Simple Recording with Foscam FI8909W ?

[Jiffy]

Hi,
I recently bought this camera from ebay. Not sure if it is a clone or not - ebay seller claimed it was genuine.

Anyway, I have managed to get it setup on my home network and can access the camera setup page via firefox but when I log in with internet explorer I don't get a picture and firefox eventually gives me the message "unable to connect: timeout". Additionally the 'administrator' and "operator" links seem to be greyed out - at least when I click on them nothing happens.

Any ideas what would be causing this?

Am I right in thinking that when accessing via internet explorer it is possible to record video?

I am using Windows 7 64bit with IE8 and I just upgraded to IE9 beta. Neither work.

Can anyone suggest other (preferably free) tolls I can use to record form the camera? I dont need many features, just the ability to save video in a reasonable format.

Thanks

[buellwinkle]

Ironically, the most expensive software, like from Milestone will give you a single camera license for free but not sure they support Foscam. I use BlueIris software ($50 per PC) and it works really well with Win 7. You can download the trial and try it for a few weeks.

The way the Foscam (and clone) works is that if you are viewing the live image on IE and you set the alarm to record, it pops up with a file explorer screen everytime motion is detected and writes the file., It's very crude and of course, you need to make sure you PC never goes into any power saving mode, it must be on 24/7. Also, this only works with IE, not Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera or any other browser.

My guess is that you can't live view because you didn't install the required ActiveX control on IE. There should be a yellow banner when you go to view the camera and you click on that and agree to install the control. Also, you may have set stronger security on your PC that prevents unsigned ActiveX congtrols from even working, so you may have to set advanced options to prompt when an app wants to installed an unsigned ActiveX control.
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[Jiffy]

Thanks for your help. Enabling active X was something that I hadn't done - but as it happens I had another problem that I eventually found the solution for after stumbling across someone who was experiencing the same thing.

I needed to change the port the camera was working on. It was on the default port 80... I changed it to 2233 and now it works fine. Strange.

Thanks again!

[buellwinkle]

Very strange because I use port 80 for the camera and then do port mapping on the router to another number for external use.
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[jake20]

I am also interested in this camera. This is the fixed lens right?


How is the night vision on it?
Can you post a screenshot?

Are there any imitations of this model yet?
How can you be sure its not a knockoff? These Ebay sellers post these screenshots of genuine Foscam certificates, but does that mean anything?

thanks!!

[buellwinkle]

If it says Foscam on it, I would believe it, my clones don't say Foscam, they just look like them. The IR illuminators used cost pennies, they work appropriately. Figure they are good to about 6-10' and about a 45 degree spread. Led output is controlled by price, for example, I have a single 3W LED that will light a room, but it costs $20. I would have to get about 50 cheapie LED's to be equivalent. In other words, you get what you pay for.
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[Jiffy]

Night vision is ok, I have it in a room 3m x 2m and it illuminates the room ok.

The view can't be changed like some other foscam cameras but the lens is on a thread and it can be focused by twisting it.

I guess I can't be sure that it's not a knockoff but it is working ok. Motion in the video seems a bit more blurred that I would like, but other than that it is working fine.

[350zx6r]

its funny that I just purchased a foscam FI8918W from amazon and everything works as long as im running firefox. ive tried from 3 computers running windows 7 32-bit and thats the way it is but its a great camera. now im actually trying to get it working from a mobile. is it possible? i have a couple of blackberries (tour & curbe). any help is very appreciated!

[buellwinkle]

Blakcberries are great for email. To view your camera from a smartphone you'll need one that has a focam capable app. They exist for iPhone and Android.

Works better from IE, just need to intall the ActiveX control when the yellow banner pops up.
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