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1. General Support (General technical support issues)
2. Mac Support (Articles for Mac related problems and enquiries)
3. iPhone Support (Articles relating specifically to our MultiLive...)

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General Support

General technical support issues

What is the difference between the Y-cam Black And Knight?

The Y-cam Black and Y-cam Knight are exactly the same, apart from external housing colour.

Can I view my Y-cam camera on my mobile phone?

To view a Y-cam IP Camera from a mobile phone, you will need to know your networks external IP (or your Dynamic DNS address).

For information of how to find these details out, consult the quick start guide or the Y-cam manual.

Once your camera is setup on your network and accessible from the internet, type http://<YourIP>:<OpenPort>/mobile in your mobile browser. For example : http://81.564.123.123:8150/mobile

This will take you to the mobile page of the camera. Click on “3GPP Stream Live” to initiate an RTSP session between the mobile phone and the camera. The “Picture Live” button is an automatically refreshing snapshot so that non compatible mobile phones, such as older phones that don’t support 3GPP streaming can view live images from the camera.

The “Settings” button allows you to setup both the 3GPP stream and the snapshot view.

If you want to check your phones compatibility with mobile view before purchasing, use this address : http://ycam3.dtdns.net:8151/mobile - the username and password when prompted are both “guest”.

Some phones require JavaScript to be turned on within the browser, check for this option if you have problems with the page.

The settings page contains all the information you need to refine the feed – from image quality to frame rate – depending on your device and your mobiles reception, different settings will work better for individual devices.

Note : Mobile view is only available for 2nd Generation and higher Y-cam cameras.

What is the maximum number of users which can view the Y-cam simultaneously?

The maximum number of simultaneous users is 16. This means that up to 16 computers can be accessing the camera at one time. This should not be confused with the number of users that can access the camera. The maximum number of users is 64. This means that there can be 64 different user names in the User Management list but only 16 of them can access the camera at the same time.

Is it possible to remotely access video and snapshots stored on SD?

Any SD snapshots and video that the camera records can be remotely viewed over your network - there is no need to remove the SD card to view its contents.

For the SD functions to appear on your camera, you need to insert a MicroSd card in to the camera and then reboot the camera.

Once this is done, you need to setup your camera to record to SD, you can do this via your network.

To watch stored video or snapshots, connect to your Y-cam SD camera via any internet-enabled device.

Log in to the camera as admin, and under the SD menu there is a "Browse SD" function, which will allow you to browse the stored alerts.

How to identify different generations of cameras?

There is no way to tell the difference between different generation of Y-cams by just looking at the cameras.

The only way to tell which generation you are using is to login to the camera over the network and look at its firmware version.

What can I do if I want to install my Y-cam upside down?

If you install the camera upside-down, open the Y-cam homepage, click “settings”, enter the user name “admin” and the password then click on “Camera Setup”. You are now in the camera setup page. Select “On” for “Image rotation” and click “Apply”

How can I tell if my Y-cam is detecting motion properly?

Open the Y-cam homepage, click “settings”, enter the user name “admin” and the password then click on “Motion Detection” and maximize the page so that the entire image is viewable including the sliders on the right hand side of the image and the “Apply” button at the bottom.

Position the windows according to your needs and set the “Sensitivity” and “Threshold” sliders to your optimum level of detection.

Simulate movement and check whether the detection bar has reached the Threshold slider position on each window. Adjust the sensitivity and threshold again to fine tune the detection.

How many motion detection windows can I have for each Y-cam

You can enable up to 4 motion detection windows. All the windows are movable and resizable.

Why is the time displayed in the live view different from the system time of my PC?

The Y-cam has its own internal clock and it is recommended that you set it to the correct time. To do this, open the Y-cam homepage, click “settings”, enter the user name “admin” and the password then click on “Date & Time”.

Select your time zone and check whether you are currently using daylight saving time or not. Confirm that the proposed time is correct then click “Apply” to save your settings.

Every time I try to use record function when using IE7 I get an error of "Buffer Overrun Detected!"

That is due to security issue in Windows Vista.

Please click on the “Spanner” next to the “recording” button and select a folder to save the videos.

Click on “OK”, and it should then be ready to record.

Is the Y-cam weatherproof?

Most Y-cam cameras are for indoor use only and should not be installed in places where they can get wet or the humidity levels are very high.

The Y-cam White, Black and Knight (and SD variants) can be used with our external enclosure called Y-cam Shell, to make then weatherproof.

How do I view multiple Y-cam cameras at one time?

In order to view multiple Y-cams at one time you need to either install our “Multi-Live” software, which can be downloaded from our website, or use a compatible multi-camera software.

Please see “Which security software is compatible with Y-cam” in this FAQ section for a list of compatible software.

What is the difference between 1st and 2nd generation Y-cam cameras?

First generation camera only support MPEG4 whereas second generation cameras suppprt MPEG4 and MJPEG.

Second generation cameras have following extra features:

1) Multi Browser support.

2) Mobile Phone support.

3) Multiple video and audio streams

4) Scheduled FTP/Email Alerts

5) Pre and post motion detection buffering

6) Time/Date/Text stamp on the video

Since we have stopped manufacturing first generation cameras, there will be no further developments for first generation cameras at this time. 2nd generation and upwards cameras have the necessary technology inside them for mobile viewing, multiple streams and more.

What Dynamic DNS Services does the Y-cam support?

The Y-cam supports most DDNS Services including those that come with free subscription.

For a list of recommended DDNS services, open the Y-cam homepage, click “Settings”, enter the user name “Admin” and your password then click on “DDNS Setup” and click on the arrow of the pull down menu.

What operating systems and internet browsers does the Y-cam support?

1st Generation cameras only work with Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher.

2nd Generation and higher cameras work with mostly all browsers due to the MJPEG

All of our second generation cameras can also be viewed in Mozilla FireFox, Safari, Google Chrome, Opera and many other browsers.

What is a network camera?

Network cameras (also called IP cameras, IP video cameras, IP webcams or network security cameras) allow you to access live video from or any PC connected to the Internet.

For example, network cameras could be located in offices around the UK and you would be able to view them all remotely, via your own PC or any other PC connected to the Internet.

You could also use a network camera in your home to capture images of break-ins, or you could simply link your website to the camera for everyone to see.

Can I view Y-cam from a Blackberry phone?

To view a Y-cam IP Camera from a mobile phone you will need to know your networks external IP (or your Dynamic DNS address).

For information of how to find these details out, consult Section 4 of the quick start guide or the Y-cam manual.

Once your camera is setup on your network and accessible from the internet, type http://<YourIP>:<OpenPort>/mobile in your mobile browser. For example : http://81.564.123.123:8150/mobile.

This will take you to the mobile page of the camera. Click on “3GPP Stream Live” to initiate an RTSP session between the mobile phone and the camera. The “Picture Live” button is an automatically refreshing snapshot so that non compatible mobile phones, such as older phones that don’t support 3GPP streaming can view live images from the camera.

The “Settings” button allows you to setup both the 3GPP stream and the snapshot view.

If you want to check your phones compatibility with mobile view before purchasing, use this address : http://ycam3.dtdns.net:8151/mobile - the username and password when prompted are both “guest”.

Some phones require JavaScript to be turned on within the browser, check for this option if you have problems with the page.

The settings page contains all the information you need to refine the feed – from image quality to frame rate – depending on your device and your mobiles reception, different settings will work better for individual devices.

Note : Mobile view is only available for 2nd Generation and higher Y-cam cameras.

How can I view the camera from a mobile phone?

Can I use Y-cam as a Webcam?

The Y-cam can be used as a wireless webcam in software like MSN, Yahoo and Skype, with the help of a third party software published by WebcamXP.

All you have to do is download and install a plug-in. Please click on following link to download IP Camera [JPEG/MJPEG] v4.2.7.2 http://www.webcamxp.com/download.aspx

What are the different "generations" of Y-cams all about?

As we release different models and new technology becomes available, we release newer and more updated products.

1st Generation Y-cam Cameras

Y-cam Black YCB001
Y-cam White YCW001

These cameras are limited to using Internet Explorer only for viewing and changing settings but to the camera reliance on MPEG4 and ActiveX. Mobile viewing is not available on these models. If the firmware installed on the camera is 1.XX, this will tell you it is a 1st Generation camera.

2nd Generation Y-cam Cameras

Y-cam Black YCB002
Y-cam Knight YCK002
Y-cam White YCW002

The 2nd Generation of Y-cams brought in new technology - focusing on MJPEG - allowing for Mobile viewing and viewing in other web browsers other than Internet Explorer (including viewing only on Mac and Linux systems). The firmware for this camera (2.XX onwards) is regularly updated and is still being supported by Y-cam (as of February 2010). Most cameras for sale - that come without a microSD slot - will be 2nd Generartion cameras.

NOTE : Due to hardware limitations - there is no way to upgrade a 1st Generation camera to a 2nd Generation camera.

Additionaly, there is no way to upgrade a 2nd Generation camera to an SD camera.

SD range 1st Generation Y-cam Cameras

Y-cam Black YCB003
Y-cam Knight YCK003
Y-cam White YCW003

Often referred to as "3rd Generation" Y-cams - the SD range although similar in looks, are completely different internally to 1st and 2nd Gen standard Y-cams. The most easiest way to identify an SD model is to look for a microSD card slot on the underside of the camera. The firmware used should be 4.XX and upwards.

The SD range allow for many new features, including full Mac compatibility, video and audio in other browsers and setting up motion detection without the need for ActiveX. The addition of a microSD card slot allows for local recording without the need for a NVR or NAS device, and this also opens up new options such as sending of files stored on the SD to a remote location on a schedule.

If you are unsure before you purchase, ask the vendor to double check the firmware version of the camera (via Camera > Settings Menu > System).

What happens when an SD Card is full?

Once data on the SD card reaches full capacity the camera will start over-writing old files with new ones.

If your card gets full up regularly, you may want to use the FTP upload schedule, so the pictures/video are uploaded to an FTP at an interval (i.e daily at midnight) so old ones can be recorded over.

Setup says my Wireless connection is ok, but the system says its not connected

Once you have set the camera up for wireless, please remove the Ethernet cable from the camera.

The camera will then automatically switch to wireless mode, and connect to the network.

System says Wireless Connected, but camera is not showing in Y-cam Setup software

This problem usually occurs due to one of the following two reasons.

1) Combined encryption: It doesn’t matter which encryption is used (WPA or WPA2) as long as only one type is set on the router. Therefore you should avoid setting routers to combined encryption like WPA+WPA2 or WEP+WPA as this won’t work. Log in to your router and see what is set.

2) MAC Filtering: Sometimes MAC filtering causes this issue. If MAC filtering is enabled on your router, please add the MAC address of the camera in the allowed list. MAC address of the camera can be found on the back of camera. Unless you have set up MAC filtering, this is unlikely to be the cause.

Mac compatibility for different generations?

Our 1st Generation cameras are only viewable through Internet Explorer (due to the hardwares reliance on ActiveX) but once setup can be viewed in Internet Explorer on any system.

Our 2nd Generation cameras also use MJPEG for the stream, so once the camera is setup, pictures can be viewed in any browser on any system. Functions such as motion detection, recording and snapshots are not available when viewing the MJPEG streams.

Our 3rd Generation cameras now include a Flash based interface and compatibility with QuickTime. Mac users can now view live video with audio (using QuickTime), control the motion detection settings within a
browser (using Adobe Flash), take snapshots & record video footage
locally using QuickTime Pro (purchased seperately).

Browse Technical Support FAQs by clicking the above Category links

Which is the internal IP and external IP and DDNS of my camera?

On a simple level, the camera has 4 addresses to take note of :

Internal IP Address of your Camera – normally 192.XX.XXX.XX
(Used for viewing your camera when you are inside your own network i.e at home)

External IP Address of your Network – can be found by going to http://www.whatsmyip.org/ e.g http://82.44.126.166
(The problem with these is that most peoples external IP changes every few hours – when you Enable UPNP, you open a “port” so you can access the Camera through your external IP, see below)

External IP Address of your Camera – your external IP as above + the port you opened (normally 8150) so http://82.44.126.166:8150

DDNS Address – to get around the problem with your external address changing, the camera can auto-update a DDNS service every time the IP changes, this means you can have 1 static address that always points to your camera. E.g http://mynewcamera.dtdns.net:8150

The mynewcamera part is your own account name, the dtdns part is the service that runs it and the 8150 is your port number to access the camera.

To check your own cameras settings, enter the Settings Menu, enter the System menu (link at top) and then view the section UPNP Port Forwarding. If parts of this section are blank, your camera is not properly configured, and you should consult the user manual for setup instructions.

Will the camera remember its configuration when the power is turned off?

Your Y-cam will automatically restart after a power loss. When it does, the configuration will reload all of your custom settings.

What do I need to have before I can setup a Y-cam?

The requirements for setting up the Y-cam may vary according to the application and environment in which the Y-cam will be set up.

The following are generic guide lines which should cover most situations.

· A broadband internet connection is required to view the camera from a remote location over the internet. The minimum recommended upload speed is 128Kbps

· A wireless router is required to enable Y-cam to function in wireless mode.

· A mains socket is required to connect the supplied power adapter and power the Y-cam

· A PC is needed to initially setup the Y-cam

What is the frequency setting and why would I want to set it to a different frequency?

The frequency setting in the camera setup page is used to synchronize the Y-cam with the flickering of lighting devices like fluorescent tubing or energy saving lamps. Selecting the incorrect frequency will not damage the Y-cam, but you will see dark horizontal bands in the video.

Connecting a Y-cam directly to your Mac

A common question is that a user has attached their Y-cam to their Mac, and run setup software. Setup software has found the camera, but when the camera is opened, a "Page Not Found" error is displayed.

This happens when you have attached the camera directly to your Mac.

If you have a router or network hub, it is advised you plug the camera in to their instead of directly in to your Mac.

If you are forced to connecting the camera direct into the Mac machine. You will have to go through following steps.

To adjust advanced TCP/IP settings:

1)     Choose Apple on left top corner > System Preferences, and then click Network.

2)     Select the network connection service from the list, and then click Advanced.

3)     Click TCP/IP, and then use the Configure IPv4 pop-up menu to make the adjustments as follow.

In the “IPv4 Address” Field type in the number 192.168.1.20 ,
In the Subnet Mask type in 255.255.255.0
In the “Router” type 192.168.1.150

Click OK

Setup Software should now be able to see and open your camera correctly.

How do I set up my Y-cam's email settings to email me a snapshot image when motion is detected or at periodic intervals?

For the Y-cam to be able to send e-mails you first need to know your POP3 mail settings. These can be acquired from your ISP or network administrator depending on the network the Y-cam is connected to.The details you need are as follows:

· SMPT Server Name
· SMTP server port number
· Authentication (required or not)
· User name
· Password

1. Once you have these details input them in the “e-Mail Setup“ page in the “Settings” window.

2. Select whether you want to send e-mails when motion is triggered and/or at regular intervals at the top of the page.

3. Enter the sender’s e-mail address (the e-mail address you have gathered the above details for)

4. Enter up to 3 e-mail addresses you wish to send these e-mail to

5. Enter or change the subject of the e-mail (this helps the user identify the e-mail and avoids the e-mail getting blocked by spam filters so please enter a relevant subject)

6. Enter a brief message for the recipients

7. Check that file attachment is set to on if you wish to send a snapshot image with the e-mail

8. Click “Apply” to save your settings

How do I set up my Y-cam's FTP settings to upload to my FTP server when an event is triggered?

For the Y-cam to be able to images to an FTP site you first need to know your FTP settings. If you do not have access to an FTP server, you can search the internet for free FTP servers and apply for a free account with such service providers. The following is an example using http://free.prohosting .com for account name “ycamuk”.

1. Select whether you want to upload images to an FTP site when motion is triggered and/or at regular intervals.

2. Enter the FTP server name (Eg. ftp://ycamuk.white.prohosting.com)

3. Enter the port number (Eg. 21)

4. Enter the user name (Eg. ycamuk)

5. Enter the password for the above user account and retype it in the next field

6. Select whether to enable passive mode or not. In passive mode the Y-cam will establish a connection to the FTP server not the other way round. This is useful when your network is protected by a firewall or uses a proxy server. However not all FTP servers support this mode.

7. Enter the remote path. This may be a folder on The FTP server but you may also use the root directory in which case this would be the same as the FTP server name (Eg. ftp://ycamuk.white.prohosting.com)

Can I limit my Y-cam's framerate to reduce bandwidth and disk space usage?

You can reduce the frame rate of the video being transmitted by Y-cam to reduce the bandwidth usage. To do this, open the Y-cam homepage and click “settings”.

Click on “Camera Setup” and change the frame rate to your desired settings.

Please note that the Y-cam automatically adjusts the frame rate according to the available bandwidth, however the highest frame rate that the Y-cam will reach will be the frame rate set above.

How can I try and limit my Y-cam's bandwidth usage on my network?

To reduce bandwidth usage, open the Y-cam homepage, click “settings”, enter the user name “admin” and the password then click on “stream setup”. You are now in the stream setup page and you can reduce the “Bit rate” or “Image size” in order to conserve bandwidth usage. The bit rate refers to the image quality while the image size is has 3 different resolution settings.

What is the difference between "Administrator" and "Users" in the Y-cam User List?

The administrator account is the default account in the camera and cannot be deleted. This is the only account that can access the settings and add or remove users. User account can view the video, record, take snapshots and control the audio but not access the settings page.

Using MultiLive monitoring software, one or more of my cameras gets stuck on 'Connecting'. What could be wrong?

When the Multi-Live software says connecting on one of the cameras, it would be trying to establish a connection with the Y-cam. There are a number of reasons why it would not connect.

These may be:

Incorrect IP address
Incorrect port number
Incorrect user name or password
Your internet connection may not be available
Your firewall may be blocking the Multi-Live software.

Unfortunately, this is a trial and error process, so contact Support if you need more advice.

Are micro SDHC cards compatible with the Y-Cam?

Standard microSD card capacities range from 1 MB to 4 GB.

The capacity range for high capacity SDHC cards overlap, beginning at 4 GB but reaching as high as 32 GB.

So any microSD card which is more than 4GB will be SDHC and is compatible with Y-cam.

Please note Y-cam can only handle up to a 8 Gig microSDHC card.

What is the difference between a Y-cam and a Webcam?

· A webcam must be connected to a PC to function
· The Y-cam is a standalone product and therefore does not need PC to operate.

· A webcam requires special software to be installed on the PC before it can be viewed from elsewhere.
· The Y-cam has all the software it needs built into it and does not require additional software to be viewed locally or remotely.

· A webcam is not suitable for monitoring and security purposes
· The Y-cam is designed for this purpose

· A webcam has limited functionality. ·
The Y-cam has a built-in web server (computer) allowing it to perform advanced operations (send e-mails, upload images to the internet)

How can I change the IP address of my Y-cam?

There are 2 ways of changing the IP address of the Y-cam:

Method 1 (Through Y-cam Setup utility)

1.       Launch the Y-cam Setup utility and locate your Y-cam from the list (click Refresh if necessary)

2.       Click once on the Y-am you wish to modify then click “Setup”

3.       Enter the user name “admin” and the relevant password for this camera.

4.       You should now see a new window that enables you to change the IP address.

5.       Click on “Use the following IP address” and change the IP address. You may also wish to change the Subnet Mask, default Gateway and Primary and Secondary DNS server address

6.       Click “Apply” then after the message “Configuration Accepted” click “Ok” then “Exit”

Method 2 (Through the Y-cam’s settings)

1.       Access the home page of the Y-cam you wish to modify.

2.       Click on “settings”

3.       Enter the user name “admin” and the relevant password for this camera.

4.       You should now see a new window that enables you to change the setting of your Y-cam. Click “TCP/IP Setup”

5.       Click on “Use the following IP address” and change the IP address. You may also wish to change the Subnet Mask, default Gateway and Primary and Secondary DNS server address

6.       Click “Apply” to save your settings. You may need to re-log in to your Y-cam using the new IP address in order to view the camera or make further changes.

I have forgotten the password to my Y-cam

If you have forgotten your password, you may need to reset the Y-cam to its factory defaults in order to access it again. Please note that this will also erase any settings and configurations of the camera including any users which you may have added and therefore they will not be able to access the Y-cam any more.

To reset the Y-cam to its factory defaults, with the Y-cam powered on press and release the “Reset” button on the side of the Y-cam using a paper clip or similar tool.

Wait until the power LED on the front turns on.

You may now access the Y-cam using the default user name “admin” and password “1234”

How do I add/delete users from my Y-cam?

Adding a User

·      From the Y-cam home page or live view page, click on settings and enter “Admin” as user name and the relevant password. Please note that only the admin user can access and change the settings.
·       In the settings page click on “User Management”
·       Click on the “Add” button then enter a new user name and type the password twice in the fields provided.
·       Click “Add” to save this new user.

Deleting a User

·      From the Y-cam home page or live view page, click on settings and enter “Admin” as user name and the relevant password. Please note that only the admin user can access and change the settings.
·       In the settings page click on “User Management”
·       Click on the user name you wish to delete. This opens the user details.
·       Click “Delete”. Please note that no warning is given and   clicking “Delete” will delete the user immediately.

My Y-cam is out of range of my Wireless Router

If your routers Wifi signal is not strong enough to reach your camera, you may want to follow these tips :

- Make sure the aerial on the router is pointing straight up in the air.

- If its next to your PC or monitor, try moving it as far away as possible. They can affect the power of the Wifi.

- Look at moving your router. The best place for your router is in the middle of your house. This should improve signal everywhere in your house.

- Use HomePlugs. HomePlugs use your home electrical circuit to connect items across a network. It means that you wouldn't need to use Wifi.

I've double checked my email settings but my snapshot emails are not being delivered

If you have double checked your e-mail settings and you are convinced that they are correct, you may be on a network which does not allow for email relaying.

Some ISPs do not allow e-mail relaying. This means that you cannot use any other SMTP server other than that of your ISP.

In order to solve this issue the SMTP details of your ISP. Contact your ISP or system administrator for further details.

Why can't I see any video from the Y-cam after I input the correct user name and password?

There may be a number of reasons why you cannot see the video from the Y-cam. Below is a list of possible causes and how to rectify them.

1. Check your monitor’s resolution and colour handling. The minimum resolution required is 800x600 and minimum of 256 colours.

2. Some early models of Y-cam require an ActiveX control to be installed on your computer before you can view the Y-cam’s video. Please make sure that your browser’s security settings are not blocking the ActiveX control from downloading and installing.

3. The bandwidth available to the camera may be too low.

What does the Power LED light setting do?

The Y-cam has a power light situated at the lower right corner of the front cover.

The Power LED control found in Camera Settings lets you turn this on and light off so that the Y-cam would not attract any unnecessary attention.

The first time I plug my camera in it asks for a password. What is the default password?

The default username is “admin” and the default password is “1234”.

Please change this password in order to avoid unauthorized access.

By powering the Y-cam off you will not lose any settings or passwords, however, resetting the Y-cam will reset the user name and password to default.

Windows does not let me install the ActiveX file. Which settings should I change to install it?

When viewing the camera from Internet Explorer, you may be asked to install an ActiveX control to view the live video.

To do this, open the Tools menu, select “Internet options, then click on the “Security” tab at the top. Select the “Medium-High” security option.

This should allow you to download and install signed ActiveX controls.

Note : you will still need administration rights in order to install the ActoveX control

My Y-cam Black or Knight displays a purple / silver / pink picture. Is there a setting I need to change?

The Y-cam Black and Y-cam Knight are essentially designed for night vision purposes and as a result the colour of the video image will be slightly different than that of ordinary day-view cameras.

This variation in colour is quite normal and is not a defect of the camera.

The purple image you are seeing is infrared light that is present naturally in day-light but the human eye doesn't detect.

In the summer months and on hot days the image will appear purplish and silvery.

There are no settings in the camera to correct this since the lens doesn't have an infrared filter.

This is because it needs to "see" the infrared light during the night.

What is the purpose of passive mode in the FTP configuration?

Passive mode needs to be set according to your FTP servers settings.

Passive mode is useful when your network is protected by a firewall or uses a proxy server.

However not all FTP servers support this mode.

How can I obtain the latest Firmware Update?

The latest firmware is available from our website under the Downloads section.

Your current camera firmware version will let us know which generation of camera you are using, and enable us to let you know if an upgrade is available.

To find out which firmware your camera is currently using, login to your camera (via Y-cam Setup program or by going to its IP address in your browser), select Settings, then System, and look for the number after Firmware Version.

If your camera has a firmware version of 1.33 or lower, then you have a 1st generation Y-cam.

If your camera has a firmware version between 1.98 and 3.99, you have a 2nd generation Y-cam.

If your camera has a firmware above 4, then you have a Y-cam SD pr a Y-cam Bullet.

WARNING - trying to load the wrong firmware to your camera can damage its operation. Only ever update the firmware suitable for your cameras generation.

Why does the Y-cam make a loud noise and echo when I enable the audio?

The loud noise coming from the speakers is due to audio feedback from the speakers to the Y-cam’s microphone.

Try locating the speakers further away from the camera or turn down the speaker volume to eliminate this.

What is difference in Sensitivity and Threshold in the Motion Detection setup?

The Sensitivity is the amount of change required in the image to increase the motion bar by a percentage.

Sliding the Sensitivity bar to the left will decrease the sensitivity of the motion detection i.e. more movement is required to trigger the alarm.

The best way to configure these settings is to adjust the settings and have someone walk in front of the camera until your feel you are getting the required results.

This trial and error method make take quite long to get right but it’s the best way to obtain good results.

The Threshold is the level that the motion bar needs to reach in order to trigger an alarm.

Can a Y-cam record video to a FTP server?

Only Y-cams equipped with a microSD can currently transfer video to a FTP.

This is done by recording video to the microSD card, and then setting the camera to FTP the contents of the microSD to a FTP server.

Which recording software is compatible with Y-cam?

Any software that supports adding a generic MJPEG camera will also support Y-cam.

In order to use a Y-cam with software that supports adding a generic MJPEG camera, please use the path “/stream.jpg” on to your cameras IP address.

This will instruct the software to extract the Motion JPEG video stream from the specified path in the Y-cam.

All current Y-cam models support this method.

For a list of software and services that support Y-cam - please visit our main website.

My Y-cam keeps dropping wireless connection

Wireless routers can broadcast on several different channels, similar to the way radio stations use different channels. Just like you'll sometimes hear interference on one radio station while another is perfectly clear, sometimes one wireless channel is clearer than others.

Try changing your wireless router's channel through your router's configuration page to see if your signal strength improves.

You don't need to change your computer's configuration, because it'll automatically detect the new channel.

If this doesn't result in an improved signal strength, look for things that may be interfering with the reception - proximity of walls, other electrical equipment etc.

The menu bar in Live View is covered by the video / I cannot access the menu

This problem often occurs when you use zoom on Internet Explorer.

You will find the controls for page zoom in the lower right of the browser window. Clicking on the zoom button will cycle though 3 common zoom states (100%, 125%, and 150%) and clicking on the arrow will allow you to choose from a wider variety of preset zoom states ranging from 10% to 1000%. You can also try keyboard commands - such as pressing Ctrl + 0 (Zero) or using the Ctrl key along with the + and – keys to increment and decrement the zoom by 10%. If these do not work, look under the browsers menu for Zoom / Text Zoom "reset".

What is the secondary stream for?

There are 3 video streams available. You can configure settings for the primary and an optional secondary and mobile video stream.

Configuring a secondary stream is useful for providing a video stream that is at a lower resolution than the primary stream, to third-party devices or software.

Some devices and software require lower resolution.

My Y-cam doesn't record videos using Windows Vista or 7

This is because of security issue in Windows Vista and 7. To work around the issue, you need to run Internet Explorer as an Administrator:

1)      In Windows, click the Start button to open the Start Menu.
2)      Locate and RIGHT click Internet Explorer in your program listing.
3)      From the menu, select "Run as Administrator"
5)      If a User Account Control box pops up, click Allow in the dialog box.

Once done, please proceed with the usual way of recording.

What are the benefits of upgrading the camera to the latest firmware?

New firmware versions are released periodically and they provide new features, improvement to existing features, fixes to known issues or bugs, etc.

It is strongly recommended that you upgrade to the latest firmware version available for your Y-cam product.

Please consult firmware release notes, for list of changes in all the firmware, available on the Y-cam website.

Will Y-cams work on the latest 802.11n wireless channel?

All Y-cam cameras are backwards compatible with 802.11n wireless devices.

My Y-cam Bullet does not work - there is no LED light on the front of it

The Y-cam Bullet does not have an LED on the front of it, so it is difficult to see if the camera is properly operating or not.

The reason why it does not have an LED in the front face panel is that the light would reflect off the front of the camera and cause problems with the picture.

There is however a small LED on the inside of the camera, which can be accessed by unscrewing the front end of the Bullet.

If you are having problems connecting to your camera, it is advised you check this inside LED for activity to help determine problems.

Can the Y-Cam shell be used with your SD products?

Y-cam Shell can be used with all Y-cam products, including the SD range. However once card is inserted into microSD slot, you wont be able to remove it, unless you take the camera out of the shell. However, the microSD can be accessed remotely by going into your camera settings.

To watch stored video or snapshots, connect to your Y-cam SD camera via any internet-enabled device (For information of how to do this, consult Section 4 of the quick start guide or the Y-cam manual). Log in to the camera as admin, and under the SD menu there is a "Browse SD" function, which will allow you to browse the stored alerts.

How long can you record on an 8gb microSD card?

As the quality of image, audio and movement can be varied, this answer is quite difficult to answer accurately.

microSD / SD card used : 8gb

Here are the limits we have found :

High Quality
Approximately 20 hours at highest quality settings*
Highest resolution: 640x480
Highest video bit rate: 2048 kbps (mpeg4)
Highest audio bit rate: 40kbps (G.726)
Highest frame rate: 25fps

*Depends upon the amount of movement and change within the image being recorded

Low Quality
Approximately 2,500 hours of video at lowest usable** quality settings***
Low resolution: 160x120
Low video bit rate: 128 kbps (mpeg4)
Low audio bit rate: 16kbps (G.726)
Low frame rate: 1fps

** Lower settings are available to select, but these settings have been selected as of a high enough quality for practical use
*** Depends upon the amount of movement and change within the image being recorded

So there is variance between the two - depending on which settings you choose within the camera.

There is also a limit of 1,000 file names on the SD models.

What is the maximum size of SD card or microSD card that can be used in the cameras?

MicroSD slot enabled cameras support microSD cards, of SD and SDHC variety, up to a maximum size of 8GB.

The cameras have been known to work with 16GB and 32GB microSD cards, but we do not officially support this size at the moment. We officially support microSD memeory cards up to 8GB.

Can the Y-cam send SMS or Text Messages to my phone when motion is detected?

As of May 2010, this not possible natively from the camera, but it can be easily setup either through an email to SMS gateway or through a 3rd party.

For example - by using an Email to SMS Provider, such as :

http://www.fastsms.co.uk/solutions/email-to-sms/email-to-sms.html
http://www.esendex.co.uk/Services/Email-SMS

You can also achieve this by using a Y-cam compatible Internet Services, and we have a list of these on our website :

http://www.y-cam.com/cms/solution_partners_ivr.php

The Internet services can allow you to connect your Y-cam to their service, and they can give you extras such as online storage as well as SMS alerts.

Do I need to display CCTV Warning signs when using Y-cam?

In the UK, the law surrounding CCTV (which includes the use of IP / Internet Cameras) is largely covered by the Data Protection Act, and the information supplied here should only be used as a guide.

Please consult http://www.ico.gov.uk/ for current rules and regulations regarding CCTV and camera systems.

Household Use

The use of CCTV cameras on residential properties is becoming increasingly common, which can be worrying if you feel that your privacy is being threatened.

There is an exemption for domestic or household processing of personal information, as long as this does not involve putting personal information on a website or making it available to the world at large in another way without good reason.

This means that if a CCTV camera mounted in your neighbour's property is overlooking your land, it is unlikely that they will be breaching the Data Protection Act. However, they may be breaching other legislation such as the law about harassment or voyeurism, and so may be subject to investigation by another body, such as the police.

The use of cameras for limited household purposes is exempt from the DPA. This applies where an individual uses CCTV to protect their home from burglary, even if the camera overlooks the street or other areas near their home. Images captured for recreational purposes, such as with a mobile phone, digital camera or camcorder, are also exempt.

The Data Protection Act does not apply to individuals’ private or household purposes. So if you install a camera on your own home to protect it from burglary, the Act will not apply.

Business Use

Most CCTV is directed at viewing and/or recording the activities of individuals. This means that most uses of CCTV by organisations or businesses will be covered by the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the provisions of this code, regardless of the size of the system.

Establishing a clear basis for the handling of any personal information is essential and the handling of images relating to individuals is no different. It is important to establish who has responsibility for the control of the images, for example, deciding what is to be recorded, how the images should be used and to whom they may be disclosed. The body which makes these decisions is called the data controller and is legally responsible for compliance with the Data Protection Act (DPA).

CCTV must not be used to record conversations between members of the public as this is highly intrusive and unlikely to be justified. You should choose a system without this facility if possible. If your system comes equipped with a sound recording facility then you should turn this off or disable it in some other way.

Storing and viewing the images

Recorded material should be stored in a way that maintains the integrity of the image. This is to ensure that the rights of individuals recorded by the CCTV system are protected and that the material can be used as evidence in court. To do this you need to carefully choose the medium on which the images are stored, and then ensure that access is restricted. You may wish to keep a record of how the images are handled if they are likely to be used as evidence in court. Finally, once there is no reason to retain the recorded images, they should be deleted. Exactly when you decide to do this will depend on the purpose for using CCTV.

Disclosure

Disclosure of images from the CCTV system must also be controlled and consistent with the purpose for which the system was established. For example, if the system is established to help prevent and detect crime it will be appropriate to disclose images to law enforcement agencies where a crime needs to be investigated, but it would not be appropriate to disclose images of identifiable individuals to the media for entertainment purposes or place them on the internet. Images can be released to the media for identification purposes; this should not generally be done by anyone other than a law enforcement agency.

Retention

The DPA does not prescribe any specific minimum or maximum retention periods which apply to all systems or footage. Rather, retention should reflect the organisation’s own purposes for recording images.

You should not keep images for longer than strictly necessary to meet your own purposes for recording them. On occasion, you may need to retain images for a longer period, where a law enforcement body is investigating a crime, to give them opportunity to view the images as part of an active investigation.

Letting people know

You must let people know that they are in an area where CCTV surveillance is being carried out.

The most effective way of doing this is by using prominently placed signs at the entrance to the CCTV zone and reinforcing this with further signs inside the area. This message can also be backed up with an audio announcement, where public announcements are already used, such as in a station.
Clear and prominent signs are particularly important where the cameras themselves are very discreet, or in locations where people might not expect to be under surveillance. As a general rule, signs should be more prominent and frequent where it would otherwise be less obvious to people that they are on CCTV.

Subject access requests

Individuals whose images are recorded have a right to view the images of themselves and, unless they agree otherwise, to be provided with a copy of the images. This must be provided within 40 calendar days of receiving a request. You may charge a fee of up to £10 (this is the current statutory maximum set by Parliament). Those who request access must provide you with details which allow you to identify them as the subject of the images and also to locate the images on your system.

Monitoring your workforce

When you install CCTV in a workplace, such as a shop, it is likely to capture pictures of workers, even if they are not the main subject of surveillance. If the purpose of the CCTV is solely to prevent and detect crime, then you should not use it for monitoring the amount of work done or compliance with company procedures. You should first of all consider whether better training or greater supervision would be a more appropriate solution.

Example: You suspect that your workers are stealing goods from the store room. It would be appropriate to install CCTV in this room, as it will not involve continuous or intrusive monitoring and is proportionate to the problem.

Example: You suspect that your workers are making mobile phone calls during working hours, against company policy, and you consider installing CCTV cameras on their desks to monitor them throughout the day. This would be intrusive and disproportionate. Continuous monitoring should only be used in very exceptional circumstances, for example where hazardous substances are used and failure to follow procedures would pose a serious risk to life.

Does the Y-cam support RTSP / MJPEG protocol?

The Y-cam supports RTSP and MJPEG streams. You can access the camera streams in the following ways.

This allows for integration with oher products - such as some NVR or NAS drives, or even online services, or for use of the camera stream in programs like QuickTime or VLC.

• Motion JPEG server push (if supported by the client, Firefox, for example). This option maintains an open HTTP connection to the browser and sends data as and when required, for as long as required. Enter the - path http://<ip>/stream.jpg
• Still JPEG images in a browser. Enter the path - http://<ip>/snapshot.jpg
• MJPEG via RTSP: rtsp://<ip>/live_mjpeg.sdp
• MPEG4 via RTSP: rtsp://<ip>/live_mpeg4.sdp

Complete Set of Paths :

RTSP MPEG4 stream: rtsp://<ip>/live_mpeg4.sdp
RTSP MJPEG stream: rtsp://<ip>/live_mjpeg.sdp
HTTP MPEG4 stream: http://<ip>:<port>/stream.av
HTTP MJPEG stream: http://<ip>:<port>/stream.jpg
HTTP snapshot image: http://<ip>:<port>/snapshot.jpg

For further details and to change the output of the streams, please click on the links in the “Stream Setup” page of the camera settings by the name of “Primary Stream”, “Secondary Stream” and “Mobile Stream”.

Files are being deleted from my SD card even though its not full!

When recording images or videos to an SD card the Y-cam needs to keep track of the files and file structure. This is done by indexing the SD card. The indexing program running on the Y-cam is limited to 1000 files and therefore when the number of files reaches this limit the camera has no choice but to delete older files and replace them with new ones as otherwise it would lose track of the SD card contents.

If your card gets full up regularly, you may want to use the FTP upload schedule, so the pictures/video are uploaded to an FTP at an interval (i.e daily at midnight) so old ones can be recorded over.

Unable to locally connect to my camera using cameras external IP

If external visitors to your network are able to reach your Y-cam, but you can't view it locally using the host or external IP address, you are experiencing a loopback connection error.

Instead of correctly interpreting your request and routing you locally, the router gets confused and you simply can't connect.

This can be fixed by changing security settings in your router such as the "Filter Internet NAT Redirection" setting in Linksys devices, or just use your cameras local network IP to access the camera.

What is the Mobile Stream for?

The Mobile stream is similar to primary and secondary stream but is purely for mobile viewing and has a fixed resolution.

Can second generation cameras be upgraded to an SD version?

No, second generation cameras and SD cameras have different hardware and cannot use the same firmware.

Email alerts are not being sent when motion is detected

This usually happens due to one of the following reasons :

1) The e-mail alert feature is not properly configured or the SMTP server that the IP camera uses to send the e-mail may be blocking the e-mail thinking the camera is trying to send spam e-mails. Try using a different SMTP server or contact your ISP to see if SMTP access is being blocked.

2) Your Default Gateway or Primary DNS on the camera may not be assigned. Check under Settings / System to see if your Default Gateway or Primary DNS IP is missing. If so, you will need to enter the settings under TCP/IP Setup.

3) Check your motion detection settings - it may be turned off or incorrectly set up.

My Y-cam cannot see my wireless network

Please check that the wireless channel of your router is not on channel 12 or 13.

Y-cams have been designed to work all over the world and since North America and some Central and South American countries disallow 12 and 13 we have restricted the use of these channels for international compatibility.

Try changing your wireless router's channel through your router's configuration page. You don’t need to change your computer’s configuration, because it’ll automatically detect the new channel.

What is the distance or range of Nightvision from a Y-cam?

A Y-cam equipped with nightvision has a typical indoor range of 10-15 metres.

However, the breadth of IR (Infrared) range can vary dependent on the environment in which it is placed.

When used outdoors in conjunction with the Y-cam Shell, greater dispersion and lower levels of reflected IR light from nearby surfaces, will result in a reduced range compared with typical indoor operation.

If you require coverage of a wider and longer field of view outdoors, or indoors, Y-cam recommends the use of separate IR illuminators or floods to light the required scene. Y-cam cameras are compatible with all IR illuminators as the Y-cam cameras can ‘see’ the full spectrum of IR light frequencies.

When looking out a window, my Y-cam only displays the reflection of Infrared lights

If you position an Infrared camera behind a glass window, it's likely you will only see the reflection of the lights when viewing the camera.

It is a very sad fact that most grades of domestic and commercial glass will reflect infrared light, so if you are mounting a camera to see through a window, during the day you get a nice sharp picture, but as soon as it gets dark and the IR lights come on, all you see is a bright white glow, as the lights are reflected off the glass.

To get around this - you can try to mount the camera a few feet away from the glass, but this does not provide a brilliant picture or view of what's outside.

There are three other solutions :

1) mount your camera outside (using the Y-cam Shell, or a dedicated outdoor camera such as Y-cam Bullet)
2) turn off the Infrared on the camera and use an outdoor light with a movement or heat sensor that will illuminate the outside when motion is detected (not very pretty)
3) use an external IR lamp/spotlight.

Using an external infrared lamp means you can keep your camera inside but still have a clear outdoor image provided by the IR lamp. Y-cams with Nightvision will pick up any other infrared light, even if its not from the camera.

Using an external lamp, you can turn off the on-camera nightvision and rely on the external lamp to provide the IR. You can purchase a cheap IR illuminator or spotlight from Ebay for about £15-20, or from places like Maplin/Radio Shack. Some of the lamps have motion detection to save lamp life, others just work all the time (although the infrared is invisible).

So when something happens, the lamp will come on, and in turn, the camera will pick up its infrared beam and record an alarm.

Which Generation is my Y-cam?

Your current camera firmware version will let us know which generation of camera you are using, and enable us to let you know if an upgrade is available. To find out which firmware your camera is currently using, login to your camera (via Y-cam Setup program or by going to its IP address in your browser), select Settings, then System, and look for the number after Firmware Version.

If your camera has a firmware version of 1.33 or lower, then you have a 1st generation Y-cam.

If your camera has a firmware version between 1.98 and 3.39, you have a 2nd generation Y-cam.

If your camera has a firmware above 4, then you have a 3rd generation Y-cam.

WARNING - trying to load the wrong firmware to your camera can damage its operation. Only ever update the firmware suitable for your cameras generation.

How to setup Y-cam with a wireless wifi connection

This "how to" guide walks you through how to setup Wireless on your Y-cam IP camera.

Enter the Settings screen of your Y-cam.

The Network menu is located on the right of the Settings screen. When you click on the word “Network”, a sub-menu of network setup options will be displayed.

Wireless Setup

The Y-cam can connect to any wireless network through standard IEEE802.11b/g WiFi connections, and features WEP and WPA Encryption for extra security.

To get the most benefit from the Y-cam, you will probably want to set up the camera to talk to your WiFi / Wireless Router.

To set this up, you will need to know:

-          The name of your WiFi / Wireless Network
-          The password or key to log-on to your WiFi / wireless network
-          How your network is protected – None, WEP64-bit, WEP128-bit, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK (your router will contain these details)
-          If the camera is connected to your router or your computer directly

Wireless Setup Options

[SSID] Type the ID of the wireless network you want to connect to or an easier option is to click “Search” and all available Wireless Networks in range will be displayed. If your network isn’t listed, move the camera closer to your wireless router or access point.

[Mode] Infrastructure mode or Adhoc mode:

Adhoc Mode: Select Adhoc mode when you want to connect the camera wirelessly directly to your computer.
Infrastructure Mode: Select Infrastructure mode when the camera is connected via an access point or router.

If you have connected your camera to your network via a router or switch, you will need the settings for “Infrastructure” setup.

If you have connected your camera directly to a computer, you will need the next section for “Adhoc” setup.

Infrastructure Wireless Setup Options

[Security mode] Select the type of security mode that your wireless network is using. None (i.e off), WEP64, WEP128, WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK

Whichever you are using, you will need to enter the settings to connect to your router. Each mode has default settings, which should suit most installations.

Example below shows WEP128bit encryption.

Any “key” it requires is the password you use to access your WiFi / Wireless Connection. You need to enter this twice so it matches.

Security Mode Options

[Authentication] Select the type of authentication that your router requires.

[Key type] Select the WEP/WPA key type. Either in hexadecimal (Hex) or ASCII characters. Note: Most routers provide WEP keys in Hex format.

[Encryption type] Select either TKIP or AES for your default encryption setting.

[WEP/WPA key] Type the encryption key that matches that of your router. You will need to enter this twice.

Once you have entered your settings, click “Apply” to save them. If you have entered a setting incorrectly (such as the key) the software will tell you.

Once the correct settings are saved, click on “Test” to test the settings. Note : Always click “Apply” before clicking on “Test” as otherwise the previous settings will be used to test the wireless. The test will take a few moments to run, and if your connection can successfully send and receive data, you will get a “success” message.

Note: The settings you enter to connect to your WiFi / Wireless access point or router need to be correct. Please contact the provider of the Wireless router or access point, or consult the equipments manual on how to verify or modify these settings.

Which NAS drives will work with the Y-cam NAS Ready feature?

Y-cam cameras can only record and save images to NAS devices that support CIFS/SMB protocols.

As the CIFS/SMB protocol is the backbone of many NAS functions, this is an extremely common protocol, so most NAS drives will work with our NAS-Ready feature.

To make sure it works, both Read and Write permissions need to be assigned to the camera from the NAS. Consult your manufacturers instruction manual to find out how to set permissions.

The camera will create a set of folders once successfully connected to the NAS drive.

Please make sure you assign only one camera to any folder path and that you create different paths for every camera, as otherwise the cameras may erase videos of other devices using that same path when space or number of files limits are reached.

My Y-cams are over-writing each others files on my NAS drive using NAS-Ready

You should make sure you only assign one camera to any one folder path on your NAS drive.

You should create different paths for every camera, as otherwise the cameras will erase videos of other devices when space or number of files limits are reached.

Which Infrared IR Illuminators can work with Y-cam?

Most Infrared Illuminators designed to work with CCTV/ IP cameras will work with Y-cams that have Infrared capability.

These will allow you to focus Infrared light on particular areas of your camera's field of view and also allow you to use infrared on an outside area without installing the camera externally.

An external IR Illuminator will also help eradicate the problem of glare from the cameras own infrared LEDs when used behind glass.

You should ensure that the illuminator emits light in the 850nm to 940nm wavelength range. 850nm wave length is ideal for CMOS and CCD cameras, since it perfectly matches the sensors requirements.

Illuminators operating in the 940nm wavelength may not generate the desired results since the area being illuminated is be shorter than when using 850nm.

Buffer Management is not available when I insert the microSD card

Buffer Management relies on the cameras internal memory to store images until they are needed.

If you are using a microSD enabled Y-cam, upon inserting a microSD card, the internal memory of the camera is diverted to help store and cache files on the microSD card.

Therefore, if you are using a microSD card in your Y-cam, buffer management will not available. You should use the SD Settings instead to record the desired area.

How can I setup more than 1 camera?

If you have already setup a camera and have it working with a DDNS name or an IP address, please follow the steps below to setup additional cameras.

1) If UPNP is successful you don’t need to do anything and you can find out which port number was allocated to your additional cameras by going onto the Systems page of the camera under Settings>System.

Figure 4: Illustration of UPNP success.

However, if UPNP is unsuccessful and the systems page shows ‘No UPNP Gateway’ then you will need to setup port forwarding manually for all the cameras. Please see below for an example of how to setup additional cameras.

For remote access, each camera requires a different port and you will need to configure port forwarding based on that. Let’s say you have two cameras Frontcam and Backcam, following are the IP addresses and port numbers:

Frontcam: - IP Address: 192.168.1.10 & Port: 8150

Backcam: - IP Address: 192.168.1.11 & Port: 8151

If the cameras are setup on the same port numbers on the router, then when you try to access the camera the router will not know which camera to display. So based on the above example set the range of Frontcam to 8150(Start) to 8150(End) and similarly 8151 to 8151 for the Backcam. Once done, you address will be something like:

johncam.dyndns.org:8150 -------> Frontcam

johncam.dyndns.org:8151 -------> Backcam

Note: You can verify if you have correctly configured the required ports by visiting http://www.canyouseeme.org/.

Do I have to pay for daily viewing?

No, absolutely not. There is no recurring cost.

The only possible cost involved in using a Y-cam is the bandwidth used to view and communicate with your camera, and this is reasonably minimum compared with other Internet activities.

I have one camera setup successfully now can I setup multiple cameras with the same DDNS name?

If you have already setup a camera and have it working with a DDNS name or an IP address, please follow the steps below to setup additional cameras.

Figure 4: Illustration of UPNP success.

Frontcam: - IP Address: 192.168.1.10 & Port: 8150

Backcam: - IP Address: 192.168.1.11 & Port: 8151

johncam.dyndns.org:8150 -------> Frontcam

johncam.dyndns.org:8151 -------> Backcam

Note: You can verify if you have correctly configured the required ports by visiting http://www.canyouseeme.org/.

How can I use a shared folder on a computer as a NAS?

To setup a shared folder as NAS please follow the instructions below:

1)Create a shared folder on the machine.

2)Find the IP address of your local machine, this can be done by Clicking on Start>Search for programs and files

3)On the command prompt window type ‘ipconfig’, this will help you find the Local IP address of the computer.

4) Once these details have been obtained, please enter them within the camera’s Storage Setup menu.

Username and Password: This is the username and password that is required to log on to the computer.

Now your camera will store all recorded footage to the dedicated folder.

I can't view my Y-cam via the Blackberry App

The Blackberry Application allows you to view the .3gp stream from the camera. To setup the Blackberry App, please follow the steps below:

1) Name: The name can be anything that allows you to easily identify the camera.

2) Camera URL: This is the address that you type into a browser to access the camera. If on the same network (connected to the same router as your camera) it would look something like 192.168.x.x and if over the internet 86.123.123.123:8150 or Johncam.dtdns.net:8150.

3) Username: This is the username required to access the camera. It can be a ‘admin’ account or any users that you might have added on the ‘User Management’ screen.

4) Password: This field requires the password to access the camera.

5) Re-type Password: Please re-enter the password, same as above.

6) Click Save.

Note: To view the camera on the Blackberry App the RTSP Authentication on the Mobile stream must be disabled ‘for other mobiles’. These can be changed under Settings>Camera>Stream setup. Please see Figure below.

What is the viewing angle of my camera?

Y-cam Black (S and SD): Horizontal angle: 60^o – Vertical angle: 45^o – Focal length:3.6cm

Y-cam Knight (S and SD): Horizontal angle: 60^o – Vertical angle: 45^o – Focal length:3.6cm

Y-cam White (S and SD): Horizontal angle: 60^o – Vertical angle: 45^o – Focal length:3.6cm

Y-cam Bullet: Horizontal angle: 50^o – Vertical angle: 40^o – Focal length:4.3cm

Y-cam Eyeball: Horizontal angle: 100^o – Vertical angle: 75^o – Focal length: 2.5cm

How do I setup the Blackberry Multilive app to work with my Y-cam?

The Blackberry Application allows you to view the .3gp stream from the camera. To setup the Blackberry App, please enter in the following settings:

1) Name: The name can be anything that allows you to easily identify the camera.

3) Username: This is the username required to access the camera. It can be a ‘admin’ account or any users that you might have added on the ‘User Management’ screen.

4) Password: This field requires the password to access the camera.

5) Re-type Password: Please re-enter the password, same as above.

6) Click Save.

How can I view my camera on the Internet?

Setup External/ Remote Access

To setup remote access on the camera following steps are required:

1) Setup port forwarding on the router: This step is not required, if UPNP is enabled on your router. However, occasionally even if the UPNP on the router is enabled, the router may not allow the camera to setup UPNP. To confirm if the UPNP has been successfully accepted by the router, please logon to your camera and under Settings>System, scroll down to UPNP Port Forwarding and confirm if the status says ‘Success’, please see Figure 1.2.

Figure 2: Systems page - UPNP Port Forwarding

However, if the UPNP status says ‘No UPNP Gateway’, then port forwarding will manually need to be setup. See steps below on how to manually setup port forwarding on your router:

a)Visit www.portforward.com

b)Skip the advertisement.

c)Select Y-cam IP Wireless camera.

Note: The www.portforward.com website will ask you to configure a port range of 8150 to 8350. However, if you are planning on installing multiple cameras please assign the port 8150 ( to Start and End port).

2) Signup for a free Dynamic DNS service: Setting up a dynamic IP address is a great way to easily access your camera if you have a static External/ Internet address. However, if your ISP has allocated a Dynamic IP address then this step is required for you access your camera outside your network.

To setup your DDNS:

a) Sign up at one of the DDNS websites (Recommended service providers - DTDNS, DYNDNS, NO-IP and 3322.org)

b) Enter those setting on the camera, please see Figure 3.

Figure 3: DDNS setup

Note: The username and password are for the DDNS Service Provider Website.

3) Setup a local static IP address on your camera: This step is optional because by default the camera obtains the IP address from the router or a DHCP server on the network. However, during Port forwarding setup on the router, the local IP address of the camera is required. If the local IP address of the camera changes due to router reboot or any other reason, the port forwarding would fail. For example, during the port forwarding setup the camera’s local IP address is 192.168.1.3 and port number 8150, and you try to access the camera from the outside your house, it will work. However, when the camera’s local IP address changes to 192.168.1.4 and you try to access the camera from outside the network on port number 8150, there router would not know where to forward the request to, as it doesn’t automatically update the new IP address of the camera.

Therefore it is recommended to setup a static local IP address on the camera. Before setting up a static IP address, you need the IP address automatically allocated to you by the router. This can be obtained from the System page of the camera. Please make a note of the following settings IP address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway and Primary DNS server (Figure 4).

To setup a static IP address on the camera open the Settings page of the camera, then under Network>TCP/IP Setup select ‘Use the following IP address’ and enter in the settings obtained from the systems page(Figure 5).

Figure 4: IP address and other settings on the systems page.

Figure 5: Network TCP/IP setup default settings

Figure 6: Setup static local IP address

How do I view the camera from outside my house?

Once, the above steps are setup; you would be able to access the camera from outside your house by typing the following address in the Address bar of any internet browser;

http://IPADDRESS:PORTNUMBER (Example: http://86.123.123.123:8150)

Or for the DDNS name, the following

http://DDNSHOSTNAME:PORTNUMBER (Example: http://johncam.dtdns.net:8150)

How can I setup a Y-cam camera with a Synology NAS?

Setting up a Y-cam Black SD with a Synology

Step1: Open the home page of the Synology workstation and login using admin account. (Default password is ‘blank’)

Step2: Click on Management

Step 3: Click on Create a shared folder.

Step 4: Create a new folder and name it Recording. The description field is for the user to identify the directory, it can also be left blank. Fill in the Name field and click OK.

Step 5: On the ‘Edit Shared Folder’ screen access permissions to the folders can be assigned. From the drop down menu select ‘Local Groups’ and assign read/ write permissions.

Step 6: Create a new user: Click ‘Create’.

Step 7: Fill in all the required details and select the appropriate options.

Y-cam Setup:

Step 1: Logon to the camera, under Settings>Storage>Storage Setup.

Step 2: Select ‘NAS’ and fill in the NAS path and username password for the user previously created on the Synology device (See example below).

Using the Y-cam MultiLive for iPhone app, I get a buffering screen with no audio or video

To enable the audio on the iPhone app, please verify that you the following settings:

Audio enable under camera setting and mobile stream setting (figure 1.1)
Disable mobile authentication (figure 1.2)

Note: The camera settings and audio can only be accessed when the admin username and password is used.

How can I view my Y-cam on my iPhone?

To access your camera on your iPhone, simply visit the external address of your camera (i.e your fixed external IP and port, or your DDNS account and port address).

On the iPhone, open the Web Browser (Safari), input the address exactly (start the address with "http://" but no need for www)

This will load the camera Homepage menu.

Rotate the iPhone so it becomes bigger, and click “live view”

It will prompt you for your cameras password.

This will log you in to the camera as usual.

If you are accessing a 2nd Generation Y-cam, the picture will auto switch to the MJPEG view.

If you are accessing a Y-cam SD, then zoom in by pinching the screen, and click on “Motion JPEG” on the far top right.

This will display the live stream from the camera, and you can zoom in and out to make it full screen.

Some later models of SD also allow for access to a dedciated iPhone view - put /iphone at the end of your cameras address.

There are Apps available in the iTunes App Store which will allow you to login in to the camera via the App and it will remember your login details and allow easy full screen display.

How can I reset my Y-cam Bullet ?

Resetting the Y-cam Bullet requires you to remove the front section of the camera. For this reason, it is advised not to do this once the camera has been mounted in a wall or in a non-easily accessible place or when moisture can penetrate inside the camera.

Unscrew the front part of the camera and pull out away from the lens array. Be careful not to damage any electronic components in the process. The reset button is situated behind the lens next to the power LED and SD card slot.

To reset the Y-cam to its factory defaults, with the Y-cam powered on press the "Reset" button for about 1 second then release. The LED (if enabled) will turn off after a short while then turn back on when the camera is booting. You may now access the Y-cam using the default user name "admin" and password "1234".

I have upgraded my MultiLive for iPhone app and now it doesn't work

If you upgrade MultiLive for iPhone to the latest version from the App Store, and the App looks strange or doesn't work properly, please delete the app and then reinstall the app from iTunes or the App Store.

Once the App is reinstalled please reconfigure the details of the camera.

Note: Please do not delete the Demo camera from the App until all personal cameras have been added. If you have already deleted the Demo camera before adding your personal camera/s please delete and redownload the App from the App store.

We are constantly making changes to the App, and sometimes these changes are major so older versions create conflicts that cause the app to crash.

How can I setup the NAS functionality of the camera?

This page covers how to setup your Y-cam to record to your NAS drive. To start you will need to access your cameras Storage menu, this is located on the right of the Settings screen.

Please enter your desired settings within this menu;

(Storage Select] Select whether you want to record on NAS or microSD card.

[NAS remote path] Enter the path that you wish to save the files to on your NAS Drive.

The camera accepts one level directory i.e. //192.168.1.100/Cam as opposed to //192.../Cam/Abc.

[Authorization1] Select whether authentication is required by the NAS Drive.

[User name] & [Password] Type the user name and password of the NAS Drive. This field is required if your NAS Drive requires authentication.

To complete click “Apply” to confirm your settings.

Note: It is recommended to create a new user with read and write permissions on the share as some NAS drives might behave differently. The camera accepts one level directory i.e. //192.168.1.100/Cam as opposed to //192.../Cam/Abc.

What hardware do I need for a POE setup?

Power over Ethernet or PoE technology is a system which passes electrical power along with data on the same Ethernet cabling.

A number of Y-cam cameras can be connected to via this means and depending on the model of the camera the minimum power requirements can vary:

Y-cam White/Black POE - 5.5W

Y-cam Bullet/Eyeball/ Bullet HD – 12.5W

There are many PoE devices readily available; you can either use a PoE switch or an injector with 802.3af standard and the above power values on each port.

For example, if a 4 port PoE switch has a total PoE power of 55w:

55/4 = 13.75W

The individual port power would be 13.75w and would therefore work with all Y-cam PoE compatible cameras.

How do I setup an email server on the camera?

Email Server Setup

E-mail server ID: Multiple e-mail servers can be setup using this ID.

Please see below for a list of SMTP server settings for Yahoo and Gmail servers.

Yahoo! Mail Settings

SMTP Server - smtp.mail.yahoo.com

Port – 465

SSL enabled

Authentication – Yes

Google GMail Settings

SMTP Server - smtp.gmail.com

Port – 465

SSL enabled

Authentication – Yes

Username: Please use the front part of the email address i.e. if you email address is john@yahoo.com then your username will be john.

Password and Retype password – Please type in your password required to logon to your email address.

Sender mail address: Please type in you full email address.

Receiver mail address: Please type in the receiving email address.

Mac Support

Articles for Mac related problems and enquiries

Mac compatibility for different generations?

Our 1st Generation cameras are only viewable through Internet Explorer (due to the hardwares reliance on ActiveX) but once setup can be viewed in Internet Explorer on any system.

Our 2nd Generation cameras also use MJPEG for the stream, so once the camera is setup, pictures can be viewed in any browser on any system. Functions such as motion detection, recording and snapshots are not available when viewing the MJPEG streams.

Our SD and Bullet cameras now include a Flash based interface and compatibility with QuickTime. Mac users can now view live video with audio (using QuickTime), control the motion detection settings within a browser (using Adobe Flash), take snapshots & record video footage locally using QuickTime Pro (purchased seperately).

Y-cam Setup Software for Mac doesn't find my camera

Due to the secure nature of Mac computers there may be particular configurations and settings which do not allow the Y-cam Setup software to detect cameras on the network. Below are OS specific procedures to allow the Y-cam Setup software to search for cameras on the network.

UDP stands for User Datagram Protocol. Using this method, the computer sending the data packages the information into a nice little package and releases it into the network with the hopes that it will get to the right place. That is what is used to detect any camera on the network.

The procedures below enables UDP within your system :

Please Note: Leaving ports open can expose you to malicious attacks from the internet or other computers around you. It is recommended you revert the settings back to their current state after following any of the below procedures and setting up your cameras.

OSX 10.4 (Tiger)

1. Click on “System Preferences”

2. Click on “Sharing” in the Internet and Network section.

3. Select “Firewall” tab then click “Advanced”

4. Make sure the check box next to “Block UDP Traffic” is un-ticked then click “Ok”

5. Quit System Preferences and test the Y-cam Setup software again.

OSX 10.5 (Leopard)

1. Click on “System Preferences”

2. Click on “Security” in the “Personal” section

3. Select the “Firewall” tab

4. Select “Allow all incoming connections”

5. Close the window and wait for a few seconds (around 30 seconds) for the system to update the adapter settings then run Y-cam setup.

OSX 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

1. Click on “System Preferences”

2. Click on “Security” in the “Personal” section

3. Select the “Firewall” tab then click on “Advanced”

4. Select “Automatically allow signed software to receive incoming connections”

5. Click on the “+” button and locate and select the Y-cam Setup program then click “Add”. You should now “Y-cam – Allow incoming connections” in the table.

6. Close the window and wait for a few seconds (around 30 seconds) for the system to update the adapter settings.

7. Press and hold the control (ctrl) button on your keyboard and click once on the Y-cam Setup Icon. This should open a menu. Click on “Get Info”

8. In the “General” section, make sure “Open using Rosetta” is ticked then close the window.

9. Close any Y-cam Setup that are running then run the program again.

Connecting a Y-cam directly to your Mac

How can I connect my Y-cam direct to my Mac machine wirelessly?

This will enable you to view your Y-cam directly from a wireless Mac machine without the need for a router (also known as Adhoc connection).

In order to be able to connect 2 IP devices without a DHCP server (i.e your Mac and a Y-cam), it is required to assign static IPs to the devices manually.

To do this on your Mac :

1.      Choose Apple on left top corner > System Preferences, and then click Network.

2.      Select the network connection service from the list, and then click Advanced.

3.      Click TCP/IP, and then use the Configure IPv4 pop-up menu to make the adjustments as follow.

·         In the “IPv4 Address” Field type in the number 192.168.1.20 ,

·         In the “Subnet Mask” type in 255.255.255.0

·         In the “Router” type 192.168.1.150 The camera will automatically assign its self this IP address when no DHCP server is present.

4.      Click on the AirPort icon in your menu bar. From the AirPort menu, select Create Network. Input “ycam” as network name.

5.      Click on Show Options and encrypt the connection by entering a password as described in the dialog box.

6.      Click on OK. The AirPort icon in the system menu bar changes to a little computer in a gray signal field.

7.      Each user on your ad hoc network can now select the network that appears in his or her AirPort menu and enter the password you set.

8.      Power up the Y-cam

9.      Search for wireless devices from the computer, select the SSID “ycam” and connect to it.

10. Run the Y-cam setup software and you should see a camera with the IP address 192.168.1.150

11. Double click on the IP address to access the camera then click on “Live View”

I have installed Y-cam setup on my iMac, however it doesn't find my Y-cam

Due to the secure nature of the Mac system, it is likely that Mac OS 10.6.4 isn't enabling Rosetta properly when the software is installed.

Please perfom following steps to make Y-cam Setup work:

1. Within "application", press and hold the control (ctrl) button on your keyboard and click once on the Y-cam Setup Icon. This should open a menu. Click on “Get Info”

2. In the “General” section, please untick “Open using Rosetta” and then close the window.

3. Close any Y-cam Setup that are running.

4. Then go to "applications" again and press and hold the control (ctrl) button on your keyboard and click once on the Y-cam Setup Icon. This should open a menu. Click on “Get Info”

5. In the “General” section, please tick the “Open using Rosetta” and then close the window.

6. Close any Y-cam Setup that are running then run the program again.

This simple process will effectively enable Rosetta on your system and allow for Y-cam Setup to work properly.

iPhone Support

Articles relating specifically to our MultiLive for iPhone app

Using the Y-cam MultiLive for iPhone app, I get a buffering screen with no audio or video

To enable the audio on the iPhone app, please verify that you the following settings:

Audio enable under camera setting and mobile stream setting (figure 1.1)
Disable mobile authentication (figure 1.2)

Note: The camera settings and audio can only be accessed when the admin username and password is used.

Top Level Category

Table of Contents

Top Level Category

General Support

What is the difference between the Y-cam Black And Knight?

Can I view my Y-cam camera on my mobile phone?

What is the maximum number of users which can view the Y-cam simultaneously?

Is it possible to remotely access video and snapshots stored on SD?

How to identify different generations of cameras?

What can I do if I want to install my Y-cam upside down?

How can I tell if my Y-cam is detecting motion properly?

How many motion detection windows can I have for each Y-cam

Why is the time displayed in the live view different from the system time of my PC?

Every time I try to use record function when using IE7 I get an error of "Buffer Overrun Detected!"

Is the Y-cam weatherproof?

How do I view multiple Y-cam cameras at one time?

What is the difference between 1st and 2nd generation Y-cam cameras?

What Dynamic DNS Services does the Y-cam support?

What operating systems and internet browsers does the Y-cam support?

What is a network camera?

Can I view Y-cam from a Blackberry phone?

How can I view the camera from a mobile phone?

Can I use Y-cam as a Webcam?

What are the different "generations" of Y-cams all about?

What happens when an SD Card is full?

Setup says my Wireless connection is ok, but the system says its not connected

System says Wireless Connected, but camera is not showing in Y-cam Setup software

Mac compatibility for different generations?

Browse Technical Support FAQs by clicking the above Category links

Which is the internal IP and external IP and DDNS of my camera?

Will the camera remember its configuration when the power is turned off?

What do I need to have before I can setup a Y-cam?

What is the frequency setting and why would I want to set it to a different frequency?

Connecting a Y-cam directly to your Mac

How do I set up my Y-cam's email settings to email me a snapshot image when motion is detected or at periodic intervals?

How do I set up my Y-cam's FTP settings to upload to my FTP server when an event is triggered?

Can I limit my Y-cam's framerate to reduce bandwidth and disk space usage?

How can I try and limit my Y-cam's bandwidth usage on my network?

What is the difference between "Administrator" and "Users" in the Y-cam User List?

Using MultiLive monitoring software, one or more of my cameras gets stuck on 'Connecting'. What could be wrong?

Are micro SDHC cards compatible with the Y-Cam?

What is the difference between a Y-cam and a Webcam?

How can I change the IP address of my Y-cam?

I have forgotten the password to my Y-cam

How do I add/delete users from my Y-cam?

My Y-cam is out of range of my Wireless Router

I've double checked my email settings but my snapshot emails are not being delivered

Why can't I see any video from the Y-cam after I input the correct user name and password?

What does the Power LED light setting do?

The first time I plug my camera in it asks for a password. What is the default password?

Windows does not let me install the ActiveX file. Which settings should I change to install it?

My Y-cam Black or Knight displays a purple / silver / pink picture. Is there a setting I need to change?

What is the purpose of passive mode in the FTP configuration?

How can I obtain the latest Firmware Update?

Why does the Y-cam make a loud noise and echo when I enable the audio?

What is difference in Sensitivity and Threshold in the Motion Detection setup?

Can a Y-cam record video to a FTP server?

Which recording software is compatible with Y-cam?

My Y-cam keeps dropping wireless connection

The menu bar in Live View is covered by the video / I cannot access the menu

What is the secondary stream for?

My Y-cam doesn't record videos using Windows Vista or 7

What are the benefits of upgrading the camera to the latest firmware?

Will Y-cams work on the latest 802.11n wireless channel?

My Y-cam Bullet does not work - there is no LED light on the front of it

Can the Y-Cam shell be used with your SD products?

How long can you record on an 8gb microSD card?

What is the maximum size of SD card or microSD card that can be used in the cameras?

Can the Y-cam send SMS or Text Messages to my phone when motion is detected?

Do I need to display CCTV Warning signs when using Y-cam?

Does the Y-cam support RTSP / MJPEG protocol?

Files are being deleted from my SD card even though its not full!

Unable to locally connect to my camera using cameras external IP

What is the Mobile Stream for?

Can second generation cameras be upgraded to an SD version?

Email alerts are not being sent when motion is detected

My Y-cam cannot see my wireless network

What is the distance or range of Nightvision from a Y-cam?

When looking out a window, my Y-cam only displays the reflection of Infrared lights

Which Generation is my Y-cam?