First of all the SETUP is very easy. The on screen prompts will take you though the steps.1. Install the software.
2. Plug the master network adapter into the power outlet and plug the Ethernet cable into your router
3. Plug the camera into power outlet and click yes to update firmware (adapters and camera).
NOTE: Do not unplug the camera or the master adapter during the update.
Wow that was easy. It took less than 15 minutes to get the system up and running.
You can even use your neighbors WiFi signal (please ask first) more below.
PICTURE QUALITY
The picture quality is great (but not HD and not what you have come to expect from a digital camera) during daylight hours but not so great at capturing clear pictures of moving objects in total darkness. However in my case I have a flood light with motion detector that comes on when someone enters the area at night making the video bright and clear.
MOTION DETECTION
What I like is that you can draw areas on the actual image from the video camera to trigger recording. In other words you can eliminate false recordings from cars going by or movement outside your property.
You set up each camera individually providing ultimate flexibility in alerts, sensitivity and recording. In addition, once you have created a LogitechAlert account, you can select which cameras triggers an email alert.
EMAIL ALERTS
You set the LogitechAlert account up from the Settings Menu (the gearwheel icon).
From here you can enter several email addresses. I have mine set to send a text to my cell phone (as I don't have a smart phone with email and web access).
Most cell phone providers offers an email address starting with your cell phone number that will be forwarded to you as a text message.
Please look the email address up on your providers web page. I can not put them up due to Amazon posting regulations.
You may get charged for each text by your cell phone provider so make sure to set the Alert Frequency and Motion Filter conservatively (from within the Settings Menu Alerts-Advanced).
As mentioned above, I have not received one false alarm although my system is still set using the default values.
RECORDING WITH PC TURNED OFF THIS IS A GREAT FEATURE.
The camera(s) stores all motion triggered activity regardless if you have the PC on or off. To review all recorded activity, start the PC and click the "Enter Playback Mode" icon. A very intuitive calendar and timeline shows up indicating recordings. Point to a time and click on play to see the activity.
UPDATE:
You can review/playback history from only the dedicated PC on your network.
Logitech suggests not loading the software on more than on PC on the network.
If you do, you can only watch live video but review/playback will not work from the other PC's (also unexpected results may occur).
NOTE: You can view the real time images from anywhere on the web with the free Logitech Web Alert Viewer. To get full control with playback via a remote PC you must purchase the Logitech Web and Mobile Commander for an annual fee* of $80 (at the time of this writing).
Unless...
You keep a PC turned on all the time and control it from any PC (or web enabled phone) on the web using Teamviewer or LogMeIn (both are free for private use you can download the programs from Cnet.com). Then you can access the Logitech Alert Commander interface as you normally do from home.
UPDATE 1: I am using the free version of LogMeIn and it works great. The only disadvantage is that you can not hear audio from the home computer. But you can see the live video feed and use playback along with camera adjustments etc. Actually you can operate your home computer just as if you were sitting in front of it. You can access it from work or anywhere in the world via the internet.
UPDATE 2: I have now used both remote programs for over a month. Logmein appear to be unreliable with respect to video quality. TEAMVIEWER IS THE WINNER (To get perfect video quality: select "View", "Optimize Quality" from the TeamViewer screen on the remote computer). TeamViewer will also let you transfer recorded video files (or any file for that matter) when you are away from home.
Cost for leaving your home computer on all the time.
The cost for a 40 Watts consumer** 24 hours per day, 365 days per year = $35/year at $0.10 per kWh.
However, LogMeIn allows you to use "Wake Up On LAN" so you can turn your home computer on from the remote computer (Too much to cover here).
* Come on Logitech!!! Reduce it to a $50 one time fee and sell more systems to happier customers.
** One UPS manufacturer estimates 40 watts power consumption from an entry level desk top with a 20 LCD monitor. Turn the monitor off and bring the cost down even more. Also set the hard drive to turn off if not in use via Windows "Power Options Interface". You may also be able to set the home computer to "Wake up on LAN".
INSTALLATION OF THE CAMERA'S POWER/DATA ADAPTER IN THE ATTIC
First of all I wanted to hide the wire to the camera.
Logitech's instructions show the power/data wire going from the camera to a power outlet on the side of the house.
Consequently a thief can easily unplug the camera.
Solution
Pull an extension cord from a power outlet in the attic (or somewhere else) and connect it to the grey power supply/adapter for the camera.
IT WORKS!!!
NOTE: WHATEVER YOU DO WHEN PULLING WIRES MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL CODES.
I know Logitech Customer Service had told another reviewer "The adapters CANNOT be installed in the attic".
Logitech may be concerned about high attic temperatures present in some climates.
My attic does not get very hot; in addition I mounted the adapter just above the lower perimeter soffit vent where outside air constantly flows in.
The power/data Ethernet cable to the exterior camera (mounted under the roof overhang) is now routed through the soffit to the camera adapter in the attic.
Drill a 9/16" (14 mm) hole to allow the Ethernet plug to pass through the soffit. Mount the power adapter over the soffit vent with the power cable coming out at the top as shown in Logitech's instructions.
NOTE: I used a 100 foot grounded heavy duty extension cord plugged into a grounded power outlet. I don't know if using a grounded outlet and grounded extension cord matters because none of the adapters are equipped with grounded plugs. You may not need a heavy duty cord as the camera adapter uses very little power.
PREVENT BLACKOUT DURING POWER OUTAGES USING A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)
I still want the surveillance system to work during power outages or if the power line to the house is cut.
The Manual tell you it will not work if you use a surge protector or UPS.
Solution
I already have the cable modem and the wireless router plugged into an APC BN600R Battery Backup (UPS), so all I had to do was to plug the black Logitech network adapter into the UPS and pull an extension cord from the UPS to the grey Logitech camera adapter. All the equipment is fed from a single UPS.
IT WORKS!!!
The disadvantage is that you have to pull extension cord(s) from the UPS to the camera adapters. In my case it was not a problem because the extension cord would drop down from the attic between the studs in one of the walls to where I have my router.
I am sure you can use a higher capacity UPS as long as ALL your Logitech adapters are connected to it.
WHATEVER YOU DO WHEN PULLING WIRES MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL CODES.
SOUND/AUDIO
Out of the box there was no audio from the camera.
Solution
To turn the sound on:
1) Un-mute from the Command screen (slider at the right hand bottom) and
2) Click on Settings (gearwheel icon) and click on the camera name (your camera(s) will be listed by the name you give them during setup "Entry way", "Hall way" etc.)
Then check the box Enable Audio (after accepting the legal notice).
Note: If you have more than one camera, you have to Enable Audio for each one.
GOOD QUALITY PRICE RATIO
Overall I will rate the Logitech 750e a quality system for the money. As an alternative, you can purchase professional systems that will cost thousands of $ but is unlikely that they have the remote access this system has.
Perhaps Logitech have "beefed up" the mounting hardware for the camera. My hardware is rigid and of good quality. Another reviewer had problems with the hardware.
(I tightened and pre-adjusted the holder/adapter and added a drop of Locktite (blue) to the threads prior to installation. It is easier done on the ground as compared to the top of a 15 foot ladder).
UPDATE: The mounting plate is covered with a rubber cover. You have to tighten the holder rod FIRMLY to the base to ensure a rigid mount (or else the camera will wiggle).
Also, one of the cameras would turn freely no matter how hard the thumbscrew was tightened. It turned out that there is a phillips screw hiden inside the short rod which is being clamped by the thumbscrew assembly. The phillips screw was loose. Simply remove the thumbscrew completely to take the assembly apart. Then tighten the phillips screw and put it back together.
Logitech, QA/QC you need to address this issue. This is probably why so many people are complaining about the camera mount.
ALARM SYSTEM Section added October 7, 2011
Before installing the system I had tried a couple of alarm systems with wireless sensors on the windows and doors. It was a lot of work to set up and configure but I could have lived with that if it wasn't for the false alarms. THEY DROVE ME AND THE NEIGHBORS CRAZY.
Now I use the Logitech camera-setup as a silent alarm system. The email/text message alert tells me if a camera detects motion and I can immediately check what is going on over the internet via my Android phone (I finally got one) or from the PC in the hotel lobby.
This way you can actually watch what is going on in and around the house before calling the police.
Suggestion: Add the number for the dispatcher at your local police station to your phone book. (Calling 911 from Florida will probably take too long if your house is in Maine).
Here is what I have learned.
A camera MAY report motion (and send an email/text message*) if the shadows from clouds etc suddenly moves across the area the camera is set to monitor. I say MAY because it very seldom happens.
The solution is to exclude these window or potential "moving shadow" areas from the cameras trigger area(s).
A camera WILL report motion if a large insect or flying leaf moves over the trigger area. Even a small chipmunk on the ground will trigger the camera. Consequently I do not use an outside camera to send me text messages if motion is detected.
When an outdoor camera is operating in night vision mode insects are attracted to it like a regular light bulb. Fortunately it is only a special type of insect that triggers my camera. It looks like a white flying spiral worm that is one to two inches long and 0.5" in diameter (I have not observed any other type of insects trigger a camera).
* Providing you have armed the system.
HOW TO CONNECT WITHOUT CABLE, DSL or ADSL INTERNET SERVICE Section added February 21, 2012
We have a cabin without wired internet service and without 3G broadband signal. The good news is that my year-round neighbor has internet service and a WiFi router. The signal from the router is very weak. However I managed to get EXCELLENT signal strength using the Alfa AWUS036H 1000mW 1W 802.11b/g USB Wireless WiFi network Adapter with 5dBi Antenna and Suction cup Window Mount dock for Wardriving & Range Extension antenna connected to the USB port on my computer.
Next step was to get the signal into a router. Again, Alfa to the rescue; they make a small but very sophisticated router that connects to their antenna (or a 3G USB adapter). Alfa R36 802.11 b, g N, Repeater and Range Extender for AWUS036H can also be used as a 3G Router Enables you to Extend to Signal that is picked up by the AWUS036H and distribute the internet to multiple Users (Desktops, Laptops, tablets, iPods or iPad...
It was very simple to set up: WiFi signal from neighbor -> to Alfa Antenna -> to USB port on the R36 router -> to the black Logitech network adapter via Ethernet cable -> to PC running the Logitech software (this last step is optional).
NOTE ALL COMPONENTS MUST BE POWERED DOWN AND UP AGAIN FOR THE CAMERA TO BE FOUND AND BECOME LIVE VIA THE Alert.Logitech.com website.
That was easy...
... and my neighbor did not have a problem sharing his WiFi signal in the spirit of neighborhood watch and safety.
BONUS
Now we have our own private LAN with full WiFi and internet access for all our WiFi gadgets throughout the cabin.
Ever wondered how to set up a PRIVATE LAN using your neighbors WiFi signal NOW YOU KNOW!
SUMMARY
Very easy setup
Great picture quality in daylight but not in total darkness
Motion detection is very reliable
Flexible email alert settings
Workaround if you don't have a phone with email or web access
Recording with PC turned off great feature
Workaround to avoid paying $80 per year for remote access
Attic installation of the camera's power adapter
How to connect "Battery UPS backup"
How to turn the sound feature on
Using the cameras as a Security System
Connect the system to the internet via WiFi or 3G
I hope this review helps you. The system is very easy to get up and running. YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Disclaimer, I am retired and do not work for or have stock in any company. I write reviews because I use them extensively myself before I make a purchasing decision.
SETUP: Setup isn't too bad. Just remember to read the directions but there are a few gotchas such as, you can't plug the camera side or the network side plugs into a power strip because of the circuitry screws up the data making it out of the power strip. This leads to the first problem I have. You have to use a dedicated outlet for each plug. In my older house, plugs are few and far between.
SOFTWARE: The software installation was quick and painless. Immediately the software updated the firmware for my camera which was nice. The software controls are OK. It's missing some key features in my opinion. There is no "record" button. So it only records if it detects motion. I want the ability to be able to record on demand.
MOTION: You can select up to 6 zones that trigger recordings and alerts when there is movement. The downside is, the zones are only square. I wish you could make angles as well. The motion is too sensitive imho. I have it all the way down and it finally seems to be only pick up large movement.
CAMERA: The camera is of very high quality. It is all metal and it feels solid and like it will last a long time. I was surprised on how well built it is. It also has a microphone that works really well. It picks up everything. The last thing is the night vision. It works pretty good. The image quality is pretty good. I give it an 8 out of 10 when looking at the picture in the software. To my surprise, the image when viewing the videos manually are better!
REMOTE VIEWING: Viewing the image on my iphone is pretty cool. There is about a 5-10 second delay, which is to be expected. Viewing the image at is decent, though you already know from the other reviews that there is no sound with remote viewing.
ALERTS: The email alerts are cool but I wish they would send you a screen shot as to why there was an alert. So imagine you get an alert, you log onto or view the picture on your phone and now whatever it is that triggered the alert is gone, so you have no ideas what happened. On top of that, the free viewing doesn't have any way to rewind to see what's going on, so you'll have to wait until you get home. One workaround is, if you have remote software for your PC, you can remotely connect to your PC and view the software that way, but most users will have no idea how to do this.
The other alert is right on your desktop, which seems cool at first, a sound is made and then a small picture pops up. the problem is, you can't click the picture to make it bigger, it just disappears after a few seconds.
OTHER: The cord that comes with the camera is not long enough. I think it's 25ft. Which is decent, but they should give you 100ft for the money that you pay. You can buy more cord but I feel you shouldn't have to with the first camera.
All in all, I like this setup though it could use some improvements here and there. I plan to keep mine and add more cameras hoping they improve the software.
UPDATE: After doing some research over the weekend, I realize how bad the Logitech software really is. Instead I decided to go with software called, "Blue Iris" which is worlds better than the Logitech software in every way. So much so, I paid $50 for it. After that, I realized that the appeal of the Logitech camera system starts to fade since I could literally buy any camera and use it with Blue Iris. Currently I am running Blue Iris with one Logitech 700e and my Logitech C910 HD webcam and it works flawlessly. Admittedly it's not going to be as easy for normal folk, but for a techie like me, it's more than worth the effort. Bottom line, if you decide to get the Logitech camera, don't waste your money on the "System" package and just get the camera and purchase Blue Iris instead. Or, do what I plan to do, research similar cameras and see what my options are.
BTW If you want to just connect to your camera, download VLC player and then use the "Advanced File Open" menu and type "" or " Cheers!
11/5/2011 Update: OK, I've had the cameras for almost a year now. I've been really happy with them. For the price, you can't beat it. I raised the stars back to 3. I still ding it for a few things. I really wish it was 30fps, but I guess it would be a lot of bandwidth over the internet, so they probably made a decision to chop it 15fps to conserve bandwidth and to save a little money on the camera side. I still use Blue Iris for 99% of my recording(I record 24/7 for 7 days). I actually use the email alerts with Logitech over Blue Iris since Blue Iris has a bug where it spits garbage onto the screen and falsely sets off the motion. I mentioned in my earlier review that there are no pictures with the email alerts. I was wrong, there is! I have caught somebody casing my house(they ended up robbing my next door neighbors house), I caught an accident, and a couple of drug deals. I see which critters walk around my house at night(raccoons, cats, and skunks), and catch everything from spiders to birds to every solicitor that comes to my door. I love knowing when people are coming and going. I see when packages are delivered and all with great clarity. If Logitech could add 24/7 recording, diagonal blocks on the motion page and lower the price of the yearly subscription, I would give them a 5. Anyhoo, just thought I'd post again since I felt my 2 stars were a bit low.
Buy Logitech Alert 750n Indoor Master System with Wide-Angle Night Vision (961-000376) Now
We have always been Logitech users and strong supporters so choosing their outdoor security camera seemed to be a no-brainer. Unfortunately this was not the case. We don't know whether it is just this product group or a corporate change in direction butThis product is poorly thought out, the support is all but non-existent and overall experience is regrettable.Others have mentioned the sad state of the bracket. I did not imagine it could be so bad. It is worse. It is weak and flimsy and, if the extension arm is put on, destined to fail.
The product description says: "Complete outdoor digital video security system, easy to install, no new wiring or networking needed". While possibly true in some cases, it certainly was not in ours.
Few of us have a free wall outlet within a few feet of our computer yet you must plug a giant power supply/HomePlug bridge into a wall outlet by your computer. It cannot plug into a surge strip or UPS and, if you place it in the upper outlet (as illustrated) it will block the lower. If you try to hang it off the lower outlet it is unsecured and is constantly trying to fall out. So much for dependabilityno backup and limited stay-in. And you are out one entire outlet.
The power supply/HomePlug bridge then is supposed to plug into your router with a short, flimsy flat CAT-5 cable. If you are wireless you are out of luck. It is "wireless" meaning it uses HomePlug powerline carrier but not 802.11 Wi-Fi.
If you have anything else plugged into your router you may also be in trouble. I have a network printer, streaming DVD , satellite dish and a DSL modem which all got along fine before. When I plug in the Home-Plug device the whole network goes down. Tech Support might help me trick it into functioning but they do not call back or answer emails.
The outdoor installation is interesting, too. The HomePlug bridge/power supply plugs into a right angle adapter that cannot fit in an outdoor box with anything else. It also wants to rock out of the outlet and must be secured. You are out one entire outlet.
The two circuits for the two HomePlug adapters have to be free of other devices that might interfere. If it doesn't work the instructions say to "just" plug it in to another closer outlet. So you have the "freedom" to mount it anywhere you have a dedicated outlet that has nothing else on the circuit. You cannot, necessarily, place the camera where you wanted to place it. I had an electronic outdoor lighting timer that could not coexist with the HomePlug. You are now out one entire circuit.
The outdoor supply/bridge is on a 2 foot cord and can be placed anywhere. Anywhere, that is, within about a foot of the box in a single acceptable orientation at the same height as the box and with a drip loop below. It cannot mouth sideways right or left, above, or upside down. And then for the best partit cannot be mounted in the sun! You just bought an "outdoor" system that cannot be mounted in the sun!
The camera once mounted on the aforementioned flimsy bracket is then wired with an equally flimsy flat CAT-5 cable. The camera and the power supply have to be opened up to receive it. Oh, by the way, the camera cannot be mounted in the sun either! Their outdoors must be different than my outdoors.
After it doesn't work you call Tech Support and hold for half an hour if you are lucky. The guy then tells you that he thinks you have a bad camera but that he has to escalate to Second Tier Support who work sometime Monday through Friday. They do not call or answer your email.
My wife and I are both technical people in the electronics industry. We are not intimidated by technical issues and know quality when we see it. We haven't seen it in this product.
Will it be a good system one day? ...probably it does has tremendous potential but honestly, it's not ready for prime time having spent almost $2000 to buy and install this system, I'm committed and just hoping that one day soon Logitech will issue a MAJOR software update (and some firmware improvements too) that lifts this camera up to the level it deserves. RIGHT NOW, the cameras are substantially under-served by the software, which is almost so elementary it's pitiful. And if I were to go away and the power flickered, even for ten seconds, I'd have 0 access to my system and no way to reset it. Again, RIDICULOUS!
I finally managed to get Logitech's attention with a rant on their forum (like so many of us have had to do) and they actually had a L2 supervisor call me we had a nice discussion but basically nothing great came out of that except a lot of promises for future enhancements if they are true to their word, I may ultimately be a very happy user, but so far, I could have gotten twice the cameras for half the price in another brand probably not the video quality but acceptable. That is Logitech Alert's saving grace: video quality during daylight hours, is excellent. At night, not so much.
Wake up Logitech! You have a great product with lousy software (and even worse "support") time to get your software engineers off their hind ends and get this nice camera system working like it should! It's taking way to long and the general lack of "response" from Logitech on the forums is at best, limited and contrite. After spending nearly 2 G's, I expect better than that.
Oh, one more thing: if you want to have "full function" access on your Iphone or via a web browser, you will have to pay an annual fee not very reasonable at $89/yr especially when the only thing it brings is ability to playback "motion alerts" (of which there will be MANY if it's raining or snowing or the wind is blowing because their sensitivity controls are not able to adjust for these normal, almost daily "events" and cannot distinquish between rain falling and some unauthorized human prowling around your home or business. AND you cannot have full control of your cameras if you install this system on your laptop and go on a trip you must leave the "Commander" on the network for it to work otherwise you are limited to your SD recordings (all 2 GB of them, which can be a day or so if it's raining!)
Good luck but if I was you, I'd wait until you see some glowing reports about improvements and software enhancements before spending this kind of money. It's just not quite ready for prime time.
Want Logitech Alert 750n Indoor Master System with Wide-Angle Night Vision (961-000376) Discount?
From the moment I opened the box the Logitech Alert 750e Outdoor Master Security System with Night Vision was very easy to understand and had great setup diagrams with color coded ribbons for stress free setup. Where I was mounting the unit 20 feet off the ground I connected everything in the house and tested it to make sure it was working first. Once the camera was mounted in place I simply adjusted it to the area I wanted to monitor and then used electrical tape around the mount joints as they are not as tight as I would have expected and I did not want to have to climb a ladder after every wind storm to adjust. Setup was very quick after installing the mounting bracket.It should be noted the the ribbon (power) cable that connects to the outdoor camera is so flat and thin that you can bring it in through a window without compromising the window seal when the window is fully closed. This is a huge plus as I did not need to drill a hole for it.
I set up email alerts and also I highly recommend if you have some blowing tree branches in view as I do that you set up particular areas for movement detections. If you do this and set the motion rate for recording you will capture only scenes of interest which makes it so much easier when reviewing recordings.
The master system comes with the network hardware and the invaluable command center. This is extremely easy to navigate. You can zoom, pan and tilt effortlessly. I am thinking of adding this software for remote viewing as well.
The night vision is suprisinging very very good in low to know light. I am extremely impressed with the night vision and have to say that it is well worth the extra money.
The only drawback I can see to this system is that if you enable and use the audio component which comes built in and has great range, picks up way to much wind. I would like to see an add on for wind noise reduction. This would not keep me from highly recommending this product. I did a lot and I mean a lot of research (hands on and reading) before making my decision to purchase this camera and I am very glad I did.
I highly recommend this product! Picture is extremely clear not washy like others. The audio is good enough to capture voices and sounds with in the entire viewing areas and sometimes beyond.
I was not able to figure out how to upload a few pictures with this review otherwise I would have.
Thank you Logitech for a superb and well built system that seems to have it all.
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