X10 Airsight

Recently I was looking for an IP Camera and came across the X10 Airsight  xx34A and xx41A. It looked very interesting. But I read the reviews by customers online and became concerned that this camera might be a rip off. It isn’t. I went ahead and bought the camera and I love it. My goal with this blog posting is to debunk some of the reviews I had read, help you decide whether you are capable of setting up this camera, and providing some instructions how to do so.

 

I am not an X10 employee. Far from it. I am, however, a network computer engineer. I am very proficient with what I do. And I was able to get the X10 Airsight fully functional in 20 minutes.

 

DEBUNKING THE REVIEWS

Some of the reviews complained the X10 arrived broken. I don’t care what you buy – sometimes product will arrive broken. Send it back. Get a replacement.

 

Some reviews complained the X10 Technical support is poor. I never used the X10 Technical Support. But honestly – if you can’t get this camera working on your own? Or by reading the various forums? Technical support is probably only going to frustrate you further.

 

Several reviews complained that the X10 has to be positioned next to your router/wireless access point. Mine is around sixty feet away and I haven’t had a problem.

 

Others have complained that the camera reboots several times per day, causing the camera to return to its default position. I haven’t seen it reboot. But just in case, I mounted my camera so the default position is what I mostly want to see.

 

Others complained about difficulty using it with an iphone. Difficulties using the software. Difficulties using it on the internet. Etc. I have had none of those difficulties. And I’m left wondering if those people who complained (sorry if I offend anyone) knows what they are doing. Many people think they know more about technology than they really do and quickly get in over their head.

 

IS THIS THE RIGHT CAMERA FOR YOU?

Before you purchase the camera I have some work for you to do. If you are successful with these tasks, then you can probably handle setting up this camera. If you already bought the camera – don’t unbox it until you demonstrate you can do this!

 

I believe most of the issues are because individuals are unfamiliar with their internet router. In an ideal state, your internet router is your Wireless Access Point (WAP) too. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides you a cable and you plug it into your router/WAP and that is how you use the internet. If that isn’t your set up? You are going to be challenged to get this camera working.

 

Log into your router and try to collect the following information. As you collect it, write it down:

Router Public IP Address: ____._____._____.___

Router Internal IP Address (this will serve as our gateway address): ____._____._____.___

DHCP Lease Range: From ____._____._____.___  to ____._____._____.___

DHCP Subnet Mask:  ____._____._____.___

Wireless Encryption Level: __________________

Wireless Access Key: _______________

Are you able to locate the area where you can do port forwarding?

Can you find the DHCP table that shows all of your network devices and what IP address they have been given?

 

If you are successful at all these things, then you can probably set up the camera. If you miss any of these? I suggest to you that you shouldn’t try setting up this camera.

 

SET UP INSTRUCTIONS

You will notice that my instructions recommend you DO NOT use the software that came with the camera to set the camera up. In fact, I don’t use the software at all. After the camera is working, you can decide if you need the extra features the software provides.

 

(1)   Plug the camera into the router and into the electricity

 

(2)   Log into the router, look at the DHCP table and get the current IP address of your camera.

CURRENT CAMERA ADDRESS: ____._____._____.___

 

(3)   Look at your DHCP Lease Range. Assuming your DHCP Subnet Mask is 255.255.255.0, the available addresses are x.x.x.1 through x.x.x.254. Your router’s internal IP address consumes one of those addresses. Your DHCP Lease Range consumes many more of those addresses. But some of those addresses are not used. You need to pick an unused address for your camera. For example, if your router sits at 192.168.1.1, and your DHCP range is 192.168.1.2 – 192.168.1.100, then you can pick any number between 192.168.1.101 – 192.168.1.254.  Pick that number now:

ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA: ____._____._____.___

 

(4)   Open an internet browser. I recommend not using Internet Explorer, but, you can if you must. Go to:

http://CURRENT CAMERA ADDRESS

You will be asked for a username and password

Username = admin     Password, leave it blank

 

(5)   You will be asked to select your browser (example, Internet Explorer).

 

(6)   On the left side, select NETWORK, then Basic Settings

 

(7)   Uncheck “Obtain IP from DHCP Server”. Then, carefully enter the ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA. Enter your subnet mask (probably 255.255.255.0). The gateway is the internal IP address of your router.

To help you get the DNS entery, you can go to a computer that sits on your wifi. Start ->Run, type CMD, hit enter, enter: ipconfig /all

This will display the computer’s IP settings and show the DNS addresses.

 

When you are done entering all the information into the camera’s setup, hit submit

The camera will reboot. Wait 30 seconds

 

(8)   In your browser, go to http://ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA

Login with Username = admin   password is blank

 

(9)   Click SYSTEM on the left, select Date & Time. Select your time zone. Hit submit

 

(10)                       Click SYSTEM on the left, select user settings. Give admin a password and hit submit

You will be asked to log in with this new password. Then the camera will reboot.

 

(11)                       If you plan to hang the camera upside down? Go to AUDIO-VIDEO  and select REVERSAL

 

(12)                       Click on NETWORK on the left side. Select Wireless Lan Setting.

Select USING WIRELESS LAN

Click SCAN and select your wireless name

Select your encryption level. Enter your key

The camera will reboot. Wait 30 seconds.

Go unplug the network cable from the camera. If you were successful at entering the wireless information, you should be able to open a new browser window, go to http://ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA and log in. If you can’t? You botched the wireless info. Plug the network cable back into the router and try again. Hopefully you’ll still be able to access the camera.

 

(13)                       Return to your router. We are going to allow you to access your camera from anywhere on the internet. Go to the Port Forwarding section. Create a port forwarding rule. I suggest you pick a port number between 100 and 65000 from the outside. Use port 80 for the inside. And use ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA for the internal address. What port did you pick?

CAMERA PORT:_________

 

(14)                       Open a browser. Type http://ROUTER PUBLIC IP ADDRESS:CAMERA PORT

For example: http://555.555.555.555:123

                        You should be able to log into the camera. This should also work from your mobile devices too.

 

(15)                       From a browser, go to http://ADDRESS OF YOUR CAMERA and log in.

Click on OTHER on the left. Select MAIL SERVICE SETTINGS

            You’ll need to enter some information about your mail provider. If you aren’t sure, you can google it. Common ones are Yahoo Mail: smtp.mail.yahoo.com  and Google Mail (Gmail) smtp.gmail.com. Both use Port 465 and require TLS. Both require your email address as your login information. So, lets go through the fields:

Sender is your email address

Receiver 1 is your email address

Receiver 2, 3, and 4 are other emails who you would like to get a copy of camera email

SMTP Server is, for example, smtp.gmail.com

SMTP Port is, for example, 465

Transport Layer Security Protocol depends on your provider. Yahoo and Gmail are TLS

Need Authentication? Put a checkmark in that box

SMTP User, for most providers is your email address. It is the username you use to log into your email account.

SMTP Password is the password you use when you log into your email account

Report Internet IP by Mail, I recommend putting a check mark in that box. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can change your external router address at any time without notification. If that happens, your camera will email you the new ip address.

Click the TEST button. If you don’t get success? Make sure your DNS entry is correct (step 7). If you have two DNS addresses? Try the other one.

 

(16)                       The Motion Detection Alarm will send you an email with 6 pictures if the camera detects motion. If you want that, click OTHER on the left and then go to ALARM SERVICE SETTINGS. Select Motion Detect Armed. Then select SEND MAIL ON ALARM.

 

(17)                       The front of the camera has a blinking light to indicate it is in use. If you don’t want the blinking light, click on SYSTEM on the left, then go to INDICATOR SETTING. Set to ALWAYS OFF. And hit submit

 

 

Well, there you go. Your IP Camera is all set up and available for use. If you are happy, I am happy. If you want it to do more? You are on your own to explore the software that came with the camera. If you have problems? Search the forums and, worse case, call the Technical Support.