Webcam as a surveillance camera - how it works

Use webcam as surveillance camera with iSpy

Basically, it doesn't take much to turn your webcam into a surveillance camera. Simply connect the camera as usual and align it according to your requirements.
The rest is done by the appropriate monitoring program, for example the free iSpy.
After you have installed and set up the program, you can use numerous monitoring functions. For example, the camera reacts to movement so that it is not unnecessarily recorded.
This can be combined excellently with notification emails and SMS. Videos can also be placed directly on the net and uploaded to the server.
A mobile live stream via the appropriate apps by the developers is also possible.

To activate your camera, simply click on the large "Add" button in iSpy.

Select your camera type here, for example "Local Camera", if it is a directly connected or built-in camera.
In the following menus you can adjust the camera more precisely and, for example, activate notifications or adjust the movement sensitivity.
Under "Web Settings" you can also configure your server if you want to make the videos available online.

Of course, iSpy is not alone on the market. If you don't like the program, you can alternatively try the following tools.

Sighthound markets itself professionally, but also hides many of the more useful functions in the paid pro version.
My Webcam Broadcaster also has some nice features. For example, you can control the camera remotely and keep an eye on even larger parts of the room.
Yawcam jokingly describes itself as yet another webcam software, but can do more than this modest name promises. The web server is built in here and you can stream with Yawcam.

So that only you have control over your camera, we will tell you in the next article how to protect your webcam from unauthorized access.