Some older Foscam, D-Link, or Trendnet cameras used index.shtml with ?quality=1 or &resolution=high parameters to toggle the main stream.
The .shtml pages can automatically update text overlays, such as time stamps, and provide interactive PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) controls directly on the interface.
: Older cameras may use outdated firmware that allows remote actors to bypass login screens entirely by requesting specific pages like index.shtml . How to Secure Your Camera
The popularity of the "view index shtml" search term is largely due to its use in finding . If a camera is connected to the internet without a password or proper firewall settings, search engines like Google may index its internal pages. Live View Axis View View Shtml