Improving home security with video monitoring – Foscam FI8910W & Fibaro HC2

Let’s improve the home security with monitoring the main entrance door: whenever the door is open then 2 pictures, with 5 sec interval, are sent to a given address. We will use a Foscam FI8910W and the Fibaro HC2.

The detailed workflow of the script would be:

(i)                  The HSM02 door contact detector is armed

(ii)                The HSM02 detects a breach at time T0.

(iii)               The video camera takes a picture at T0 and send the file by email

(iv)              The video camera takes a second picture at T0 + 5 sec and send the file by email

The HC2 manages well IP video camera as a special device: IP camera is not like the other z-wave based device since there is no z-wave technology embedded in the IP camera! Therefore the inclusion process of an IP camera is different: you only need the IP address and login/password of the camera.

I selected the FI8910W IP camera from Foscam because of the following:

Foscam FI8910W

(a)    Embedded Web Server – fully independent camera even operational with your PC or Mac switched off.

(b)   Pan 300 degree, tilt 120 degree – you can remotely move your camera in almost all directions.

(c)    IR night vision – very useful even when it is fully dark!

(d)   Motion and Sound detection activates alarm.

(e)   Supports image snapshot

(f)     Supports multiple network protocols: HTTP/TCP/IP/UDP/STMP/DDNS/SNTP/DHCP/FTP

(g)    Supports WIFI protected set-up

(h)   Supports emails SMTP setting

(i)      And also because of the price around 75 Euros only!

You can find more details in the FI8910W user manual.

The Foscam FI8910W inclusion process requires the IP address and login/password of the camera.

Inclusion Process – New camera

Within the general information tab of the camera, you need to provide:

1-      A name to identify your camera – in my case foscam1

2-      The location of the camera

3-      The camera model/brand

4-      Login

5-      Password

Surprisingly (!) if you select Foscam for the camera model then it does not work… The good choice is IPCAM to manage the Foscam FI8910W !

In the advanced parameters tab, you need to specify the IP address of your camera and the port. I recommend to go for a static IP address and a port number. This can be also very useful for port forwarding in order to access your camera from Internet and not only your local network (I will prepare a post someday related to this topic).

The camera configuration is almost done – a quick check by selecting the direction buttons will confirm if all is fine. In my case, I had to shift the right & left CGI command for my Foscam FI8910W.

HC2 Inclusion process – Advanced tab parameters

We need now to synchronize the door contact detector with the video camera: once the door is open then the camera takes a picture and send it by email as per the initial workflow. For our example, I used 2 Foscam FI8910W in the script:

HC2 Script – Take picture if door is opened !

HC2 Script – Take picture (advanced tab)

Assuming the HSM02 is armed and detects a breach then the first camera foscam1 takes a picture at T0 and then at T0+5 sec. The second camera foscam2 does the same at T0+3 sec and T0+8 sec. In managing both cameras within different time intervals & views/positions, you can get a good result in term of monitoring the door access.

What is the result?

HC2 – Generic email including picture file

Well it works but there is still room for improvement! Instead of 1 email, you get 4 emails (1 email/picture). The email format/template is not very friendly and with the HC2 v1.046 you can NOT do any customization (from, subject, email content, etc).

 

 

 

7 thoughts on “Improving home security with video monitoring – Foscam FI8910W & Fibaro HC2

  1. Bonjour, je vois que votre interface est en français, étant français moi-même pouvez-vous m’indiquer comment créer ne seule zone d’alarme avec plusieurs capteurs d’ouvertures ? Pouvez-vous m’indiquer si il y a eu une mise a jour permettant la possibilité d’envoyer directement depuis le HC2 vers une adresse e-mail sans passer la le serveur Fibaro ?

    Merci d’avance et merci pour votre partage d’expérience (très rare sur internet concernant le HC2)

  2. Hi Yama,
    i am wondering how to configure the setting of FOSCAM FI8910W in FIBARO HC 2, so i can control up and down, left right the camera?
    please help and advice.

    regards,
    Suryo

    • Hi Suryo,
      Thanks for your interest in my blog!
      The right set-up is the following:
      – camera type: IPCAM
      – left: decoder_control.cgi?command=6
      – right: decoder_control.cgi?command=4
      – up: decoder_control.cgi?command=0
      – down: decoder_control.cgi?command=2
      Regards,
      Yama

  3. Hi Yama
    firstly my wishes and congratulation on having such nice blog and Advance Info in details can be only found on your web site.
    I have HC2 ver 3.590 and using foscam 8918 with ver 11.37.2.51 downgraded from 11.37.2.55
    After installing foscam I could see video in web access in PC locally but not remotly in web access nor in iphone or ipad
    even can’t control pan tilt in local or remote access
    can you please share your expert comment
    thanks
    Naresh

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