DCS-5300 10/100 Pan/Tilt Network Internet Camera

We had a DCS-900 for several years. Other than the occasional re-boot never had an issue. This was the replacement. Right away we never could get 33 of 36 computers to be able to access it (all 36 worked fine with the DCS-900). Technical support was a joke, "lower the security on the computers and remove the old activeX object installed by the DCS-900". Turning off security didn't help (like we were going to do that for any length of time). We couldn't find and they couldn't say what the activeX object was we were supposed to be deleting (nice job, most reputable companies sign their objects). Now the thing has gone totally toes up after just a couple of weeks. Guess what, D-Link says no returns under any circumstances, deal with your vendor. If we can't get it going in a day or so, hopefully Amazon will take it back/exchange it.

This camera (I have 5 incl. one in the bin) is great while it works. I have 7 D-Link IP cameras and find that the DCS-5300s can not be relied on; they regularly need re-setting which as they are 300 Km away is not an easy option. Remote power switching sometimes reboots but a reset is often required, so not acceptable in a security context. My other D-Link non-panning fixed cams are however very reliable.

The DCS-5300 only works with Internet Explorer, which is okay.The DCS-5300 lets you remotely control the camera, which is okay.The DCS-5300 reboots itself every 24 hours from when you plugged it in, which is okay.My DCS-5300 doesn't always respond to the remote control requests, which is not okay, but it will reboot in 24 hours and some times that fixes this problem, so that makes it okay.It's just okay. For $250, I wanted more than okay.

The camera is excellent. I have retail stores 50 miles from me and I can watch my employees while I control the movement of the camera from my PC at home. There is no DVR necessary as the software is in the camera. It will move almost 360 degrees. However, be careful about which vendor you use. I have purchased 6 of these and the last two were older models although the model numbers were the same.

The DCS-5300 delivers an impressive array of features. It offers remote pan, tilt and digital zoom functions, automatic patrolling, wired access, motion detection, audio capabilities and a claimed 30fps video streaming as well.it can tilt through 90 degrees and pan across 270 degrees giving it a much better range than most other cameras.The bundled installation wizard utility makes setup easy as it searches the network for D-Link cameras and offers them up for basic network configuration. The home page opens with a live view and a control pad to the right-hand side for panning or tilting the lens and moving it directly to its home position. You can also point to any area in the viewing window and clicking there will center the camera on that location.General picture quality is above average with the best results coming from the 352 x 240 pixel resolution. The highest resolution of 740 x 480 pixels wasn’t as sharply focused and this setting also drops the frame rate to a maximum of 10fps.There's a Fast Ethernet port located at the rear and flanked by video and audio RCA sockets for connecting the camera to a TV.There’s also a four-pin connector block for adding external devices such as relays, door bells, door sensors and so on.Overall, at this price range, It's a pretty good value for what you get.

I have a DCS-6620G and DCS-5300W. They both developed minor problems shortly after the 1 year warranty ran out. The DCS-6620G ethernet port failed and the DCS-5300G pan capability failed. I called DLink tech support and they told me that they will not repair these products or exchange them after the warranty, and that there are no authorized service centers. I escalated through 3 levels of tech support and then to US customer support and was given the same story and no way to get them repaired. The customer service lady stated that this was their policy on all products. They expect you to discard your $800 camera and buy another one. I recommend you don't buy any DLink product costing more that $100 - $200 as they are not very reliable and are disposable once they fail.

This was to replace my old D-Link 6620 camera which just quit working eafter about 1 year. I figured why spend a fortune if they don't last. This one is clearly a lower quality camera in every way. The lack of an auto focus, or even a way to focus it from my PC, makes it nearly impossible to set up properly. The low light ability is not as good either. All I can say is it works...for now.

I bought 2. VERY pleased with setup and operation. After 2 years, one of the PTZ motors stopped working. I would LOVE these cams if they lasted longer. One feature that I cant live without is that I can view the cams on my Windows Mobile cellphone. Had to use a 3rd party application, [...]