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D-Link
DVC-1000 i2Eye Video Phone
by Zack Bryce, Tech Lab Mgr.
May 12th, 2003
We brought boxed units over to their offices and turned them over to their IT technician to install at the two offices. Both facilities have full-time DSL broadband connections with different IP addresses and both office LAN's have hardware firewall's.
Following the D-Link
instructions, including the bulletin for firewall users, they had both
units installed and registered to the D-Link LDAP Directory Service
in 25 minutes, total. I stood by and watch how simply the installation
was done by qualified IT engineers.
(Connection diagram from
the D-Link i2Eye Web Site)
From the D-Link FAQ web page:
“The D-Link LDAP Directory Service is a D-Link hosted server which
will allow you to register a "phone number" with your DVC-1000
VideoPhone. When someone with a DVC-1000 dials this "phone number",
your DVC-1000 will ring and you will be able to accept a call. In the
same manner you can call others by dialing their "phone number".
This allows you to contact another DVC-1000 without knowing its IP address.
All DVC-1000 which are connected to a broadband modem will have the
capability of using the D-Link LDAP Directory Service.”
Incidentally, you can connect to other non i2Eye video phones via direct IP number connection, only DVC-1000’s can sign up for the D-Link LDAP Directory Service. This is the kind of flexibility that will insure acceptance for potential home and business users.
Connected to a 52” big screen TV’s at both ends, they made their first video phone call between facilities just after another 20 minutes. We left the units with them for more than a few weeks to get their feedback, tips and a product review.
Perfect
for S/MB -
The business users found that they could use a good quality speakerphone
connected to the
telephone port for
better sound in their two large conference rooms; but it was suggested
that a microphone plug be added to the i2Eye. Video quality was surprisingly
good all the way up to 25 fps, although pushed to its limit as displayed
on 52-inch screen TVs. They also liked the idea that they could record
and archive video conference meetings for later review.
The back has audio/video, Ethernet and
telephone RJ-11
Everyone was very pleased
with the D-Link i2Eye. Their operation was simple, calls through the D-Link
LDAP was easy and the best review of all was that they bought two units
after we pulled out the review units for the next test site.
Will home
non geek's love it?
OK, so IT geek's can install the unit without any problems, but how about
the average home consumer? That was our next test and I thought that my
mom was the perfect subject. Yes, my mom who has been moderately computer
literate for about ten years (my dad can barely program a VCR!). They
have cable TV, cable broadband Internet one computer and a 27” TV
with a Web TV unused for a couple years now. She did book keeping on a
computer for many years before retiring early and my dad only uses the
computer for surfing sports news and checking email.
I set up one i2Eye at my home, which also has cable broadband and more computers than I which to admit to. Installation was a breeze and I even experimented with a D-Link DWL-810 Wireless Ethernet Bridge with one TV, which doesn’t have a cable connection. My wife and kids quickly pickup on how to use i2Eye, as we practiced calling our Tech Lab office.
The other i2Eye went back to Illinois with me on a business trip to be installed by my mom on their system. It would be connected to their simple old 10/100 four-port router/hub (I installed four years ago), which is near the TV and the cable modem. I ran a Cat 5 cable under the thick carpets border and then in the wall to their upstairs den/office for the computer years ago.
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