Webcams differ from each other in the interface through which data is transferred to a computer. Most often USB is used, somewhat less often Ethernet. When using a smartphone as a webcam, data is transmitted via a GPRS or WiFi radio channel.
Instructions
Step 1
To use a USB webcam, simply plug it into an available port on your computer for the appropriate standard. If all ports are busy, use a USB hub. It is better to use a hub with a separate power supply, especially if the other devices connected to it draw significant current. There is no need to connect a power supply to the camera itself - it receives the voltage necessary for its operation directly from the port.
Step 2
Further steps depend on the operating system installed on the computer. If it is Linux, start the Usbview program and see what color the camera name is displayed in: red or black. In the first case, update the distribution kit to the version in which this camera model is supported (do not forget to make a backup copy of all the necessary data before that), and in the second, start the Xawtv program, select the camera in it, and it will work immediately. After such a check, it can be used in other programs, for example, Skype.
Step 3
To make your webcam work in Windows, install the drivers from the included disk. If it is missing, go to the device manufacturer's website and download the drivers from it. After that, the camera can also be used in any programs designed to work with it.
Step 4
Ethernet webcams (also called IP cameras) do not require drivers. Connect such a device to the router. Use a PoE adapter if necessary. If your camera does not supply power in this way, use the supplied external power adapter. On a Windows computer, run the program to search for the webcam's DHCP IP address. Set up your camera, set up a complex username and password. After that, it will be possible to access the camera from a computer with any OS, provided that it has a browser that works directly (without using a proxy) and a plug-in specified in the camera's instruction manual (for example, Flash).
Step 5
To use your smartphone as a webcam, install the Mobiola or Bambuser software on it. The first of them is paid and works via a local network using WiFi (the phone must have an appropriate radio module), and the second is free, and it works via the Internet using the GPRS protocol. For Mobiola, install a client program running Windows or Mac OS X on your computer, and for Bambuser, do not install anything on your computer, provided that it is connected to the Internet and has a browser with the Flash plugin. At the same time, the OS on it can be any, incl. Linux. In the second case, connect the cheapest tariff for unlimited Internet access on the phone, correctly configure the access point (APN), register on the Bambuser website, enter the username and password into the program on the phone and set the private transfer mode in its settings. On your computer, go to the Bambuser website, also enter your username and password, and then go to your own page and open the current broadcast. Data will be transmitted with a delay of several seconds.
