Month: February 2014

Home Surveillance Made Possible by the Internet


During the pre-internet era folks often wondered how they can keep vigil on their personal and household items while they were on vacation or taking a trip– hundreds or thousands of miles away. These days however, it is quite possible for folks to monitor their home while being away, especially with today’s technology, including the explosive growth of Internet use and capabilities–.

Although the technology may sound a bit out there at first, this day and age it certainly isn’t out of reach. hardware used for surveillance today is inexpensive and ready to use all over the world. All it takes is someone with a bit of practical sense and the curiosity to try new and exciting technology.

Taking advantage of such tools and equipment will require a reliable Internet connection since the Internet is the heart and soul of distance surveillance equipment, which enables an individual to keep check on home from hundreds of thousands of miles away.

However, if you are planning to invest in an Internet powered surveillance system, you should first make sure that you have access to a high speed Internet connection to your home. Dial-up isn’t recommended, as the speeds are far too slow to accommodate video broadcasting.

There are two solutions from which to choose, each one with varied features and complexities. The first solution utilizes a personal computer and consists of several home surveillance cameras all connected together via a system that will survey the areas and record what they see at either a set rate per second, or based on any movement they detect. Depending on the system you select, you may or may not be able to adjust these settings.

The computer will play back video via the monitor, and record the video to a HDD or hard disk drive. You’ll need to connect that computer to the Internet through an ISP (Internet Service Provider), in order to watch video from a distance.

To watch the video while you are away from home you will need to log into the computer with your unique username and password. You can log in at any time, and to operate the computer or watch video images which the computer surveillance system has recorded.

The other available solution is much easier. Normally, this solution is used to check on a home through a single surveillance camera. Setting up this way will allow you to use a single camera through your IP (Internet Protocol) address.

By setting it up through your IP, all that is needed to check on things is to link directly to your IP. Once you have brought up your IP address, you can see live views through the camera. This method works similar to a webcam, in the sense that it streams video around the clock.

No matter which solution you choose, both are reasonably easy to use. Of course the second solution is much easier to use and setup, although it does have disadvantages as well. However this method offer a lot of great features, including the ability to log in at any time. You can check video any time you wish, even change your preferences according to your needs.

Anytime you need to monitor your home from far away, home surveillance and the Internet is all you need. The Internet is a common commodity these days, capable of doing far more than anyone ever thought possible two decades ago. By investing in a surveillance system that utilizes the Internet– you’ll be able to keep a watchful eye on your home from wherever the road takes you.

Protecting Your Mailbox Against Theft


Although most people only think about their home and property when dealing with home security, the mailbox is equally as important. On a daily basis, there is a lot of personal information that goes through your mailbox. Even though burglary is a concern, identity theft is just as big a concern.

Most people don’t even think about theft proofing their mailboxes, which easily explains the increase in identity theft over the years. Almost all mailboxes can be easily broken into, giving thieves instant access to personal information.

Even though there are many mailbox designs in the United States, most of them are outdated in terms of security. They might perform their duties of receiving mail quite well, although they normally don’t offer the security needed to protect people from identity theft. These days identity theft is a common thing– simply because people don’t do a better job with protecting their mailbox.

Each and every day we all get personal information delivered to us by mail. In some cases, we get credit card offers or bills that contain our personal information. Although we don’t think anything about it, most of us head out to our mailbox, collect the mail, and then go back in our houses.

All it takes is a thief to beat you to the mailbox by just a couple of minutes. Once the thief has collected a few pieces of your mail, s/he can easily use your personal information to charge credit cards and other fraudulent things using your identity.

To protect yourself against identity theft you should always include your mailbox in any plans to acquire a home security system. The mailbox is very important, and should always be protected. If you have a traditional mailbox now, you should get rid of it immediately. As a replacement, you should look into a safe and secure mailbox. The ideal types are those made of solid steel.

The top of the box should be accessible to the mailman, allowing him to put mail in without a problem. The bottom side of the mailbox however, should only be accessible via key. Mailboxes that require a key to get into will protect you from identity theft – as the thief simply won’t have access to your mail.

You can find secure mailboxes at a local hardware or department store, even online. There are very affordable these days and will go a long way in protecting you for identity theft. Mailboxes that are constructed from solid steel are nearly impossible to break into, yet they will open easily for you to check your mail with the lock and key system.

The next time you go out to the mailbox to check your mail you should think twice about your safety and theft proof your mailbox to protect yourself and your loved ones from identity theft. Don’t leave yourself open to fraud based on identity theft, because having knowledge of how to prevent it and doing nothing about it is worst than not knowing how to prevent it.