Need help on Swann DVR

[Bkirrane 0]

I would appreciate any help I can get in solving my problem.

 

These are the facts:

 

 

1. I own a condo in Florida and worry about it when I am not there. I want to set up a video surveillance system so that I can monitor it when I am not there.

 

2. After some research I bought a Swann DVR4-PRO-NET (SW242-Sr4) video surveillance system from Costco online. I chose this product because of its price and also it has an automatic reboot feature in the event of power failure.

 

3. The system came with software called “APâ€

[rory 0]

Hi, this thread explains what needs to be done.

http://www.cctvforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3287

 

The IP in the DVR must be in the same range as the router's IP. You will need to port forward to the DVR's IP and port, for outside access.

 

Sounds like that DVR is an AVTech DVR.

 

Rory

[Kiwi 0]

Well, it's not Costco's fault that it's not set up correctly! It will work once you find the right settings.

 

I would first put the DVR on a static IP instead of DHCP, it's just easier:

 

IP: 192.168.1.100

Gateway: 192.168.1.1 (.65 or .254, or whatever it is for the router itself, not clear from your text)

Mask: 255.255.255.0

 

Find the LAN firewall settings in the router and apply the DMZ setting to the host with static IP of 192.168.1.100. That allows any external port to access the DVR once a connection is established.

 

Direct external port 80 to internal 192.168.1.100 port 80 (usually called a virtual server). That allows the initial connection.

 

(Be sure your router does not respond to an external port 80 for getting to the admin interface otherwise you will have a conflict. Normally not a problem.)

 

If you can find your current assigned dynamic internet IP, test from outside your home using that address to prove things so far.

 

 

Then add the DDNS settings:

DNS: 192.168.1.1 (or .65 or .254, your basic router address as above)

etc.

The server log in Video Server E (general) should soon show that DDNS update was successful.

 

Test again outside your system using the host name you selected.

Once it works set a better password on the DVR admin account.

 

 

Let us know how it goes in case you need further help.

[Bkirrane 0]

Thank you both for your help. I found it too difficult and returned it to Costo. Swann ignored repeated requests for help.

 

In a few months I will try again. Do you have any suggestions for a good system with tech support?

 

Thanks again, Bill.

[scorpion 0]

We have not heard from you since Dec 30th of 07, and I assumed that you had rectified your problems. You stated that you were computer savy, and the post that Rory, and Kiwi posted should have more than resolved your problems.

 

If you were poking around with the DVR, and having problems, then I am confused as you have not posted any problems on Dec 31, or Jan 1st.

 

I am sorry to hear that you have problems, and you had to return it.

 

For a budget priced product it is my opinion that it is a terrific device.

 

The manufacture is AVTech. Please feel free to go to my website to see if you can find the information that you need and to repurchase the system, and get that system up, and going.

 

http://scorpiontheater.com/cpcamtechsupport.aspx

 

I do not work for AVTech, Swann, or Costco so my opinion is not tainted (except that I am an AVTech product nutcase)!

 

I am not an AVTech expert, but you can look at the posts in the DVR section to see that I am somewhat knowledgeable on the product.

 

I would be more than glad to give you my email address in a PM if this will help you out.

[securitysys 0]

Good thing you returned it to Costco!

 

Sorry Scorpion, I hope we can agree to disagree on this DVR.

 

I personally think this DVR is absolute garbage. One of my vendors keeps sending me these newsletters with the latest products, and this was always featured as a special, bundled with 4 cameras. Keep in mind I never buy anything from these guys, but I figured hell, let me give the guy a shot, he's persistent.

 

Long story short, someone with 4 locations asked me for a quote. I gave him the quote based on these DVR's and I got the job. Well, like an idiot, I hadn't tried the DVR first. So I tried the sample, and after review I came to the conclusion that I would take the index finger on my left hand and cut it off before I installed this unit in one of my clients shops.

 

I ended up purchasing a unit that was about double the cost, and installed it.

 

Again, that's just my opinion. I don't deal to much with the lower - end products, so maybe I'm just to picky, but man, I was never so disgusted at a DVR. My clients old Q-SEE DVR would make someone think it's a $6,000 GE unit compared to this thing!!

 

Then again, there’s a customer for everything :-/.

 

For anyone interested here's an online demo of it (not my unit):

 

http://208.57.226.42:81/

Username: admin

Password: admin

[scorpion 0]

The DVR that you are demoing is still an AVTech manufactured DVR!

 

If the first one is crap, then this one should be crap also?

 

The AVC 760 is an entry level machine. I agree with everyone that it does have limitations, but for the price, and someone on a budget, or to replace a VCR, then I believe it is an excellant choice. Would I use it in my own home? Yes. Would I prefer a GE, or an other brand? Yes. My wife, and my wallet dictate what kind of machine I purchase for my house.

 

Would I walk in to a city hall with a bid with this DVR? NO! Of course not. Then again, a back woods small town city hall may appreciate having this kind of DVR as they do not have a budget to add surveillance.

 

If I was forced to walk, and knock door to door in a residential neighborhood to sell DVRs, then this would be the one that I would carry as I know it would be a good quick sale, and cash in my pocket.

 

I could not go door to door with a $3000.00 DVR, and expect to come home with several sales a day.

 

How many people a day come in to our shop, and then leave, and go buy a budget system at the "Warehouse Club Sammy"? Should I just let them go? Who wins? The Club does. They got the cash! I carry the entry level so that I get the sale, and the customer gets what he needs. Ask the Warehouse Club Sammy questions about different aspects of this DVR, and watch the clerks eyes glaze over. They will just point to the info on the box!!!!

 

Am I offended that someone does not like the product that I sell.

 

NO! Of course not. No offense taken.

 

I would never recommend a VCR, and a multiplexor, but you would be surprised at how many people still buy them. (EGADS!) I am ashamed to say that I sell the multiplexor, and then I send them to Wally World, or the big red bulls eye to get their VCR.

 

I like the machine that you recommend!!! It IS a better machine! You are right!! How can I be offended when you recommend an AVTech DVR! LOL!

 

What is the one that you recommended? Is it an AVC 785, or a CPD 503?

 

I guess it could be a AVC 781.

 

I love the choices out there! I love that the "consumer" is becoming aware of these products creating demand, which in turn creates more units being manufactured, and it drives the cost down!

 

Where will our future go as they create more technology?

[Scruit 0]

I think I can offer a "budget user" opinion here. For the most part we don't have as much to protect and our exposure in a loss event is much less. It hardly makes sense to exceed the cost your exposure in prevention - might as well just set aside the money and pay the loss out of pocket - you'd be ahead.

 

 

Yes, there are Fords, BMWs etc out there - and BMW will always make a nicer car (for more money) than ford will. Does that mean that you shouldn't sell Fords? No. it doesn't make sens for me to spend $65-75k on a top of the line BMW because my needs simply don't justify the cost.

 

 

I know that the features etc are not that great, and I know I'm missing out on some of the cooler stuff - but at the ne dof the day the question is just "Does it do the job" If so, then it's good enough. If not, then chuck it.

 

It's also been my experience that the results you get from this equipment is very much dependent on selecting the right camera and lens for the shot. Cheap equipment expertly installed is going to give better results than expensive equipment poorly installed. The problem comes when you get cheap equipment poorly installed...

 

As far as cheap equipment goes... I have a 4channel DVR by a company calling themselves "All About Image Recognition and Processing". Anyoen know who manufactures this DVR? I bought it from ebay about 5 years ago and the thing still works great. I'm using it as a backup DVR, looping the 4 most important channels from my old CPCam 9channel DVR. It hasn't missed a beat in all that time - even though I used it as a mobile DVR for over a year!

 

 

For mye, I simply cannot justity a $3k DVR. It won't happen. If the only DVR you sell is $3k then you won't get a sale from me. If I owned a shop or a business where the risk of theft and the level of financial exposure was greater then yeah, it makes sense. But not for my application.

[securitysys 0]

The DVR that you are demoing is still an AVTech manufactured DVR!

 

If the first one is crap, then this one should be crap also?

 

It is! I was just demonstrating how the web interface was crap as well . It's not my DVR, it's a freely available demo that was online. I couldn't stand the web interface.

 

I understand that for lower cost jobs you have less options, but for me, this DVR isn't one of them . We don't do residental any more, but when we did we carried a entry level DVR and MSRP'd it for $599 with 250GB Hard Drive, 4 Channels @ 120 FPS, USB Mouse, etc. It's this one: http://www.alibaba.com/catalog/11995430/Stand_Alone_DVR.html

 

The thing I hate the most about the AVTech unit is the user interface and recording quality, and the fact that I think there are units in the same price range that will do the job better. Okay, I am being a bit of ***hole, but the reason is, after being in the industry for only a few years, I've gotten tired of phone calls from customers complaining about how hard the unit is to use, how do we do this, how do we do that, etc. My view is that a residental DVR should allow someone to come in with no training what so ever and within 5 minutes (with no instruction by a 3rd party), know how to operate the DVR completely, I don't know if this is the case with that DVR.

 

Now, that being said, this unit will probably do the job, it will record, allow you to watch online, but I just don't like it. Hey, I don't like Axis either, maybe I'm just a pain in the rear, or maybe I'm just pissed because they sell the unit at costco .

[rory 0]

Ahh the Avtech, definately cheap hardware .. BUT .. it doesnt crash, it has LAN, and it is dead cheap. Personally Im not a fan of their network software nor their browser interface .. and not to mention the very low quality that comes from that. As for the local side, quality is fine, its a basic quad recording to a hard drive.

 

Definitely dont go by the web interface, that much we know sucks big time, and I am pretty sure they HAVE to know it.

 

Anyway, if anyone can find a cheap DVR for the same price (not $100 more, the same price or less) with LAN, let us know, and I mean one that is being distributed in the US.

 

That said, I posted a thread before about a 4 channel DVR in the DVR forum, which is much less than the AvTec unit, and I like it better actually .. BUT, it has no LAN. However, for the ghetto jobs, down here most either dont have internet or they have DSL which down here doesnt assign them an IP so they would need to pay for a static IP which wont happen.

[securitysys 0]

I don't know what pricing you get on that unit, but if it's the same as mine then this unit is only $10 more in the USA. Out of the USA it's cheaper obviously. Check your PM.