Hands-On: Cisco WVC2300 Wireless-G Business Internet Video Camera

Whilst you’ll know Cisco more for their networking kit than security solutions, the company offers a range of surveillance products targeted at small businesses. The Cisco WVC2300 Wireless-G Business Internet Video Camera is a lower-end model in the range with a basic set of features designed to help businesses monitor and manage their physical security. In the past few months, we’ve reviewed a variety of consumer and business targeted IP cameras and have found the hardware to consistently good, but often let down by overly-complex software that requires some networking knowledge to configure correctly. Our hope going into the review is that Cisco have the resources to ensure both hardware and software deliver a far better user experience than their smaller competitors….

Features and Specifications

The WVC2300 is an entry-level solution (yours for £270/$335) and that shows in its specification . The camera utilises a 0.25” CCD image sensor which provides an image of 640×480 running at 30 fps, which is par for the course at this price bracket. You’ll find a low light setting available (minimum illumination is 0.4lux@F1.6) but there’s no infrared setting for use in zero-light conditions – if you need night vision, you’ll have to set up an additional IR lamp. That’s a missing compared to competing cameras such as the Y-Cam Bullet which support night vision out of the box.

A 4x digital zoom is available if you need it, but don’t expect to find an optical zoom which doesn’t suffer as badly from pixelisation – you’ll need to spend a little more money to pick up that feature. Interestingly, the camera features interchangeable CS Mount lenses, and can be fitted with optional zoom, wide-angle, vari-focal, auto-iris, and other types of lenses, so if you need a specific type of surveillance image, the WVC2300 is highly flexible.

Mounting options are strong. The WVC2300 can be mounted on any pan-tilt base that supports the Pelco D protocol, remotely rotated and controlled via an on-board RS-485 interface. The camera also integrates neatly with a range of additional surveillance equipment including alarm panels, sirens, passive infrared (PIR) sensors, smoke detectors, lighting switches and door sensors so if you’re looking to include the camera into a sophisticated security setup, you’re in luck.

On the AV side, the WVC2300 offers two-way audio via an internal microphone and external speaker. Video can be captured in simultaneous MPEG-4 and MJPEG, the latter offering smaller file sizes with lossy compression to reduce storage requirements. Whilst the camera supports an 802.11g wireless connection (with MIMO antennae for improved coverage), you’ll more than likely want to utilise the 10/100 Fast Ethernet connection for maximum stability. The WVC2300 model does not support Power over Ethernet, however – you’ll need to opt for its close cousin, the PVC2300 for that privilege.

Overall, the WVC2300 offers a reasonable specification, without too many surprises for the price point.

Full specs as follows:

What’s in the Box?

Open up the WVC2300 package and you’ll find:

• Cisco WVC2300 Wireless-G Business Internet Video Camera
• Stand
• 2 x Antennae
• Power supply
• 6-foot Ethernet cable
• Adapter ring for C mount lens
• Allen key
• Quick installation guide
• CD including setup wizard, user guide and video monitoring software