iCamSource won't stay running

[kamathi]

How do I keep the iCamSource server software running. I thought my issue was my computer energy saver software but I now how that set for computer to never sleep. However, when I come home, I find that the iCamSource software is no longer running, i.e. icon doesn't appear in top bar next to Airport wifi symbol. Everything is working fine when I leave the house. Any ideas?

[Jay]

If iCamSource is crashing, there should be crash logs.

The crash logs would be in:

/Users/<Your Username>/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/iCamSource_<date_time>.crash.log

or in:

/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/iCamSource_<date_time>.crash.log

If you have Mac OS 10.6.3+, I think they moved the crash logs to  /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports  or  /Users/<Your Username>/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports

If you find crash logs, please email the most recent one to support@skjm.com.  Please refer to this forum thread in your email.

[kamathi]

Thanks. It seemed I had motion sensitivity too high and once I lowered that, iCamSource quit crashing. Is that common. Seems pretty sensitive. Now my issue seems to be overall bandwidth degredation. When both cams are streaming, I'm only taking up 150 kb/s so not a big load. However, my speedtest on modem drops from 20Mb/s when not running iCamSource to barely 1.5Mbp/s when checking it in the evening after running it all day. After a power cycle on the modem, everything is back to normal. Anything I can do short of asking Comcast for a new modem?

[Jay]

We've never heard of any behavior like that before.  When it's idle, iCamSource uses a very small amount of bandwidth.  If you leave it running 24/7 for a month, it'll use about 60 MB of bandwidth over the whole month.  Of course, it uses more bandwidth when someone is actually viewing the webcams on the iPhone. 

Does rebooting your computer have any effect on the speedtest?  If so, make sure that your Mac is fully updated through Software Update.

[kamathi]

I suspect I have a modem issue. While this problem didn't seem to surface until I loaded iCamSource and begin camera streaming, I now begin to see bandwidth degredation within 5 minutes after a modem, router and computer power cycle. Upon restart, I'm immediately back to 20+Mbps but 5 minutes later, I'm down to 1.5Mbps using speedtest. This is without launching iCamSource.

I have confirmed that camera streaming is only consuming very small bandwidth but after launching iCamSource so this certainly isn't my problem. I just wonder if there's anything inherant about iCamSource that could have sent the modem down a bad path? I will make sure all software updates are installed but hoping I come up with a smoking gun here.

Replacing the modem may be the next step just to start eliminating things. Thanks.

[Jay]

We haven't heard of any similar reports from other users.  iCam uses standard IP protocols; I can't think of any way that it would effect the modem, especially if it happens even when iCamSource isn't running.

[Bud]

I just purchased a Linksys WVC80N wireless camera and I cannot get iCamSource to recognize the camera.  I have entered the correct IP addresses, passwords and user names.  I always get the message "IP camera could not be connected.  Make sure the camera URL is correct for the camera."  I am, however, able to use iCam with the camera built into my notebook computer.  Any advice?

[OUAnthony]

You have to provide a specific link to the camera's video feed. Example: http://192.168.1.5/video.cgi. Somewhere on this forum, there is a link that will help you figure out what to use as your video source link. Also make sure that you typed in your camera's username/password in icamsource.

[Jay]

Bud - Other users have reported success with the WVC80N.  The following MJPEG URL should be the correct one for you to use in iCamSource:

http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:yy/img/video.mjpeg    where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is replaced with your camera's IP address and yy is replaced with your camera's port.  Make sure that the MJPEG checkbox is checked in iCamSource.