You should be able to directly download all firmwares here.

If you cannot find updated firmware for your current version, we suggest contacting the manufacturer at tech@foscam.com.

Before you upgrade, we'd like to let you be aware of updating firmwares with our cameras. There are usually two different firmwares for each Foscam camera. This is based on actual camera hardware and not software or firmware. The difference is that, if loading a newer camera firmware into your camera with older firmware, you have to be sure that the first four numbers are exactly the same before you upgrade. If they are not, you will most likely experience some issues as certain firmwares are made for certain camera hardware. For example if your current firmware starts with 11.22, you must make sure that the firmware you are upgrading to also starts in 11.22, the way you can see which firmware is newest is by looking at the last two digits, that should be greater than your current firmware.

Firstly, be sure you are updating the correct firmware for your camera. If you are not sure, don't hesitate to contact tech@foscam.com to double check.

Once you download the firmware (usually it is in a ZIP or RAR format), extract the .bin file. Make sure your camera is connected via Ethernet cable and powered on with the power supply.

Next, open IP Camera Tools and right click on your camera.
Select "Upgrade Firmware," then select "Upgrade System Firmware." Find the .bin file that you extracted, then click "OK."

Your firmware should update on the camera. You will need to wait around 1 minute for the camera to receive the new firmware upgrade. It should automatically reboot itself and appear in IP Camera Tools automatically after the update.

Yes we definitely do, all the URL scripting commands for Foscam MJPEG cameras can be found in the IPCAM CGI SDK here.

Most products can be returned for either a refund or for a replacement of the same item. Returns for non-defective, used products are subject to a 15% restocking fee and must be requested within 14 days of receiving the item. An item is not eligible for return after these 14 days.

For more information, you can read our full policy here.

For replacements, the buyer is responsible for paying shipment charges when returning the product. Foscam Digital Technologies LLC will pay for shipment of the replaced items back to the customer. If an item is dead on arrival (DOA) and is not powering up or operating correctly, the customer may replace the faulty item for a replacement item within 14 days and have shipping charges reimbursed.

For more information, you can read our full policy here.

RMA's for replacements usually have a turnaround time of two (2) weeks (10 business days) after receipt of returned items. The replacement item(s) will be ready for return shipment by this time. USPS or UPS (3-7 days) is the standard method of shipment for U.S. domestic shipments.

Please contact us at sales@foscam.us to receive an RMA for your camera. Please send us the details of your order, such as your order number, model(s) of the camera(s) you will be replacing, and the quantity, as well as any further information you can provide us.

Your RMA number is the same as your order number, which should be listed on the original invoice receipt sent to your e-mail address. This number usually starts as "1000."

If you received your camera from another reseller such as Amazon or eBay, you will need to contact your seller's storefront directly on those multi-channel fulfillment websites to receive a replacement. If you are unsure of who your reseller is you can always directly e-mail the manufacturer at aftersales@foscam.com.

If you'd like, you can do an exchange of products known as "cross-shipping." If you need a replacement as soon as possible and cannot wait the standard turn-around time, you can place another order for a new camera and contact us for an RMA to return the camera you currently have. Upon receiving your camera, we would refund you in full for the first purchase. This way, you will receive your camera much faster.

Please see the following guide on how to adjust the focus of your outdoor camera if it is giving a blurry picture.

Sometimes there are issues with the indoor camera's audio where you may hear a lot of static, especially if the camera is on wireless. To do some general testing, try using the camera on a wired connection and see if you receive the same static. If the static disappears, there may be a wiring issue in the camera that can be fixed.

See the following guide on how to check for this issue.

If this does not fix the audio, the camera's internal wiring may be defective, don't hesitate to contact us for an RMA to have the camera replaced at support@foscam.us.

Here is a video on how to change the lens of all outdoor IP Cameras.

Here is forum post on how to change the lens.

Here is a guide on how to change the lens as well.

Sometimes the IR lights may get "stuck." We suggest trying to flash a flashlight a foot in front of the camera, thereby blinding it. When it comes back it resets the IR LEDs and auto-iris appropriately, and the night vision may start to work again.

If this does not resolve the issue, please contact us at support@foscam.us.

You can use a regular power extension to extend power to as far as you'd like, just make sure it is AC power. The reason why we say AC is because with a DC cord that has such a low voltage, the resistance is very high in the wire, as it is very thin. DC voltage will not travel far at significant distances and the camera will not power completely if you do this.

IR LEDs and night vision are often the first components to fail. In night vision, the IR Leds will consume much more current. Be assured that AC extensions work with DC power supplies. You can ask your local hardware store more on the issue, but all customers who have purchased with us usually buy AC extensions as they are looking to extend their cameras out to sometimes 50 - 70 feet.

Yes, our power supplies are universal, 120V ~ 240V auto-sensing power supply adapters that work all over the world, all you need are international plug adapters to change the prongs to your countries standard.

The individual power of each LED is 0.06w and the combined power for models like the FI8910W or FI8608W (which have 11 IR LED's) is 0.66w.

Your Blue Iris key is usually found on the invoice receipt that was sent to your e-mail address. If for some reason the key is not present, please send an e-mail to us at sales@foscam.us for assistance.

Please contact support@blueirissoftware.com to receive Blue Iris Software support.

Blue Iris is an advanced, third party software that allows for many features not present within the embedded Foscam IP Camera software. For instance, Blue Iris is compatible with almost all IP camera brands, which can be utilized together with Foscam cameras. Some notable features include pinpoint-zoned motion detection, ability to record in H.264 video compression for smaller file sizes, and a very accurate scheduler for all cameras. Blue Iris even has the ability to remotely reset your cameras on a certain time interval.

We offer Blue Iris here on our website at a special discounted price, you can view Blue Iris in further detail on their website.

Unfortunately you cannot, your Blue Iris key can only be linked to one computer at a time. Thus if you need to use Blue Iris on multiple computers, you will have to purchase additional keys for each computer.

You can also disable the key from your current computer if you'd simply like to move the software to another computer.

The IP Camera Tool Software is available directly on our Support page for both PC's and Mac's.

Direct links are as follows:

For Windows: IP Camera Tool PC

For Mac: IP Camera Tool Mac

In Internet Explorer, click Tools > Internet Options > Advanced tab > Security section > then check the box which states "Allow software to run or install even if the signature is invalid."

If this does not solve the problem, please change the date and time of the computer to be earlier than 4/29/2012. Then install DVM_IPCam.ocx. You can change the time back after it's installed.

You can also view the guide on how to do this here.

The easiest way to find your external IP address is to go to www.whatismyip.com, or www.whatismyipaddress.com. Both websites will automatically tell you what your external IP address is.

Your external IP address is used for viewing your cameras remotely over the internet.

The best way to find out if your ports are open or forwarded correctly is by using www.canyouseeme.org. You can input any port in the field and check it within seconds. Make sure you are connected to the same router as your camera when checking your port.

There are many other services you can use that are available on the internet to check your ports, www.canyouseeme.org is just one example.

Once port forwarding has been done and you've confirmed that your ports are open and allowing traffic, you should be able to view your camera remotely.

To do this, go to any browser and type in the following in the URL bar:

http://youripaddress:yourport

Where "youripaddress" is your external IP address (such as 50.20.3.48), and "yourport" is the port you have assigned to that specific camera (such as 8080). To test this, you can view our live demo using the same logic.

Our live demo: http://50.79.253.205:8084/

Username: admin
Password: admin512

If you are having trouble getting e-mail notifications, you can try the following:

In the camera settings page once you log in, go to Device Management. Click on Mail Service Settings. For G-Mail the information is as follows:

Sender: Youremail@gmail.com
Receiver 1: Youremail@gmail.com (the same as Sender)
SMTP Server: smtp.gmail.com
SMTP Port: 587
Transport Layer Security: STARTTLS
Need Authentication: (Check this box)
SMTP User: Youremail (There is no @gmail.com, only the username)
SMTP Password: Youremailpassword
Report Internet IP by Mail: Unchecked

Push Submit. Please do not push Test, as there have been problems with the mail settings if Test is pushed before Submit.

If this does not work, you may need to change the SMTP port.

If you choose TLS security mode, please fill in 465 as SMTP port.

If you choose STARTTLS mode, please fill in port 25 or 587.

If you still have trouble, consult with our community on the forums or send us an e-mail at support@foscam.us.

If you've been having strange issues with the camera, what you can do is try a hard reset. This wipes the camera of all configurations and settings, which means you will need to enter all this information again to set up the camera. Resetting the camera does not revert it back to it's original firmware.

In order to reset the camera, there is a button on the bottom of the indoor cameras, unless it sticks out (outdoor models). Push this button or use a small round pin to press the button for 35 seconds until the camera restarts. The indoor cameras will start to rotate automatically once the reset has occurred. Be sure to keep the adapter and Ethernet cable plugged in while the reset is attempted.

This procedure may solve some issues you are having. If the reset doesn't work, you can contact our technical support department at support@foscam.us, or call them at 713-893-7866. Their hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST.

In order to make the camera stop automatically panning and tilting upon reboot, what you have to do is go into the camera, navigate
to Device Management, then on the left side, click on PTZ Settings.

There is an option that states "Go to preset on boot," and you can check this box so that the camera will go to the position you set as Preset 1. Once you set a preset to preset 1, when you restart the camera when these settings are applied, the camera will always go to that preset automatically.

You can view the following guide on making your camera wireless here.

If you'd like to arm the camera's alarm at specific times, you can set up a scheduler and set the range of time for it to be active.

Enabling the Scheduler initially shows a graph of hours and days that can be set at 15 minute intervals.

For example, clicking the number “06” on the first row makes the entire column turn blue. This means that the camera will be armed for motion detection between 6:00 and 7:00 everyday. Click the number “06” on the second row which is marked “Clear”, you can cancel the corresponding column that you had set, turning grey again.

You can actually get an extension for Chrome or FireFox if you'd like called "IE Tab" this makes a tab in Chrome or FireFox completely identical to Internet Explorer, which would allow you to use the full functions of the camera in your respective browser!

The direct link is here.

Note: IETab can only work on PC's and does not work on Mac.

In order to access your camera remotely over the internet and on your smartphone, you will have to setup "Port Forwarding".

To begin, please read the general guide on port forwarding if you use Windows here.

If you are using a Mac with an Airport router, use the general guide here.

If you are unable to setup port forwarding using the general guides above, or would like more information, use the specific router port forwarding guides below:

Port Forwarding on Linksys Routers

Port Forwarding on Netgear Routers

Port Forwarding on 2Wire Routers

Port Forwarding on D-Link Routers

Port Forwarding on Belkin Routers

Port Forwarding on Westell Routers

Port Forwarding on Netopia Routers

If you are still unable to setup port forwarding, please don't hesitate to contact our support department at 713-893-7866. They are available Monday through Friday from 10:00 - 6:00 PM CST.

You can view our guide on how to set up multiple cameras here.

Usually when this occurs there is an issue with the plugin that was downloaded from the camera and installed in the browser. To resolve this, please follow the steps outlined:

1. Remove all occurrences of the plugin in Chrome or Firefox. You can do this by going to the extensions section in either browser and clicking 'remove' or clicking the trash can icon (in Chrome) to remove the installed plugin.

2. Download this plugins file (ZIP file).

3. Extract the plugins folder embedded in the ZIP file to the following respective locations:

C:/Program Files/Google/Chrome/Applications
C:/Program Files/Mozilla Firefox

Close your browsers and reopen them, then test your camera in the browser interface, it should work correctly. If you are still having issues don't hesitate to contact us at support@foscam.us.

Yes, you will need a router that is able to forward ports in order to use Foscam cameras, or any IP cameras in general, to their full potential.

Hooking up a Foscam camera to a Laptop or a PC for wireless capabilities (ad-hoc connection) is unfortunately not possible. The camera must be connected to a router in order to receive an IP Address to begin with. The camera is able to be accessed over the internet by connecting directly to a router and establishing an internet connection. Forwarding ports in your router will allow the camera to be seen over the internet from anywhere in the world. You can read our guides on how to do this over at the support section.

Our credit card processor, Authorize.net, is very meticulous on identity for credit card processing. Confirm that you are inputting your billing address correctly, especially details such as your name and address.

If you are still having issues, you can also checkout with PayPal. PayPal does not require you to have an account with them, as you can checkout as a guest.

If you are still having trouble, feel free to contact us at sales@foscam.us!

Indoor cameras can be used outdoors, however most of these cameras are not built to be outdoors and thus are not built with weatherproof housing.

The best way to use these cameras outdoors is by mounting them upside down under an eve or a covering of some type, so that they are protected from weather effects such as rain. If you live in a very weather heavy environment where the weather gets quite cold, we would recommend against this as again, the cameras are not built to withstand extreme temperatures and you may risk the camera malfunctioning.

The manufacturer has stated that the most recommended NVR or DVR providers for Foscam cameras are Synology, QNAP, and Seenergy.

Please contact your preferred provider for additional details on compatibility with certain cameras, some newer models may currently be unsupported.

Unfortunately since Foscam cameras are built upon Active-X, Mac users do not have access to some features through the WebUI. The most notable limitation is the inability to view multiple cameras on one screen. Another limitation is that audio does not work in browsers on Mac's. Due to the cameras being based on Active-X, and since Active-X is ultimately exclusive to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Mac does not currently have the ability to do these two operations.

However, there are some alternatives to listening to audio. Users can download VLC Player and open the camera up as a network stream. You will be able to view video feed as well as listen to live audio this way. You can view this video by using the example URL as follows:

http://10.0.1.4:8090/videostream.asf?user=xxxx&pwd=xxxx. Replace the "xxxx" with your username and password. Also be sure to use your external IP address and port.

To view multiple cameras on one screen, there is a software called EvoCam that allows for this to be done on Mac's. This software costs roughly $30.00 and allows for more advanced features, similar to Blue Iris on Windows.

We're excited that you've taken the first step to become a dealer! Send us an e-mail at sales@foscam.us with a little information about you and your business, we would be happy to send you a dealer application to fill out and send back to us for approval.

DynDNS is still free when signing up for a trial account. The trial can be cancelled and DynDNS allows you to keep one host name for free, which is enough for an unlimited number of cameras.

You can see our guide to set up DynDNS here.

Firstly, the main differences between the FI8918W and FI8908W is that the FI8908W is discontinued. We no longer provide firmware updates for it. The FI8918W is the successor of the FI8908W and also includes two way audio. Depending on a customer's needs, we may encourage buying the FI8918W as it is cheaper and comes with some of the same features as the FI8910W.

The FI8910W is the successor of the FI8918W, as it is the latest camera from Foscam Digital Technologies LLC. The FI8910W is superior in that it includes an embedded IR-Cut filter which dramatically enhances the picture and color quality by automatically adjusting the lighting exposure via mechanical filter to provide true and accurately colored images that are not washed out. In addition, the FI8910W has a higher quality and much sturdier external housing as well as an included 2 year extended warranty. The FI8918W does not include these hardware upgrades.

The FI8904W comes with the smaller lens, a 3.6 mm, giving it the wider viewing angle of the two, 37 degrees. The FI8905W comes with a bigger lens, giving it a more narrow viewing angle of 25 degrees.

Also, the FI8905W comes with 60 IR LED lights for night vision, giving it a distance of 30 meters (60 IR LED lights) of viewing at night, compared to the FI8904W's night vision range of 15 meters (24 IR LED lights).

The main differences between the FI8910W and the FI8608W have to do with the video compression. The FI8608W comes with newer H.264 video compression for smoother video and smaller file sizes, which means you will be able to store many more pictures and video with this camera compared to many of the other models that run on older MJPEG compression. One more unique feature is that the FI8608W comes with an integrated SD card slot for local internal storage on the camera itself. An SD card can be browsed remotely as well through the web interface.

The FI8608W does have few limitations however, such as the inability to stream live video on a webpage using an HTTP URL, which the MJPEG cameras are able to do. This is due to the FI8608W and other H.264 compression cameras adopting a new software framework, which does not utilize this feature. This is subject to being added in the future as a firmware update.

POE cameras allow cameras to be powered by an Ethernet cable, without being plugged in with a power supply. These cameras need to be used in conjunction with a compatible POE Switch and are suitable when you'd like to place a camera in an area which has no power outlet available, but running Ethernet cable is an option.

We currently offer two different POE cameras, the FI8918E and the FI8905E. Both work over Power Over Ethernet using POE Standard IEEE 802.3af. The Input Voltage for both is DC 36V~DC 57V, and Output Voltage is DC 5V. Output Power for both is 15.4W (Max.).

Currently the best apps created by third party developers are "Foscam Pro" and "Live Cams Pro." A free app on the Apple Store is "Baby Monitor Free" as well. All apps are currently available on the Apple Store for immediate download. Be sure to check compatibility of certain apps with certain camera models, as the new H.264 models may not be added as compatible models yet. We recommend contacting the app developers for updates on when certain models may become compatible.

Currently the best apps created by third party developers for Android devices are "TinyCam Monitor (Free)," and "IP Cam Viewer." Both are currently available on the Android Google Store for immediate download. Be sure to check compatibility of certain apps with certain camera models, as the new H.264 models may not be added as compatible models yet. We recommend contacting the app developers for updates on when certain models may become compatible.

Unfortunately this is not possible, as the FI8904W lenses are designed only for that specific model. The 6 MM lens is the only lens that grants the widest viewing angle for the FI8905W, and this lens comes fitted with each FI8905W that is sold from us due to popular demand.

There are two ways to record with the Foscam camera:

1. Recording manually

There is a recording icon under the camera's Operator UI, click the record icon and the camera will begin to record manually. Click the icon again and camera will stop recording.

2. Record automatically when motion is being triggered

You will first have to set alarm settings for the camera. When you set these settings, the camera will record automatically when motion is detected.

Note: When you are manually recording, you need to keep the browser window open. If you close the browser, the manual recording will stop.

If you want to change the recording path, you can do so by going to “User settings” to set the location. "Record Path" is used to store manual recordings, while "Alarm Record Path" is used to save automatic recordings created by motion detection.

The IR LED Lights on our cameras release invisible light, the wavelength band is 850 nm which don't do any harm.

Unfortunately if you choose to use the indoor cameras this way, you will get a very bright reflection from the mirror image of the IR lights when they turn on at night. This will effectively blind the camera, and you will not be able to use the camera's night vision due to the reflection. If you still choose to use the cameras this way, try placing black electrical tape over the IR lights to resolve the reflection problem.

A general rule for using IP cameras is that you will need physical access to the router, as well as the administrative password to log into the actual router's administrative settings. Using your neighbor's wireless network will not work as you will have to set up the camera hard wired to the router first.

You will need to set up cameras on your own router that you have physical access to.

Yes, you can use the cameras upside down and change the settings within the camera so that it mirrors and flips the video feed image. This way, you can mount the camera any way you'd like and you can effectively change the rotation of the image so that it appears right side up when viewing it in your browser.

Operating temperatures of our indoor cameras are 0° ~ 55°C (14°F ~ 122°F) and operating humidity is 20% ~ 85% non-condensing.

Operating temperatures of our outdoor cameras are -20°F ~ 122°F, and operating humidity is 10% ~ 80% non-condensing.

Each camera comes with everything you need to fully set it up, all you need on your end is a router and an internet connection (for remote access).

What's included when you buy a camera:

1. Foscam Wireless IP Camera
2. WiFi Antenna
3. User Manual
4. Installation CD
5. Mounting Bracket
6. Network Cable
7. DC Power Supply 5V

To check if the reseller you purchased from is authorized from us, you can go to our Where To Buy page and check if you bought from an authorized dealer.

Customers who have purchased from authorized dealers are eligible for free technical support and also warranty service, however warranty service differs depending on the reseller. Be sure to contact us at sales@foscam.us if you have any questions.

A network camera, also known as an IP camera or an internet camera, is NOT a webcam first and foremost. It is a new generation of digital surveillance cameras, capable of passing its images and video feed over a computer network such as the internet. These cameras do not need to be attached to a PC in order to operate – they are small web servers themselves, and just plug into the internet via a standard internet router. Network cameras are gradually replacing traditional analogue CCTV cameras, because of the additional features that they offer, such as automatic recording and sending of images if motion is detected, and the ability to see live images at any time, on any PC, anywhere. Just by using a standard browser like Microsoft Internet Explorer, you can view your camera from anywhere in the world. In addition to this, you can even log in to see live images on most modern smartphones.

On our Where To Buy page, Amazon is listed as an authorized dealer. However when you click on the Amazon logo, the link will take you straight to our storefront on Amazon.com. Purchasing any of our products through this storefront are 100% backed by our support and warranty, as you are technically buying from us here on Foscam US, just on a different multi-channel website.

The same ruling would apply to eBay. When you click on the eBay logo under our Where To Buy page, it will direct you to our storefront on eBay. Purchasing any products through our storefront on eBay guarantees you full support and warranty, since again, you are purchasing direct from us, just from a different multi-channel website.

We try our very best to ship all orders submitted to us within 24 hours during our normal business hours (10:00 AM - 6:00 PM CST). During sale periods or promotional periods it may sometimes take up to 48 hours to process and ship your order.

Note that we only ship during weekdays, and any orders placed after our business hours or over the weekend will be shipped the following business day. Also note that we usually do not ship on national holidays like Christmas or Labor Day.

Not all IP cameras are created equal. When looking for an IP camera, the single biggest difference between IP cameras is the video compression format and the two most popular types are MJPEG and H.264.

In order for video footage to be transfered digitally across the internet, it needs to be compressed so that it saves bandwidth and can be transfered in a reasonable amount of time.

Video compression (or encoding) is used to transfer video footage from one place to another in a way that is more efficient than it would otherwise be. The format of this compression needs to be widely understood and utilised so that cameras and the means of transferring the video are compatible.

MJPEG stands for motion JPEG (pronounced jay-peg). JPEG is a compression format for images, so as you would expect, MJPEG is a compression format for video that stitches together a bunch of images and presents them as video. Think of MJPEG like the way in we make cartoons come to life: a series of images showed together in rapid succession that make it appear as though you are watching a full-motion video.

Advantages of MJPEG

MJPEG doesn't require large amounts of processing power, so it's commonly used in webcams and cameras for encoding and compressing video. This means that MJPEG IP cameras are often cheaper than H.264 IP cameras, such as the FI8910W being cheaper than the FI9820W.

MJPEG can also provide you with a decent quality video without using up lots of memory on the camera istelf so MJPEG IP cameras tend to be simpler in design and that translates to a lower cost.

Disadvantages of MJPEG

The single biggest issues with MJPEG are video quality and bandwidth requirements. MJPEG doesn't have the ability to provide a high-quality or even HD-quality image.

In addition to this, MJPEG requires more bandwidth than H.264 because it streams over the internet at a constant framerate that isn't adjusted based on the requirements of the scene being shown.

H.264 (pronounced H dot 2 6 4) is now one of the most commonly used video compression formats, although most people don't even know this. H.264 is used by Vimeo, Youtube, iTunes, Adobe Flash Player and Blu-ray Discs.

Advantages of H.264

H.264's biggest advantage over MJPEG is that it results in a better quality video feed using less bandwidth and that is because H.264 has the ability to adjust the frame rate (the number of frames being shown per second) so an H.264 IP camera watching a scene without much action uses less bandwidth because there is no need to use a high frame rate.

Disadvantages of H.264

H.264 requires more processing power than MJPEG which means that H.264 IP cameras tend to be a slightly more expensive than MJPEG IP cameras because they need to have more "brain power". This is also the reason why there is sometimes more of a delay when using H.264 compression IP cameras than MJPEG compression cameras.

H.264 Cameras from Foscam include the FI9820W as the first exclusive HD quality camera model.

Active PoE has active components inside and it is able to transfer power up to 100 meters (300 feet). Passive PoE uses free wires in the Ethernet cable and sends the equipment's power along with it to the far end where it connects to a device (in our case, an IP Camera). Passive PoE range is only about 10 to 15 feet.