Trying to set up wireless network + webcam

[dogmom623]

I am trying to get my home network and wireless camera feed to work together, and I would appreciate any guidance you can all share.

I have a MacBookPro 17" running 10.5.2. My internet runs through a cable modem, and then through a Netgear Router, and I connect wirelessly as does my husband who also has a MBP running 10.5.2.

I want to run three things wirelessly on the network, besides the two computers. I have two printers - a Brother all-in-one and an HP LaserJet P1006. Most importantly, I want to operate a wireless internet camera which would serve as a "dog cam" (so I can check in on my dogs when I'm away from home). I purchased a Linksys Wireless-G Internet Home Monitoring Camera (Model WVC54GCA), and was able to connect it within my home network by installing in WinXP via Bootcamp. I could view the feed through the camera utility when I was at home on my own network. I could not EVER, however, access the video feed remotely over the Internet. I have spent hours tweaking settings, uninstalling and reinstalling software and drivers, resetting IP addresses, etc., etc., and even paying a consultant to come out and spend 3 hours trying to diagnose the problem.
No luck.

Ultimately, all I want is to have access to a working live webcam pointed into my living room, when I am away from home. A bonus would be to have wireless printing capability.

The tech who came out to consult suggested that rather than my Netgear router and Linksys camera, I should get an Airport Extreme/Time Capsule and a webcam specifically made for Mac OS. I don't mind doing that, but I'm not sure OS compatibility is the primary problem, since I WAS able to connect to the home network and view the camera as long as I was within my home network. It was just when I tried to connect via the Internet that I ran into a wall. And, the wireless printing.

I suppose my primary questions are:

Do I need to get the Airport/TC unit and a Mac-specific webcam, or should I be able to get the camera working with my existing hardware?

If the former, what is my best webcam option?

If the latter, is there a source of clear instructions somewhere that will tell me how to set up the camera on the web? The Linksys instructions and Netgear manual have not done the trick.

Hope that's not too confusing - thanks for your help!

Linda

 

[PcBgone]

I suspect the issue is you have a dynamic ip address not a static ip address. You can use dynamic ips, if you go through services such as www.dyndns.com or you can call your ISP and get a static ip address so that you would be able to find that camera remotely from the internet.

I dont think its an operating system issue whatsoever. I believe its simply how your connecting via the ip addresses remotely that is the issue..

 

[joeytakasugi]

trying to set up wireless network

I am by no means a techie. I'm still trying to figure out some of these things myself. I'll explain what I've done, and maybe that will help.

I have a cable modem coming into my home office. The cable modem is connected to my router (airport base station) with an ethernet cable. another ethernet cable goes from the base staion to my office computer. I have a second mac in another room which runs off the wireless airport network.

I have been able to set up a digitial camcorder connected via firewire to my remote computer, and I can view this over the internet. I did this by using evocam software, and following the instructions on the website (see the FAQs that talk about using evocam over a wireless network).

I also have a digital camera (nikon coolpix) hooked up to my office computer, which I can also view over the internet. initially I was only able to do this if I connected the computer via ethernet cable directly to the cable modem (that is, avoiding the case station). But now I can also do this with the computer hooked up through the base station. I accomplished this by changing some of the airport settings (port forwarding, which I don't necessarily fully understand).

What I can't do (and if someone know how to do this, please help) is get both of these to work at the same time.

you may also want to look at these pages:

http://homepage.mac.com/car1son/static_port_fwd_portfwd.html

http://homepage.mac.com/car1son/change_apache_port.html

the bottom line is that when you are on a home network your router is assigning your computers a local network IP address. But you can access that from outside. so you need to make your webcam accessible by a public IP address. that's what port forwarding facilitates. hope this helps.