dual mode

Even after an upgrade to the newest firmware, the wireless connection was buggy. The included "IP configuration" tool never found the camera even after it had obtained an IP address from my router. I had to use the DHCP table from my router to find the camera's IP address. I eventually got it connected to my wireless network (40b WEP, DHCP), but after about 10min it killed all of my wireless connections. Worked ok when connected to wired ethernet network (except that the config util couldn't find the camera). Returning it ASAP.

I am an experienced IT guy, but this camera has me tearing my hair out! First, a major warning: the spec sheet states that the camera can take 640x480 pics. This is NOT TRUE - the maximum available resolution is 320x240.

The wireless interface is buggy and cumbersome to work with, and when I tried to set it up it not only crashed the camera several times, it crashed my entire wireless network. Thinking that a D-link 624+ WLAN router might work better with it than my Netgear, I tried that too and got the same crashes. I even saw the radio communication from the camera forcing the router to reset itself - how's that for interoperability?

Finally, after fiddling with every possible setting (few of which are explained in the manual) and trying various WLAN channels (no, the camera does not auto-detect, you have to set the channel manually which also often causes a crash) I got it to work, just about. Now the brand-new D-link router is acting up instead *sigh* and loses connection to the net.

Further, the camera can send images by ftp or e-mail, but not both at the same time.

I highly recommend going with some other brand, and using a standard network camera together with an ethernet-WLAN dongle instead of a combined product. That way you can also test WLAN connectivity with a computer before setting up your camera.

First, I'm a computer guy. They pay me to do this kind of thing. Except I write software, I don't configure LANs. So I needed to call tech support because the camera was on a different subnet by default and their documentation, though long, was very lacking in advanced configuration. I had to call in three times to get the IP conflict resolved. The first two people didn't have a clue how to use the camera. The third guy knew it all and finished the job. Two of the three were Indian sounding and I had trouble communicating, but got the job done.

Then, the scheduler wouldn't work. I would set the schedule for 1 o'clock, and 1 o'clock would come and go without recording. I called tech support again and talked to 3 more people. Without admitting that the old software was buggy, they insisted that I upgrade by downloading the new stuff. The new updated software didn't work at all.

Now I have spent 18 full-time hours on this, 3 days and nights, I've talked to 12 different tech support people and here is where I am.

The camera is now an artificial reef because they had me flash it with the latest firmware which totally killed it. The application on my Windows XP PC is their newest beta version because all of their old software is buggy. And that version is buggy too. They say it's ready to be released.

So basically nothing works. Nothing. And nobody at D-LINK appears to give a crapola. Not one manager I've talked to has given me a call-back to see if this is resolved to my satisfaction. In fact, they go out of their way to explain to me that they don't have direct phone numbers that I can get back to them with. Each time I have to call in and start over from scratch.

Additionally I have a feeling they don't have a Q/A (quality assurance) group that tests their software before releasing it, but I'm not sure. It sure seems that way.

I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because the camera itself was somewhat impressive at first when that worked. It has its own address that can be seen from anywhere on the internet. Pretty cool. The application on the PC side is where most of their problems are.

V.