Linksys PVC2300-EU review

The PVC2300-EU is an IP camera that's aimed squarely at business users.

It has all the features that businesses will need, but at a surprisingly low price. One of its main attractions is power over Ethernet, which means you won't need to locate the camera near a power socket.

It's noticeably larger than most consumer IP cameras and has a strong aluminium body, but it's for indoor use only. The standard lens can be replaced with others compatible with the CS mount standard, if you need something with a wider angle or an optical zoom.

Both MPEG4 and MJPEG codecs are supported simultaneously. MPEG4 is more efficient for viewing over the web, while MJPEG offers higher quality. Maximum resolution is 640x480 at 30fps and unlike many IP cameras we've seen it actually approaches that frame rate when viewed over a LAN. You have to adjust the focus manually, but images are sharp and colours relatively faithful. There's a 4x digital zoom, but this is pointless as it provides no extra detail.

A potentially useful feature is the night mode, which works relatively well in dim conditions. However, you'll want to invest in an infrared lamp for night vision; the PVC2300-EU has an integrated IR cut filter. There are plenty of other options, too. One is a pan/tilt base, so that the direction of the camera can be controlled remotely, while a GPIO connector on the rear lets you attach a variety of sensors such as PIR (for movement) or smoke detectors. It also provides power for a door lock or siren. Finally, there are mic and speaker mini-jack connections. The mic connection is useful if you don't want to use the integrated mic, and the speaker mini-jack will come in handy if you want to make use of the two-way audio.

Setup is a breeze thanks to a discovery wizard, which runs from the CD. Once you've named the camera and decided whether you are going to use a static IP or DHCP address, you're taken to the camera's web interface. Here, you can view live video and change more options, such as overlaying the date and time on the feed and setting up email addresses to which you can send alerts and FTP servers to which you can upload video.

Motion detection is supported, and you can select three regions in which to detect motion. The bundled LinksysOne Surveillance Utility has monitoring, playback and recording modules, and supports up to 16 cameras. You can set recording schedules and easily jump to events in the playback module, which can be played at various speeds. If you need to monitor live video remotely, there's support for 3G phones, QuickTime clients and web browsers.

The PVC2300-EU is excellent value at this price, and a great choice for businesses. If you need a wireless version, then the WVC2300 costs just £23 more from www.kikatek.co.uk.