We’ve taken a look at two of the EyeSpy247 IP cameras before, which included the EyeSpy247EXT towards the end of 2010 and the HDSD from EyeSpy247 in the middle of last year. We loved both of these IP cameras and jumped at the chance to see them combined in the form of EyeSpy247EXT+, which gives the features of EyeSpy247EXT plus HD 720p Video, on-board SD NVR, and a free 32GB micro SD card pre-installed.

In simple terms the EyeSpy247EXT+ is an outdoor version of the HDSD, and while the camera has the same packaging as the EXT it also has extras that are highlighted by the “plus” elements of HD video, SD recording, free SD card etc.

When CCTV and an outdoor camera really counts – Having had CCTV for a number of years now it’s hard to forget you have it when used for seeing who is at certain doors of your home, which is great before answering the front door on a residential home but the true benefits are shown when you need to check back on recorded footage.

During testing outdoor IP cameras in the past we once noticed a group of men trying car handles in the middle of the night (after checking recordings), but interestingly when they saw the camera outside our home they turned away and covered their face. This shows that you might never need to use a camera for anything other than a deterrent, which could save you a lot of money in the future. In this case nothing was needed on our part and you couldn’t see the face of the person, and while this was a shame it did show that a deterrent could be really effective backed with night vision and clear recordings if needed.

The choice of Wi-Fi and wired network options will be really handy for some people and gives choice for you to see what works best at your home or office. The more reliable wired connection could be the only way to go for some people, but if you hate the idea of drilling holes for the thicker network cable then wireless is a perfect solution, although you wouldn’t need to decide right away thanks to both options being included right out of the box.

When our EyeSpy247EXT+ unit arrived it came just as it would for a customer, and was not pre-configured in any way other than adding the “Plus” extras like on-board recording with a pre-installed 32GB micro SD card. We took a number of photos on this page to give you an idea of how the product is packaged, which in our opinion was with great care to make sure everything could be delivered in the best condition.

In the box you’ll find the IP camera, power adapter, CD and manual, an Ethernet cable, power extension cable, antennas, water sealing caps and stand/bracket. It’s pretty easy to install the parts like the antennas, which simply screwed on as seen in a photo on this page and connecting the Ethernet cable was also simple with a water tight cap already on that cable. It’s is worth noting that using the Ethernet cable would disable wireless, which is due to only one being active at a time and setup was pretty simple thanks to the CD and guide.

While most people hate reading guides it’s worth doing so for the EyeSpy247EXT+, which saves backtracking if you hit problems when trying to use the wireless element (802.11B, G and N) of this IP outdoor camera. When you use the CD it should display a user guide, install utility, install decoder, and an option to setup camera. During the configuration you will need to restart the camera to save settings, and while this delays things a little on each save it’s all pretty simple with enough time and care taken.

We’ve included a couple of videos below this article to give you an idea of recording quality, which really impressed us and showed how good the camera is in the daytime and at night thanks to infrared illumination. It’s worth noting that the two videos below show video from EyeSpy247EXT and EyeSpy247HDSD, which is what the EyeSpy247EXT+ can do in one unit.

Diagram and technical specifications for EyeSpy247EXT+

The image below gives you a list of features for each model and the differences, so when looking at this chart remember this unit is “EyeSpy247EXT+“. The main features include indoor and outdoor use with day/night, infrared LEDs, night vision up to 15m, x20 digital zoom, high definition video, MJPEG/MPEG4/H.264 video, Weatherproof that’s IP67 Rated (Water & Dust Proof), built-in micro SD recording, a simple auto-configuration system, wired LAN and Wi-Fi, 2-way audio that is a useful feature, motion detection, body heat PIR, mobile phone viewing, and a lot more can be seen below. Click the image for a bigger view, to see more demo videos, and PDF files showing full specs.

In Summary: You can make the install process as simple or complicated as you want, and if you’re a user that likes to jump straight in then open a web browser to the IP address and use its web interface. Computer novices might prefer using the setup guide and included software, which pretty much takes you through step-by-step. It’s fair to say that most IP cameras never come with enough cable and the EyeSpy247EXT+ solves this by offering an extra 2.5m extension cable in every box for free. Overall we loved the EyeSpy247EXT+ and the small improvements thanks to “Plus” are both welcomed and needed, and EyeSpy247 delivered in terms of picture quality and accessibility. The camera is far from perfect but if you’re looking for something to work almost straight from the box, then you won’t find better for the price (currently around £259.99 in the UK).

We tested the camera mainly for direct access but users that want to connect externally will love the options EyeSpy247 have for you, which is simplified by setting up an EyeSpy247 account and providing you have a compatible UPnP router you’ll be able to take advantage of this service. You can get a free account via this page on eyespy247.com, which includes free disk space for your security recordings, and a certain number of SMS alerts, email alerts, and more so see the website for the latest offerings.

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With the actual camera you get a power adapter, installation CD, LAN cable with water sealing cap, antenna, mounting screws, quick installation guide, base, stand and swivel connector. After unpacking all the items I decided to try the camera out by just putting it in another room.

I have never had any dealings with this brand of IP camera before, but I do what I always do with new tech and try and set it up before reading any instructions. After a fruitless twenty minutes I decided to read the instructions on the installation disc which are in PDF form. Setting up the camera with these was pretty straight forward.

The first time you set up the EyeSpy247EXT it requires the camera to be connected via the LAN cable, but once this is done you can disconnect it and on powering up the camera again it will be fully wireless. You then have instructions on how to register the device with EyeSpy247, which will allow you to have access to the companys online support and viewing.

The picture quality is pretty good for a camera of its size, and even in darkness images are what can be expected. You get motion and body heat detection, and can even view video via your mobile phone. I have been pretty impressed by the EyeSpy247Ext camera and plan to install it permanently outside my garage.

The EyeSpy247Ext will switch from day and night view automatically, using infrared (IR) LEDs at night with a VGA resolution of 640×480 at 30fps. The IP camera will connect to your 802.11b/g/n wireless network using the normal security on routers, and those who want the device even more secure can go for a wired connection that can be extended by electric network plugs or a longer cable.

As the device has an IP rating of 65 this allows for it to be used in all weathers. The EyeSpy247Ext is priced at around £220, which is pretty good although it’s worth shopping around for a deal. While we are very impressed with this camera, we have seen wired solutions with dedicated recorders and 4 cameras for about £150 more. This will depend on your budget, needs, and if you do not mind running wires.

Hardware specs include:

• Weight: 900g nett
• Dimensions: 103mm H x 94mm W x 37mm D
• Certification: CE/FCC
• Power Adapter: 12V/1A, 100~240 VAC, Switching
• Connector: Ethernet RJ-45, DC Power, Reset
• LED Indicators: LED indicator for Power and Network
• LAN: Ethernet 10/100BaseT
• SDRAM: 128 Megabytes
• Flash ROM: 8 Megabytes
• CPU: SProlific PL-1129 (ARM9 500MHz)

Wireless Specs:

• Antenna: External Antenna with 3dBi, water proof
• Encryptions: WEP 64 Bits / 128 Bits, WPA / WPA2 Personal
• Operation Modes: Infrastructure / Ad-Hoc
• Standard: IEEE 802.11b, g & n

You can read the full features of the EyeSpy247Ext in this PDF file, and also see a comparison of the EyeSpy247 range of cameras on this page at eyespy247.com. If you would like to see how their technology works, eyespy247 has a nice diagram in this article.

Have you used this camera or any eyespy247 IP camera before? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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