How to set up a webcam

How do I set up a webcam on my computer?

There are only a few easy steps involved when it comes to getting a webcam up and running:

1. Purchase a webcam and install the software that comes with it.
2. Install a separate peice of software that is capable of uploading your webcam’s images to your website.
3. Set up a web page to continually display your latest webcam image.

Purchase and set up a webcam

Obviously, the very first thing you’ll need to do is buy a webcam. A few companies who sell webcams are:

• Creative Labs
• D-Link
• Labtec
• Logitech

After you purchase the webcam, you should install any software that comes with it. This software will enable your computer and webcam to communicate with each other. The webcam’s instruction manual will have detailed instructions, should you require assistance installing its software.

Install software capable of uploading your cam’s images

Once your webcam is communicating with your computer, the next step is to get your cam to communicate with your website. To do this, you’ll install another peice of software that takes your webcam’s images and uploads them to the server that your website resides on. Usually, software such as this will ask you for the ftp address, username and password for your website. If you do not know this information, contact your web hosting provider’s technical support.

Examples of software that will upload your cam’s images to your website are:

• Cam2Web
• CoffeeCup WebCam
• ConquerCam
• NetSnap
• SpyCam
• YawCam
• Webcam32

Set up your website to display your latest webcam images

The final step in setting up a webcam is to get your website to continually display your latest cam image that was uploaded. To do this you need one last peice of software, to be installed on your website. The two most common versions of this software are written as a Java Applet or a JavaScript. Java applets can sometimes be slow, cumbersome and clunky. JavaScripts usually require the page to be reloaded with each new cam image. Whether either one is a better choice is up for debate - neither is guaranteed to work in every user’s web browser and both have their pros and cons. If you can’t decide, toss a coin. Some examples of this type of sofware are:

• AmberCam
• AnyfCam
• JavaCam.class

Some examples of JavaScript webcam software are:

• AJAXCam (doesn’t require a page refresh).
• EvoCam
• MikeCam’s webcam updater JavaScript
• Webcamworld.com’s JavaScript webcam template.

Once you’ve installed this final peice of software on your website, your webcam is ready to go. Turn on the cam, configure all of your software and start uploading your cam’s stream to your site.

[tags]webcam[/tags]