I have a topper on the back of my Tundra, and on long road trips, I keep my 3 big dogs in the back. I have an Android head unit and a permanently install travel router. My phone's hotspot powers the router (wireless internet service provider; aka WISP mode), so that multiple devices in the truck are on a LAN, with access to the web through the phone. That part works well.
I'd love to get a camera installed on the ceiling of the topper (just above the rear window of the cab) that faces down/backward to provide video of the bed. I have 12V on the ceiling of the topper, as well as cab-switchable LED lighting.
Having a small, 12VDC-powered camera that can obtain an IP address from the router in the truck would provide the simplest installation, and allow for real-time monitoring on the Android head unit (or any other device on the LAN) without having to directly connect to the camera's WIFI AP (as is the case with so many of the wifi-enabled spy cameras).
Once the camera is connected to the router (with a fixed IP), I can use any IP camera viewing app (or even the camera's GUI via LAN IP) to access the feed - and still have internet access. Plus, no need to run additional video /USB cable back to the head unit (as is the case with a traditional rear-view camera).
Anyway, after quite some time researching offerings on Amazon, I'm left a bit underwhelmed with the options. The Wyze-like cameras all seem to be internet-dependent, and have questionable reliability for direct LAN access.
Any suggestions would be welcome.
I'd love to get a camera installed on the ceiling of the topper (just above the rear window of the cab) that faces down/backward to provide video of the bed. I have 12V on the ceiling of the topper, as well as cab-switchable LED lighting.
Having a small, 12VDC-powered camera that can obtain an IP address from the router in the truck would provide the simplest installation, and allow for real-time monitoring on the Android head unit (or any other device on the LAN) without having to directly connect to the camera's WIFI AP (as is the case with so many of the wifi-enabled spy cameras).
Once the camera is connected to the router (with a fixed IP), I can use any IP camera viewing app (or even the camera's GUI via LAN IP) to access the feed - and still have internet access. Plus, no need to run additional video /USB cable back to the head unit (as is the case with a traditional rear-view camera).
Anyway, after quite some time researching offerings on Amazon, I'm left a bit underwhelmed with the options. The Wyze-like cameras all seem to be internet-dependent, and have questionable reliability for direct LAN access.
Any suggestions would be welcome.