Finding network cameras can sometimes be a challenge, especially when you’re dealing with numerous devices or don’t know their IP addresses. Fortunately, there are tools available that simplify this process. One such effective and free solution leverages the Bonjour protocol and can be considered a handy camera scan tool.
Many network devices, including IP cameras, utilize the ‘Bonjour’ protocol for network discovery. Bonjour operates by using multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) service records to locate devices like cameras, printers, and computers, along with the services they offer on a local network. Most IP cameras are designed to respond to these multicast queries, making them discoverable via Bonjour.
While some vendors provide network discovery tools tailored to their specific brands, these applications are often limited to identifying only cameras from that particular manufacturer. They are built on top of discovery techniques like Bonjour but restrict the scope. In contrast, ‘generic’ Bonjour tools offer a broader approach, capable of discovering all devices on the local subnet that support the Bonjour protocol, regardless of the brand. This makes them versatile Camera Scan Tools for mixed-brand environments.
A practical example of such a free generic tool is the ‘Bonjour SDK for Windows’. While primarily intended for developers to create their own Bonjour-enabled applications, installing the ‘Bonjour SDK for Windows’ also installs a very useful plugin for Internet Explorer. This plugin transforms Internet Explorer into a functional camera scan tool.
Once installed, the Bonjour plugin integrates seamlessly into Internet Explorer. You’ll notice a swirling Bonjour icon in the IE toolbar. Clicking this icon opens a sidebar on the left, which lists all Bonjour-enabled devices discovered on your network. This includes not only cameras but also printers and other services. Simply clicking on a camera listed in the Bonjour toolbar will directly open the web interface of that camera within the Internet Explorer window.
This feature is particularly useful because it allows you to access the web interface of your network camera without needing to know its current IP address. Considering that most devices are set to DHCP by default, as long as there’s a DHCP server on your network, you can instantly access your cameras by selecting them from the Bonjour toolbar. After accessing the camera’s interface, you can then configure a static IP address if a fixed IP is desired for more permanent access. Using Bonjour SDK as a camera scan tool streamlines the initial setup and management of network cameras significantly.
