Synology CC400W Review: A Robust Compact Security Camera at a Cost

The CC400W—officially available in the US today after its initial unveiling in early 2024—is Synology’s first Wi-Fi IP security camera. It looks completely different from its previous PoE counterparts, the BC500 and TC500, which were released over two years ago.

The new camera’s compact design affords more placement options. However, its requirement for a power outlet proves problematic, if not a flaw.

On the inside, though, the CC400W remains similar to its older cousins. Made for the well-known Surveillance Station app, it is applicable only to those with a Synology NAS server or NVR unit and has a comprehensive feature set. Unfortunately, the $150 suggested retail cost—street price will vary—is significantly heftier than any similar third-party option, even with the $60 Synology camera license already accounted for.

Here’s the bottom line: If you’re using the Surveillance Station on a Synology NAS server and can’t run a network cable to a specific location, the CC400W is a good option when you’ve already used up the server’s built-in camera licenses. Otherwise, a third-party camera, such as those from Reolink, will give you a similar experience at a lower cost.

Synology CC400W: A little powerful Wi-Fi security cam with a minor design flaw

Out of the box, the CC400W comes with a heavy swivel-able base that allows it to be placed on a surface or mounted on a wall.

The base itself is magnetic, and its bottom can be detached to work as a mounting piece. As a result, you can quickly hang the cam on a metal bar or mount it on a wall/ceiling using a couple of screws. It’s convenient.

In terms of getting connected and powered, the CC400W is the opposite of the TC500 or the BC500. It uses Wi-Fi to connect to the network and, therefore, doesn’t require a network cable.

However, it needs to be powered the traditional way, from a wall socket. For that, it comes with a USB-C power adapter and has a USB-C wire, about 7 feet long, attached to the back. I have a bit of an issue with this method of powering.

First, the cable will likely be either too long or too short, depending on where you want to place the camera in relation to an available wall outlet. Secondly, the fact that the cable itself is permanently attached to the camera and has a USB-C connector is a significant oversight for a couple of reasons:

1. It’s difficult to extend this cable, and if the cable or its connector head were broken, you’d likely have to get a whole new camera.
2. The CC400W’s included power adapter itself is designed so that you need to plug the cable into its port at 90 degrees from the wall socket. Consequently, it’s easy to break the cable’s connector head by accident. All it takes is a hard pull on the cable at the wrong angle.

The design would be much better with the opposite power arrangement, like that of many other similar IP cams or IoT devices: the USB-C port is on the camera itself. In this case, you’d be able to easily replace the power cable with one of the perfect length. As for the power adapter, the camera has a low 1A input requirement and will work with any USB power delivery adapter.

Other than that, the CC400W is a typical Wi-Fi cam. The table below shows its specs in comparison to Synology’s PoE models.

Synology CC400W vs. BC500 vs. TC500: Hardware specifications

	Synology CC400W	Synology BC500	Synology TC500
Dimensions	3.85 x 1.97 x 1.77 in (98 x 50 x 45 mm)	Ø4.33 x 6.34 in (Ø110 x 161 mm)	Ø3.82 x 3.46 in (Ø97 × 88 mm)
Weight	.4 lb (180 g)	0.78 lb (353 g)	0.85 lb (387 g)
Network connection	Wi-Fi 5	Wired
Power Source	USB-C adapter AC input: 110-240V DC output: 5V 1A	PoE (802.3af) or 12V DC
Power Consumption	≈ 45 Wh (per 24 hours as tested)	4.8 W (per specs)
Operating Environment	• Temperature (IR off): -30°C to 50°C (-22°F to 122°F) • Temperature (IR on): -30°C to 40°C (-22°F to 104°F) • Relative humidity: 5% to 95% RH (non-condensing)
Certification	IP65, FCC, IC, CE, BSMI, VCCI, RCM, UKCA, KC, JATE
Max. Video Resolution	4MP (2560×1440) @ 30 FPS	5MP (2880×1620) @ 30 FPS
Video Compression	H.264, H.265
Field of View	125° H, 72° V, 145° D (LDC ON)	110° H, 56° V, 132° D (LDC ON)
Night Vision	10 meters	30 meters
2-Way Audio	Yes	Only Microphone)
Weather resistance	IP65	IP67
Warranty	2-years	3-years
SD Card Event Recording (Edge Recording)	Event recording can be triggered by the following:  •Instability in the network connection or disconnection from NAS  •People & Vehicle Detection, Intrusion Detection, Motion Detection, Audio Detection, Tampering Detection
Event Analytics	People, Vehicle, Intrusion, Crowd, Loitering, Audio, Tampering, Motion
Instant Search	People, Vehicle, Motion
Auto Tracking	People
U.S. Availability	May 2024	May 10, 2023
U.S. Price (at launch)	$149.99	$219.99	$219.99

A simple Wi-Fi cam that’s not super rugged

Other than the connectivity and powering methods, the CC400W’s biggest difference from the other two cams is that it features the IP65 rating for ruggedness. That means it has a good level of protection against dust and moisture, but it’s not as rugged as the other two.

In short, the new cam is not designed to be exposed to prolonged heavy rain or rough environments. It’s best used indoors or outside but under a roof.

The cam features Wi-Fi 5 and can connect using 2.4GHz or 5GHz. Either will be fast enough for its required bandwidth, which is around 8Mbps, as shown in the table below.

Resolution	H.264	MJPEG
1 MP (1280 x 720)	2 Mbps	6 Mbps
2 MP (1920 x 1080)	4 Mbps	12 Mbps
4 MP (2560 x1440)	8Mbps	24 Mbps
5 MP (2880×1620)	10 Mbps	30Mbps
4K (4096 × 2160)	32 Mbps

DS Cam app is required for the setup, familiar settings, and features

The CC400W is the first IP camera I’ve run into that has no network port. Consequently, there’s no way to set it the usual way, which is to connect it to the network via a network cable and then access its web user interface via the IP address.

The solution is the DS Cam app, and it’s pretty simple. You can use the app on a phone connected to your network and then scan the QR code on the cam’s back to connect it to the same network via Wi-Fi.

You need the DS Cam app version 5.8.0 or above for iOS or version 3.9.0 or above for Android. Additionally, Surveillance Station version 9.2 or above is required. Unsure? Update the apps to the latest version beforehand.

In my case, the moment I run the app, it automatically detects the cam and shows a prompt at the bottom of the screen. All I had to do was follow the wizard and get the cam up and running within a few minutes.

Alternatively, once you’ve used the app to hook the cam to the Wi-Fi network, you can use the Surveillance Station to handle the rest, just like the BC500 and TC500.

The CC400W has the same feature set as the other two and comes with the same amount of customization—vastly more than any other third-party cams. It includes Edge Recording, where the cam automatically maintains the recording on a microSD card (not included) even when it’s disconnected and then fills those recordings in with the server when reconnected to maintain a seamless detection system.

In short, other than the connection method, the CC400W proved virtually the same as the other PoE cams in features and performance.

Reliable performance

For this review, I used a CC400W in the same system as the BC500 and TC500 for over a month and was generally happy with it.

The camera proved reliable and consistently detected objects. I used it with a NAS server, so it didn’t have all the detection options and analytics, but for a security cam, it was more than good enough.

Since the CC400W is a Wi-Fi cam, moving it around proved easy. I was able to use it in many different locations within my Wi-Fi coverage, both indoors and outdoors, making it very convenient to check on different spots around the house. The magnetic base also came in handy.

While the camera itself is IP65-rated, its power adapter is not. For this reason, if you want to keep it outdoors, a long USB-C extension cable is necessary. In this case, make sure the connector is also well-shielded from the environment.

The camera delivers image quality per its specs. You won’t be able to make a movie out of it, but the picture and video quality were clear enough to read a license plate from some 30 feet away.

Overall, the CC400W performed well. It met, even exceeded, my expectations in most cases.

Conclusion

At $150 a pop, the Synology CC400W is the most expensive non-PTZ Wi-Fi camera I’ve tested. However, if you’re a fan of Synology’s Surveillance Station, it’s a flexible and solid option as long as:

• you’ve already used up two included free licenses—the savings from buying an additional license help make its price a bit easier to stomach.
• have a good spot to mount it, considering its odd power-intake design, namely the relatively fragile attached USB-C cable and 90⁰ power adapter.

Then, you’ll love the cam’s reliable performance and loads of features. It has much more than its mundane appearance might suggest.