The subject of internet connectivity is an area of concern for most people who want to get a spy camera. Spy cameras are considered one of the most creative inventions. Their ability to be disguised as regular objects and hidden anywhere makes them desirable. This is in addition to the fact that they can be used for different security purposes. Spy cameras can be used for your home and office security. You can use them any day and any time, indoors, outdoors, in the rain or sunshine.
But there is a little twist.
You need a strong internet connection to use your spy camera. That answers the question, “Can I use a spy camera without WiFi?”
Although this comes with the extra cost incurred on internet charges, it also has its perks. You need WiFi to unlock some amazing features in your spy camera like live streaming, motion alerts, night mode, wide viewing angle, and cloud storage.
Why Do Spy Cameras Need an Internet Connection?
There are two main reasons why most spy cameras need internet access. They are:
- Live feed
- Cloud storage.
Live Feed
This is also called remote or real-time viewing. The camera can transmit live video recordings to your selected device. This device could be your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Live feeds give you the ability to be in two places at once. You get to see what happens behind your back. This helps you to protect the things and people that are important to you. For this to work, your spy camera and viewing device must be connected to your home WiFi router. You will also need to download a compatible application on your mobile device.
Cloud Storage
This comes in handy when your camera has insufficient storage space. If you don’t have an alternative storage option like an external memory card, then this is your best shot. But you will need an internet connection to upload your video clips to the cloud.
Video footage stored on the cloud is easily accessible and is relatively more secure than those on mobile devices. This is because they cannot be wiped, erased, stolen, or deleted. Spy cameras with motion detectors do not need cloud storage. These cameras only record when they sense a movement.
WiFi Connection
Apart from WiFi routers which have become very common, there are other ways you can connect your devices to the internet. One such way is by using your cellular data. You can either use the cellular data from your phone or purchase a cellular security camera.
To use cellular data, all you need is your smartphone, data, and a hotspot connection. Once your cell phone is connected to the internet, simply activate your hotspot, and connect it to the camera. However, your cellular data connection must be strong. And the data transmitter must be close to the spy camera. The farther away you are from the camera, the lesser the signal strength. But you can use a signal booster to increase the speed of connectivity.
These security cameras are a great step up from traditional wireless cameras. They make use of mobile networks for their signal transmission. These cameras run on 3G, 4G, or 5G networks, just like your cell phone. They are also usually referred to as 3G/ 4G LTE/ 5G mobile cameras. Cellular cameras can be mounted anywhere. You will need a sim card with a data plan to transmit videos effectively. Such spy cameras can be either battery or solar-powered.
Non-WiFi Spy Camera
If you are on a budget, you may not be able to afford the extra expenses that come with internet charges. How can you use your spy camera without the internet? There is a way out. Not all spy cameras need the internet to work. Most spy cameras do, but not all. There are spy cameras that do not require any form of internet connection to function. However, the features you are allowed to access in these types of spy cameras are limited.
You can access the basic features with ease. Your spy camera can be used to record video footage and take snapshots. But premium features like live streaming, night mode, and cloud storage are placed on lockdown. Such cameras make use of local storage devices like external SD cards. Some are connected to NVR and DVR video recorders. An example of this type of spy camera is the ALIWESTCOM and KONPCOIU mini spy hidden camera.
THE PROS
With these non-WiFi spy cameras, you can save your data, and as a result your money. Unlike WiFi cameras which record large video files, occupy more storage space, and consume more data subscriptions. It is also difficult, if not impossible to hack into a system without an internet connection. Your spy camera is secured from hackers. Therefore, you have nothing to worry about.
THE CONS
Limited Access to Live Footage
Non-WiFi cameras do not support live video streaming. You can only watch your video recordings as a recap- minutes, hours, or maybe even days later. This completely rules out any chance of getting real-time notifications when there is strange activity in your home or property. Thus, if your family is in danger, you will be in the dark until you can watch the recorded video later in the day.
Storage Limitations
Local storage for your videos may pose a problem. While you can easily take out your SD card and transfer video files to a folder on your PC, a lot could go wrong. First, there’s the tendency to forget. The storage space may get full, and your camera may stop recording without your knowledge. SD cards are very tiny and could be misplaced in the course of the transfer. Thus, you lose all the footage already stored on it. Cloud storage helps you avoid these problems.
To enjoy your spy camera’s maximum capacity, you need a strong internet connection. Although this adds to the cost, you don’t want to miss out on all these amazing features.