3MP resolution
PoE
Good software management options
Fiddly install (common to domes)
Supplied TRENDnet software is meh
PoE only out of the box
Should you go dome or go home for your TRENDnet TV-IP311PI camera?
CCTV home security kit specialist can get hot under the collar when asked: is a dome camera better than a bullet camera? It boils down to personal preference and purpose.
If you want an IP camera that screams “You are on CCTV now!” go for a bullet camera like …
8.2
Total Score
TRENDnet TV-IP311PI Camera Review Verdict
Great quality dome camera that can produce 2048×1536 images, and runs on Power-over-Ethernet. But you might want 3rd party surveillance software to pair with this TRENDnet camera.
User Rating: 3.13 (10 votes)
PROS:
- 3MP resolution
- PoE
- Good software management options
CONS:
- Fiddly install (common to domes)
- Supplied TRENDnet software is meh
- PoE only out of the box
Should you go dome or go home for your TRENDnet TV-IP311PI camera?
CCTV home security kit specialist can get hot under the collar when asked: is a dome camera better than a bullet camera? It boils down to personal preference and purpose.
If you want an IP camera that screams “You are on CCTV now!” go for a bullet camera like the TRENDnet TV-IP310PI.
If you want a home CCTV camera kit that is less obtrusive consider this TRENDnet TV-IP311PI. It has a lower profile, takes up less space, and may make a burglar think twice.
It’s much harder to see which direction a dome camera is watching.
We Like The TRENDnet TV-IP311PI Features
Otherwise the TRENDnet TV-IP311PI sports a 3MP resolution like it’s bullet brother.
The resolution on this camera can push up to 2048×1536 pixels, so better than 1080p. It wipes the floor with lesser IP cameras like the Belkin Netcam or D-Link DCS-933L which record at a 640×480 resolution.
Come on guys, it’s 2015!
You get a wired Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE) IP camera without a wireless option. The housing is IP66 standard, so water ingress is not a problem. Note that you’ll need a compatible PoE network switch to get juice to these TRENDnet cams like a TP-LINK TL-SG1008P Switch with 4-Port PoE 
.
Otherwise you’ll be forking out for an external power supply.
Like many CCTV cameras, you can mount the TRENDnet TV-IP311PI with a few screws. Your wire routing may take deeper consideration. Will you run cables on the outside of your property? Or drill through a wall and route the cables within a cavity?
Think about where the camera’s pointing when it’s mounted, as this isn’t a Pan-Tilt-Zoom IP cam. You may need to flip the camera image in the software settings if you mount vertically on a wall, to get your orientation correct.
The powerful IR LEDs on the TRENDnet TV-IP311PI gives this IP camera practical night vision capability. You can’t beat a decent external light source at night though. Don’t give wannabe burglars the opportunity to hide in the shadows.
How Is The TRENDnet TV-IP311PI Software?
Specs on the TRENDnet TV-IP311PI are high and almost identical to the TRENDnet TV-IP310PI. Do remember, it is software that controls these IP cameras and TRENDnet offer a basic interface.
Find your TRENDnet TV-IP311PI on your network using the latest software downloaded from TRENDnet support. Then you can update the IP camera firmware and change basic settings like:
- Resolution for CCTV footage recording
- Network storage target for saving your CCTV video stream
- Motion detection settings, and email alerts
- View your TRENDnet TV-IP311PI stream live and much more
I would say the web interface for the TRENDnet TV-IP311PI is basic. You can view the stream using VLC or other applications once you have your device IP address and the stream URL format. Remote viewing is therefore easy.
If you want to manage multiple TRENDnet TV-IP311PI cameras, set more sophisticated motion alerts, and more complex monitoring regimes, consider a third-party CCTV software solution.
The TRENDnet TV-IP311PI will play nicely with Synology’s surveillance station too.
You can stream your video as MJEG or H.264, save to a network share, view streams through a browser or VLC. There’s lots of options for monitoring and recording your security streams, and TRENDnet IP cams generally play nicely when it comes to security camera management.
Most problems can be ironed out with TRENDnet firmware updates, which is more than can be said for cams from other manufacturers.
With a great outdoor / indoor dome camera like the TRENDnet TV-IP311PI, better software will get the best from your IP camera system.
