What is a Network Camera?

What is a Network Camera?

A network camera is a device that includes a camera, an image compression chip, and a small computer, specifically designed for network functionality.

Each network camera has its own IP address, allowing it to connect to a network as a network device. It also comes with built-in software for applications such as Web server, FTP server, FTP client, and email client, and it is capable of running applications autonomously.

A true network camera does not need to be connected to a PC to function. We have noticed that although many WebCAMs and Internet cameras claim to be network cameras, in reality, they are simply PC cameras. These connect to a PC via USB or parallel ports, and they require the PC's software to be able to connect to the network.

A network camera is a device that includes a lens, filters, an image sensor, image digitization components, image compression components, and a web server with network connectivity.

The network camera has a built-in IP address and the computing capabilities to handle network communication protocols such as TCP/IP. It connects to a network like any other network device and has built-in software for web server, file transfer server, file transfer client, and email client functionality. More advanced network cameras also include many additional attractive features, such as motion detection, alarm inputs/outputs, and email support.

A true network camera does not need to be connected to a personal computer. It should be noted that many Web cameras (WebCAMs), Internet cameras, etc., claim to be network cameras but are actually personal computer cameras (PC cameras). They connect to a PC via USB or FireWire, and the PC must be connected to the network.

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