IP cameras have come a long way

Just ten years ago, surveillance cameras that were IP-addressable cost many hundreds or even thousands of dollars and generated massive amounts of data. As just one example of how things have changed, this Linksys (Cisco) surveillance camera has both an RJ45 and wireless (WiFi) connection, one way audio (so you can listen in), 128 bit encryption over the wireless link, 640x480 resolution, motion detection to reduce the size of the data stream, provides email alerts, and can deliver 30 frames per second. We just bought one for one of our clients for $104! It's going in a small colocation facility where we need to be able to see who goes in and out (service providers have access to the building). The price is so low that it's perfect for home use as well. Instead of buying an overpriced and inferior baby monitor set up which broadcasts pictures of your child to the whole world, invest in one of these and use your laptop or smartphone to see if the baby is sleeping. Or use it to keep an eye on rambunctious pets. Or put it in your vacation home or cabin to keep an eye on things. Perhaps the best feature is the email alert--if motion is detected, it starts taking pictures, and send a few of them instantly in an email to you.