The easiest way to get a webcam streaming to your website from a PC is to use our streaming service and free software which overcomes the need for a static IP address. However if you want to set up a direct access camera or stream from an IP camera and you have a dynamic IP then read on to find out how to overcome your Dynamic IP problem.

A Fixed IP address is a long string of numbers that denotes exactly where your Internet connection is on the world wide web, and this number does not change. It will look something like this: 85.69.127.303.

However most ISP's (Information Service Providers) dont provide a static IP as standard unless you pay more money. What they provide is a Dynamic one which could alter at any time, and certainly each time you switch off your router or modem then switch it back on it will have changed. This makes life difficult as imagine if your postal address kept hanging, how would people know how to reach you?

Well there is another solution rather than paying a monthly fee for a static IP. Using a FREE DNS service (Dynamic Name Server) such as dyndns.com is the answer. With this you can assign a name to your Internet connection instead of a number. This is also usefull as names are easier to remember than long numbers. When your website visitors or you personally want to connect to your camera the name is used instead of the number.

BUT WAIT....What happens if the number changes? Wont the name then be pointing to the wrong place? Well it would but there are two ways to ensure its always right.

The best way is to program your router to do it all for you. Nearly all modern routers have a DNS section in their set up and those that do are 99.999 percent sure to have dyndns.com as the first - if not only provider. I say 99.999 percent as i have personally never once seen one that does not. This makes life very easy as all you do is first set up your free account with dyndns.com then go into the routers configuration settings, tick the box for dyndns.com. Then enter your account information and save. Now every time that the router detects an IP change it automatically updates your chosen name with the new IP address. So your name always works.....Great.

If your router does not have this feature then it really is a good idea to change it for one that does. However if you dont want to change it and you have a PC which is on most of the time then you can download a free DUC (Dynamic Update Client) which is a very small program that runs on your PC all the time and detects Internet IP changes and updates the name for you. This is fine if you have a PC on all the time but if you are planning to use IP cameras with no PC on the site then the router method is best.

Of course you can also update the name yourself manually if you need to but this ideally you set up your router to do it all for you so you never have to worry about it again. Just go on holiday knowing that the cameras will always be available on your chosen DNS name.

If your planning on setting up a lot of cameras then your best off with the basic chargeable account which is very cheap and gives you lots of separate hosts for your different site locations. But if your just setting up one for your house or for work then go for the trial option which gives you 1 free DNS host when you cancel the trial which you can keep just for taking the trial.

Some ISP's charge from £5.00 to £10.00 per month extra for a static IP so it really is worth taking a trial and ending up with a FREE DNS name to replace your Dynamic IP and keep your cameras online permanently with no fuss.

Some Camsecure IP cameras have a DNS option in them too. We also have a camera and a video encoder which automatically connect to our live streaming service which totally removes the need for any static IP or DNS service at all. But like everything it all depends on the money you have available and your willingness to spend it.

When a customer signes up for one of our live streaming and webcam hosting plans we automatically provide a FREE dns name and will remotely program your router for you so again even if you want to use an IP camera with our service you have to do very little.

By using our streaming service through a PC, you dont have to worry about any of this as its all handled by the free software, check out how it works here.