Hi Kip,

I really enjoy your webcams, so much so, that I am thinking of installing a webcam on my mountaintop property for both the view and for security.

A few questions please:

What type of internet connection do you use with your streaming cam? In my location I only have access to wireless broadband and satellite internet. I am concerned they may not be sufficient as their upload and download speeds are less than DSL and if you go over certain bandwidth limits, they sometimes temporarily throttle down your speed. Might I have to reconsider streaming cams and just use refreshing photos in light of the limitations?

Any special software you use/recommend to stream your cam feeds?

Besides the hardware, software, and installation, what kind of monthly charges should I expect to stream video to a website?

Can you recommend a good CCTV installer in the area?

Thanks for your time and for your website which we have enjoyed for a long time.

Hi ViewsViewsViews, welcome to the forum.

I use a mixture of DSL and cable on the cams:
askacam.com - 3MB TDS DSL
blueridgewebcam.com - 3MB ETC cable
blueridgelakecam.com - 3MB TDS DSL
feedmecam.com - 10MB ETC cable
toccoarivercam.com - 1.5 MB TDS DSL

I would opt for the wireless broadband over the satellite connection. What upload speeds are each claiming? You should be able to stream but of course it depends on your connection as to how well. I like to do a combination of still shots and streaming anyway. Furthermore, if you're broadcasting a mountain view, there's not a lot going on that would warrant a stream, though it would be nice for security. However, the high-end cams have motion detection, and they'll take snapshots when triggered by an event, & email, FTP, etc. them to you.

I use a relay service (Hosted IP Camera Streaming & Archiving | US Relay) on the downtown & feedme cams. This speeds-up the stream and they provide the slick Flash interface that allows user control. It ain't cheap though: $135/month for the first cam and $35/month for each additional cam.

With the exception of minimal webhosting fees, that's it. The relay service shoulders the bandwidth. However, with the cams where I do not employ the relay service, I've never incurred additional bandwidth charges, though I do have a pretty stout hosting package that allows for a lot of bandwidth.

Not that I know of. I do my own installations w/ the exception of the downtown cam. I needed a bucket truck for that installation so I hired TDS to do the job. However, I had to tell them what went where, run the inside wiring, crimp the Ethernet connectors myself, etc. Pretty basic stuff w/ IP cams though: run 12v power & CAT6 (from your router) to the cam & you're done. Which reminds me: hardwire your cam even if it has wireless capability.

If you want to do the install yourself, I'd be happy to answer any other questions.