Foscam FI8918W Wireless Pan and Tilt IP Camera: Things You Need to Know

Foscam FI8918W is a wireless IP camera that provides a 60-degree wide-angle view. The camera has 2-way audio and 26ft night vision. The FI8918W camera comes with 256 MB storage capacity. It is available in two different colors. With this, you can enjoy remote monitoring from anywhere you want. FI8918W Wireless has a built-in network recording system. It is iPhone compatible. Foscam FI8918W setup is an easy process and you can do it with the help of a user-friendly graphical interface. The camera has a multi-level user management system that is password protected. In this Foscam FI8918W review you will get to learn everything about the product. So, you can easily decide if it is worth buying.

How to Setup Foscam FI8918W Wireless Pan and Tilt IP Camera?

You can set up a wireless camera in no time. You just have to follow the process discussed below:

Hardware Connection

The first step that you have to take is, mounting the antenna and then making it stand vertically. This is just for the device that has an external antenna.
Next, you will have to connect the camera to the LAN network that is to Switch or Router through the Ethernet cable.
Thereafter, connect the power adapter to the wireless IP camera.

Software Installation

For the software installation, you will have to insert the CD into the computer’s CD drive.
After this, you will have to go to the folder marked ‘Equipment Search Tool’ and ‘For Windows OS’ or you are going to find the folder ‘For Windows OS’. Just copy and paste the file of Equipment Search
Note. In case the computer does not have a CD drive and you want to achieve foscam fi8918w setup without cd then, just download the Equipment Search Tool from the official website for free.

How to Access the Foscam IP Camera?

First, you have to enable the router’s DHCP feature. Usually, it is enabled by default and then open the program ‘Equipment Search Tool’. Make sure that it displays the IP address of the camera in your Local Area Network.

Now, double click on its camera list, and the default browser is going to open the login page of the camera.
If you log in for the first time, it is going to ask you to modify the default username and password. Insert the new Username, Password, and click on Confirm to complete the process of modification. Now, you can use the new username and password for logging into the camera in time to come.
Note: You can log in using three login methods. As per the figure that is prompted, you can select a different login mode.
For instance, if you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer, log in the camera and ascertain that you have installed an add-on when asked.

Wireless Connection Setting

Foscam FI8918W doesn’t support Wi-Fi.

First, you have to select ‘Device Management’ and then ‘Wireless LAN Settings’. Click on Wireless LAN Settings.
On the ‘Wireless LAN Settings’ page, you will have to enable ‘Using Wireless LAN’.
Next, you will have to click on the ‘Scan’ button and the camera is going to identify the Wi-Fi devices present in that particular area. Check for the router on the list.
Now, click on SSID of the router in the Wireless Network List and the corresponding information is going to be filed automatically in the SSID boxes.
You just have to insert the Share Key. Make sure that the Share Key and the SSID Encryption that you have filled in for the camera is the same as the router.
Lastly, you will have to click on the ‘Submit’ option when you are done entering the settings. Thereafter, the camera is going to reboot. Following the reboot process, simply wait for 10 seconds and then disconnect the Ethernet cable.

Now, you have successfully setup the camera using Foscam FI8918W software.

Why am I Not Being Able to Connect Foscam P2P Camera Remotely with the Foscam App?

If you are unable to connect to the wireless Foscam Ip camera with the app remotely, there is no need to worry. It has an easy solution. Here’s what you have to do.

Step 1

You will have to check if the wireless camera is connected to the internet.
In case you can log into the camera from the app when the mobile is connected to the same network as the camera, it will connect to the internet.

Step 2

Next, you will have to verify the mobile device that is connected to the internet. For this, you have to open the web browser on your mobile device and open the website. In case the site is accessible, the mobile device will give you access to the internet.

Step 3

Now, you will have to verify if the P2P feature of the camera has been enabled. To do this, you will have to log into the camera through the web browser on the computer that is connected to the same LAN. Thereafter, go to ‘Settings’, then ‘Network’, and lastly to P2P to verify if the feature has been enabled. You can also modify the P2P port to any other.

Step 4

Your following step will be to lower the frame and the bit rate of the camera’s live video feed.
At times, the network speed and traffic reduces the amount of video or data feed that can be accessed from a mobile device. In such a case, lowering the raw video data usage that is being sent over to the mobile device will help in solving network-related problems like this.

Step 5

It is time to change the camera’s P2P port when the port is being blocked by the router’s firewall or the ISP.
In case your camera allows you to change the P2P port, you can select a number between 10000 and 60000.

Step 6

You have to check for the firmware update that is required by the camera. It is also necessary to ensure that the app is updated and runs on the latest version. Once it has been updated, you will have to attempt for the connection yet again.

Step 7

In case the above-mentioned steps don’t solve your case, just send the UID of the camera to the support team of Foscam to get help.

How to Fix the Pink Image of Foscam FI8918W Wireless Pan and Tilt IP Camera?

At times, the camera feed might turn pink. This is a common problem that is caused when the IR-CUT doesn’t switch off adequately for filtering out the light that cannot be seen with the naked eye. To correct it, just follow the given below procedure:

Turn on and off the IR light a few times. You can do this using the web-browser interface or the Foscam App.
Disconnect it from the power source to power cycle it off.
Take a magnet and sweep it a few times in front of the camera lens. It is done when the IR-CUT of the camera is locked inside the camera temporarily. This is going to keep the IR LED turned on and the camera is going to be in the night mode.

Why Can’t You Connect to Live Video on Foscam Client?

Many will encounter the problem of adding the camera to the Foscam client but don’t see any video being displayed. Here are the possible reasons behind it.

A Problem with the Username and Password

In certain cases, the username and the password might be changed somewhere on the connected camera but you might have failed to update the Foscam Client software. When this happens, the software will use incorrect login information and makes an attempt to access the camera which is being denied the login due to this.

You might also be mistyping the username and password.
Solution: Re-type the right username and password for the camera.

The ‘Connect’ Button Wasn’t Clicked After The Camera Had Been Added And Configured

Solution: After you are done with the process to add the camera, go back to Live Video Page and choose the drop-down menu for the camera. You have to choose the camera that has been added recently for viewing the video feed.

The Wrong Type of Camera had been Selected When Adding the Information of the Camera to the Client Software

Solution: You will have to verify if you selected for HD cameras or MJPEG had been chosen for SD cameras.

What is the Default Password of Foscam FI8918W?

Foscam FI8918W doesn’t have a default password. It is blank and you can set the password as per your wish when you set up the camera.

What is the default IP Address of Foscam FI8918W?

The default IP address for Foscam FI8918W wireless Pan and Tilt camera is 192.168.1.1.

How to Upgrade Firmware on Foscam FI8918W Using Foscam App?

There are two ways to upgrade the firmware of the Foscam Camera. The first way is to do it through the web page and the second is through the Foscam App. We are going to explain to you how you can upgrade the camera using the app. Just follow the instructions given below:

Note: Being the end-user, you might experience a little lag in the Foscam app because of the slower network speed or delays in a cellular network. The conditions are generally caused by the congestion of the cellular network, weak cellular data connection, and data throttling that is initiated by the cellular network provider. In case the app is taking some time to respond, be patient to update before you proceed with the process of firmware update. You should connect your camera and smartphone before you move on to the update process.

Initial Preparation:

You have to verify if the Foscam camera has been powered on and is connected to the network. Check if you are able to see the live video of the Foscam app.
During the upgrade process, it is better to connect your camera and cellphone to the same network.
Technical Advisory:
Sure, you can update the firmware with your cellular data connection but it is better not to. This is because the data connection to your camera might be lost midway if you through the upgrade process. It might lead to irreversible data loss to the camera. This, in turn, can cause bricking of the device.

Now, let’s move on to the steps to upgrade Foscam camera software.

First, you will have to log in Foscam camera using the app and then tap on the ‘Settings’ icon.
Next, you will have to click on the Firmware update option. Usually, it has a red indicator on it which shows that an update is available.
After you tap on it, the app is going to check for firmware updates and will show if a new update is available. To show the information, a new page is going to open. You will find an ‘Upgrade’ button on the page to upgrade the firmware.
Note: In case there is no firmware update on the page, it means that the firmware is already updated.
The app is going to show the progress of the firmware download. Once the download is one with, standby to check the completion of the process.

Make sure that you don’t interrupt the camera or try to use any other function on the firmware upgrade process. This can interrupt the process of installation of the new firmware and might even brick the phone.

How to Reset Foscam FI8918W?

If you have to reset the Foscam FI8918W, you simply have to press and hold the ‘Reset’ button for 15 seconds. After you release the button, the camera is going to reset to factory default settings. Make sure that you power on the camera before you hit the reset button. Remember, since you are resetting the camera all the saved details will be erased.

Foscam FI8918W Review

Foscam FI8918W camera can easily record motion in the installed location. It is available at an affordable price. You can monitor the video feed on your smartphone. So, you can check the video feed wherever you are. All its features such as motion, audio, and speaking through work quite well. It is an excellent camera for monitoring what is going on.

However, the only problem with this is it will take a little time to set it up. However, once you are able to figure it out, it is quite smooth. The web-interface of the camera might be a little poor.