Why buy a Loftek CXS 2200 WiFi Pan/Tilt Camera?
I have already invested in a few other network pan/tilt cameras (FI8918W), but this time I was looking for something with slightly better range at night. The Loftek CXS 2200 advertised a range of 15 meters. How did it fair in actual use?
Installation / Setup
It was simple enough. With the other cameras I was able to find them on my network without the installation CD. With this Loftek WiFi camera I did have use the included camera finder app. Fortunately it did not require an install and the .exe ran straight off the disk to help configure the camera. The only issue I had during setup was that FTP didn't appear to be working. Once I noticed that I had not setup the Gateway correctly in Network Settings, I was good to go.
Usage
I have only had the camera up for a few days, but I must say I'm pleased with its performance. It features 99% of the features offered in other WiFi pan/tilt cameras I've worked with. It has striking similar web interface and has limited support for mobile devices.
The Loftek 2200 configured with my Vera home automation controller in a similar fashion to the other PT cameras.
One thing its missing is the ability to save preset camera positions. This would be a bigger deal except the other cameras don't always preform well here anyway.
Like some of the other cameras, it does allow you to disable the bright green LED that shows network connectivity. This is great because I don't exactly want to broadcast the cameras position.
Features
The Loftek 2200 features:
- Supports Wireless b/g protocols
- 270 degrees horizontal pan, 120 vertical
- 2-way audio, but only has a Audio out (no speaker?)
- VGA/QVGA/QQVGA resolutions
- Alarm notification via email or FTP
- Infrared LED (Amazon listing advertises 15m, box says 5-10m)
Summary
The Loftek CSX 2200 was a fair compliment to my existing Home Automation network and Security setup. The price was just right at ~$77. I found it to be overall a much smoother experience than the EasyN PT cameras previously purchased.
