We live in a world that makes knowing what’s going on in our lives more important than ever. That’s not to say the world is always a dangerous place. Rather, the world is simply faster now than it used to be. Social media and the internet in general have made life fast-paced. That also means that it’s harder than ever to keep track of everything that’s happening in our lives.
To this effect, having a security or home monitoring system in place is more necessary than ever. Whether it’s to feel more secure in your own home, to keep track of a vacation house, or to monitor the well-being of a young child, being able to keep tabs on what’s important to you is handy more often than not.
In the vein of home-monitoring, Linksys is a well-known name. A giant in the home networking industry, Linksys provides a number of products, from routers, to WiFi mesh systems, to home cameras. One of their products in the area of home security is the Cisco-Linksys WVC54GC Wireless-G Internet Video Camera, which will be the subject of this review.
The WVC54GC is what I would classify as an oldie but goodie camera. Although it’s been out for quite a while, if you’re looking for an affordable and efficient home monitoring product, this handy little piece of tech still ticks all of the boxes.
This wireless internet video camera clocks in at a low price point. This makes it much more affordable than the average home-monitoring camera. However, that price-point does come with trade-offs.
Firstly, it doesn’t have the ability to be used as an outdoor camera. It lacks a microphone, does not have a pan-tilt-zoom feature for remote control, and also features an absence of infrared vision. The scarcity of these features, when combined, make this camera clearly tailored towards indoor use.
The camera quality, as should be suggested by the price-point, is not spectacular. It has fairly aggressive compression, resulting in pixilation, even when viewed locally and at the normal size. There is also some color-blocking that makes an appearance during this camera’s recording process.
However, other than these few drawbacks, the WVC54GC actually works pretty well. It’s incredibly light, weighing less than five ounces, and with dimensions of 3.5×4.02×1.46 inches. This means that you can stick it pretty much anywhere in your house without having to worry about when it’s going to fall down.
It’s also very easy to set up the WVC54GC and connect it to your WiFi network, either via ethernet, or via wireless connection. This ease of use and installation makes the WVC54GC an attractive option for those who are just looking for a simple room or baby monitor, or for those who need an affordable home-security option.
All in all, the WVC54GC camera provides decent capabilities for its price-point. Sure, it doesn’t boast features that hits far above its weight class technologically, but it also doesn’t fail for its price either, even in 2018. If you would like to purchase the Cisco-Linksys WVC54GC Wireless-G Internet Video Camera, you can find it on Amazon for the best price.