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Rating:  More Details: Panasonic BL-C131A Network Camera Wireless 802.11 Panasonic BL-C131A Network Camera Wireless 802.11 @Amazon Panasonic BL-C131A Network Camera Wireless 802.11 @aStore |
Features:
Product Description
Wireless Network Camera 802.11g, MPEG4, Automatic Network Configuration, Universal Plug and Play, Set-up Wizard, Remote Pan/Tilt Control, Built in PIR motion detector
Customer Reviews:
If you can't view camera behind work firewall...
I wanted to set this camera up so I could view it at work. No matter what I did it didn't seem to work (my solution at end of review). A lot of reviews here say the panasonic tech support was excellent. That wasn't my experience. Sure they speak english and will spend time with you. But they couldn't solve my problem and blamed it on a lot of red herrings:
- My 2WIRE modem/router is "quirky" - said I needed to have a separate Linksys router that was set up in "bridge" mode
- MY ISP (AT&T) is blocking port 80 outbound
- That I should set the camera to a different port like 5000
- My work firewall is blocking video/active X/ whatever
- and on and on
SO, after going out and buying suggested Linksys router, jumping thru all the hoops they suggested, spending no joke about 30 hours over two and a half days with three different support teams (AT&T, Panasonic, and Linksys..even hired a paid support engineer)...it still didn't work.
We finally found a technician with a company that sells net cams that told us what we needed to do was set the camera up as a hosted application in the 2WIRE router with ALL of the following ports opened as part of the hosted application: 80, 554, 5556, 5557, 5558, 5559. (Note that the camera itself is still set up with default port 80 in the Panasonic setup interface). When you create that custom application in the 2WIRE gateway, make sure you select your panasonic camera in the first drop down that designates the "computer" for the hosted application.
This took me about 5 minutes to do from the firewall settings page on the 2WIRE router gateway management site.
Not saying this will work for you, but it did for me. It was the only thing I did that made the camera visible at both my husband and my work. I couldn't tell you why this worked though, but I figure if these other people are using it to demo their cameras and if it also worked for me, then maybe it is a legit solution? If I can save anyone the excruciating pain I went thru of chasing down a whole bunch of nonsense solutions I hope that helps. If not, at least you only invested a few minutes in trying it out.
The camera itself, by the way, has a great picture and seems like it is pretty easy to operate.
The best camera by far. Amazing what a little technology can do.
This was the end result of a very long and extensive search. Needless to say, I was hoping it would meet my expectations and desires. Yes it did, by far.
The camera is actually like a robot, which you can operate by remote control over the internet. Imagine that!!
Installation is relatively easy, but can be challenging if your router is an older model. However, the customer support this product comes with is unparalleled.
What I like the most:
1. The video quality you can see using any browser over the internet. With audio!!
2. You do not need your computer to be on.
3. It contains its own server, so it will email you notices or picures if you want in the event the camera sensor detects something.
4. You can make changes on the fly over the internet, with instant results.
5. You can log on as an administrator or simply as a limited viewer
6. Patient and knowledgeable customer service.
customer support 
I thought I'd call the support line to see how fast the response is....20 mn and still waiting on the 800-272-7033...anyone have the "BatPhone" number? 800-211-7262 doesn't seem any better.
G2
Homer Homeowner Installs a Wireless Camera in Kennel 
I had this camera up and running out in my dog kennel in a 1/2 hour wirelessly 175 feet from the router. This time frame included a call to Panasonic and a call to my ISP. The wireless efficiency runs between 7-17%(weak to good). If I were to move the camera any further away(I tried)it loses the signal. Low light picture quality is non-existant. Even with a night light in the 5'x6' kennel you cannot see anything at night. Pan and tilt work fine. The microphone works fine. The software is easy to install and understand. Panasonic support is very helpful and they speak English!!! I bought a refurbished model and the tech never reset the user account with Panasonic in Japan. I contacted tech support and they had to send an email to Japan to have the user id reset. I cannot rate the internet capability yet until I can register the camera with [...]. All in all I'm ok with the product so far, nothing to write home about though! For the money I expected far more from this camera and the tech who refurbished it.
Great, but overpriced and kicked just after warranty
I bought this camera a little over a year ago, as I work from home and like to be able to see whats going on outside everytime my dog starts barking and I dont want to get up each time to see whats up.
For that purpose, it has been ideal. With the PTZ I can look all the way up and down my street from the second-story window. Frame rate, low light performance and resolution are all great.
Unfortunately, just after the warranty expired (just one year), the picture went all screwy. Its still usable but its blurry. I contacted Panasonic for support and they let me know it was out of warranty but could be repaired.
This camera really needs to come down to $149. Unfortunately not alot of manufacturers are competing with Panasonic in this class to create the pricing pressure.
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