Hands on: Monitor your home with a webcam

In this Hardware column, we’re taking a look at security monitoring from a PC perspective and revisiting the subject of file synchronisation as an alternative to dedicated backup software.

Starting with monitoring, there’s a vast array of options available for anyone who wants to keep an eye on things, whether it’s listening out for a baby crying in the nursery, checking on a pet, seeing if the kids or babysitters are having a party in your absence, or whether your home and possessions are secure while you’re at work or on holiday. Some are standalone systems, while others are designed to work alongside your PC or existing networking infrastructure.

As always, it takes a real application for you to start thinking seriously about the options, and for me that process started with a desire to audibly monitor our newborn baby from another room. However, I quickly came to realise certain solutions could have a detrimental impact on my existing equipment, while others could offer considerable flexibility in the future for other applications. So while my own journey started with proprietary baby equipment, it ended with flexible monitoring solutions that worked with, rather than against, my PC equipment. As such, this column is for anyone looking into monitoring, whether they’re a new parent or not.

Audio monitors
The most common monitors for babies simply involve two boxes: one that listens to the baby and the other that relays the sound to the parent. Some baby monitors communicate over power lines, but most are wireless, allowing for flexibility in placement.

What could be simpler? Well, call it bad luck, but I tried three audio monitors and found none of them offered what I’d describe as acceptable quality. Two were analogue wireless systems that transmitted more noise than signal and managed to bring my existing Wifi system to its knees ­ – and believe me, I tried multiple channel combinations on both the monitor and the Wifi.

My third unit shunned wireless for communication over mains power lines. Almost unbelievably, this one made the first two sound good in comparison. There were no drills, hairdryers or any other electrically ‘noisy’ devices running, but again all I heard was noise – ­ this time without any perceptible signal at all.

Some recent pricier wireless models use the same Dect technology as digital cordless phones to avoid interference, but that got me thinking: why bring additional and potentially conflicting technology into the home, when most PC enthusiasts already have everything they need?

I decided that working with my existing network, rather than against it, was the way forward, and being Hands On Hardware, I went one step further to see if I could create a satisfactory monitoring solution using only my existing PC setup with no extra cost or even downloads.

Webcam monitoring
If you want to use your existing PC equipment for monitoring over Ethernet, the simplest configuration involves two computers: one listening and the other relaying the signal. The former will need a microphone, although a webcam will work just fine while also offering the possibility of video monitoring.

It won’t surprise you to learn that I already had a PC in the baby’s room, as well as a Media Center PC in the lounge. There was also a webcam in the baby room for video calls with the family, and the Media Center PC was, of course, connected to speakers. So my first test simply involved making an IP phone call from one to the other using existing messaging software.

This worked surprisingly well in practice. The webcam picked up even quiet sounds and the Media Center PC mixed the sound from the phone software with that of the TV or music ­ – no interference, no cracking or hiss, it just worked and didn’t involve any new equipment. Video was also possible, although the standard webcam wasn’t very sensitive in low light.