPEG image attachment- 3GPP mobile support (e.g. iPhone/compatible)- Two- way audio via integrated microphone and external speakers (not included)- 6 channel surveillance application for real time viewing and recording- LOREX DDNS included for guaranteed connection- Secure web management user/password protection- Windows Vista Compatible- Camera Includes: Network Camera, Metal Wall Mount Bracket, Antenna, Power Supply, Ethernet Cable, CD Software, ManualLOLNE3003
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