What is an IP Home Security Camera?

There are plenty of camera options when it comes to your home security system. There are cameras that are designed to work with a full system, and there are standalone cameras that simply capture images and retain them. There are wired cameras and wireless home security cameras. One of the newest types out there is the IP home security camera.

What, exactly, is an IP home security camera? There are several defining characteristics of which you should be aware:

• It’s not a closed circuit camera. For decades, the only kind of home security camera you could find was a CCTV camera. These cameras utilize a single circuit that connects the camera with a monitor or recorder. There’s no ability to transmit the data from the camera elsewhere. CCTV cameras may be either wired or wireless.
• It utilizes your home’s computer network. An IP camera uses your home’s computer network to send its signal. Each camera becomes another node on the network. The camera may plug directly into a category 5 network jack, or it may connect to a wireless home network.
• It uses Internet Protocols (IP). There are a number of different types of Internet technologies used with IP home security cameras, including TCP/IP, FTP, and HTTP (web).
• It can be accessed from a computer. The big advantage to an IP home security camera is that you can look at it from your computer. In some cases, you can even set it up to be viewed from outside of your home network – over the Internet.
• It will be either centralized or decentralized. A centralized IP camera system records its video and images to a network-based recorder. That may take the form of a specific piece of equipment that also plugs into your network, or it may be a piece of software on your home PC. A decentralized IP camera uses built-in storage to keep its images.
• It only works when your home network is running. If your home’s router or hub loses power, your camera may stop recording (if it’s centralized). Regardless of whether it’s centralized or decentralized, you won’t be able to access it if the home network is down.

At HSS Net, Madison Parker has been researching and evaluating home security companies and their products as well as analyzing hundreds of videos and documents from actual robberies. Her advice and findings are a great way to understand the ways in which you can improve the safety of your home.