How to see cameras on the Internet

You recently installed a small video camera system in your home so you always have the situation under control. However, you still haven’t been able to figure out how to view cameras on the Internet even when you are not at home and, for this reason, you have opened Google in search of a guide that could teach you how to do it.

How do you say? Did I hit the spot exactly? Great, then know that this is just the right place to start! In fact, below I will show you a series of programs for PCs and apps for mobile devices compatible with the so-called IP cameras and usable through the most popular software platforms: Windows, macOS, Android and iOS / iPadOS. For completeness of information, I will then tell you about some portals which, thanks to the webcams installed practically all over the globe, allow you to make real “virtual visits”, in real time, in the most important cities in the world.

So what else are you waiting to get started? Take a few minutes of your free time for yourself, make yourself comfortable and read very carefully everything I have to say on the subject: I am sure that, at the end of this guide, you will be perfectly able to achieve the result you have set for yourself. That said, there is nothing left for me to do but wish you a good read and a big good luck for everything!

Index

• How to see my cameras on the Internet
  • Preliminary operations
  • Programs to see cameras on the Internet
  • App to see cameras on the Internet
• How to see city cameras on the Internet

How to see my cameras on the Internet

If it is your precise intention to see the footage taken by your cameras, even when you are not at home or in the office, you will be pleased to know that there are some software, both for PCs and for smartphones and tablets, designed exactly for this purpose. Before being able to use them, however, it is absolutely necessary that the video surveillance system has been properly configured and connected to the Internet: in the following lines, I am going to explain all the details of the case to you.

Preliminary operations

As I said earlier, before you can even see the cameras on the Internet, it is necessary that they have been previously configured and connected to the Network. Mainly, there are two categories of cameras that can be used for the purpose:  IP Cams, i.e. independent cameras in able to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, and surveillance cameras, which instead require a DVR / NVR device (i.e. a sort of mini-computer used to manage cameras and record streams) for Internet access.

The configuration of the IP Cams, in general, is quite simple: after positioning the camera and connecting it to the power supply, simply access the Wi-Fi network created by it and set up access to the Internet using the configuration panel displayed. . Once the configuration is complete, you should have the CID (i.e. the unique identification code) of the IP camera, the username and password to access it, which you will then need to enter into the control program or app.

If you have not yet installed any IP cameras and would like some advice on purchasing, I suggest you consult my guide dedicated to the best IP cameras on the market. For more information about how they work, however, you can take a look at the specific in-depth study that I have dedicated to the topic (or the guide relating to the Hive View system, if you want a concrete example of use).

If, on the other hand, you want to opt for a surveillance system managed by a DVR / NVR, things get slightly complicated, as the configuration is much more complex than that required for IP cameras. Generally, the installation work is divided into the following steps.

• Positioning of the cameras, which are then powered by electricity and connected to the DVR via Ethernet cable.
• Configuration of the DVR / NVR, which takes place via the integrated management panel. During this phase, the DVR is connected to the router and to the Internet, the IP addresses of the single cameras, the IP address of the DVR system, the access credentials for the various areas and any settings for audio/video acquisition, sensors are defined. of movement and automatic recordings.
• Opening of the doors, which is done at the end of the configuration of the DVR / NVR. In this phase, some router ports are opened, associated with the IP address of the DVR / NVR, to ensure that this is also accessible from the outside (without the need, therefore, to be connected to the same network to which it belongs).
• Dynamic DNS association, i.e. a system that allows you to trace the DVR by typing a sort of Web address, which always remains the same (as opposed to the IP address which, on the other hand, could change when the router is restarted).

Usually, these interventions are carried out by the installation technician, who, at the end of the configuration, releases the data necessary to view the images from the DVR / NVR: the local and remote IP addresses of the device, any dynamic DNS, the name user and password to view flows and recordings. These data, in general, must be entered into the programs and apps used to view the flows coming from the DVR or NVR.

If you are interested in learning more about this topic, you may find it useful to read my guide on how to connect cameras on the network.

Programs to see cameras on the Internet

Once the configuration of the IP cameras has been properly carried out, as I explained to you previously, it is possible to view the video stream (and, if required, the audio) using a series of programs designed for the purpose.

In this regard, if you use Windows, I suggest you give AtHome Camera a chance, a software designed for home video surveillance and compatible with almost all IP cameras on the market.

To use it, connected to the program’s website, click on the Download button and, when you reach the next page, press the AtHome Camera Vxyz button located next to the Windows logo, to download the .zip archive containing the program files.

Then, unzip the package obtained previously in a folder on your computer and, once the extraction is complete, launch the executable file contained within it to start the actual installation of the program: then click on the Yes,  Next buttons to 5 consecutive times and finally on  Install and  Finish.

If everything went well, the program should open automatically. At this point, answer affirmatively to the Windows warning indicating the need to add an exception in  Windows Firewall and create a free account on the AtHome Camera portal, by entering your email and password in the appropriate fields and clicking on the Register button.

Now, in the main program screen, you can add the camera to be viewed remotely by clicking on the Add camera button  (top left) and providing the required information ( camera CID,  username and password ); if the camera is connected to the same network as the computer, you can also press the Search button, to automatically detect it. If necessary, repeat the same steps for each camera to be configured.

The game is practically done: you can switch from one camera to another by selecting its name from the left area of ​​the program, or click on the Live Video tab, to simultaneously watch the video acquired by all the configured cameras (up to a maximum of 8). If you wish, you can also record the stream coming from the cameras ( ScheduLED recording ), view the alerts ( Alert video ) and perform other operations, using the tabs displayed above.

If, on the other hand, you use a Mac, I recommend that you contact  Periscope Pro, a program that allows you to connect to installed IP cameras and save recordings, even on Dropbox. Periscope Pro, at the time of writing this guide, costs  € 18.64 (the license is usable on 3 computers), but can be tried for free for a short period of time.

If you are interested in trying the program, connected to its official website, click on the Free download button to download the trial and, when the download is complete, open the .dmg package obtained. Then drag the Periscope Pro icon into the Mac Applications folder. Then, go to the aforementioned folder, right-click on the Periscope Pro icon and click on the Open item twice consecutively, in order to overcome the security restrictions imposed from macOS.

Once the program has started, click on the camera- shaped button to add the IP cameras to monitor. Now, using the form that is proposed to you, specify the CID, the user name and the access password. If you deem it appropriate, then click on the microphone button, to access the audio playback settings (if available in the camera), or the Motion button, to intervene on the motion sensor (where provided).

To adjust the video capture and recording settings, you have to click on the gear button instead. Finally, you can view the video coming from the cameras configured in this way by clicking on the tab indicating their name, located immediately below the content display area.

If AtHome and Periscope Pro have not been able to fully satisfy you, you can give an opportunity to alternative software solutions, such as Tebocam for Windows or AirBeam Pro for macOS.

Note : if you have configured the cameras using a DVR / NVR system, you can view the video stream by downloading the “companion” program of your device, or by connecting to its integrated web interface. For more information, I invite you to read the user manual of the DVR / NVR in your possession or to consult the technician who installed the entire equipment.

App to see cameras on the Internet

If you intend to see the IP Cams installed at home (or in your business) via smartphone and tablet, I suggest you take a look at  AtHome Camera, the “mobile” variant of the program I mentioned earlier, available for Android and iOS.

Once the app has been downloaded, start it and, if requested, grant it access permissions to the phone memory, denying, instead, all other permissions (which are not necessary for the purposes of this guide).

Next, do a few swipes to the left, to skip the first use tutorial; tap the Accept button, to accept the app license and, if you already have an account associated with the service, tap the Sign In button and enter your login credentials in the appropriate fields.

If, on the other hand, you have never used AtHome, tap the Register button and fill out the form that is proposed to you, indicating a  valid email address and a  password; to speed things up, you can also choose to log in via Facebook or  Twitter, using the buttons displayed below.

Once logged in, tap the Add first streamer button to add the first camera and, if applicable, frame the  QR code of the same, to quickly add it to the service. Alternatively, tap the pencil button (top right) and manually enter the camera’s CID,  username and password. When you’re done, tap the Save button, located at the top right, to save everything.

If needed, you can add more cameras to the app by tapping the (+) button located in the top right corner of the AtHome Camera main screen. To switch between cameras, you need to access the My Cameras tab and tap its name. If you want to create a group view (so you can see multiple cameras at the same time), tap the Group View tab  (top) and then the Create Group View button.

If the app I just told you about failed to meet your needs, you can evaluate the use of some alternative applications, designed with the same purposes, such as tinyCam Monitor for Android (also works with DVR / NVR) or AirBeam Video Surveillance for iOS.

If, on the other hand, you are interested in accessing a series of cameras configured on DVR / NVR systems, you can contact apps such as MEye ( Android / iOS ) or the “companion” app available for the DVR / NVR in your possession.

How to see city cameras on the Internet

Wait, are you telling me that you are on this guide because you are interested in seeing the cameras on the Internet related to a specific city? Very well, I think I can help you even in this case.

You must know, in fact, that there are some websites and some apps, which allow you to see the footage in real-time, taken by the webcams placed practically in every part of the globe. Below I point out some such services, all easy to use.

• EarthCam– is one of the most popular portals that allows you to see webcams of many cities. After connecting to the main page of the service, identify the city of your interest and click on the relevant box, in order to view its footage in real time; if you prefer, you can use the search field at the top to type the name of the place you are interested in, or select it from a virtual world map, located in the webcam of World box (at the bottom of the page). EarthCam is also available as a free app for Android and iOS.
• Webviewcams– is another great website, accessible from PC, smartphone and tablet, which allows you to view footage from webcams located around the world. To use it, connect to its main page and, after identifying the city of your interest, click on its name to view its webcam. Alternatively, you can use the planisphere at the top to select the continent of your interest, or type the name of the city directly, using the search field at the top. The peculiarity of Webviewcams is to be able to adjust the framing of the cameras, acting on the angle and zoom: you can get this result using the side levers.
• Skyline webcams– another excellent site dedicated to viewing webcams from all over the world, which allows you to view high resolution images and has a user interface in Italian. After connecting to the service site, click on the flag at the top to select the Italian language and, to view the available webcams, use the menus  Live webcam, webcam by category and  Top Webcam.

Finally, if you want to find other free webcams, you can search on Google (or any other search engine of this type) using the keys inurl: / view.shtml or titolo: “Live View / – AXIS” inurl: view / view.shtml ^. For more information, I refer you to reading my in-depth analysis on how to see a place in real time , in which I have dealt with the subject in great detail.