AXIS 206W: Questions & Answers

Specific Q&As on the AXIS 206W:

Q: Does the AXIS 206W have an Ethernet port?
 
A: No, the AXIS 206W only has a wireless 802.11b Wi-Fi certified port. If you need a network camera with an Ethernet port, we recommend the AXIS 210, AXIS 207 or AXIS 206M.

Q: How do I set the IP address of my AXIS 206W?
 
A: The TCP/IP and wireless settings are set up by attaching the enclosed USB cable to your PC's USB port. The AXIS 206W will appear as a USB disk to the PC and launch an application for setting it up. If you run a Mac or Linux computer, you will see a config file which may be edited and saved.
 
In addition, you may use the other Axis standard installation methods if your wireless LAN does not have encryption turned on. This includes the use of DHCP (which is enabled by default), AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service, the use of arp/ping, or the use of UPnP (see below). On a Mac, the camera will pop up under my devices when used with the Safari browser.
 
Once the network parameters are set, you can use the Web browser to configure advanced settings.

Q: Is the AXIS 206W secure?
 
A: AXIS 206W supports security on several levels. For the wireless LAN connection, WEP (64 and 128-bit) is supported, which allows for encryption of the data. Support for WPA-PSK (WiFi Protected Access) security is also included. Secondly, access to the camera itself can be password protected on two levels: administration and individual viewing. The viewing can be set up to be fully open, if desired. In addition, control of the camera can be restricted by VPN, local networks or IP filtering by your network administrator.

Q: What is the difference between an AXIS 205 and AXIS 206W?
 
A: Besides the wireless operation, other differences include the following:

• The AXIS 206W has better light sensitivity: 4-10 000 (where the AXIS 205 begins at 10 lux)
• The AXIS 206W has superior image quality using a state-of-the-art CMOS sensor, which gives clearer colors. For more explanation, click here.
• The AXIS 206W comes with an video management software, the AXIS Camera Explorer that can view and administrate, and allow for manual recording of images. 
• The AXIS 206W offers multiple language support in its Web pages
• The AXIS 206W offers many smaller feature improvements such as UPnP, enhanced Mac support and more internal memory.

Q: What is the light sensitivity of the AXIS 206W?
 
A: It works from 4 lux up to 10 000 lux. In really dark conditions, the frame rate decreases. Four lux is usually enough for most indoor applications, even with low light. For very dark situations, we recommend a more light-sensitive camera such as the AXIS 211.

Q: What is the actual range of the AXIS 206W?
 
A: The AXIS 206W works in tests of 450 feet (150 m) line of sight. It is difficult to give a specific distance as the range will fall significantly due to obstructions such as walls and trees.

Q: What is the maximum image size and frame rate of the AXIS 206W?
 
A: The AXIS 206W will run images in 3 different resolutions: 640x480 (VGA), 320x240 (CIF) and 160x120 (QCIF). It can run up to 30 frames per second in all resolutions if enough bandwidth is available. The effective bandwidth on the wireless LAN is typically less than the specified 11 MBit--often in the range of 3 Mbps. This normally means that the frame rate may be around 20 frames per second at full size VGA resolution.

Q: When I use the AXIS 206W in really low light I see lines and shining dots in the image. Is this normal?
 
A: Yes, this is normal as the AXIS 206W is built using a CMOS image sensor. In low light, one will see this phenomena called "fixed pattern noise". This is a technology limitation of CMOS'. If better image quality is needed in a low-light application, we recommend using a CCD-based camera such as the AXIS 210 or AXIS 211.
 
Axis is using a state-of-the-art CMOS image sensor, which provides more light sensitivity and better color quality than most other CMOS-based cameras.

Q: I want to replace the antenna for longer range. How do I do that?
 
A: The AXIS 206W has a built-in antenna that is not possible to replace. You can, however, use a wired Axis network camera together with a wireless bridge that supports longer range antennas.

Q: How many AXIS 206W network cameras may I attach to one access point?
 
A: This depends on many factors. The effective bandwidth on the wireless LAN is typically less than the specified 11 MBit--often in the range of 3 Mbps. There is also a limitation on the possible number of units that may be on a wireless LAN, depending on the brand of the access points. Typically, it will be possible to have at least 10 cameras on one access point as long as the aggregated bandwidth is less than 3 Mbps, but this may vary. As an example, 10 cameras on 3 Mbps means 2 frames per second in a 320x240 CIF resolution (where an average image file is 15 KB). If more cameras are needed, one may have different access points of different channels which can triple the throughput.

Q: Can I replace the CF card with any other card?
 
A: No. The CF card is not replaceable and removing it will void the warranty.

Q: Can I replace the CF 802.11b card with any other card working on 802.11g, for example?
 
A: No. The firmware in the AXIS 206W has a driver that is specific to the chipset in the supplied card. It is not a generic CF driver. If you are a manufacturer and have suggestions for a good 802.11g card that is fully Wi-Fi compliant and has a Linux driver, please contact us.

Q. I have an 802.11g access point/broadband router. Can I use AXIS 206W with it?
 
A. Yes, 802.11g provides for 802.11b compatibility and provided the access point/broadband router is Wi-Fi compliant, it should be able to communicate with the AXIS 206W using 802.11b.

Q: Can I use the AXIS 206W USB cable as a USB type Webcam?
 
A: No, the USB port is only used for setup and the camera cannot be used as a Webcam. The USB profile that is supported is a disk.

Generic Q&As on the AXIS 206 product series:

Q: Can I use the AXIS 206 series outdoors?
 
A: No, the AXIS 206 series is designed for indoor use only. For outdoor use, one would need an iris and an outdoor enclosure to make it weatherproof. Axis does not currently offer such options for the AXIS 206 series.

Q: What happens if I were to use the AXIS 206 series outdoors?
  
A: The AXIS 206 will produce nice images for some time, but after a while, the color filter of the camera will bleach--as any colored object will do--from the strong light. As a result, the camera will give a bad image quality with stripes in its view. This is not covered by the warranty since the AXIS 206 is for indoor use only.

Q: What is the difference between a Web camera and a network camera? 
 
A Web camera is connected to a PC, normally through a USB port, and uses the PC to make video available to other viewers. A Web camera only works if it is directly attached to a PC.
 
A network camera combines the functionalities of a high-end Web camera, the PC and network interface into one network-ready product.

Q: Where can I buy another lens for my AXIS 206 camera?
 
A: Axis does not know of a supplier of different lenses as the AXIS 206 series cameras are custom made. The AXIS 206W has a 1/4 inch image sensor.

Q: You talk about the One-click installation. What is that and do I need this?
 
A: For AXIS 206 customers, Axis offers a free service that allows users to connect to the camera using a customer friendly name (such as http://axis123456.axiscam.net) instead of the more cumbersome use of IP addresses. If the IP address is changed, it will automatically update the DNS service. It is a convenient way to access cameras when you have access to the Internet.

Q: Can I save video from the camera?
 
A: Yes. The AXIS 206 series has full support for AXIS API and comes with an video management software called the AXIS Camera Explorer. This is a software for simplified viewing and manual video recording.
 
You may also use other Axis video management software, such as the AXIS Camera Station or the AXIS Camera Recorder for advanced recording functionalities. These software also allow you to view and manage a large number of cameras. If you need more advanced or specific recording tools, there is a wide range of third party software solutions available for Windows and Linux platforms. Click here to find out more about them.

Q: Must I have an Internet connection to use the camera?
 
A: No. The camera works also on a local area network without an Internet connection.

Q: How can I control the bandwidth use?
 
A: Bandwidth use is dependent on selected image resolution, quality, frame rate and number of users and applications accessing the camera simultaneously. All of these can be adjusted to meet the requirements.

Q: Can I use the AXIS 206 series as an alarm device?
 
A: No. There is no I/O or Video Motion Detection in the AXIS 206 series. If there is a need for this, you need a higher end camera such as the AXIS 210 or AXIS 211.

Q: Can I use the camera with my Mac?
 
A: Yes. The AXIS 206 series will work with Mac and several other platforms, but functionality may be limited when using certain combinations of operating systems and browsers. The Mac support will be improved in future versions. Currently the recommended browser is Mozilla or Camino.

Q: I don't want to draw people's attention to the camera. Can I turn off the LEDs in the front?
 
A: Yes. The LEDs can be controlled from the Setup section in the Web interface, but will require Administrator rights. The LED on the wireless antenna of the AXIS 206W may not be shut off. If needed, it can be hidden with the use of a small piece of black tape.

Q: Does AXIS 206 series support NetMeeting, Windows Media Player or similar Webcam applications?
 
A: No. The AXIS 206 is not a Webcam designed for those applications; it is a complete network camera with a built-in Web server and IP address.

Q: Does AXIS 206 Network Cameras support Power over Ethernet?
 
A: No. For Power over Ethernet support, we recommend the AXIS 211.

Q: Does AXIS 206 Network Camera support audio?
 
A: No, there is no support for audio. For audio, we recommend that you use other Axis products, such as AXIS 2120 and the AXIS 2191 Audio Module.

Q: Does AXIS 206 Network Camera have any serial interfaces or capabilities?
 
A: No. The USB interface on the AXIS 206W may not be used for anything except setup. It emulates a disk device and is not USB-host compatible.

Q: How much bandwidth does the camera require?
 
A: The file size of a JPEG image depends on factors such as selected resolution, compression level and the actual content of the image. Typical image sizes for 640x480, using medium compression and normal daytime indoor office lighting levels, are in the range of 30 to 40 KB. The size for an image of 320x240 at medium compression is in the range of 8 to 9 KB. The image size is then multiplied by the actual frame rate to define the bandwidth utilized. The user can limit the frame rate and number of simultaneous viewers if desired. On a 100 Mbps Ethernet network, a network camera will typically use 1% to 3% of the available bandwidth.

Q: What is the benefit of the UPnP support?
 
A: Supported in Microsoft Windows XP, UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) is a network discovery mechanism for intelligent network devices such as network cameras. When enabled (by default it is not enabled in Windows XP), all UPnP network devices will automatically appear in "My network places" to simplify installation and use.

Q: In home or small business installations, if I only have one IP address from my ISP into my DSL or cable modem connection, how can I access several cameras on the network from the Internet?
 
A: Two issues need to be resolved. First, you need to find out which IP address your connection has from the outside--it is not the same as on your LAN. This can be done using AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service. Secondly, each camera on the local network needs to be set up with a unique port number which the broadband router can map to reach to the cameras' local IP addresses. Please refer to your router's documentation for port forwarding. 
 
Example:
Camera1 is set up to port 80 (default), and Camera2 to port 8080. Their local IP addresses are 192.168.0.52 and 192.168.0.53 respectively. The Internet/WAN address of the DSL connection is found out, by using AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS service, to be 123.61.102.112. The broadband router is now set up to map port 80 to 192.168.52 and port 8080 to 192.168.0.53. Camera1 can now be accessed with http://123.61.102.112:80 and Camera2 with http://123.61.102.112:8080 (or more likely by using the AXIS Internet Dynamic DNS Service name as your ISP may change your assigned Internet/WAN address every time you power off your router, but the principle of port mapping in the router is the same).