If you want to place a webcam in your office or home but don't want to leave a PC on all the time, the Axis 205 Network Camera might be what you're looking for.

Similar in size to most webcams, the 205 Network Camera plugs directly into the network via its Ethernet port. The camera runs its own web server, so you can view videos directly.

Getting it running is a doddle; the first time the camera is turned on it receives an IP address and connects to the Axis webcam service. Visit the website, type in the camera's serial number and a unique web address is assigned.

At this point the camera can be only be accessed across the Lan. To give Internet access, the firewall needs to be configured to allow incoming connections.

The camera is managed through its browser interface. The basic options are for selecting who has access to the live video footage. This can either be by username and password, or anonymous access so everyone can view it.

The video resolution and compression level can also be set and by default the camera works at 640 x 480. However, as it uses motion jpeg (M-jpeg) you might want to lower the quality to save on bandwidth. We found the quality of the camera very good.

However, Axis doesn't provide any software with the camera, so nothing can be done with the footage it takes. Axis sells separate software to manage the video footage and use the network camera as part of a security system but it's quite expensive if you only have the one camera.

As such, it makes the 205 Network Camera a niche product for people who want to provide a live video feed without having to muck around with PCs.

Contact: Axis 0870 162 0047
www.axis.com

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