Rating: - Good camera, but not for the technically challenged.
This is a great product, but it can be difficult to get working unless you have an engineering or computer science degree. This is a product made by engineers for other engineers and IT pros. If you are experienced with computers, the web, networking, protocols, codecs, and IP addresses, then this is a fun product. The image quality is "good" - it's not HD quality video, but it's better than the average webcam.
Out of the box. Camera comes with power cable/adapter, extension cord, mounting bracket, and a plastic C-clamp for attaching to furniture. I was surprised that it did not come with an Ethernet cable. Given the price of this camera relative to my perceived value of cogs inside it, it seems like Axis is being a little cheap in not supplying the network cable, which is rather critical in getting it setup.
I started out by plugging both the camera and my Vista laptop into the hub in the back of my Linksys router. The instructions indicate that the first step was to use their software (or "arp -s" from the command line) to assign it an IP address. Neither the tools on the CD-ROM or arp could successfully discover the camera or assign it an IP address. After 30 minutes of fiddling around with all this and trying everything, I discovered that the camera was able to obtain a valid IP address via the router's DHCP service. I wouldn't have been able to discover this unless my router's web page config (Linksys box running Tomato firmware) showed the list of all nodes on the network.
Once I had the IP address, I was able to bring up the camera's webpage. It prompted me to install an ActiveX control so the video could be seen. This was also troublesome. The ActiveX control it installed (from the camera's web server) wouldn't work. Every refresh of the page resulted in me getting re-prompted to install the same ActiveX control. I went to Axis.com to download the latest version of this control. After I installed the newer version, all was well. I was able to see my camera's video stream on the web page!
It wasn't too long before I got the camera working over wifi, and configuring the port forwarding on my router so that it could be accessed over the internet. Not all the protocol/client configurations for the camera work reliably because of NAT traversal issues, but if you know what you are doing, you can make it work reliably for your needs.
I did a deep-dive of figuring out what else the camera can do. I'll spare the details, but it was all very geeky stuff including using Wireshark to assess the protocols used, analyzing the HTML source to understand how various video web controls worked, telneting to the camera to get a linux shell prompt, etc...
While I really enjoy this camera, I have only scratched the surface of how to make the most use of it. I recommend exploring all the camera settings in addition to all the available software from the Axis website.
Rating: - Works as described, read the reviews before purchasing.
Works as described, very easy to set up and use. Great full light picture, terrible low light picture, but that was written in several of the reviews when I purchased the product, so I expected it. It would have been great if it had pan/tilt/zoom, but it doesn't, and the only cameras that I could find that have those features are much more expensive. It is what it is, I guess.
All in all, it's a great security camera for the money. I plan on putting up several of them around my house.
Here is a suggestion to purchasers of this camera: Get a 7 lb 3M removable hook that has the "sticky tape", and use the tape to mount the camera. That way you don't have to put holes in your walls, and you can move the camera to a different location at any time.
Rating: - Wireless camera did not work
I purchased this camera because of its supposed wireless capabilities. The camera worked okay when the RJ45 Ethernet wire was connected to the camera, but when I disconnected the wire and tried to use the camera wirelessly, it never worked. I corresponded with tech support at Axis for two weeks. After about 12 emails back and forth attempting to get the thing to work, I gave up and returned the camera.
All of my wireless computers worked perfectly. My Tivo wireless adapter worked. My iPhone works wirelessly. I have six wireless devices connected to my home LAN, and they all work perfectly. Not so for this Axis wireless camera.
If you are looking for a wireless camera that works, look somewhere else. This one doesn't work.
Rating: - An absolutely amazing little camera...
The Axis 207MW is well worth the price, in my opinion. While it may lack the PTZ options of higher-end options such as the Axis 213 and offerings from Panasonic, the crisp resolution, size, and MPEG-4/audio support make it the perfect wireless network camera for those looking at a home and small business solution. Take into account its easy setup and plentiful viewing options, and you'll find it very hard to beat for the quality and money.
If you're looking for a megapixel outdoor camera--especially one featuring two-way audio and interchangeable C-mount lenses, without care about wireless capability--you might want to look at the Axis 211M. It's the only non-dome camera offered by Axis that comes close to the 207MW.
For everyone else, however, this camera will serve you quite well.
Axis 207MW Network Camera Network Camera- Wireless Megapixel Reviews
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