Hawking HNC290G Wireless-G Network Camera

Hawking’s HNC290G Net-Vision Wireless-G Network Camera stands up against Linksys’ unit in the budget category, sporting similar 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11b/g connectivity but adding adjustable tilt on the lens. The external antenna is removable for those who want a high-gain substitute. Hawking promotes this as the first network camera with automatic router configuration, but this function didn’t work on our D-Link DIR-635 router, forcing us to perform a manual installation.

Hawking requires remote service via the TZO DNS service, which has only a 75-day free trial. Another weakness is that motion sensing sensitivity isn’t adjustable. Also, some configurations require Hawking’s bundled camera viewing software, meaning you can’t change certain settings with the HNC290G’s internal Web server via a browser.

The HNC290G’s image quality on this device is fair, showing greater detail than the Linksys camera but lacking its color depth. Many test scenes look darker than they should, and you’d be hard pressed to identify an unknown visitor at normal range. The camera showed sharper motion results than expected in lower resolutions, but the 10fps rate in VGA mode is a known limitation. In low light, the HNC290G did well for its price and even triggered into recording upon motion detection, although the image quality was very poor. Again, this camera would be a better choice for casually monitoring a well-lit area than for reliable surveillance.