Do it Yourself Home Video Security
- 1). Place the webcam on a desk or table facing the area that you want to be able to view from your computer -- for example, the front door or a picture window overlooking the back yard.
- 2). Insert one end of a USB cable into the USB port on the bottom or side of the webcam. Plug the compatible end of a USB extension cable into the free end of the USB cable. Insert the other end of the USB extension cable into the USB amplifier's input port. Insert one end of another USB cable into the USB amplifier's output port.
- 3). Plug the compatible end of another USB extension cable into the free end of the USB cable. Insert the other end of the USB extension cable into a free USB port on your computer or laptop -- typically, the USB port will be on the back or front panel of the computer and on the side of the laptop.
- 4). Click the "X" in the upper-right corner of the "New hardware found" pop-up window on your PC monitor when it appears.
- 5). Download one of the free video-viewing programs available on the Internet to the desktop. Double-click the file to start the installation process. Follow the menu commands to finish the installation. Restart the computer or laptop.
- 6). Launch the video-viewing program by selecting it from the "Start" and "All Applications" pop-up menu. Follow the menu suggestions initiated by a "wizard" to bring up a video window with a video feed from the webcam.
- 7). Drag the video window to a corner of the monitor so that you can keep an eye on what the web cam is seeing while you work on other things -- if you have a second monitor, drag the video window to it so that it can be resized larger.
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