I was thinking about setting up a home server to run my family web page and a web cam. How hard is it to set up? Anybody done this?

quite easy, but you need a static (non-changing) IP address, which you probably won't receive with a regular DSL connection, surely not with dialup. it would be cheaper to get a webhosting account somewhere and run it off there, it will save you quite a but of electricity too.

Rainman is right- to serve it from your home, you would need a fixed / static IP. This is hard to get and / or expensive as the ISP will consider you as a business instead of a home user.

I've got a webcam site, using the method Rainman suggests by having a hosted website online, and using a program called Conquer Cam (Google for it) to capture the images from my webcam and upload them to my website. You can set the upload interval to whatever duration you choose. mine updates every 40 seconds.

Conquer Cam is a $10 shareware, and really is a nifty little program. It has a built in FTP client for uploading the images, a scheduler to shut down he program at night, motion sensing that allows you to use the cam as a security device, and a lot more.

If you're interested to see the webcam page, drop me a PM as I don't want so be s*itlisted for touting my website here!

quite easy, but you need a static (non-changing) IP address, which you probably won't receive with a regular DSL connection, surely not with dialup.

Almost 100% true. Fixed IP is way better but dynamic DNS service (free) like no-ip.org can be an acceptable work-around to no fixed IP. You get a domain name that 'follows' your IP when it changes.I use it for a dynamic TOT ADSL and it works quite nicely.

--Lannig

...I don't want so be s*itlisted for touting my website here!

In case you don’t know it yet: every member is invited to list his homepage in his profile. (To view a member’s profile, click on his bold-printed name at the top left of a message)

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Maestro

quite easy, but you need a static (non-changing) IP address, which you probably won't receive with a regular DSL connection, surely not with dialup. it would be cheaper to get a webhosting account somewhere and run it off there, it will save you quite a but of electricity too.

I currently have Yahoo web hosting for my family website I just don't know how to add a webcam that is always on. My wife is computer illiterate with no hope so I want to be able to go to my site and see her and the kids at my house.

In case you don’t know it yet: every member is invited to list his homepage in his profile.

Thanks for the info Maestro... I had noticed it, but never really paid attention / gave it any thought. Just might go and modify my profile now!

I currently have Yahoo web hosting for my family website I just don't know how to add a webcam that is always on.

The Conquer Cam software will work fine with the Yahoo webhosting. It starts and runs in the background automatically when ever your computer is turned on, and connected to the net. You can even configure it to connect to the internet automatically, so all your wife would have to do is turn on the PC.

If you are happy with a picture that updates every few tens of seconds you can use one of the many webcam softwares that use ftp to upload to your site at given intervals, such as Conquer Cam etc.

If you want truly 'live' video you will need to host on a local PC.

Check out my website (look in my profile) I have a live (2-3 frames per second) steerable webcam.

Main site is hosted on a server farm in London, the cam software is running on a second-hand (4000 Baht) P3-800 sitting in my lounge. Dynamic DNS by NoIp.com (free), webserver by Apache (free).

Interestingly, my biggest headache was persuading my cheapo router to correctly route the http requests to the webserver (it insisted on giving my the router management page, even when I used an alternate port).

PM me if you're interested in more details

a solution I use to view the webcam on my desktop at home is a combination of unreal live capture server and unreal media server( free ). both programs run on the desktop as services , which means as soon as the computer is turned on they are running , you don't even have to be logged in. I have the port I use forwarded on my adsl modem router and I use a dynamic IP address from dydns.org (free) to compensate for the changing of my adsl IP adress every 24 hours. unreal also streams in MPEG4 which is a highly compressed video format.

you can find a detailed tutorial for setting up unreal live and media servers here

http://www.soisanook.com/Urealmedia1.htm

hi there,

sure DSL in combination with a dynamic - DNS service is an alternative solution. but considering the different speeds in down- and upstream. if you want to host a site with a little more traffic and want to do some videostreaming you have to have a faster upstream.

generally the "low cost" DSL is an asynchronous DSL called ADSL. that means you have a fast downstream (for downloads or streaming some media to your machine) but a slow upstream (the upstream has not be fast for "home use" since only a few informations like requests and acknowledgements for TCP frames will be transmitted).

if you plan to deploy an webserver at home these things will reverse. other machines send requests to your machine (this is your fast downstream). your machine has to transmit webpages, photos or videodata (this is your slow upstream). for non homeuse it leads to a very slow site which maybe is not available sometimes.

a synchronous DSL (SDSL) will support broadband in upstream too. but SDSL is much more expensive than ADSL.

so i think hosting the site at a managed serverfarm is more efficient.

best regards.

exchange1973

Another good piece of software (free!) is WheresJames Webcam publisher.

It's got the webserver built in, so you just have to run this utility to get your cam online.

It can also do the every so many seconds upload thing.

Cheers,

Monty

if you do decide to turn your personal pc into a webhost, do some serious reading on security. you are making your personal computer accessible to the world and if you do it wrong, anyone can roam around your files

Does anyone have a static ip address here in Thailand? How much does it cost (and from who)?

Has it been reliable for you?

hear use this its free http://www.no-ip.com no need for stick redirct beter

pm me for more help

if yore going to host this beter buld a box and do not run this ona home pc if yore worry aboute hackers

hacker will get in no mater what you install

http://icamview.com/

the device is available in Thailand at around 2000Bt and works fine.

I’m used my D-Link 5300 Webcam with Dyndns. Was nice for about one month – then TT&T/CAT close my IP from outside access, end of fun. Change the Provider from CAT to ….????

Cu drake