D-Link announced a Linux-based surveillance camera for homes and small offices that offers VGA-quality video streaming at 20fps plus infrared video for night vision. The $150 Wireless N Day/Night Network Camera (DCS-932L) offers Ethernet and 802.11n connections, and enables video streaming to LAN or web-connected PCs as well as Android and Apple iOS mobile devices, says the company.

D-Link has long offered Linux-based routers, NAS servers, and other devices, including a Boxee-based Boxee Box DM-380 IPTV set-top. So when we saw the "L" at the end of the company's new "DCS-932L" home surveillance camera, we figured it ran Linux, too. True enough, confirmed a D-Link spokesperson. 

Like other members of D-Link's "Mydlink" camera line, the Wireless N Day/Night Network Camera (DCS-932L) features the company's Mydlink software and web server running on a built-in CPU, enabling live streaming video without requiring an intervening PC, says D-Link. This is the first Mydlink camera, however, to offer infrared camera technology, enabling users to monitor night scenes at up to 16 feet away, says the company.

D-Link did not list the processor for the Wireless N Day/Night Network Camera (pictured), but says it is equipped with 32MB SDRAM and 4MB of flash memory. The DCS-932L can stream Motion JPEG (MJPEG) at 20 frames per second (fps) with VGA (640 x 480) resolution, or at 30fps at 320 x 240 pixels, says D-Link.

The Wireless N Day/Night Network Camera offers a 5mm lens, 4x digital zoom, and a 45.3 degree viewing angle, says the company. The camera is said to be further equipped with a 802.11n Wi-Fi radio and a 10/100 Ethernet port.

The 3.8 x 2.4 x 1.1-inch (96 x 60 x 27.2mm) camera runs on 100-249 V AC input, and consumes a maximum of two Watts, says D-Link. Operating temperature is listed at 32 to 140 deg. F (0 to 40 deg. C).

The Mydlink software enables live video viewing from networked PCs, and it offers features such as time stamping, text overlays, size and quality configuration, and "flip and mirror" features. Other features include an HTTP server, as well as clients for DHCP, DNS, SMTP, and FTP, among others. The software is said to offer easy set-up and configuration for up to 32 cameras.

According to D-Link, its www.mydlink.com website lets camera owners view video over the Internet without having to assign a fixed IP address for the device or reconfigure their router ports. A free Mydlink app supports mobile viewing on an iPhone, iPad, Android phone, or Android tablet, says D-Link.

Also available is a "D-ViewCam" camera management application for Windows PCs that enables recording to video to a local hard drive. D-ViewCam lets users set trigger motion detection, record schedules, and email alert notifications, says the company.

Stated Daniel Kelley, associate vice president of consumer marketing, D-Link North America, "The addition of infrared technology to the mydlink camera line gives consumers peace of mind knowing that their loved ones and cherished belongings can be easily monitored from a remote location via PC, notebook, or smartphone, 24 hours a day."

Availability

The DCS-932L Wireless N Network Camera is now available with an MSRP of $150 throughout D-Link's network of online outlets in North America, says the company. The camera may also be purchased directly and at the company's DCS932L page, which offers additional information including a spec list.

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