IP cameras for home automation

This page presents and compares some cameras for home automation. Cameras are sorted from best to least suitable. The first comparison criteria is the ability to interface the camera and stream the video inside a web browser. Then, image quality and other standard criteria are then compared.

Which camera for DIY home automation?

Reolink RLC-320

Reolink RLC-320 IP Camera

The Reolink RLC-320 IP camera is currently my first choice. This camera works in most modern browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox ...). The quality is very good (5MP) and the camera is designed for indoor and outdoor use. I currently do not have the full CGI specification, but I think CGI commands can be reverse engineered from the web server embedded in the camera. Click here for a more detailed description of the Reolink RLC-320 camera.

D-Link DCS-5222L

D-Link DCS-5222L IP Camera

The D-Link DCS-5222L IP camera is a great camera, lots of known CGI functionnalities, motorized pan and tilt. This camera is my second choice for home automation. I love the interface, but the camera quality is a bit under modern standards. Maybe I should buy a more up-to-date D-Link model. Click here for a more detailed description of the D-Link DCS-5222L.

Hikvision DS-2CD2742FWD-IS

Hikvision DS-2CD2742FWD-IS IP camera

The Hikvision DS-2CD2742FWD-IS is a high quality 4MP for indoor or outdoor use. Theorically, this is a well suited camera for home automation. But, unfortunatly, the maximum resolution of the video stream in browser is 640x360 pixels, which is quite poor for a 4MP camera.
Click here for a more detailed description of the Hikvision DS-2CD2742FWD-IS.

Foscam C2M

Foscam C2M IP camera

The Foscam C2M is a 2MP IP camera. Unfortunatly, I was never able to stream the video in a web browser. The best I was able to get was to display the rtsp video stream in VLC. Click here for a more detailed description of the Foscam C2M.

Xiaomi 360

Xiaomi 360 IP camera

In my opinion, the Xiaomi 360 is the worst camera for DIY home automation, communication protocole are proprietary. If you really want to use this camera, you should have a look at this hack.

See also


Last update : 10/12/2021