jrmymllr

Just went back and read the tech. specs, 2-6' cables included. Thanks, you're a lifesaver. I will order them and then probably have more questions, but really, Thanks for your help.

Now hold on. tomcctv probably checked this out, but I want to bring this up just in case. Is this cat5 cable carrying NTSC video? That DVR doesn't look like it does IP. Also, do you have power being transferred over the cat5?

If either of these is true, that device will not work.

I second getting an IP system. If the one with BNC jacks is standard analog, you won't get very good resolution with that.

What is the most cost affective and logical way to store video from 4 cameras set for motion in an office that is open 5 days a week 8 hours a day.

 

I would like to save the video for 5-7 years

 

Thank you in advance for your help

Two problems:

1. Massive amount of storage required. How much depends on the bitrate coming off the cameras, etc.

2. Disk failures will be a problem. You'd need a RAID-5 array and have to replace failed drives occasionally. Plus the power consumption of this would add up to something.

Another issue, which may not be an issue at all, is you'd likely have to use a PC-based DVR, not an off the shelf DVR. In my opinion this is preferable anyway, but there's some technical knowledge required to do all this.

Ya that is pretty normal actually in that time period. That is why it is recommended to reboot atleast once a month to clear cache and any dump files that will cause it to freeze up like that.

its not normal at all...

I can't imagine why I'm having all 3 cameras lock up within a week of each other after running perfectly for so long. I chalked it up to unreliable firmware; I have no other explanation.

Ya that is pretty normal actually in that time period. That is why it is recommended to reboot atleast once a month to clear cache and any dump files that will cause it to freeze up like that.

Good to know I'm not the only one seeing this.

I currently use analog box cameras with an analog to digital capture device via USB. I have been looking into IP cameras that go on my network and I have a question.

 

Do network cameras have their capture device built in? This seems like a better solution to bottlenecking these box cams: digital cmos > analog output and cable > analog USB capture device > back to digital.

 

With network cams I assume it is: digital cmos > digital capture > digital network output?

A network camera has an ethernet interface, so yes it's digital. And many of them are also powered over the same ethernet cable. They can plug right into an existing LAN.

Hello,

I have an 8 ch DVR only using 4 cameras and it has a HDD and can have usb backup but I want to be able to backup what is recording on the HDD at the time to another source so that if the DVR is taken i can access the footage from the other location. It is currently linked to my router through cable and has its own IP address where I can view live footage with an APP and I can login to a page on the internet to view it. Is there not any software I can install on my PC that will somehow mirror the recording and then transfer it into the cloud somewhere safe?

 

Please Help!!

Knowing the model would help, but my guess is a lot of these DVRs don't have any functionality like what you're describing.

TO 'tomcctv' when you say Standalone Hybrid, are u referring to a Camera or a DVR/NVR? & what does this mean? Storage is build into the camera? or...

 

TO 'jrmymllr' Thank you for all the info. Hopefully in the next week or two I can start pricing out parts for the server & Camera's and build the initial set up. So I may have a few more questions once im actually putting it together.

 

TO 'nigeltsui' I thought about using Cloud storage, however, i seem to remember alot of poor review on the 'free' storage based Camera's. & to pay for storage (or get the features to make it worth a damn) wasn't cheep. Maybe not per month a large number, but over time....it adds up. If you recommend cloud storage, what/who do you use? Costs? Thoughts on 'quality' and 'reliability'?

 

Thanks again to everyone for you input.

I wouldn't touch cloud storage with a very long stick. For one, it relies on your Internet connection. If that goes down for a period of time, then what? What if the company providing the cloud goes out of business? What if they decide to start charging everyone or raise the price? I'm a firm believer in any networking equipment being as independent as possible. In other words, don't set yourself up to rely on another system that's out of your control.

You'll be happier and better off long term with an NVR (preferably one built from standard parts).

Wow cool. Never thought of building my own server for a surveillance system. I'll continue to do research & search around the web some more...

If you don't mind, could i 'pick' your brain about this set up? (Was this your write up OR just one you emulated for your own set up?)

 

1, for the server's OS, you used Linux correct? I've always used Micro**** in my PC's so i know nothing about Linux. I have full copies of XP, & WIn 8 but idk if those OS's will work for server applications. IF not, is Linux '1st time user friendly' enough for a 'semi savvy' pc user to figure out?

 

2, will having multiple 2MP - 4MP IP camera's choke my router? Meaning, will my internet download/upload speed be affected? I play PC games form time to time, & these rely heavily on internet speed.

OR

are the camera's & server connected to a separate router all together? IF so, how is remote viewing possible?

 

3, It makes sense to separate the OS from the video feed. But i don't understand the function of the 'network drive' and why it is a 512GB drive, where as the video feed SSD is a smaller 240GB drive. I guess what im asking is, what is a network drive?

 

4, you used SSD's in you build over mechanical HDDs. Makes sense... Are these SSD's 'surveillance grade hard drive'?

 

Thank's for the input

Happy to answer questions. The link I provided is my write up. My pictures, my equipment.

1. Yes I used Ubuntu Linux. The VMS I used is available for Windows and Linux so if you went with that one, Windows is fine too. I just wanted Linux because it's more flexible and can be much more lightweight. I think Ubuntu, and I'm sure other distros, are fairly easy for first time users. The web has lots of information, especially for Ubuntu, and installing the VMS I used on Linux was an absolute no brainer. The nice thing about doing your own server is you can try it out, and if you hate it, install Windows.

2. So, each camera streams video straight to the server where it's processed. The router and therefore Internet is not involved, unless you're doing some weird setup where the server is not on the same LAN as the cameras, which would be messy. If the cameras and server are on the same LAN like they should be, remote viewing works simply by opening a port on the router so it can get to the server.

3. My server also behaves as a network drive, a completely separate function from the camera stuff. It's a drive I can map my Windows computers to, like in an office environment. That's convenient because I can also connect to this remotely and access my files.

4. I question if a 'surveillance grade' drive is really a legitimate thing. I know they exist, I've seen them, but in my opinion, as long as the drive can handle the load, it shouldn't matter. And with my three cameras set to 3Mb/s bandwidth, even if all three are writing to the drive at once that's nothing, only about 1 megabyte/s. That drive gets 10-20GB/day written to it which is within the range of 'average desktop usage' so at this rate it'll last decades. But any HDD would be just fine too especially if using a regular computer with gigabytes of free RAM for buffering. My guess is those surveillance grade drives are more appropriate for a off the shelf NVR containing as little RAM as possible, meaning the drive must be read to accept data at any time.

Ask me anything. I think this stuff is great.

I reported several months ago that I have 3 identical IP cameras that all locked up within about a week of each other. They were continuously powered for about 4 months, then in a span of about a week, each locked up, requiring a power cycle. No telnet, no ping. They're powered with a good midspan (PowerDsine) and in turn connected to a UPS.

It's happened again. This time it took about 5.5 months, and I thought they were freezing when hitting a specific amount of uptime. That proved to be almost correct, but it wasn't entirely predictable. Although the first one froze when hitting about 3550 hours uptime, the next froze a few hours beyond that, and the last one, a few days beyond that. Besides they ran more days this time compared to the last run.

The freezeups aren't corresponding to weather or anything else I can identify, and everything else on that UPS (server, modem, router, switch) continue running uninterrupted. The UPS is plugged into a dedicated outlet with nothing else on that circuit.

Has anyone else seen Hikvision cameras freeze unexpectedly on a semi-regular basis?

Confussed02 said:

I've searched you site but maybe wasn't putting in the right 'words' to find it, If this has already been answered before, plz link me to the thred. Thanks

 

Anyways, im looking into buying my 1st video surveillance system

My question is; where can i buy a system that's NOT an ALL In ONE system? Meaning i can buy 1 or 2 parts at a time, and slowly build my system as funds become available.

 

I've looked at many different brands/manufactures websites; Lorex, Swann, Amcrest, Q See, X10, LaView, Sharx, Dahua, Foscam....... But it usually seems that they push for a FULL system in one purchase, I know i can buy the components individually, however it's not easy know what's compatible with what unless you get the 'All in One'.

 

For example, I'd like a system that all feeds go to a central location (DVR/NVR). It can be viewed/controlled at this central location & remotely accessed via Phone/tablet. 1 High End camera, (Like a High Resolution PTV Camera w/ maybe 2 way audio) & several 'lesser' camera's focusing in different area's around my house. So we're talking 4 - 6 camera's total. Then any extra's that can be tied into this system or are separate BUT work in conjunction with this video system (Motion activated Flood lights, alarms, etc...

 

Am i asking too much? Is there a website that'll tell list each component's specs in a clear way so i can piece my own system together? My starting budget is $400 Thanks in advance.

My advice, and what I did, is to buy good IP cameras from wherever you want, including eBay, Amazon, etc. Then build your own NVR from a standard computer. This way you're not locked into using a specific brand of camera and not locked into a terrible NVR system.

Hi all thanks for having me I have a quick question I just bought a sannce 960 dvr system with four cameras but the dame thing didn't come with a hard drive and I was wondering what kind of hard drive I should get as it will be on 24/7 thanks

That's simple. Any hard drive that physically fits and is high enough capacity for what you need. A 4 camera 960h system isn't going to be that demanding.

So I have everything forwarded and its working correctly, but at work we have some pretty strict controls on the sites that we can access.

 

When I type in my IP and port to pull up I get blocked. I came across Smart PSS and was just wondering if there was any kind of online setup that did not require a download that I might be able to type in my IP and pull up my cameras?

 

I am trying to get around the firewall here at the office because there is no way that the tech team would open a request for me.

 

If you have a site that can be used instead of software can you post in a reply?

Try setting up a VPN server at the camera location and connecting with VPN. Or, try setting up a proxy server at the location and setting up your browser to use that.

If you're looking into IP systems, there is a camera called fisheye cameras, and they can view 180 degrees. That camera would work best for the garage situation that will see the front entrance and also the side entrances.

Fisheye lens do 360 degrees.

Hi. To do anything first you need to have control of the cameras IP protocol

 

Find its local IP see if it gives you the option to change it ....you also need to change its 2nd dns service ... Fill as 0.0.0.0

 

Then you need to remove its p2p software from your PC or it will reset your camera and also full reset your router

 

 

The camera came with a sticker on it stating ip 192.168.1.88 I changed that on their software to 10.0.0.10. Im not really sure what programs to use to find its local ip etc is there a step by step guide that you may be able to point a lamen like myself on doing this?

 

Thanks

That would be it's local IP; sounds like it's now 10.0.0.10.

But it's still on my home network isn't it their software co tainted a client pc program as well as p2p. Also they wouldn't be able to connect to my router unless they had my password correct. Surely there is a way to connect to it just on my home network also would I be better running blue iris or something with the camera. I mean for the price it's ok I'll admit wouldn't call it 2megapixles slightly less and night vision isn't the best but does work.

 

 

How do you think your camera was setup ? Did you add it to your router or did you load the p2p disc ? Did you do all the port forwarding on your router or did you let the software auto set

 

Do a scan on your network and you will see the ports open and IP addresses that connect.

 

But if your happy with someone watching your camera in China then it's $60 well spent

 

HI Tom

 

I set it up using their disk, but I would also like to know how to set it up on my own home network. Look I'm not an expert guru but I'm willing to learn is there a how to or instruction step by step on how to do this surely its not impossible correct? I'm guessing you just need to be clued on with routers networking etc,

I'd be curious to see if everything still works without a connection to the Internet. Then, if it does, depending on your router, you might be able to use your router to block the camera from accessing the Internet.

HI Everyone

 

I'm after some help i don't really understand routers and how they work etc but have managed to set up a cctv system however its massively affecting my internet downloads. I may be best to give everyone some background on my whole computer system

 

1. Pc connected to a router via a wireless usb dongle.

2. I have an Ethernet card in the pc however it is unused to far away to plug into Ethernet

3. A IP Camera bought from china running a cat6 cable to a 4 port poi ( power over Ethernet switch )

4. This then plugs into my router via a cat 6 cable.

 

Doesn't matter what I do what program I use etc the ip camera just uses my internet downloads to work? I was under the impression and I could be wrong that I would be able to stream the video to my router and then my computer free of charge via a sort of in house network system if that makes sense? Can someone give me some pointers and tips on how to do this. I'm in no way dumb but I just need someone to explain it to me and I should be able to work it out that's of course if its even possible and I cant see why it wouldn't be surely I can stream video over my own network?

 

I can provide more details if needed just ask

Thanking you all in advance.

Are you connecting directly to the camera, or going out to some website to view the camera feed?

Try disconnecting both devices and scan IP addresses on the network (I suggest Advanced IP Scanner) to check if there is any IP address conflict, ie. is there any other device with ...1.80 or ...1.82 address.

Next, try using different IP addresses (192.168.1.180 , 192.168.1.182)

And finally, one question: what kind of network equipment you use, is there any smart LAN switch or something like that?

Good thought about scanning, however he has tried connecting only the camera, DVR and computer to its own switch. But yes, I never thought of the smart switch thing.

Hi there,

 

Good question that..yep just pinged both (whilst both connected) and replies from both.

 

Thank you!

Now try pinging each individually with the other disconnected to make sure there's nothing weird going on there, which I'd expect nothing surprising there.

Then try a different browser or clearing the cache. The original issue is so strange that it almost seems like the browser might be doing something odd.

Hi,

 

Thanks for the asking...

 

No, definitely on a local set up, both on site (at the clients) and also in my office where I simply connected the two devices into a 5 port switch, then access that through the laptop, and the same issue occurred!

 

Does that answer help at all?

 

Cheers.

What happens if you try pinging each one?

Hi all,

 

Wondered if someone can shed a bit of light on this.

 

I have a Dahua ip cam & Nvr.

 

When they are both connected to a local network (via a router and without), the browser will only open one of the devices, it seems as though it prioritises depending on what the HTTP port is set too, but will not open both devices together, I have to unplug one of them from the network to allow the browser to open the one that isnt working (if that makes sense)

 

The ip address's are different (so no conflict), the gateway is the same and matches the router, I have tried changing port numbers and primary/secondry dns to various address's.

 

So have tried a number of variations, but still no luck.

 

Anyone had this before?

 

So current settings:

 

Camera........

 

IP 192.168.1.80

Subnet 255.255.255.0

Gateway 192.168.1.1

Pref Dns 192.168.1.1

Alt Dns 8.8.8.8

TCP Port 37777

UDP Port 37778

HTTP Port 80

HTTP's Port 443

 

NVR...........

 

IP 192.168.1.82

Gateway 192.168.1.1

Subnet 255.255.255.0

Primary DNS 192.168.1.1

Sec DNS 8.8.8.8

Media Port 34567

HTTP Port 80

 

I tried changing the HTTP ports 80 for one and 1025 for another and that didnt help.

 

Many thanks!!

If you are accessing these on the internal network, the LAN, DNS and gateway won't matter. But what you describe is strange. You aren't trying to access this from the public Internet, right?

Boogieman the IP address I supplied is fictional I arbitrarily selected random numbers for each octet.

It's probably best to instead say something like x.x.x.x. There's no need to state a real IP, even if it's not yours.

I've been trying to find decent NVR software, but it's just too expensive. I'd much rather it run on Linux, but if necessary I can create a VM for Windows.

 

ExacqVision runs on Linux, but only runs on Debian (not RedHat), but crucially is only 32bit. Plus not only is there a base fee, but annual per-camera licenses. Milestone only runs on Winduhs, and it also has a base fee, but annual per-camera licenses. HikVision are clearly incompetent at making NVR software.

 

Are there any quality NVR systems that don't have per-camera or per-year license fees? This is just for my 2 camera house, and maybe also for my 2 camera car.

Get Xeoma. Runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, and a 4 cam license will cost you $20 period. I've been using it and it does its thing well enough.

You should add Xeoma to the VMS list. I've been using it and think it's worthy of consideration.

I wouldn't know. With Whiteshark it's all greek to me. I don't understand it.

Well anyway, open ports on a camera isn't enough for another entity to spy on you. They have to be able to connect to them.