D-Link's DCS-2100 wireless security camera

But if roaming around the house with a Web-ready untethered notebook isn't enough to get you interested in Wi-Fi, perhaps home or office security will. In the last few months the latest twist on the Wi-Fi phenomenon has been a combination of Web conferencing and security. Remember the Web cam? It's gone Wi-Fi, and it has a new security-oriented mission.

D-Link, the privately held home-networking concern, earlier this year announced the DCS-2100, which it's billing as a security camera. It connects directly to Wi-Fi networks anywhere the network's signal can reach, taking pictures that are easily viewable from a Web browser anywhere.

The camera shoots MPEG-4 video at a rate of 30 frames per second and includes an integrated Web server software package, an integrated microphone and a motion detection sensor. Video can be saved and archived directly to a hard drive, so you can watch what happens over time in your home or office. It also has an e-mail alert feature designed to send a snapshot of what the camera is seeing as an attachment to any e-mail address.

The camera sells for about $400 and is available from retailers, and works with PCs running Microsoft's (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) Windows. Another D-Link wireless camera, the $200 DCS-1000 also works with Apple Computer's (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) Macintosh platform. The package includes software that lets you manage as many as 16 cameras at once from a single PC. Just enough to turn your home or office into a high-surveillance location.