As a side note to the maximum cable length for USB devices.

This Hub that is talked about..

Is it... USB Camera > USB cable (less than 4m) > Hub > Ethernet cable (length ?) > PC.


If this is the case I assume ethernet cables can be run any sort of length ?

Andy

 

Fuzz,

That will be a USB Hub that they are talking about rather than an ethernet hub.

Ian

 

Basically it uses one of teh USB connections on your PC to make avaliable x amount, in the case of the image above 4.

 

Bugger

So I would have to buy about 4 hubs to cross the attic

It's just not cricket.

Andy

 

What are you trying to do Andy that needs the USB device 20m or so away from the PC?

 

Andy

Web cam ->usb cable -> powered usb hub ->usb cable -> powered usb hub ->usb cable -> powered usb hub ->usb cable -> powered usb hub -> usb cable -> pc

personally i think you'd be better off either wireless camera plus a wireless access point or get a tracker

Si

 

or my old pc whiring away in the dining room 24/7 looking out window.

Basically I've got a web cam that I "Thought" I could use.... save me spending yet more money
to keep a watchful eye over the garage and thus the scoob inside.
no worries about it being dark as the security light would sort that out.
The software that came with the web cam can make the puter start recording on detection of movement, so wasting less hard disk space. Then it can be reviewed regularly to see if anything was picked up.
Thought it was a good idea in theory at least

Andy

 

Andy,

You can buy remote webcam servers, but they can be quite expensive as they're normally designed for use with multiple cameras and coax inputs.

Like these

Basically, you run camera feeds to the server, then this is directly connected to a LAN using Cat5 cable (so can be 100m away from a PC).

Haven't seen any that support USB cameras though.

I know Axis have network cameras now. Built-in webserver, so you just need to run a network cable and power to them, give it an IP address and you can start using it for surveillence.

Stefan

 

I have a plan and it costs less.

Use my knackered old PC with just a HDD in it and a web cam plugged into it...and network it to this one in the bedroom.

Easy ... I think


Andy