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Technical Details
- Simple to setup, friendly GUI, remote viewing, record from anywhere anytime
- Waterproof for outdoor installation, Auto IR-LED illumination for night vision up to 20 meters
- Motion detection alert via email or upload image to FTP. Access management with password...
- Supports all standard browsers and can be viewed remotely using smartphone software (not included)
- Wi-Fi compliant with wireless standards IEEE 802.11b/g and supports both WEP & WPA WPA2...
Product Details
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Product Description
The Foscam FI8904W is a wireless or wired IP camera solution for outdoor use. It combines a high quality digital video camera with network connectivity and a powerful web server to bring clear video to your desktop or smartphone from anywhere on your local network or over the Internet. The high quality video image is transmitted with 30fps speed on the LAN/WAN by using MJPEG hardware compression technology. The image resultion is 640 x 480 (300k Pixels). The Foscam FI8904W camera is based on the TCP/IP standard. The control, management and maintenance of the camera is done simply by using your browser to remotely configure and upgrade the firmware. The Foscam FI8904W IP camera can reach up to 20 meters of visibility in absolute darkness with 24 infrared LED's.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Foscam cams are pretty good for the price,some improvements can be made,like auto irus,the range is excellent,living in a home that is all block construction has a limit with wireless cams,I tried a dozen other brands and foscam cams always won over them,I used to be in the security business and worked with all brands and had alot of complaints of signal dropouts and bad connections.At 2.4G its a line of sight isuue,a good wireless router is another issue,if you plan to use all wireless cams get the best router you can find,i find the $40-50 units are worthless.I wont endorse brands in this post but put in a few hints,Big Box electronic stores sell all brands with alot of Hoopla written all over the product box,dont be fooled you get what you pay for.Long antenna`s on the router does not mean that unit will have good range.The newer wireless routers with extended range do not have long antennas sticking out of them.So if one went out and spent $200-300 on a wireless router i would say you have yourelf a quality device.Foscam products are fairly easy to get
on line,what confuses the average person installing these cams is the sequence of avents,the cam has to be configured first with CAT5 cable connected to the router,it will obtain an IP address on Cat5 first,(software disk)installed,log on as (admin)at first than follow
instrutions in manual/Log in as Administrator,to go wireless you will have to SCAN for your router and type in your passphrase in the wireless section of your foscam application(ROUTER PASSPHRASE)remember keep your foscam utility app open,unplug your Cat5 cable only
in a few seconds you will see the IP address change.,this is the IP address you will be using for your applications if you have DVR software also on the same note Default is port 80,in the foscam application you can change your port number to anyone you want,if you have more than one cam,it would be /start at say PORT 81 to 85 thats 5 cams,each cam with its own IP address and PORT number.Also on the same note,if you see a conflict on your computer or computers(THE COMPUTER WILL DISPLAY A WARNING)on the screen if you have a PORT or IP conflict you will have to change your port number,you might have other devices that are using say PORT 81,you will have to go back in the foscam application for that CAM and change the port number to say 86,its best to plug in your CAT5 cable again into the ROUTER to reconfigure a new PORT Number,the instructions that come with Foscam cams is pretty basic and with few details,if you want to put yor cams on your phone you will have to sign up with Dyns.org instructions for this are in the manual,also its good to know some one in your area that is computer savy or a computer Tech at an Electronics Store.Sometimes alot of issues come up during installation firewalls,Antivirus programs,router firewalls,PC-TUNEUP programs that handle and clean REGISTRY.are big problems with wireless programs and cams and i personally do not use them,they are ok with wired cams on CAT5 but cause alot of problems with wireless cams and DVR software that run the cams,there are dozens of posts and blogs on this issue on the internet(DVR SOFTWARE)Digital Video Recording software,if you are using alot of cams,wireless,and cat5 mixed IP cams only not to be confused with the BNC type that are powered with there own power supply and cables to a DVR Console i would consider DVR software,can be purchased on line from $50.00 to $1000.00 dollars depending what you are using it for home/business,just type in DVR software on the Net and review your choices and price.The software that comes with Foscam is pretty Basic with very few options but will do multiple cams,DVR software will give you hundreds of settings and options on your wireless or wired cams and will work with all brands.another tip,have a dedicated computer just for your cams with a large hard drive,at least a 1GIG Video card,Lots of RAM,and a Pentium Based or Dual/Quad core CPU,remember the more cams you put on line the slower things get,it takes alot of resources and power to run alot of cams,Frame rates will go down with the number of cams you install,even though the manufacture claims 30FPS (frames per second) you will be lucky to get 5FPS if you install 5 or 6 cams.There stand alone units (COMPUTERS) out on the market strictly set up to do this kind of work but your looking at thousands of dollars just for the computer alone.For those of you that are planning to use your laptop for this kind of job with your cams,all i can say is dont bother,laptops cant handle this kind of stress even if you put in a freezer,allso the power supply would not be able to handle that kind of power and video load.To sum it up for the price indoor and outdoor FOSCAM video cams are a bargain for the average home owner or small store.For outdoor use i would opt for the 67degree cam the 22 and 44 do not cover that much and you would have to install more cams to do the job,because the WAY THE CAMERA IS BUILT WITH NO AUTO IRUS,i guess to keep the price down always install the camera pointing more towards the ground to avoid washout when the sun rises and sets//in the foscam application set the CAMS TO OUTDOOR)which will give you optimum results for your money.Mounting TIPS,two ways this can be done,you can run #14 approved Romex in the attic to the outside points with weatherproof boxes on the side of your house WE CALL THESE POINTS,in the electrical industry,you have to seal each point coming from the inside to the out side,depends where you live and local codes you can use plastic or metal weatherproof 4X4 or 6X6 boxes with weatherproof cover and gasket,#14 is good for 15AMPS and make shure the cams are not part of anything thats in the the house circuits.If you have alot of power outages in your area i would suggest putting a UPS in line out of that dedicated line you might get a licensed electrcian to help you since you have to come out of the breaker box to UPS then out of the UPS to the cams on your new line.The second option is running 1/2 or 3/4 PVC pipe in ground around the house and up to the boxes on the side of the house to each POINT,this reuires digging below the frost line(IF YOU LIVE IN THE NORTHERN PART OF U.S.or a cold climate,check local electrical codes if you can use PVC if not you will have to use Galvenized Conduit,each point will have to have 2 4X4 boxes one on ground power coming in.one on top for the CAM.or one 6X6 on top side of house with the electrical pipe going in.this will accomidate your Cam Power Supply and cables,if you use 2 4X4 boxes or 6X6 leaving the power supply on the bottom will help later in replacing it especially if your cams are mounted real high on the building,110vac in the bottom box and run two #14 or#12 Out of the DC side of the cam power supply this requires cutting and splicing make shure DC -+ polarity is proper to the top box this where you will plug in the cam,on the bottom of each cam box (ON TOP) you will have to holesaw a 3/4 hole to accomodate the Cat5 harness to go throu.THE GROMMET///Yes you will need a rubber grommet on the bottom for each cam,these can be purchased in electrical supply stores or automotive stores,rubber PVC grommets with a 1/4 or 3/8" hole will do the job,remember it has to fit snug in a 3/4 in hole/cut one side of the grommet to get the cable and CAT5 connecter reset button and excess cable in the box,remember always on the bottom leave a drip loop on the cable for rain and bad weather,for a positive seal use a small amount of slicone type 2 or 3 around the grommet and where the cam cable enters.Mounting YOUR CAM/The mounting brackets that come with Foscam Outdoor cams should be replaced,these cams are pretty heavy made out of heavy gauge aluminum with top shield 1LB 8oz just the cam itself,no matter how much you tighten the wings on the stock bracket the cam will start drooping,if you live in an area with alot of wind these brackets will not stand up to the stress and sooner or later you will be climbing a ladder.Amazon and other stores carry a heavy duty bracket of exdruded aluminum with a pan tilt head an 1/4x20 bolt/lockwasher to except the foscam bottom thread,these brackets come in different lengths and are reasonably priced mounting is acheived by drilling and plastic inserts for concrete,sheetmetal for metal siding,wood large sheetmetal screws// pre drill material.The brackets have 4 1/4inch holes and are very secure when properly installed,like mentioned earlier have an qualified electrician(LICENSED)to help you with installation,i have been in area`s where a permit had to be obtained fron the town before installation and all local codes had to be applied to the installation,you do not want one of these cams ripping off the side of the house in bad weather.Do not mount the bracket to the electrical junction box,this causes stress on the box,unless its heavy gauge stainless steel which is very expensive again check all local electrical codes for your area.Always remember SAFETY FIRST,ladders tied off,Two people when working on a ladder,safety harness when doing heights.For the price i give this cam OUTSIDE TYPE a rating of (4) the cam is well built and sealed with an (O) ring,the anntena connecter in the back is Weak some of the cams come from the factory with the retaining nut being loose/camera has to be taken apart to get to the nut,or tighten as much for a good connection before the whole connector starts spinning apply silicone to that area and let set overnight,(your choice).Inside PTZ cams,also give a rating of (4) the cam performs well,but very loosely constructed,do not use this cam outdoors even under an eve or overhang this Cam is not sealed and sooner or later will fail in outside conditions/rain/snow/sun/wind or salt near a beach area,there is a large gap between the base and the CAM BALL. Read more ›
on line,what confuses the average person installing these cams is the sequence of avents,the cam has to be configured first with CAT5 cable connected to the router,it will obtain an IP address on Cat5 first,(software disk)installed,log on as (admin)at first than follow
instrutions in manual/Log in as Administrator,to go wireless you will have to SCAN for your router and type in your passphrase in the wireless section of your foscam application(ROUTER PASSPHRASE)remember keep your foscam utility app open,unplug your Cat5 cable only
in a few seconds you will see the IP address change.,this is the IP address you will be using for your applications if you have DVR software also on the same note Default is port 80,in the foscam application you can change your port number to anyone you want,if you have more than one cam,it would be /start at say PORT 81 to 85 thats 5 cams,each cam with its own IP address and PORT number.Also on the same note,if you see a conflict on your computer or computers(THE COMPUTER WILL DISPLAY A WARNING)on the screen if you have a PORT or IP conflict you will have to change your port number,you might have other devices that are using say PORT 81,you will have to go back in the foscam application for that CAM and change the port number to say 86,its best to plug in your CAT5 cable again into the ROUTER to reconfigure a new PORT Number,the instructions that come with Foscam cams is pretty basic and with few details,if you want to put yor cams on your phone you will have to sign up with Dyns.org instructions for this are in the manual,also its good to know some one in your area that is computer savy or a computer Tech at an Electronics Store.Sometimes alot of issues come up during installation firewalls,Antivirus programs,router firewalls,PC-TUNEUP programs that handle and clean REGISTRY.are big problems with wireless programs and cams and i personally do not use them,they are ok with wired cams on CAT5 but cause alot of problems with wireless cams and DVR software that run the cams,there are dozens of posts and blogs on this issue on the internet(DVR SOFTWARE)Digital Video Recording software,if you are using alot of cams,wireless,and cat5 mixed IP cams only not to be confused with the BNC type that are powered with there own power supply and cables to a DVR Console i would consider DVR software,can be purchased on line from $50.00 to $1000.00 dollars depending what you are using it for home/business,just type in DVR software on the Net and review your choices and price.The software that comes with Foscam is pretty Basic with very few options but will do multiple cams,DVR software will give you hundreds of settings and options on your wireless or wired cams and will work with all brands.another tip,have a dedicated computer just for your cams with a large hard drive,at least a 1GIG Video card,Lots of RAM,and a Pentium Based or Dual/Quad core CPU,remember the more cams you put on line the slower things get,it takes alot of resources and power to run alot of cams,Frame rates will go down with the number of cams you install,even though the manufacture claims 30FPS (frames per second) you will be lucky to get 5FPS if you install 5 or 6 cams.There stand alone units (COMPUTERS) out on the market strictly set up to do this kind of work but your looking at thousands of dollars just for the computer alone.For those of you that are planning to use your laptop for this kind of job with your cams,all i can say is dont bother,laptops cant handle this kind of stress even if you put in a freezer,allso the power supply would not be able to handle that kind of power and video load.To sum it up for the price indoor and outdoor FOSCAM video cams are a bargain for the average home owner or small store.For outdoor use i would opt for the 67degree cam the 22 and 44 do not cover that much and you would have to install more cams to do the job,because the WAY THE CAMERA IS BUILT WITH NO AUTO IRUS,i guess to keep the price down always install the camera pointing more towards the ground to avoid washout when the sun rises and sets//in the foscam application set the CAMS TO OUTDOOR)which will give you optimum results for your money.Mounting TIPS,two ways this can be done,you can run #14 approved Romex in the attic to the outside points with weatherproof boxes on the side of your house WE CALL THESE POINTS,in the electrical industry,you have to seal each point coming from the inside to the out side,depends where you live and local codes you can use plastic or metal weatherproof 4X4 or 6X6 boxes with weatherproof cover and gasket,#14 is good for 15AMPS and make shure the cams are not part of anything thats in the the house circuits.If you have alot of power outages in your area i would suggest putting a UPS in line out of that dedicated line you might get a licensed electrcian to help you since you have to come out of the breaker box to UPS then out of the UPS to the cams on your new line.The second option is running 1/2 or 3/4 PVC pipe in ground around the house and up to the boxes on the side of the house to each POINT,this reuires digging below the frost line(IF YOU LIVE IN THE NORTHERN PART OF U.S.or a cold climate,check local electrical codes if you can use PVC if not you will have to use Galvenized Conduit,each point will have to have 2 4X4 boxes one on ground power coming in.one on top for the CAM.or one 6X6 on top side of house with the electrical pipe going in.this will accomidate your Cam Power Supply and cables,if you use 2 4X4 boxes or 6X6 leaving the power supply on the bottom will help later in replacing it especially if your cams are mounted real high on the building,110vac in the bottom box and run two #14 or#12 Out of the DC side of the cam power supply this requires cutting and splicing make shure DC -+ polarity is proper to the top box this where you will plug in the cam,on the bottom of each cam box (ON TOP) you will have to holesaw a 3/4 hole to accomodate the Cat5 harness to go throu.THE GROMMET///Yes you will need a rubber grommet on the bottom for each cam,these can be purchased in electrical supply stores or automotive stores,rubber PVC grommets with a 1/4 or 3/8" hole will do the job,remember it has to fit snug in a 3/4 in hole/cut one side of the grommet to get the cable and CAT5 connecter reset button and excess cable in the box,remember always on the bottom leave a drip loop on the cable for rain and bad weather,for a positive seal use a small amount of slicone type 2 or 3 around the grommet and where the cam cable enters.Mounting YOUR CAM/The mounting brackets that come with Foscam Outdoor cams should be replaced,these cams are pretty heavy made out of heavy gauge aluminum with top shield 1LB 8oz just the cam itself,no matter how much you tighten the wings on the stock bracket the cam will start drooping,if you live in an area with alot of wind these brackets will not stand up to the stress and sooner or later you will be climbing a ladder.Amazon and other stores carry a heavy duty bracket of exdruded aluminum with a pan tilt head an 1/4x20 bolt/lockwasher to except the foscam bottom thread,these brackets come in different lengths and are reasonably priced mounting is acheived by drilling and plastic inserts for concrete,sheetmetal for metal siding,wood large sheetmetal screws// pre drill material.The brackets have 4 1/4inch holes and are very secure when properly installed,like mentioned earlier have an qualified electrician(LICENSED)to help you with installation,i have been in area`s where a permit had to be obtained fron the town before installation and all local codes had to be applied to the installation,you do not want one of these cams ripping off the side of the house in bad weather.Do not mount the bracket to the electrical junction box,this causes stress on the box,unless its heavy gauge stainless steel which is very expensive again check all local electrical codes for your area.Always remember SAFETY FIRST,ladders tied off,Two people when working on a ladder,safety harness when doing heights.For the price i give this cam OUTSIDE TYPE a rating of (4) the cam is well built and sealed with an (O) ring,the anntena connecter in the back is Weak some of the cams come from the factory with the retaining nut being loose/camera has to be taken apart to get to the nut,or tighten as much for a good connection before the whole connector starts spinning apply silicone to that area and let set overnight,(your choice).Inside PTZ cams,also give a rating of (4) the cam performs well,but very loosely constructed,do not use this cam outdoors even under an eve or overhang this Cam is not sealed and sooner or later will fail in outside conditions/rain/snow/sun/wind or salt near a beach area,there is a large gap between the base and the CAM BALL. Read more ›
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I think these cheap IP Cameras get a bad rap. I bought one last week and from the time I opened the box, to the time I had it configured on my wireless network and aiming it to capture my front porch from my iPhone was about 20min. Honestly, daytime picture quality is actually better than I expected and night vision is about the same as most camcorder night modes. I don't think people are realistic as to what they are going to see using IR Illumination.
I see many of the negative reviews are due to network configuration issues. Totally not the camera's fault that users cannot configure their routers and firewalls to port forward or NAT to the camera. Full disclosure, I'm a System and Network Administrator so the configuration was pretty simple for me.
To really get the most functionality out of the camera along with recording, better motion detection and alerting, I would checkout some of the third party camera software out there.
I am going to add a few more cameras but next time around I will be purchasing POE wired cameras to eliminate the need for an electrical outlet.
All in all, for a wireless outdoor IP camera for $100 or less, I am extremely pleased with my purchase.
Now to just catch the person who refuses to clean up after their dog!! I'm watching you!
I see many of the negative reviews are due to network configuration issues. Totally not the camera's fault that users cannot configure their routers and firewalls to port forward or NAT to the camera. Full disclosure, I'm a System and Network Administrator so the configuration was pretty simple for me.
To really get the most functionality out of the camera along with recording, better motion detection and alerting, I would checkout some of the third party camera software out there.
I am going to add a few more cameras but next time around I will be purchasing POE wired cameras to eliminate the need for an electrical outlet.
All in all, for a wireless outdoor IP camera for $100 or less, I am extremely pleased with my purchase.
Now to just catch the person who refuses to clean up after their dog!! I'm watching you!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I've been looking for affordable outdoor cameras to monitor our front porch and walkway areas when we are away from home. Most of the affordable multi-camera systems are simple DVR-like devices that require you to wire your cameras directly to the DVR unit take on the onerous task of reviewing recorded footage for actual movement. To make matters worse, they still need extra hardware/software to view remotely. Network cameras do exist, but most manufacturers (Axis, etc) build and price them for commercial users, making them too expensive for a simple home monitoring solution. Even offerings from consumer companies (Logitech, etc) are often $200-500 for an outdoor rated unit.
Initially, I was tentative about buying a Foscam - often low-rate products like this have very poor build quality, inadequate software, or other serious limitations. I bought one camera first and installed it outside. I was so impressed after it's week-long trial run, I immediately ordered several more.
The camera itself is well built and feels solid. It is powered via a permanently sealed cord that terminates in an RJ45 socket with two pigtails for the DC power adapter and a reset button. Included is an adjustable sun shade and waterproof outdoor antenna. Connecting it to my network was as easy as plugging it in to my router, then logging in to its IP address (it defaults to DHCP). Enter your wireless parameters, and you're off to the races (you can then safely unplug the LAN). The firmware comes with lots of options: WEP/WPA/WPA2 support for wireless, internal motion detection, FTP uploads, Email alerts, and even MSN connectivity (which I don't really understand).
You can use either the webcam's built-in webserver to view the image, or connect it to a variety of third party security software. The main advantage of using software is that you can parse out only events with significant motion, making reviewing a day's worth of footage a 10 minute chore. (I use a Linux package called Motion for this, but numerous options exist for Windows/Mac)
There are only two major limitations to the units: first, the cord and power brick need to be secured and out of the elements. If you're mounting in a semi-exposed area, this means extra waterproof boxes from Home Depot, etc. Secondly, the auto-brightness isn't perfect: at dawn/dusk and when you have mixed sun/shade, it often blows the image out. Overall it's a fine tradeoff for paying a fraction of the price of the alternatives.
Initially, I was tentative about buying a Foscam - often low-rate products like this have very poor build quality, inadequate software, or other serious limitations. I bought one camera first and installed it outside. I was so impressed after it's week-long trial run, I immediately ordered several more.
The camera itself is well built and feels solid. It is powered via a permanently sealed cord that terminates in an RJ45 socket with two pigtails for the DC power adapter and a reset button. Included is an adjustable sun shade and waterproof outdoor antenna. Connecting it to my network was as easy as plugging it in to my router, then logging in to its IP address (it defaults to DHCP). Enter your wireless parameters, and you're off to the races (you can then safely unplug the LAN). The firmware comes with lots of options: WEP/WPA/WPA2 support for wireless, internal motion detection, FTP uploads, Email alerts, and even MSN connectivity (which I don't really understand).
You can use either the webcam's built-in webserver to view the image, or connect it to a variety of third party security software. The main advantage of using software is that you can parse out only events with significant motion, making reviewing a day's worth of footage a 10 minute chore. (I use a Linux package called Motion for this, but numerous options exist for Windows/Mac)
There are only two major limitations to the units: first, the cord and power brick need to be secured and out of the elements. If you're mounting in a semi-exposed area, this means extra waterproof boxes from Home Depot, etc. Secondly, the auto-brightness isn't perfect: at dawn/dusk and when you have mixed sun/shade, it often blows the image out. Overall it's a fine tradeoff for paying a fraction of the price of the alternatives.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Foscam: a year's use oudoors
I have 3 Foscam outdoor units sitting in trees here in Los Angeles. While it does not rain much here, it does rain hard, and we also get daily fog and dew. Read more
Published 4 days ago by kelvin@zft.co.uk
not a great camera
I got this camera for Christmas, along with a F18905W. While the 18905 works pretty well, this camera does not. Read more
Published 17 days ago by luvnature
Great Camera
This camera has great features for the price. The 67 degree angle is what's needed for residential. The video is very clear. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Jon Jon
Wrong Product desciption !
Be aware of these Foscam Camaras for sale on Amazon. A lot have the wrong lens information. My 2 FI8904W camaras came with the 6mm lens which is a viewing angle of 42 degrees not... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Reded
Not so great
To sum it up, this camera works but it is very cheap and low quality. I liked it at first, but have soon realized it has issues. More details to come later...
Published 2 months ago by Business Book Fan
Good camera for the price
I've bought quite a few Foscam cameras and other makes to try out around the house. The Foscams are really easy to set up. This particular one came as described, with the 3. Read more
Published 4 months ago by C. Suom
foscam FI8904W
Only have to say If you want a play tool, buy it. Now, if you want a security camera dont buy this cam.
Published 7 months ago by cabrera
great picture, very easy to configure
I'm happy, very easy to install, really good quality
easy to configure, I even got a widget and app on my android for it.
easy to configure, I even got a widget and app on my android for it.
Published 11 months ago by Nir Melamoud
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