Cisco WVC210 Wireless-G PTZ Internet Security Video Camera -w/2-Way Audio

This is a nice camera with a really nice picture. I was replacing a d-link 5300G (which is outdated) and this picture is much better. The range of motion on this camera was a little disappointing. The calibration actually has a wider range than you can get by moving it yourself. It probably has a horizontal range of 110-120 degrees. The d-link had close to 200 degrees.

For people who want to use this with an apple airport, you need to choose WPA2 Personal and AES encryption. No other combination works. If that combination doesn't work for you, it's probably a setting on your airport. Make sure you have your wifi channel set to "automatic" and that your protocol is a/g compatible. There is no documentation about this and if you call the super-lame cisco support line, they'll tell you they can't help you because it is a third-party product.

All-in-all I am happy with this camera. I still may replace it because of the limited horizontal pan range, but the big advantage it has over the d-link models is that you aren't limited to using internet explorer, so you can view this from firefox or chrome, and even your iphone.

As noted in the ratings, the camera is well made by a reputable company. Once configured and install most functions work well. The notable operational deficiency is the zoom function. The only zoom is two X and at that focal point the picture is distorted - somewhat pixelized. The picture quality when not in zoom mode is exceptional for the cost of the unit.

The biggest deficiency is the bandwidth horsepower it takes to operate the camera. A minimum speed DSL connection will not work. Also there are some issues related to connecting to Cisco E-x000 series routers. Again the problem is bandwidth. Cisco small business support was top notched to try to get the configuration working, but lacks lab testing capability with consumer end router products made by their own company.

Buyers should know, this is a small business grade product and meant to be used only through a robust broadband connection. Amazon.com should make stronger online/advertising notations regarding minimum hardware and network capability to use the camera effectively. End user consumers with marginal highspeed connections - beware, this product is not for you!

The unit operated flawlessly right out of the box and was easy to use within my home LAN. I'm very happy with it's operation.

I've been an operating systems programmer and personal gadget hacker for over 30 years. It was "kinda fun" for me to enable the video over the web, but it took a bit more time than I even enjoy, and no doubt would stymie a lot of people. Since I write software, I ALSO understand that adding this level of functionality to the unit / directions / web site would be daunting since there are so many different scenarios. Basically, you have to:

-- Find and ID the unit on your Router/Modem
-- either use the MAC, naming, fixed IP, or some way to allow you to forward one or more ports
-- IP forward the port(s) through your firewall
-- assuming that you are on some sort of Dynamic IP from your provider (and most of us are), you need to figure out how to make it appear to be a static IP so you can bookmark it.
-- I used [...] ... essentially, they act as a proxy URL and when DNS gives you a new IP, they map to it from the old one.

Using my not very fast upload speed ( ~ 500K bps ), the video is good enough to see how windy it is in the back yard. I have it up from sunup to sundown.
[...]

If you are a Mac user, don't get this camera. The install wizard does not work with Macs. You can only view the video in Explorer or Firefox which means you can't view the video on any Apple device like the iPhone or iPad. Setup instructions are horrible and they tell you to do things like "port forwarding" but then don't explain how to actually do it. Customer support techs are nice, but all of them I spoke to said "I don't know the Mac." Appears Cisco only caters to PC users. Too bad, the camera looks really nice but it's useless if you can't get it to work.

Note to Cisco: The toll-free technical support number you have printed on the setup manual that comes with the camera is wrong. That gives you Cisco's general headquarters, not the tech support number for small business. Takes getting transferred from that number 2x to get to the right place.

Great product. This is our fourth WVC210. Outstanding picture clarity. Very reliable. PTZ works great. Cameras have been continually on for over two years. We also own a couple of WVC200 (older model) that have been online continuously for about 3 years. The 210 has significantly improved picture quality and so we only recommend the WVC210.

The camera purchased from Amazon was exactly as described - new, in a box, sealed - and arrived promptly.