Topic: Will the real Foscam please stand up?

[WeatherHost]

Got a Foscam FI8918W, Black from Amazon.  Set-up went fine including the wireless.  Can access from PC web browsers and operate controls, change settings, etc.

Quick Set up sheet is the typical half-translated from Chinese stuff, but it's better than most.  Full guide on CD is better, but not perfect.

Both refer to foscam.com which appears legit, but is obviously Chinese.  Web search for 'foscam' shows a US site at foscam.us.  Support forum link from the Chinese site gos to the US site, but discussions there refer to the Chinese site.

As far as I can tell, the tags on the bottom of my camera are correct.

So, how do you know which is real and which is a clone?

[Bushman]

http://www.gadgetvictims.com/2009/09/yet-another-firmware-for-foscam-fi8908w.html

[WeatherHost]

Guess I got a real one from what I can tell.  Picture quality is OK, not great, but it'll serve the purpose.  Anybody know if the picture quality would be better using a wired connection?

Now I need to find a dome or other enclosure I can adapt to it.  I've got it outside under an overhang for now.  So far, temps in the 30s haven't bothered it.  Since it'll be 40' up in the air, I want it as maintenance free as possible.

[Hegesvlwthrmn]

Do not bother making one. I ordered this one. I mounted it 28' up on my tower. Works great. It has been in rain and now freezing temps. So far so good. It took two weeks to get it from China. But it is made for the Foscam cameras. It even comes with extension cables.

http://www.aliexpress.com/fm-store/802785/211041246-330679386/Free-shipping-7-Outdoor-waterproof-Dome-Enclosure-For-FosCam-Wireless-IP-Camera-or-similar-camear-tea.html

Here is a picture of my tower without the camera. But the camera dome is mounted two feet below the Vantage pro you see here:

http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=12845.0

I get a chance, I will take pictures of the tower with the dome. I am curious to see how well it works this winter.

[Dr Obbins]

I purchased an Agasio A512 POE cam which is basically a Foscam under a different name. Was supposed to get it for Christmas, but nobody was home and I wanted to see what it looked like so I could start planning how to mount it. 

I am glad I did, because the wrong camera was in the box. On one side was a picture of the A512 POE and it's specs. On the other side was a picture of the A502 wireless cam and it's specs. But inside was neither camera. It was just a standard wired cam. So it is being returned today.

[WeatherHost]

This one is both wired and wireless, but I'm not sure about PoE.  I'll probably run a piece of 22AWG D-Station phone wire up to it for the power adapter.