Fear Not, if you have an old Android phone you aren't using anymore, you can have yourself a completely free security camera system!
For this project I'm gonna be using an LG Motion running on Android 4.0.4, so if you have a phone running on Android 4.0.4, we should be looking about the same. Along with a WiFi capable Android Smartphone ( or two), you will also need a computer running Widows 7, and WiFi.
First of all, you're gonna want to download "BlueStacks" into your computer (PC only). "BlueStacks" is a program that basically turns your computer into an Android Device.
You're gonna use "BlueStacks" to download an app from the GOOGLE PLAY STORE to monitor your hidden security camera(s).
On BS(BlueStacks), you are gonna search for an app called "tinyCam Monitor FREE" -The developer name is "Tiny Solutions LLC"- and you are gonna install it. This is the app you are going to use to monitor your security camera(s).
After that is done we are going to install an app into your phone called "IP Webcam" by "Pavel Khlebovich". This is gonna be your security camera.
After you've finished downloading those two apps, go into "IP Webcam" and scroll all the way down to "START SERVER" and click it, that will take you to a video feed of what you're doing. It's gonna look like the image below except for the blocked IP address. You click "HOW DO I CONNECT" and since we are using the WiFi, you will choose "I'M USING WIFI ROUTER" and it'll tell you your IP address... Your IP address is; 3 digits, separated by a period (.), followed by another 3 digits, separated by another period (.) followed by a single digit, another period and finally one last digit. For example it would look like this: 123.456.7.8. If you cant figure it out from there you can always go to System settings on your phone> About phone> Status and you'll find it there.
Now we are gonna go to "tinyCam" on "BS", there should be feed of 4 different security cameras around the world. Click any feed once ( I usually click the top left) and you'll see a little 3 bar icon come out, you'll click that icon and a side tab is gonna come out. You will click the first option "MANAGE CAMERAS", that will take you to a list of the cameras you are able to view. (it'll look like the image below)
As you can see in the image above, you are gonna want to click "+ ADD CAMERA" and that will take you to a screen that looks like this...
Under MANDATORY SETTINGS you'll see Camera name, Camera vendor, etc. You can change the name of the camera in "CAMERA NAME" so if you wanted to put a camera facing out to your front yard you could rename it "Front Yard". Next comes "CAMERA VENDOR" it's most likely gonna say FOSCAM, I'm not sure what that is but you're gonna have to change it to ANDROID, so click it and scroll up (it's in alphabetical order A comes before F lol) until you find ANDROID. click it and your Camera Setting page is gonna change slightly, like this....
"CAMERA MODEL" is gonna stay the same but in "HOSTNAME/IP ADDRESS" you're gonna input your phones IP Address. Right after you input your phones IP Address the red "FAILED" should turn into a gray "OK". If you did everything right, typed in the IP correctly, changed CAMERA VENDOR, etc., but Camera Status didn't change, you might want to check your phone and make sure you pressed "START SERVER".
Finally, if you got everything right, you should have a functional security camera system up and running. In order to add more cameras you simply follow the same steps with each Android smart phone and you can have yourself a completely awesome security camera system for FREE!
Thanks for Spending a few minutes of your time with me here in my FIRST EVER blog :D.... I'ts not as hard as I thought it would be! God Bless and see you guys next time.
P.S. Questions? Leave a comment!
