Wemo

How to Connect to a Device that Insists on a 2.4 GHz Wireless Network

by

We recently upgraded our wireless network to a Google WiFi System.  A mesh network system is excellent for improving coverage in a home or office.  One thing that practically many mesh networks do is combine the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands together under the same SSID.  For those unaware of the benefits, the 5.0 GHz band provides significant throughput improvements but only at short distances from the router. In the case of Google Wifi, the mesh network will typically prefer the 5.0 GHz network over the 2.4 GHz band.  Google WiFi has intelligence that determines when the 2.4 GHz bands will … Read more

How to Attach a Siren to a Nest Cam or DropCam Camera

by

A siren on a home security camera is a nice feature to have.  It’s unexpected and useful for scaring an intruder.  They generally won’t take the time to figure out why it’s going off or where it is coming from.  The popular Nest Cam and DropCam do not have this feature integrated into the camera.  So today, we discuss how to attach a siren to a Nest Cam or DropCam camera. Ideally you want the automated and manual abilities for turning on the siren.  Manual provides the ability to turn it on or off whenever you like.  Automated results in the siren going … Read more

How to Remotely Reboot a Modem or Router When You’re Away

by

It happens to everyone.  You’re on vacation or simply not at home for an extended period and all of a sudden, your home security cameras aren’t accessible.  Turns out your modem or router needs to be restarted.  Problem is, you aren’t there, and won’t be for days or months.  So, that’s our topic for today.  How to remotely reboot a modem or router. The Scenario You’re a thousand miles away from home an want to check the action on your security cameras.  Open the Nest app, or the Arlo app.  It says camera is unavailable.  Well, if you followed some … Read more

How to Improve Outdoor Night Vision on a Home Security Camera

by

Getting a clear outdoor view at night with a home security camera isn’t always easy.  That’s especially magnified when using your home security camera through a window.  We’re going to examine ways to improve outdoor night vision on a home security camera. There are a number of different ways to get this done.  Different approaches work better for outdoor cameras versus models that are located indoors but are seeing the outdoors behind a window.  We’ll look at both scenarios. Night Time Camera Settings Many higher end cameras include night vision capabilities using infrared lights.  Using night vision on an outdoor camera will … Read more

How to Remotely Reboot a Nest Cam, Samsung SmartCam or Other Security Camera

by

I learn things the hard way and readers of this site learns things my reading our articles.  That’s how the idea behind this article came up.  We’re going to discuss how to remotely reboot a Nest Cam, Samsung SmartCam and a few other models of home security camera.  The methods discussed within will work with almost any home security camera. So you might ask how this happened.  All home security cameras have computers in them.  Like practically any computer, for a variety of reasons, they get stuck.  Sometimes it’s a memory issue.  Other times, it’s a problem with the code. … Read more

Using WeMo to Improve Night Vision on Home Security Cameras

by

I have been a huge supporter of WeMo for controlling lights within a home.  Between two homes, I have six WeMo Switches, one WeMo Insight Switch and one WeMo Light Switch.  I am able to turn anything on or off from anywhere in the world.  I am writing about these devices to introduce a new way to improve night vision on a home security camera. First, a quick primer on what these devices can do for you.  A WeMo switch connects to your home router.  You can turn the switch on or off from anywhere that your smartphone can get internet connectivity.  This allows me to control lights in … Read more

+ More