There is no doubt that keeping your homes safe and secure is one of the most important things to consider. With today’s advanced outdoor security cameras, users will be able to control the device and also keep a tab of their home surroundings even when they are away. We take a look at the all-new TP-Link tapo C310 outdoor security WiFi camera.
Design
The TP-Link tapo C310 is designed to be mounted from a wall outside the main door. The overall white color of the security camera easily blends well with most homes. The camera also features dual WiFi antennas that are mounted on either side of the device. While users will be able to set up the camera wirelessly, the device also gives the option to connect via an Ethernet cable. The Ethernet cable connector is smartly hidden and passes through the wall mount portion.
The front end of the camera is all-glass and there is only the camera lens, along with other sensors for motion sensing. On the top portion, you can see a red rim that surrounds the camera body. Underneath the camera is the slot for placing the MicroSD card. The camera records the 3MP video footage on the MicroSD card and the device supports up to 128GB cards. The memory card slot is also secured with two screws in order to avoid unauthorized access.
The underside of the camera also features a mic and a speaker so users will be able to communicate with any unknown visitors without the need to open the door. There is also a reset button under the camera. While the TP-Link tapo C310 is such a small camera, the device also is IP66 certified for weatherproof resistance to endure rain and dust.
Features
The TP-Link tapo C310 comes loaded with some nifty features that are useful to monitor the surroundings of your home or the entrance, and also interact with anyone outside. One of the main selling factors is the easy-of-use of the Tapo application that lets you have total control of the camera from the smartphone. Setting up and syncing the camera to the application takes just a few minutes.
One of the oldest and most useful features of the camera is none other than the automatic alarm that the device triggers when motion is detected. While this can actually scare off burglars or mischievous kids from neighboring homes, the sensor actually even kicks off sometimes when normal cars are detected passing through the road. When the alarm goes off, you do get alerts on your smartphone via the app. The automatic siren alerts appeared so many times we had to actually disable the alerts.
The camera also has a two-way audio system where you can perform a voice call with the visitor outside via the application and through the camera’s mic and speakers. Other features of the camera also include support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
There is also the Night Vision that does what exactly the name implies and you can monitor what is going on outside your home. The TP-Link tapo C310 isn’t only meant to be used outdoors, as it is also designed to be placed indoors, like your kid’s room for instance. The Night Vision Mode also is very useful here as you can keep a tab of your kid’s activities in their rooms while you are away. The night vision feature lets you achieve a visual distance of 30m, even if the environment is totally dark.
The application also offers another feature called Privacy Mode that actually stops the transmission and recording when turned on so you don’t need to worry about your privacy when indoors. The Tapo application easily lets you record the video and you will be able to playback the recording and access the files. And if you have multiple cameras set up, you will be able to view the transmission from every camera in grid view.
Going through the technical specifications, the TP-Link tapo C310 features a 1/2.7-inch 3MP image sensor and also comes with the support of an 850 nm IR LED for night vision capabilities. The video is based on H.264 compression and can be recorded up to 1080p at 15fps. The camera only connects to 2.4 GHz frequency and not with 5 GHz speeds. With an 802.11n router, the wireless transmission speed is 150 Mbps. The camera also has support for WPA and WPA2-PSK wireless security, so you don’t need to worry about any wireless hacks that can happen with your security network.
Verdict
Regardless of where you stay, security is an important factor that should not be ignored for both indoor and outdoor surveillance. If you are looking for a decent security camera that is small and has all the important features, then the TP-Link tapo C310 is a good choice to consider. The camera is easy to setup and features an IP66 certified construction so you don’t have to worry about rains and dust storms when mounted outside.
The Tapo application lets you do two-way communication with any unknown visitors outside and also lets you record videos on a MicroSD card that is tightly secured. The camera also can either be connected via 2.4 GHz WiFi or with an Ethernet cable. The camera also features Night Vision that lets you view dark situations. The Privacy Mode is also useful if you don’t want unwanted videos to be recorded. And there is the Automatic Siren that is activated when the motion detection sensors are triggered.
