How to make an ip camera from an android phone. Choosing an application for android devices for IP video surveillance: IP Webcam and Alfred

The rapid development of Internet technologies has provided ample opportunities to control what is happening at remote sites.

The owner can be hundreds of kilometers from his home, but at the same time, control everything that happens there.

This is facilitated modern systems video surveillance, which can be ordered from specialized companies or do it yourself.

A high quality surveillance system can be easily created using a digital and Android device in the form of a regular phone or tablet.

Features of video surveillance through the phone

Where can it be applied?

Video surveillance using a smartphone has a wide practical application.

This is due to the possibility of real-time transmission of video and audio over long distances in order to monitor what is happening at the facility.

In addition, IP cameras can be connected to a motion sensor. In this case, it will be possible to view what is happening on the object at the moment when a moving object appears there.

The main areas of practical application include:

• use as a baby monitor;
• remote monitoring of security at the facility;
• remote image viewing with ;
• control over the order of the perimeter of the object when an outdoor video camera is used;
• covert surveillance of the object.

It is important to note that a smartphone can be used not only as a device that plays the video signal received from the camera on its screen, but also as a video camera. The phone's built-in camera can be used as a recording device, and video playback can be performed on another phone or on a computer using a special Web service.

The phone will be useful when you need to quickly make a video surveillance system with your own hands, but the IP camera is not available.

This will require a minimum of time and financial costs, and the functions will be almost the same as when using special digital cameras.

IP camera setup

The main device that provides a high-quality video image is an IP camera.

Can be used different type connecting these devices to the Internet - this can be wired connection or WiFi connection.

You will need a static IP address to configure the camera later and connect the camera to your smartphone. You can get it from a company that specializes in providing Internet services in the region.

After the static address for the video camera is received, you need to type it in the browser line and you will get access to the video broadcast, which is conducted from the object.

If more than one camera is used, you need to additionally install a router through which the connection to the Internet will be implemented.

When obtaining static addresses from the provider, you also need to make sure that the Internet channel provides the necessary bandwidth.

What you need to organize remote video surveillance

If, in order to view the situation at the facility, a smartphone will be used as a surveillance camera, you need to download for mobile devices special application, install and customize it for yourself.

Applications for Android

If the smartphone is running operating system Android, the best solution would be a simple and very functional program IP webcam.

She will turn the built-in android camera devices into an effective tool for covert surveillance. It can be used as both indoor and outdoor surveillance camera.

When setting up the program, you can set:

1. video resolution;
2. quality;
3. image orientation;
4. the possibility of transmitting an audio stream;
5. ban on switching to sleep mode of the smartphone;
6. turn off notifications.

It is important to remember that the higher the resolution and image quality settings are selected, the big load will be on the processor Android devices, more Internet channel traffic will also be used. Please note that there may be significant delays in audio transmission, which can be several seconds.

Optionally, the program allows you to set a username and password to use additional features.

It is also possible to change the port through which the cameras installed on the site were connected.

After all the settings are made, video recording starts and its broadcast to the Internet network using the wireless type of WiFi connection.

To access the video, you need to enter the address and port of the server through which the broadcast is implemented in the line of the Internet browser.

Apps for iOS

For iOS devices, there is a dedicated Presence app.

With this simple program, an ordinary cell phone can be turned into a high-quality video surveillance system that can transmit video and sound.

Having several iOS devices at hand, you can shoot and receive video - the first device acts as a camera and will transmit video, and the second one is connected as a display.

Transmission and reception of data can occur using 3G or WiFi. It is important to remember that a mobile communication channel cannot provide access at a sufficiently high speed, so for best quality Pictures are better to view the video transmitted through WiFi technology.

The Presence program will allow you to view video from two cameras of the device. One touch is enough to switch between them.

The program interface is easy to use and does not require special instructions for operation.

The Presence application can also support Motion detection, which activates the recording process when a moving object appears in the frame.

In this case, the program generates a video clip lasting 5 seconds and sends it to the user's e-mail. It will also be possible to set up and continuous recording using the smartphone's digital Camera.

Conclusion

Video surveillance from the phone via the Internet significantly expands the possibilities of modern video surveillance.

With it, you can always keep abreast of events that take place at home, using a regular mobile phone for this.

The important thing is that you can create such surveillance systems on your own, using available tools for this in the form modern smartphones and special plug-ins that can be downloaded via the Internet.

Video: Setting up video surveillance for viewing on a smartphone

Viewing video information from a surveillance camera has become very common since mobile phone. It is difficult to imagine a modern person without a smartphone in his hands, which is why the remote security function is in such great demand. At the same time, the organization of the workflow can be configured in several ways.

In general, the broadcast of the received image is possible in any device equipped with the Internet. But for this to become possible, for example, on a smartphone, it will need to be configured accordingly, and then the data will become available. As a rule, the setup process is not difficult.

To ensure the connection is as simple and convenient as possible, you will need to use special software, created just taking into account the features and nuances of connecting a mobile phone to IP cameras. Depending on the specific software, function mobile connection may be free and included in a predetermined price, and in some cases may be provided as additional option on a paid basis.

Principle of operation

The workflow of connecting a mobile phone to a surveillance camera and further tracking the information received is relatively simple. At the same time, such systems have the maximum simplicity, in which there is only one tracking device. In this case, you can even try to do without Wi-Fi. To connect, you will need to use a cable from an Internet provider connected directly to the camcorder.

To make the connection possible, you need to make sure that the provider has provided a static IP address. If this is not the case, you need to agree with the service provider about this possibility.

The next step is to open mobile browser on a smartphone and address bar enter the address of the surveillance camera in IP format. In the case when all steps are completed correctly and correctly, a video image will appear on the mobile phone screen, which is broadcast by the surveillance device. However, before that, you will need to configure all devices in the system accordingly.

How to independently connect a surveillance camera to a mobile

Most owners of houses and other important premises trust only themselves as much as possible. Therefore, connecting a broadcast from an IP camera to your mobile phone will be an ideal way for such people to control everything that will happen in their absence. And for such control, there is absolutely no need to purchase complex devices at exorbitant prices.

Independent connection of the mobile to the video camera will include a clear algorithm for installing these devices and some other devices. By connecting the entire video surveillance system to the Internet, it will be possible to watch the broadcast from the IP camera, even being on the other side of the world. At the same time, monitoring can be carried out not only through a mobile phone, but also through a tablet or laptop. V similar systems the level of security of transmitted data is characterized by high parameters, so you can not be afraid that during the broadcast, attackers will connect to the channel.

Watch the video connecting the camera to the phone

View IP camera on phone

Most easy way to provide viewing on the phone of a picture from a surveillance camera is the operation of devices that have the P2P option. The firmware of such devices contains the appropriate software and a unique list of numbers representing the ID number. To connect to this camcorder, you will need to connect it to a switch or router that will provide network access.

In the connection chain, the mobile phone will play the role of a monitor and also assist in system management. Therefore, you will need to download the appropriate software on your smartphone. In modern modifications of security cameras, such software is in the usual factory configuration.

When the application is installed, you will need to launch it, and then read the QR code drawn there from the box or body of the camcorder. Having opened a neighboring bookmark, you will need to specify the ID number there. In most situations, cameras have the ability to save data to an SD card so that you can view the video if necessary.

Programs for phone "IP-camera"

Exists a large number of applications that help you use your mobile phone to control everything that the surveillance camera captures. Such utilities differ in their capabilities, options and additional functions.

Developer Ubiquiti Networks has a professional offering called UniFi Video. This tool allows you to qualitatively organize a mobile tracking system. In addition to computer operating systems, this utility supports and mobile firmware– Android and iOS.

When the setup process comes to an end, it will be possible to add all the IP addresses of the desired cameras to the application. After that, the software owner will have the following options:

• shooting mode adjustment;
• displaying video broadcast parameters;
• image adjustment;
• switching between all cameras;
• Pan-tilt-zoom technology, which provides the ability to rotate;
• sound control.

The UniFi app is characterized by high-quality work without serious interruptions, as well as extensive options for settings and management. Due to the fact that for work you will definitely need an NVR, which is a special Internet registrar, then it will be possible to use this application in an office or country house.

The network video recorder allows you to connect up to fifty various cameras video surveillance. In the case when there will be one or a pair of devices in the network, it is recommended to organize the process without using the registrar. Such savings will reduce the cost of equipment, as well as reduce the cost of subsequent service of the entire created video system. To be able to view the broadcast image after shooting, in this application you can set the function to record to an SD card or save to disk on a cloud service.
Using a mobile application called TinyCam Monitor will allow you to simultaneously monitor what is happening in the field of view of several IP cameras at once. The program interface is designed for a maximum connection of video cameras in the amount of sixteen devices. In the paid version, called TinyCam Monitor Pro, the possibilities are greatly expanded. For example, options such as:

Hello blog readers!
Today's lesson about online video surveillance via phone will be a real guide for beginner scouts! Indeed, in it I will tell and show how you can turn absolutely any phone based on the operating Android systems, which has a simple camera, into a real IP video surveillance camera, to which you can connect from the Internet and watch what is happening at home or in your office. You can easily leave it discreetly on a shelf or in a locker and it will discreetly monitor everything that happens in the room.

The convenience of using the phone as a surveillance camera is that you do not need to buy any mini cameras that cost a lot of money - the simplest old and unused Android smartphone will do, which no one even thinks that it is spying on.

Online video surveillance from the phone through the IP WebCam program

Let's get started! In order to make video surveillance out of your phone, you will need a wifi router connected to the Internet.

This is an image from the phone's camera, and in red I underlined the address where you can go to view it from local network. But we will not limit ourselves to this - after all, we want to conduct covert surveillance from anywhere in the world. And for this you need to do something else.

View video surveillance through the phone from the Internet?

In order to view video surveillance through a phone from the Internet from absolutely any computer that is connected to it, when requested from an external Internet network to a local network, we were transferred not to a router that is physically connected to this Internet, but to a phone camera, you need will forward the port on which the IP Webcam program is running, that is, I have this port "8080", to the internal IP of the phone, that is, I have it on 192.168.1.88. How to do this is described in detail in the article about port forwarding and in the instructions for a complete system.

And, finally, register in order to constantly transform our constantly changing dynamic IP address on the Internet (only one “BUT” - it must be white), which the provider assigns with each connection, to the same unchanged domain name. I also talked about how to do this in articles about the video surveillance system and in an article about.

By logging in to registered in DDNS domain name Level 3 will also take you to the page for viewing images from the phone's camera, which is called "Smartphone Camera Service".

There are many viewing options, but the easiest and most accessible is directly from the browser. Although it is written that not everyone supports it, in fact it is more about fucking Internet Explorer. V Google Chrome and Firefox I checked - everything works as it should.

To open the control panel of the mini wireless surveillance camera, click on the button above the image. And for sound transmission - on the button below.

Like this spy thing turned out - it remains only to place the phone inconspicuously and connect it to the mains or another power source so that at the most inopportune moment it does not turn off.

Setting up a camera phone for covert surveillance via the Internet via Skype

I would like to continue the story about ways to conduct covert video surveillance via the Internet using my mobile phone, having considered the simplest and most versatile for any phone, computer or tablet - through Skype.

First, install Skype on the phone whose camera we will use for covert video surveillance. It is desirable that it be small in size so that it can be easily hidden somewhere in a closet or on a bookshelf in order to covertly monitor a room or office. Download Skype from Play market or AppStore depending on what OS the phone is running on. Then we launch the program, register a new account and go to the settings.

Here we will need to set three values:

You can also additionally set low video quality in order to have a poor connection, for example, if you are monitoring via mobile Internet.

Yes, and of course, the phone must have constant access to the Internet - via WiFi or via mobile network.

We save all the settings and go to the tablet or computer from which covert video surveillance will be conducted. We will also install Skype on it and log in under another account.

We go into the search and find the user under which we logged in on the first phone.

Open the page of this user and click on the "Video call" button

Is your old smartphone lying idle? In just a couple of minutes, it can be turned into a good security system, thereby giving it a second life and saving some money on buying an MMS or IP camera.

However, this approach has both advantages and disadvantages.

To date, in Google Play you can find a sufficient number of specialized free applications (or sets of applications) that will help you make a surveillance camera with a motion detector out of an old smartphone. All of them have different capabilities. We selected two of them, which seemed to us the most convenient and functional. In addition - with a Russian-language interface.

Salient Eye

This is a set of two applications, one of which makes a surveillance camera out of a smartphone, and the second allows you to remotely connect to it from other devices.

But you can get by with only one installed on the "camera". In this case, you will only receive SMS messages about events or notifications on email. In this case, the photos taken by the camera will be stored on the Salient Eye server with access via a special link from the letter or message.

By installing the second application on another smartphone, you can manage camera settings and request static shots. But the live video stream can not be viewed.

There are not very many important settings: you can turn on the siren signal on the “camera”, control the retry delays and change the quality of the pictures. All other settings are of secondary importance.

WardenCam

Here the functions of the camera and the terminal are collected in one more advanced application, which, at startup, asks you to specify the role for the device: “camera” or “monitor”.

The app is signed in with a Google account. WardenCam cannot send SMS, but it can broadcast a live stream, switch to front camera, turn on the flash and send voice messages to the “camera” from which the sound is broadcast along with the video.

There are a lot of settings and functions, including scheduling. But there is no way to connect to the "camera" from a regular PC. If it's important, a very similar app, Alfred, can be recommended. It is not as flexible in terms of settings, it has a simpler interface, but it allows you to connect to the camera and control it using a browser on a PC. This is done from the user's account on the developers' website.

Comparison with a full-fledged MMS camera

The main advantage of conventional MMS cameras is infrared illumination, which allows you to produce a high-quality picture in complete darkness. On a smartphone, you can only illuminate the room with a built-in flash. In addition, the MMS-camera practically does not consume Internet traffic, since it transmits mainly SMS and MMS messages.

On the side of smartphones, a better camera. After all, the sensors of cheap MMS cameras have a maximum resolution of 640x480 pixels and completely incomprehensible color reproduction. There is also the possibility of viewing a live video stream and two-way audio communication.

What is the result

Making a security camera out of an old smartphone is not a bad idea. The only thing is that you will have to take care of additional lighting, because the built-in flash can illuminate a maximum of 3-5 meters, while infrared illumination is usually designed for twice the distance. In addition, the flash will immediately give the location of the camera.

Therefore, it would be useful to buy an infrared illuminator, the prices for which on Aliexpress start at 560 rubles (complete with a 12-volt power supply).

Comparison table of functions of security applications and MMS cameras

If you choose between Salient Eye and WardenCam, then the latter has a wider range of features. Therefore, Salient Eye can only be recommended to those who, for some reason, push notifications are not enough, and it is important to receive notifications by SMS or E-mail.

You may also be interested.

Firstly, I will note as an educational program that an IP camera allows you to connect remotely from another computer to a smartphone camera and even record everything on video. Surprisingly, such cameras cost about $ 50 in markets (more or less high-quality model). But we always want to save money, and therefore you can even make a normal IP security camera out of an old unnecessary Android smartphone. You just need to install a special application and you will have a simple security camera in your hands. In the same way, you can make a baby monitor out of your phone.

So without further ado, let's move on to the instructions. You will need an IP Webcam - free app, which can be downloaded from the Google Play store. All you need is Wi-Fi to work.

The best choice

IP Webcam works best if you are not connected to mobile internet, and to WiFi networks. All this because most mobile operators set restrictions on some IPs, including the IP Webcam service. So make sure you connect to an available Wi-Fi Internet. After installing the application and connecting, all computers, smartphones and phones within the same network will have access to the video through a web browser.

Setting IP Webcam:

If you are away from home...

Technically, the IP Webcam service should be available from another network - via the Internet. However, this requires a deeper knowledge of network configuration - that is, the average user can independently configure the connection, but here everything often depends on the Internet provider, as well as the router in your home. The good news here is that there is a very simple solution - use Chrome Remote Desktop (or another popular app for remote access– Team Viewer). Using Google service, you can login to your home computer and view webcam video through a web browser. In fact, this method is quite convenient and the video runs quite smoothly. The disadvantage of this method is the need permanent job home computer.

Additional Tips:

• If you are going to frequently view video using IP Webcam through a smartphone camera, then we advise you to purchase a wide-angle lens for it. This will give you a wide viewing angle in tight spaces.
• if you know how to access the router settings, then it is better to find a way to assign a permanent IP address to your smartphone, which will work as a camera. Thus, you can look at your home from anywhere at any time.
• can't connect? Apparently your firewall or router interfered with your plans. The problem can be anything, but it is often treated by whitelisting the IP address of the smartphone with IP Webcam.
• You may want to add motion detection capabilities to your smartphone with a security camera so that recording starts automatically. This option is also possible, just look in the IP Webcam settings.