Dlink DCS8600LH Review : The Outdoor Watchman

Looking for a dedicated outdoor camera?



If you are in the market for an outdoor camera, the Dlink DCS 8600LH Full HD Outdoor Wi-Fi Camera is right up your alley.



Why the DCS 8600LH?

Perfect for Contactless Delivery
With contactless delivery being the norm due to Covid19, it would mean that more packages are left outside your house. With an outdoor camera, you can use it to protect against package theft. THe DCO8600LH comes with motion and sound detection that allows you to receive alert notification and record video clips. With Full HD Clarity and a 135 degree view, you would be able to see clearly who is at the front door.

In addition, it comes with two-way audio that allows you to communicate with the delivery man if necessary. It works well at night too with its night vision of up to 7m in the dark.

Full IP65 Weatherproof 

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If you are placing your camera outdoors and exposing it to elements, it has to be able to withstand heat and rain.

This model does it well with full IP65 Weatherproof certified from casing to cabling for outdoor placement. It is built and made for outdoor use. It is build to withstand heatwaves of up to 45°C making it perfect for Singapore's hot and humid weather.

The good thing is that it works perfectly indoors too!

Wired Solution with Wifi
We last reviewed the DLink DCS 8202, a wireless outdoor solution. Being wireless, it was good for versatility as we can place in anywhere we want. However, it also means that the unit needs to be charged in a few weeks in between. The DCL8600LH has a wired cable that ensures the unit is on 24/7. Under the previous rendition of wired outdoor cameras, it can connect to the house network via wifi instead of Lan cabling. With a 7 m worth of cabling, you can stretch your unit to almost anywhere you need.

Magnetic Attachment behind

This means more flexibility in the placement of the unit compared to older models. The unit is best used with wall mounting. Each unit comes with a magnetic attachment that allows you to easily mount it to the wall with just a screw

Cloud and Local Recording
You can now record in the micro SD card slot or if you have cloud recording, you could opt for that as well. Cloud recording is free for up to 3 cameras for 1-day video retention. You could upgrade to a Basic plan for 7day video retention or the premium plan for 14-day video retention for up to 5 camera. Plan upgrades come with additional fees.

SD Card Slot

Using it

In terms of stability, the DCS8000 is more responsive on the mydlink App that I used to monitor vs the DCS 2802 wireless outdoor unit. In addition, as there is no need to recharge the unit, it is a simple plug and play model. The setup time via the Dlink app took less than 3 minutes.

Picture quality is decent for an entry-level unit. The only downside is that you cannot simply place it anywhere. Instead, you would need to wall mount it to make it more stable. Size-wise, it is less discreet compared to the DCS 2802 model. However, since it is meant to be watching the house compound, the larger size could prove to be a deterrent to would-be intruders.

What's in the box?

Each box comes with the following accessories

• Camera Unit
• Connecting cables
• Mounting screws 
• Magnetic Mounts
• Menu

The Dlink DCS 8600LH is now available at selected stores. You can refer here for the list of stores that retails Dlink products in Singapore

Disclosure
TWD was provided a unit for the purpose of this review. All opinions are of our own.