D-Link Wireless N Day & Night Camera

Home-surveillance cameras such as this are not always easy to set up.

The latest models from D-Link are compatible with a new piece of software called My D-Link that tries to simplify things.

We looked at the DCS-932L and the cheaper DCS-930L is the same but lacks the night-vision lights of the 932L.

The cameras are well-designed, fixing onto a simple stand that can either be stood on a flat surface or attached to a wall using the supplied screws. They can connect to a wireless network or plug into a router using the supplied network cable.

Picture quality was very good, making it easy to see smaller details. The DCS-932L has a night-vision mode using a ring of infra-red lights around the lens, but our unit kept switching between day and night mode, even in well-lit conditions.

The software that came with the D-Link was well designed, but the software took several tries to recognise the camera.

D-Link has tried to simplify the often complicated process of setting up home network surveillance cameras a network: the setup wizard on the installation CD was clear and easy to use, with pictures and simple explanations of what to do next.

It installs an icon that takes you to an online ‘My D-Link' portal for viewing the image from the camera, though this wasn't very useful: it doesn't offer any configuration tools.

There are also iPhone and Android apps for viewing the footage from the cameras, though again these are just for viewing.

To configure the camera it's necessary to access it by typing its IP address into a web browser. This displays a far more impressive setup panel that uses the same layout as D-Link's router products.

Motion detection and notifications can be set here, allowing users to receive emails every time something moves in part of the camera's view – handy if you want to keep an eye on a door or window. Day and night mode can also be controlled to set specific times for switching between one and the other.

At the price, the D-Link DCS-932L is very good, although its best features are well hidden.