I want to do this mostly to see my dog while I’m away. My mother can be there to turn it on and off if necessary. Do you know what is the least expensive way to do this? Is it possible to just set up a webcam on my computer at home and then view it with any computer where I am. Do you know if I need to download free surveillance software from Cnet download.com?
If the camera comes with webcam software (you can view it by connecting to the computer it’s connected to), just connect it, install the software and, if you’re using a router (or if your modem does address translation), forward the port it needs to that computer. (You can leave the computer on 24/7.)
To forward ports, go to http://www.portforward.com/english/applications/port_forwarding/mIRC_Auth-IdentD/mIRC_Auth-IdentDindex.htm choose your router (or modem) and follow the instructions. Use the port the camera uses instead of port 113. (It can use any of thousands of port numbers, so I just picked a program that uses a single port number for you.)
If you have questions, you can email me.