I'm going all-out to make sure my studio is secure. I've sealed off the attic crawlspace, installed deadbolt locks, alarms, and bars on the windows. Today I installed a webcam on the ceiling so I can look in from inside the house, on the road or anywhere across the planet that has internet access.

Here's the camera I bought, mostly on faith and after only minimal research. It was just 80 bucks. Comes in white or black so I chose white to be less consp icuous against the white ceiling.


I am amazed at what this thing can do for less than a hundred bucks. It tilts and rotates, either continuously panning or by remote control. I've tested it on my wife's iPhone; aside from the tiny UI it works great. It has infrared lights, so it can see in the dark. It has a motion sensor so you can set it up to automatically take a snapshot whenever motion is detected, which it can then email to you or copy to an ftp server. A burglar would have his picture taken before he could disable the camera.

I'm using it as a wired rather than wireless device, and I gave it an assigned IP address, making my installation a little different than the scenario described in the manual. I wasn't even sure it would work that way, since the instructions repeatedly say "make sure DHCP is enabled" (I don't use DHCP in my office network). But it works fine this way and wasn't difficult to configure.

Of course, the real test will be if it's still working a year from now. In my experience, most <$100 electronic devices don't.

I have 4 external and 2 internal cameras installed. They are motion sensitive so that they start recording video upon sensing a change in light lumens. I use a separate PC with  a 2x's 1TB drives to record to. Had this setup for about 5 years.

As my studio is completely soundproof (can't hear someone at the double entry door) one camera alerts me when someone is at the door. This is being replaced by a video conference unit so I can see and talk to the person as well as unlock the door sitting at my console.

One of my friends has a large recording studio and has been the target of a couple breakins, he has a bunch of cameras all over, in all cases the thieves were masked.

I live in a suburban middle/upperclass neighborhood, everyone here has had breakins, cameras or not, only thing that scares thieves are large dogs. So now everyone here has dogs, once in a while someone new moves in with no dogs, it's only a matter of time before they get robbed.

One house even got robbed while they were watching TV in the basement, came up and a whole bunch of stuff was gone.

A couple large vicious snarly dogs is the only thing that scares thieving trash.

Dave is that on a subscription service or is it a stand alone direct access IP connection? 

I have a cam in my office/studio which I can view remotely, and it is on a subscription service with my security system. I log in to the app, and can control my security system on the first page and then have pages for cameras and home control and other things on different pages of the app. Of course, this is the business I'm in so I use it to show potential customers. 

Several companies are offering the subscription services now relatively inexpensively, but I am also aware of the direct access IP cams. Generally the subscription cams are much less expensive and the direct access stuff is a bit pricier. 


Re-read your first post... you said Web-cam.... so it's connected to your computer for functionality and access.....correct? 

Installing the camera was prompted by the recent burglary of my business partner's home, during which his safe was stolen containing passports, auto titles, bank accounts - the works (including documents with my name and address on them). Plus his wife's car, which the thieves conveniently also had the title to. But their primary objective was identity theft.

We were almost certain that the robbery was the work of his meth-addicted stepdaughter, but there was no way to prove it. A camera would have provided that confirmation. 


The good news is that the car was recovered, the person in possession of it was arrested, and many of his financial documents were found in her apartment. But she was just a worker bee in a larger organization, and the stolen goods had already been distributed among individual specialists.

Those were pros, though. Most burglaries are committed by kids with too much idle time and a warped sense of personal entitlement. Even if they were smart enough to wear masks, it's unlikely they'd remember to cover tatoos or change out of their favorite hoodie. If the neighbors' teens broke in, I'd recognize those little buggars, ski masks or not. 

pdlstl, your setup is my dream solution. My next installation will be a camera on my driveway gate, so I'll be less likely to miss a delivery. If the gate is closed, UPS just dumps off packages by the gate - I found my KSM-44 in the wet weeds where it had been sitting for hours.

Herb: no, it's not dependent on my computer. It's hard-wired into my network so I can access it from any computer or smartphone anywhere. Although it supports wireless operation, I elected to hardwire it for bandwidth. That means a direct, wired connection to the ftp server in the house, which is where the automated snapshots are being directed.

Don't forget the curtains on any windows and the scary skeletons staring out.

the price is excellent for such a solution....I may have to get one and try it.... it would certainly save money on that monthly service charge.

Its sad you need to do this, but a good idea. Thanks for sharing, now I'm looking into a few cameras as well.

"IK Obi"
Its sad you need to do this, but a good idea.

Indeed.