Panasonic Wireless 802.11 b/g Network Camera (BL-C30A)

Average customer rating: 4.0

Obsolete security
Panasonic Wireless 802.11 b/g Network Camera (BL-C30A)
Poor Performer
Easy to set up and works great.
Good WebCam at Reasonble Price

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Panasonic Wireless 802.11 b/g Network Camera (BL-C30A)

Manufacturer: Panasonic
Product Group: CE
Binding: Electronics
ASIN: B0002GS4ZA

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Product Description

Place the Panasonic BL-C30A Wireless Network Camera on a WLAN in your home or office and view it from a remote location - anywhere. Just go to your permanent assigned site! These cameras can be viewed and controlled from a standard Web browser, video display, or even a compatible cell phone or PDA. Place them in your home, office, vacation home or almost anywhere else that you'd like to keep an eye on things, with no PC required on location!. They are easy to install and operate and require no additional software for the PC that you're viewing them on. Each camera also comes with a free Web address, which can track the camera automatically. All you need is a regular Web browser to view them on your PC, as all of the other required software, including control software (TCP/UDP) and e-mail software (SMTP), is already inside the camera. This camera can communicate wirelessly with standard 802.11b or 802.11g wireless devices, allowing the flexibility to install and operate the camera without running network wires, and utilizing SSID filtering and powerful 40/64/128 bit WEP encryption helps to protect your wireless network from illegal intrusion. Just plug-n-play with auto configuration. Once connected, using a simple Web browser, just enter in your free, permanent Web address which comes with the camera and you can see and move the camera! It's that simple. With the built-in heat sensor, the camera can be set to record and/or notify you by email when someone enters the room. It can even automatically move to a preset location when triggered, just in case someone was viewing a different part of the room. With the built in Privacy mode, your privacy is protected by simply pressing a button. An indicator on the front of the camera turns red, and you know at a glance that the camera is now only accessible by you2. The camera can also be set up to show a green light when the camera is being accessed.

Customer Reviews:

Obsolete security.......2007-06-12

This camera doesn't support the newer form of wireless security (WPA), but only the older and no-longer-secure WEP. In order to use this camera on my wireless network, I'd have to use the outdated WEP for the entire network, not just the camera.

Panasonic Wireless 802.11 b/g Network Camera (BL-C30A).......2007-06-02

I purchased this camera for the purposes of using it to monitor my house while at work. After getting the camera to work by changing my router security to a less secure setting, I thought I could live with that.

When I got to work the next day, our IT security has the settings set to not allow Active X plugins. This made the camera useless as I was not able to view any of the images that it produced.

The set-up was pretty straight forward except for the security settings drawback. The software worked well for setting up the angle and viewing of objects with the camera and was overall pretty good.

Poor Performer.......2007-05-16

Camera very slow to respond to commands. Needs to be reset almost daily. Picture quality not as good as my other Linksys 54G cameras. Can't connect at all most of the time.

Easy to set up and works great. .......2007-05-13

I just purchased this camera to use to keep an eye on my elderly parents. I followed the instructions to the letter and all went exactly as it should. The web viewing feature is especially good. The image quality is excellent and the entire set-up is far better than my previous set-up of trying to use a cheap webcam and yahoo messenger. A couple tips. Panasonic no longer makes this camera although it remains widely available. They have come out with a new version, the BLC-131 wireless. Tech support told me that it is the "same camera with more features." I have actually purchased a second camera since this one worked so well. You will encounter problems if your ISP blocks port 80 or plays other tricks to discourage you from runner a web server. Also, make sure your router is new enough to support UPnP, and that it is enabled before you try to set up the camera. Great product.

Good WebCam at Reasonble Price.......2007-05-13

This is my 4th BL-C30A camera. They have all given good service. We use them for remote security monitoring of our home, and they do the job just fine. If you are knowledgeable about networks, port forwarding, assigning IPs, MAC addresses, wireless modes, setting encryption keys, etc. you will have no trouble setting this camera up. If not, you'll need to read the manual carefully, and read your router/access point manual carefully. Or get a friend who knows all this to help you set it up. One wrong setting in the camera or your router, firewall, or access point and it won't work (not the fault of the camera - you just have to know what you're doing). Best to set it up wired via a LAN cable to your router first, then go wireless. Once set up, they provide good coverage via the pan and tilt controls, and - if selected to do so - will send you an e-mail and/or a snapshot of a picture when motion is detected. They are not rated for exterior use, but they will work outdoors if not in direct sunlight and not subjected to extreme heat or moisture. Cold does not seem to hurt them, but I lost one to heat after several months in direct sunlight. I have had another one under a patio in the shade for almost a year with no ill efects. They also have the ability to recognize a connection from a mobile device such as a PDA or cell phone with internet capability. They will send you a snapshot picture instead of streaming video (thus holding down connection costs), and you can then move the camera using your preset buttons and get another snapshot. It does not have exceptional night vision, but if you have outdoor lighting or motion activated floodlights, it sees well enough to tell you what's going on. This camera is priced about right for the features you get.

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