[SOLVED] Webcam of my kid's playroom on my website?

Cheechat · 10-30-2009, 03:08 PM

Hi everyone - I'm hoping you can recommend the easiest software for me. I'm trying to set up my webpage to show my kid's playroom. I've seen other websites that have live webcams running but I don't know how to do it. I googled it and I was overwhelmed with info and, with three toddlers running around I just don't have time to research it all. Can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks for your help. ~ Sam

**dm01** · 10-30-2009, 05:43 PM

I'm not going to ask why you want this on a web page.

http://webdesign.about.com/cs/multim.../aawebcams.htm

Cheechat · 10-30-2009, 09:41 PM

Do you think it's unwise to put it on our family website? What's happening is that we have Grammy watching the kids for us for four hours every day and she's not computer literate. I wanted to put an icon on the desktop that she could just click on and that would be all she had to do and then the wife and I could check out our children playing from work. How would you do it? I appreciate your advice.

**dm01** · 10-31-2009, 01:10 AM

Yes, this would be unwise. There have been cases where such pages have been accessed for less than charitable purposes. If this was done just through localhost, that would be fine. If you want to access the page from another place, you would need an external (or internal) Internet server, which would certainly create more problems that it would solve. Of course, you could secure the page using SSL 3 or similar, but that would be unneccesarily expensive when others are willing to do it for free.

There are several services that will do this for you for free. They are usually subsidized by a paid commercial or heavy-use personal subscription service. A quick search of the Internet should bring up a few good options. They are quite easy to use, and usually do not require a password for local viewing (the computer is on the same network (the computer is on the same network as the camera). Click around until you find one you like. Usually ones that have a paid component are better, because they want to suck you in to possibly paying for better service later on.

**ahmorrow** · 11-01-2009, 08:31 PM

I'm not sure about this, but I think Grammy's not living with them. So we need to know a few things.

Is Grammy in the same house as the children when she would like to view the webcam?

If not, is she on the same network (highly unlikely, but possible)?

There are free webcam chat services online. However you'd need to find one that has separate password-protected rooms... and not leave it on ALL the time.

That being said, a link could be established with a small program or web page stored on a computers desktop.

I could even write a mockup if you have a site in mind (just please don't give me the username/password, I'm sure your kids are cute).

Cheechat · 11-07-2009, 04:53 AM

Hi - sorry about the delay. Grammy is not living with us. She comes over Monday thru Friday and babysits our children from 8 until noon. What I originally wanted to do was set up the computer so that Grammy could click on a desktop icon and it would start up the webcam and send the live video to our family website (accessible only by password) so that my wife and I could watch our home livingroom from our computers at work.

I downloaded and set up Logitech Vid which seems to be a nice program although it only works with other Logitech webcams, but it's free. It involves a bit more than just a click but with a couple months training I should be able to teach the old lady how to do it. : )

Thank you for your help!

**ahmorrow** · 11-09-2009, 10:11 AM

Ah... so you're looking for more of a security camera type thing. Something so granny can watch the kids and you guys can spock-in and check on granny. Well... technically, all you'd really have to do is set up your computer to accept remote-desktop invitations and view the video on that local computer full-screen or something of the sort.

I don't really know the details, but you'd need to change a few settings with XP, and if you're on a work computer trying to set up a direct connection to a home computer there could be issues so be sure to check with your boss and the geeks they keep in the basement (I KNOW ITS TRUE!!! lol) to make sure you wouldn't be accused of downloading company info, proprietary systems, etc. You can set it up so that all she has to do is click a button and you're there, or you can allow any connection automatically from a certain port number (at least in my o/s and program).

Then you'd need to either figure out how to use the program on any computer attempting to view the desktop remotely, or beat your head against the keyboard until it works. After you get connected lets say the webcam isn't working. You can use that computer as if were right in front of you, so open it up. You can even send your voice and video to the computer and treat it more as a conference call--if granny's computer has a mic/speakers that are set up ahead of time.

To make a long, technical, long-winded story short... why not just download AIM, create an account or 20, and use the videochat it already comes with?

Cheechat · 11-09-2009, 12:26 PM

Haha! I like funny peeps! Thanks for the advice, sir. We set up Logitech Vid - it's pretty clean but it's not "one click" for Grammy. We'll have to train her (ever other day).

What I was originally after was an icon for Grammy to click on that would start up live streaming to our family website.

My spouse and I use our own laptops at work. We don't have to deal with the geeks in the basement. : )

**ahmorrow** · 11-09-2009, 12:53 PM

Well that's good at least, so this works for you then? If it does mark this post as solved by going to your original post at the top and then:

Thread Tools-->Mark as Solved

If not, we're more than happy to help further. The only "secure" solution I can think of is a remote-desktop connection. I say secure because for the most part it is secure, but there are always workarounds for these types of things.

10-30-2009, 03:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
Cheechat Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 116 OS: XP Home	[SOLVED] Webcam of my kid's playroom on my website? Hi everyone - I'm hoping you can recommend the easiest software for me. I'm trying to set up my webpage to show my kid's playroom. I've seen other websites that have live webcams running but I don't know how to do it. I googled it and I was overwhelmed with info and, with three toddlers running around I just don't have time to research it all. Can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks for your help. ~ Sam

10-30-2009, 05:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
dm01 Moderator: Design Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Richmond, B.C.; Canada Posts: 1,425 OS: Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600] SP3 \| Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope \| Windows 7 BETA My System	Re: Webcam of my kid's playroom on my website? I'm not going to ask why you want this on a web page. http://webdesign.about.com/cs/multim.../aawebcams.htm __________________ Validate your Markup Validate your CSS Notepad++ Please use [html], [php], and [code] when posting code or markup. I do not help by Private Message or e-mail. If for some reason I have over-looked a reply to a thread that I have previously replied to, then send me a message.

10-30-2009, 09:41 PM	#3 (permalink)
Cheechat Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 116 OS: XP Home	Re: Webcam of my kid's playroom on my website? Do you think it's unwise to put it on our family website? What's happening is that we have Grammy watching the kids for us for four hours every day and she's not computer literate. I wanted to put an icon on the desktop that she could just click on and that would be all she had to do and then the wife and I could check out our children playing from work. How would you do it? I appreciate your advice.

10-31-2009, 01:10 AM	#4 (permalink)
dm01 Moderator: Design Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Richmond, B.C.; Canada Posts: 1,425 OS: Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600] SP3 \| Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope \| Windows 7 BETA My System	Re: Webcam of my kid's playroom on my website? Yes, this would be unwise. There have been cases where such pages have been accessed for less than charitable purposes. If this was done just through localhost, that would be fine. If you want to access the page from another place, you would need an external (or internal) Internet server, which would certainly create more problems that it would solve. Of course, you could secure the page using SSL 3 or similar, but that would be unneccesarily expensive when others are willing to do it for free. There are several services that will do this for you for free. They are usually subsidized by a paid commercial or heavy-use personal subscription service. A quick search of the Internet should bring up a few good options. They are quite easy to use, and usually do not require a password for local viewing (the computer is on the same network (the computer is on the same network as the camera). Click around until you find one you like. Usually ones that have a paid component are better, because they want to suck you in to possibly paying for better service later on. __________________ Validate your Markup Validate your CSS Notepad++ Please use [html], [php], and [code] when posting code or markup. I do not help by Private Message or e-mail. If for some reason I have over-looked a reply to a thread that I have previously replied to, then send me a message.

11-01-2009, 08:31 PM	#5 (permalink)
ahmorrow God (TSF Enthusiast) Join Date: May 2009 Location: Jeffersonville, IN Posts: 863 OS: Ubuntu 9.10 [Karmic Koala] My System	Re: Webcam of my kid's playroom on my website? I'm not sure about this, but I think Grammy's not living with them. So we need to know a few things. Is Grammy in the same house as the children when she would like to view the webcam? If not, is she on the same network (highly unlikely, but possible)? There are free webcam chat services online. However you'd need to find one that has separate password-protected rooms... and not leave it on ALL the time. That being said, a link could be established with a small program or web page stored on a computers desktop. I could even write a mockup if you have a site in mind (just please don't give me the username/password, I'm sure your kids are cute).

11-07-2009, 04:53 AM	#6 (permalink)
Cheechat Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 116 OS: XP Home	Re: Webcam of my kid's playroom on my website? Hi - sorry about the delay. Grammy is not living with us. She comes over Monday thru Friday and babysits our children from 8 until noon. What I originally wanted to do was set up the computer so that Grammy could click on a desktop icon and it would start up the webcam and send the live video to our family website (accessible only by password) so that my wife and I could watch our home livingroom from our computers at work. I downloaded and set up Logitech Vid which seems to be a nice program although it only works with other Logitech webcams, but it's free. It involves a bit more than just a click but with a couple months training I should be able to teach the old lady how to do it. : ) Thank you for your help!

11-09-2009, 10:11 AM	#7 (permalink)
ahmorrow God (TSF Enthusiast) Join Date: May 2009 Location: Jeffersonville, IN Posts: 863 OS: Ubuntu 9.10 [Karmic Koala] My System	Re: Webcam of my kid's playroom on my website? Ah... so you're looking for more of a security camera type thing. Something so granny can watch the kids and you guys can spock-in and check on granny. Well... technically, all you'd really have to do is set up your computer to accept remote-desktop invitations and view the video on that local computer full-screen or something of the sort. I don't really know the details, but you'd need to change a few settings with XP, and if you're on a work computer trying to set up a direct connection to a home computer there could be issues so be sure to check with your boss and the geeks they keep in the basement (I KNOW ITS TRUE!!! lol) to make sure you wouldn't be accused of downloading company info, proprietary systems, etc. You can set it up so that all she has to do is click a button and you're there, or you can allow any connection automatically from a certain port number (at least in my o/s and program). Then you'd need to either figure out how to use the program on any computer attempting to view the desktop remotely, or beat your head against the keyboard until it works. After you get connected lets say the webcam isn't working. You can use that computer as if were right in front of you, so open it up. You can even send your voice and video to the computer and treat it more as a conference call--if granny's computer has a mic/speakers that are set up ahead of time. To make a long, technical, long-winded story short... why not just download AIM, create an account or 20, and use the videochat it already comes with?

11-09-2009, 12:26 PM	#8 (permalink)
Cheechat Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 116 OS: XP Home	Re: Webcam of my kid's playroom on my website? Haha! I like funny peeps! Thanks for the advice, sir. We set up Logitech Vid - it's pretty clean but it's not "one click" for Grammy. We'll have to train her (ever other day). What I was originally after was an icon for Grammy to click on that would start up live streaming to our family website. My spouse and I use our own laptops at work. We don't have to deal with the geeks in the basement. : )

11-09-2009, 12:53 PM	#9 (permalink)
ahmorrow God (TSF Enthusiast) Join Date: May 2009 Location: Jeffersonville, IN Posts: 863 OS: Ubuntu 9.10 [Karmic Koala] My System	Re: Webcam of my kid's playroom on my website? Well that's good at least, so this works for you then? If it does mark this post as solved by going to your original post at the top and then: Thread Tools-->Mark as Solved If not, we're more than happy to help further. The only "secure" solution I can think of is a remote-desktop connection. I say secure because for the most part it is secure, but there are always workarounds for these types of things.