D-Link DCS-900 review

Verdict:

Review Date: 21 Feb 2006

Price when reviewed: inc VAT

Our Rating 5 stars out of 5

ExpertReviews Award

Review
Specs

If you want to fit a security camera in an area that's already networked, an IP camera such as D-Link's DCS-900 could be ideal.

The DCS-900 connects to a wired Ethernet network, and contains a tiny web server that broadcasts video across the network.

Setting the camera up is easy. We plugged it into our test network, connected the power supply and ran the install CD on a networked PC. This installs a small setup utility that locates the camera on the network. Clicking the Link button opens the camera's interface in your web browser. This enables you to view live video from the camera using either an ActiveX control suitable for Windows users or a Java tool for other systems. Another button starts the camera's configuration utility. The camera can be assigned an IP address manually or set to lease one from a DHCP server or router.

The camera can broadcast video at two resolutions: 320x240 and 640x480. Both were impressively smooth in our tests. The image quality at high resolution surpassed all the CCTV cameras in the test.

To use the camera for surveillance, you'll need to install the IP View Light software. This allows you to schedule recordings and set cameras to record when they detect motion. This worked well, but you can't specify which areas of the picture are used for motion detection.

Overall, the DCS-900 is a mixed bag. It's useless for monitoring at night and it isn't as clever as the XIP101, but as a camera and recording system for under £80 it's a bargain.

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