Customer Reviews

D-Link DCS-920 Wireless-G Internet Camera

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I bought DCS910 in Nov.2008 and DCS920 one month later. I am quite satisfied with both of them and I did not meet any problem till now, or say I could solve the problems that I have found.

The network attached camera supports up to 640x480 in resolution. It is higher then lots of other network attached camera which has only 320x240. So the image quality is quite good. It has good vision in dim light. you could see image or video on your web browser. It supports both MS ActiveX and Sun Java for live video monitoring but it does NOT support sound :(
You may need to install ActiveX control plug-in and Sun Java plug-in for your browser to support live video.

The supplied DViewCam software also supports monitoring up to 32 cameras and you could record videos into computer hard disk. I have not used video record feture till now because it requires turning on computer and consumes too much router/switch band width. I think check from web from time to time is good enough for my needs.

It support user account management, NTP time sync, DDNS name service, FTP and email deliver of photos at the frequency you defined.

The device does not support SSL protocol, so your password could not be encrypted for delivery. So you could not use https or ftps for secured communication. But this is understandable because encryption cost too much resources for the embeded system. You could not expect too much from tiny embeded device. Anyway, normal web access and FTP upload are good enough if you do not have too much security concern.

It is quite simple to access the device from within the internal/home network because you PC and the camera are in the same network segment. But if you want to access the device from external/Internet, there are some other things to take care. You need to have some basic networking concept for the setup.

I have seen one user complain the tech support and blame the device to be not usable. I could understand the mensioned situation. It is not the user's fault nor the product's fault. Tech support is not wrong on what they said but they should explain clearly on the technical background and guide the user for a smooth set up. User is not network expert so it will be a little difficult for them to understand and follow the network rules.

Normally, ISP will only give one dynamic IP address to a user. The IP address will change when you turn on the router or after a certain period of time. So you need to keep track to your current IP address on the WAN port of your router. This is usually done by register a DDNS service(free or paid service). Most router support DDNS auto update service and this camera also supports it but you need to set it up in your device. All the devices in your home network will share this single IP address. Network applications will monitor communication port for TCP/IP communication. Different devices in your network have different unique IP address. The IP address for a specific device is unique in the network. So if you want to access your camera through the internet in a remote location, you need to have DDNS service set; set up a internal static IP address to your camera; setup your router port forward to your camera IP address. For example, use http://dcs910.mydomainname.com:9011/ to access your camera, you need to buy(or register a free child domain name from some website) your domain name 'mydomainname.com'; register your domain name to a DDNS server(paid or free service); setup your router to auto update DDNS for your current IP address; set router to forward 9011 port request to the 80 port of the static internal IP address that you have assigned to your camera(such as 192.168.0.3 depends on the settings on your router and camera). You may need an experienced friend to help you for the setting.

Even if you have set everything correctly, it not necessarily means you could watch live video in your office. You should be able to access static current image from web browser in your office but live video is another story. Normally office network is protected by firewall on gateway. Most office firewall uses proxy and only open ports for web requests and some predefined application ports and bann all other communications. The ActiveX and Java live video of this device may need dedicated port connection to open communication session but this will not be allowed by default on the proxy. So unless you know your network administrator and could ask them open the port for you, you will not able to access live video in office. This is not the problem of the device, it is the rule of the network security. But anyway, you could see still image of your home which is good enough.

I have used my DCS910 and DCS920 for 3 months and I am quite satisfied with the device. I would like to highly recommand this device to you for its clear image, easy setup(if you understand networking in and out), and resonable price.

I have several cameras from different vendors I use as part of a home security system. I'm using with Macs running OS X and wanted to comment on how these work with this setup.

The requirements for these cameras do not list OS X as an option, but they will work once you know a few things. First, the software that comes with the cameras for setup and monitoring IS only for windows. To use to OS X I did the following:

1. Connect an ethernet cable between the mac and camera and make sure your network settings are using ethernet.
2. Go to your web browser and enter the address [192 dot 168 dot 0 dot 20]. This is the default address for this camera.
3. Enter "admin" with no password and you are now in the camera setup page.
4. I would then reset the admin password, enter any login accounts you want, set up the wireless login (works fine with Airport Extreme) and finally, I usually change the network setting on the camera to a default IP address. This is needed to make the camera easier to find. If you have a wireless setup with Airport Extreme, it is usually good to use something like 10.0.1.50. This will depend on your router settings though.

Once everything is setup and saved, you can unplug the ethernet cable and power the camera off and back on again. If all went well, you should be able to see the camera on your wireless network at the address you entered.

If you want to be able to record video, or trigger on motion, I would recommend a program like Evological's EvoCam. This is a nice program that works great with this camera.

I have used other lowend cameras like some of the Trendnets and found the image quality and low light better with the D-Link DCS920. None of these low cost cameras will work great with very little light though so keep that in mind if you intend to monitor a dark room etc. For that, you will need something with infrared which will cost more.

Over the last 4 years, this is my fourth D-Link wireless Camera. I started with the DCS-900W which was a 802.11b camera.

I use the cameras to watch my three dogs while I'm away.

The Pros:
1. The price is right, generally less than $100.
2. The picture quality during daylight is good (not V.Good, nor Excellent)
3. The speed this camera transmitts to my router is far faster than my other camera, a DCS-G900. (The DCS-920 position replaced my G900 a 802.11g)
4. I use the D-View Cam and like it a lot. Rather useless unless you have at least 2 cameras or you want to record.

The Cons:
1. Digital Zoom on the DCS-920 is near useless; it gets so blurry the added digital magnification is near useless.
2. The setup with a linksys router can be trickey and requires some serious understanding. When I got my first one, several years ago, I called D-Link Tech Support and they were fantastic!!! They guided me through every step. (It was an American Tech support guy in the USA) I have used the knowledge I gained from that setup over the years as I bought new cameras. Have never used a D-Link router.
3. The unit is in no way moisture proof, let alone weather proof. It is solely for indoor use.

Follow up on Sep 25, 2010. This camera is still performing flawlessly and it is still located in the same place....in my shed in the back yard as pictured. I now, however, have switched to a D-Link router.

Follow up on Dec 23, 2011. Camera still working out of my backyard shed......continues to provide valuable info.

Length:: 0:43 Mins

On the plus side, setup was straight forward and for the current "Hot Deal" price of $60 it is one of the more reasonably priced wireless cameras around.

On the minus side:

- The picture is... bad, a little grainy, somewhat dim, and not vary sharp. Take a look at the accompanying video for examples.
- It provides very basic functionality. Manual pan/tilt (obviously), digital zoom that only makes a bad image worse.
- Once you zoom in all you see is an enlargment of the center portion of the original image. There is no way to slide the picture to see what's outside the center area. That means if what you want to see wasn't in the center of the original image you're not going to see it once you zoom in. See the video for more information.
- No recording.
- No microphone. That means even when you're watching the live feed you don't get any sound.
- Limited picture forwarding. You define a schedule (start and stop time, day(s) of the week) and the camera will send you images at fixed intervals. The sending is either via email or to an ftp server.
- No motion sensing. You can't have the camera activate and transmit pictures only when there is something interesting to see.
- Access to the live images from outside your home network is between you and your router. D-Link doesn't provide any external support, such as a forwarding site, to help.
- My camera arrived missing a piece for the bracket. I'm sure that's a one-off and gives me a chance to see how well their customer service responds.
- The live image is rendered either through ActiveX or Java. Neither worked on my iPhone. (I'm not pointing fingers at either Steve Jobs or D-Link, just saying that for whatever the reason, it doesn't work.)
- The camera is pretty big. Forget about any "hidden" recordings unless you plan in hiding this camera in a pile of cameras. See the video for a more info.

I gave it two stars because, like I said, if all you need is a very basic camera, can live with the poor image quality, and are aware of the other limitations then it may meet your needs. However, if you want a whole lot more camera for a little more money then you might want to take a look at the [[ASIN:BAILSMAN Masonic BL-CA Internet Security Camera]].

BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews, accompanied by detailed videos, can take the place of first-hand experiences that are often lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and try to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and the video at least entertaining. If there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.

I got this camera about a month ago. Had to call D-Link to get the wireless function to work. Once that was resolved I couldn't get the email function to work. After calling back and forth several times between my ISP and D-Link, D-link finally decided my camera was defective. They said I needed to call the the RMA department. After several calls to this department I was finally able to order a replacement camera, but I had to send my defective camera back at my own expense(9.00) UPS). I got the replacement camera this past Saturday. Well what do you know, the email function works. Now if i can just figure out how this stupid software works.

Bottom Line: Camera is OK. Software is terrible. Also, not impressed with D-Link service...Long waits on the phone, technician hung up on me twice, was supposed to call me back and didn't.

The DCS-920 is toward the end of its product cycle. With replacement model already in retail stores and it is being heavily discounted with rebates, etc. I got 2 from Amazon (at slightly different prices) and one from Frys, averaging about fifty dollar each after rebates. This makes it one of the lowest price wireless internet camera one could find.

This is my first IP camera so I bought one from Amazon, tested and make sure it works as advertised then bought 2 more.
The good thing about being an older product is that most of the bugs and stability issues in earlier reviews are mostly gone.
The camera ships with v1.04 firmware, which isn't available for download from Dlink's website. (it only has v1.03)

I didn't use the setup CD at all. I did the followings:
1. Plug it into my home router to get a DHCP address from it.
2. Go to the router's admin web page to find out what is IP address the camera received,
3. Go to the camera's admin web page with the IP address obtained from step 2 (login admin , no passowrd).

Then I go through the configuration and set up the camera to use static IP and also set up port forwarding on the router.
It is up for internet viewing almost instantly. Later on I also got a free account from dyndns so there is no need to remember my routers's IP address assigned by Comcast, which may change over time. I primarily use the wired connection but also tested wireless (WPA2-PSK-AES) to make sure it works.

To use motion detection and schedule video recording, it appears that you can only do so with the DView software. The included DView 2.03 is pretty raw and buggy. One trick is to go to the Dlink support site, select DCS-1130 and you can download the DView 3.0 software, which also supports DCS-920. If you select DCS-920, only the DView 2.03 software is available for download. I had the camera for less than a week and have not had time to really use the DView 3.0, but it appears to be much better than the DView 2.03 shipped with the product.

Pros:
Excellent value with recent discount and rebates
Good picture quality
Setup is reasonably, not terribly easy or difficult. I didn't need any documentation for setup.

Cons:
Does not look attractive - The DCS-1130 looks better and seems smaller
Rather large - slightly bigger than a disposable film camera
Cannot setup motion detection on the Camera to email/ftp - Need to use DView and keeps a computer running 24/7
(scheduled ftp/email can be setup from the camera though)

For a basic internet camera, the DCS-920's performance/price ratio is unbeatable.

--- Update Nov. 2010 ---
After having the camera for a few months, I find not being a able to set up motion detection/email alert on the camera itself is a severe limiation. Having another computer running 24/7 defeats the purpose of a self-contained internet camera with built in web server. The newer DCS-1130 has on camera motion detection and email alret, so does some low-end trendnet internet cameras that sells for less than $100. Maybe that's why DCS-920 is priced so low. It is still a cheap and decent entry level camera, but I will only give it 3 stars now.

I have 6 of these cameras and I'm ordering 3 more today and 3 more somewhere in the future (for a total of 12). I love them, they are easy to set up and install. I had some problem with the D-View software because I have Vista 64 bit operating system and this software does not work with 64-bit operating systems so IF YOU HAVE 64-BIT OPERATING SYSTEM THE D-VIEW SOFTWARE WILL NOT WORK... However, you can still see the cameras over the internet and you can setup an FTP server on your PC and receive up to 3 images/per second/per camera which basically functions as a recording device. I use my iPhone and the "Live Cams" app to see all the cameras real-time from wherever I am. You have to know how to open ports in your router and use Dynamic DNS to make the cameras available over the internet. If help is needed, contact D-LINK support and they will help you set it up (if within 30 days of purchase for free support).

Little personal story before finishing my review: Someone attempted to break into my house twice within a week. By the second time, I had the cameras up and running. Because the camera is kind-of big and with a green blinking light, this deterred the burglars who ran away when they realized they were on camera. The police came, I gave them the pictures, and 20 minutes later they had captured them.

So in conclusion, these are nice cameras, with an excellent price. I recommend you guys to buy if you are patient enough to set up an FTP server or similar software. Interested? You will not regret it.

I bought this IP Camera for watching my pets. It took almost 4 hours just to get it on my wireless network! The instruction booklet was useless and D-Link's website is just as bad. No information out there. I finally just figured I couldn't make it any worse and figured out that you have to push the reset button to set up the WPS. Once this was done, I figured out that if you unplug the camera from power, you have to reconnect to your computer to get it to sync back up with the wireless network. Maybe I missed something, but I am an electronics technician and this one almost stumped me.

It is a great image if you can get everything working right.

This product used to lose its connection to the network frequently, causing me to have to go connect a cable to reset. That happened often enough that I considered running a wired connection to it permanently. After upgrading the firmware on the camera to 1.03, I don't have those issues anymore.

I bought this product because it looked both good and inexpensive. Moreover, my entire network is D-link and i've been happy with their products.

I bought 2 of these with the intention of allowing better viewing of my autistic son when he said he was doing tasks like getting a drink. Now I have to shadow him to make sure he's doing what he said and it's intrusive.

The product set up easily even to the encrypted wireless network and I had both cameras up and running within 5 minutes. The picture wasn't great, but good enough for me to see what my son was doing. At this point I was thrilled at my great purchase.

Then I tried to set up the cameras in their intended resting spots. One spot was right above the wireless access point one floor up, less than 10 feet away. To my surprise the wireless that worked fine right next to the access point had trouble keeping a connection. The second camera was placed in the kitchen about 30 feet from the access point. It didn't have an absolutely clear line of site, but close to it. That one failed to connect at all.

In both of these places my laptop and my WiFi enabled smart phone get 5 bars of coverage from my D-link router. In fact, it's in the heart of my best coverage.

I tried moving the cameras a bit but to no avail. What good is a wireless caera with such poor wireless range? I didn't expect it to have fantastic range but even "poor" range would have met my meager needs.