PC Software to work with no-name Chinese camera

[BiigRich]

I just received a no-name Chinese surveillance camera as a gift. I am attaching pictures of the camera and the box it came in for reference.

It "looks like" a Meisort IP20 360 but, as I said, it has no name.
It looks like this (follow link)- Meisort IP20 1080P HD Wifi IP Camera wi-fi 360 Degree Video Surveillance CCTV | eBay

The instructions are close to useless but I did get it working on my smartphone.

I tried to get it working from my PC using some software that has the PC emulate a smartphone but the software hung and the software wanted me to disable my system's virus software to have it work.

That's where I draw the line. I will not download an executable from a relatively unknown source, probably in China, and run it with Virus software disabled.

Any suggestions for managing this camera from a PC with software that works with virus protection enabled? Oh, and one more thing. I'd really like to run the software without cost if at all possible.

For what it's worth, the camera works with my Android (Google Pixel2 XL) using the "IPC360" app.

 

[mat200]

Hi @BiigRich

Port scan it and see what ports / services it has on. ( try NMAP )

Check the interface, look for rtsp as well as ONVIF

 

[BiigRich]

Hi @BiigRich

Port scan it and see what ports / services it has on. ( try NMAP )

Check the interface, look for rtsp as well as ONVIF

Hi mat200,

I'm going to need a little more guidance to get the information you require. I have been out of the field for a decade and networks were not my main specialty.

I believe NMAP is a Linux command. I'm running Win10 here. I don't recall how to display TCP/IP port or service information on Windows for the information you asked me for.

As far as getting the camera to work with some PC based management software, I'd like to keep working on it to understand these machines a bit more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I may not be able to continue using this camera unless I can find a way around another problem which just cropped up. After registering with the Chinese manufacturer everything was working fine and I wanted to just keep recording to the uSD card I put in the unit. I logged into the smartphone app and it was pestering me to start my 30 day free cloud storage. I just rejected the request and kept using the uSD as I wanted to.

Then, a few days ago it activated the cloud storage automatically. I manually selected that it store on the SD card. It indicates that the SD card is selected but will only store to its cloud. I have no idea what will happen at the end of the 30 day trial but my bet is they will hold my device hostage unless I agree to pay them for cloud storage.

Right now all I have to lose is the investment of buying a 128GB uSD card since the camera was a gift but I will not pay for their stupid cloud.

This may be a show stopper.

I will post this storage problem in a separate posting to see if anyone else has had the problem and found a workaround.

 

[mat200]

Hi mat200,

I'm going to need a little more guidance to get the information you require. I have been out of the field for a decade and networks were not my main specialty.

I believe NMAP is a Linux command. I'm running Win10 here. I don't recall how to display TCP/IP port or service information on Windows for the information you asked me for.

As far as getting the camera to work with some PC based management software, I'd like to keep working on it to understand these machines a bit more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I may not be able to continue using this camera unless I can find a way around another problem which just cropped up. After registering with the Chinese manufacturer everything was working fine and I wanted to just keep recording to the uSD card I put in the unit. I logged into the smartphone app and it was pestering me to start my 30 day free cloud storage. I just rejected the request and kept using the uSD as I wanted to.

Then, a few days ago it activated the cloud storage automatically. I manually selected that it store on the SD card. It indicates that the SD card is selected but will only store to its cloud. I have no idea what will happen at the end of the 30 day trial but my bet is they will hold my device hostage unless I agree to pay them for cloud storage.

Right now all I have to lose is the investment of buying a 128GB uSD card since the camera was a gift but I will not pay for their stupid cloud.

This may be a show stopper.

I will post this storage problem in a separate posting to see if anyone else has had the problem and found a workaround.

Hi @BiigRich

Windows | Nmap Network Scanning
( nmap <ipaddress> ) <- do this only on your own LAN, do not do this to outside machines.

You can look for another similar windows program also.

The big question for that Camera is does it have an available RTSP feed.. if not, then it will be troublesome imho

 

[TonyR]

+1^^.
In addition, you can install Fing on a smartphone or tablet and get on your LAN's Wi-Fi, do a scan with Fing and look for the cam, it's IP will be shown; then go to "Services" perform a scan and look for the RTSP port and/or the HTTP port.

 

[BiigRich]

Hi @BiigRich

Windows | Nmap Network Scanning
( nmap <ipaddress> ) <- do this only on your own LAN, do not do this to outside machines.

You can look for another similar windows program also.

The big question for that Camera is does it have an available RTSP feed.. if not, then it will be troublesome imho

NMAP is not a recognized Win10 command. I will try to find a command to display port information.

 

[mat200]

NMAP is not a recognized Win10 command. I will try to find a command to display port information.

Hi @BiigRich

You need to install it...

 

[BiigRich]

+1^^.
In addition, you can install Fing on a smartphone or tablet and get on your LAN's Wi-Fi, do a scan with Fing and look for the cam, it's IP will be shown; then go to "Services" perform a scan and look for the RTSP port and/or the HTTP port.

TonyR,
I installed FING but it seems like a "catch 22". First of all, there is no "Services" command.

The app for the Chinese camera is sneaky, you cannot open FING while it is running. In order to do anything with the phone while running the app (IPC360) you must exit IPC360. So, you can't FING while the app is open.

When it is not running, it only displays port 23 "Telnet" as in use.

 

[TonyR]

TonyR,
I installed FING but it seems like a "catch 22". First of all, there is no "Services" command.

Sorry, mine was an older version.

On newer Fing, get on your LAN's Wi-Fi, tap on the 'clockwise circling arrow' symbol in upper left corner, let it find all devices in your LAN, highlight the discovered IP cam, tap "More" at bottom, tap "Find open ports", allow it to scan again, found port(s) will be displayed.

Doing this on an Amcrest IP2M-841 revealed HTTP of 80 and RSTP of 554.

 

[BiigRich]

Hi @BiigRich

You need to install it...

Oh, I didn't know. Perhaps if you mentioned that or provided a link I would have understood.

Here (attached screenshot) is the output of the "NMAP 192.168.1.8" command after installing NMAP V7.70 (the latest stable version).

I ran the command with and without the smartphone app running on the camera, the results are no different from each other or TonyR's suggested FING results.

Only shows Telnet port 23 in use.

 

[TonyR]

The app for the Chinese camera is sneaky, you cannot open FING while it is running. In order to do anything with the phone while running the app (IPC360) you must exit IPC360. So, you can't FING while the app is open.

Could be why it was a "gift"...sorry I cannot offer more help.

 

[BiigRich]

Sorry, mine was an older version.

On newer Fing, get on your LAN's Wi-Fi, tap on the 'clockwise circling arrow' symbol in upper left corner, let it find all devices in your LAN, highlight the discovered IP cam, tap "More" at bottom, tap "Find open ports", allow it to scan again, found port(s) will be displayed.

Doing this on an Amcrest IP2M-841 revealed HTTP of 80 and RSTP of 554.

Oh, OK, I'll try that on my Amcrest.

Here (attached screenshot) is the output from this version of FING as run on my Amcrest. I edited out the full device name and MAC address... too much information.

I think I will be uninstalling the Chinese no-name camera. Others in this forum have suggested that it is not worth the security risk and they seem to be very purposefully sneaky.

 

[BiigRich]

TonyR and mat200,

Thank you both for your efforts and the two cool new (new to me anyway) networks programs FING, and NMAP!

I'm done with this Chinese camera.

Kudos!

 

[TonyR]

TonyR and mat200,

Thank you both for your efforts and the two cool new (new to me anyway) networks programs FING, and NMAP!

I'm done with this Chinese camera.

Kudos!

Great news.

Yeah, and all those cams that have you scan a QR code, use their app and use P2P to an offshore server ("cloud") make my hair stand up.

BTW, be sure to log into that Amcrest and disable uPNP, as that feature can allow the cam to automatically forward ports in your router....do the same in the router (disable uPNP).

 

[mat200]

Oh, I didn't know. Perhaps if you mentioned that or provided a link I would have understood.

Here (attached screenshot) is the output of the "NMAP 192.168.1.8" command after installing NMAP V7.70 (the latest stable version).
....

FYI - the link I provided does cover this iirc
Windows | Nmap Network Scanning

Note - if telnet is available on a device, YOU must be very careful with that device and DO NOT expose it to the internet by port-forwarding it.

 

[BiigRich]

FYI - the link I provided does cover this iirc
Windows | Nmap Network Scanning

Note - if telnet is available on a device, YOU must be very careful with that device and DO NOT expose it to the internet by port-forwarding it.

-------------------------------------------------------
mat200,
I actually used the site that you referenced and did not see your link. I was not familiar with how the links show up at this forum and that is my only excuse, albeit a poor one. Mea Culpa.

Also, thanks for the Telnet port forwarding advice. I may have other questions about that as I shut down the "no-name" camera but try to continue using my Amcrest device.

TonyR,
Thank you for the uPNP advice, I will log into the Amcrest and my Netgear today and check my vulnerabilities in that regard. May have more questions there too???

mat200, & TonyR,

Someone with the knowledge should put together a simple step by step list of security setup do's and don't's for beginners. This security camera thing seems to be awfully unsecured by default.


Thanks guys.

 

[mat200]

-------------------------------------------------------
..
mat200, & TonyR,

Someone with the knowledge should put together a simple step by step list of security setup do's and don't's for beginners. This security camera thing seems to be awfully unsecured by default.


Thanks guys.

Thanks BiigRich,

Here's a simple security setup: ( see picture )

 

[BiigRich]

Thanks BiigRich,

Here's a simple security setup: ( see picture )

View attachment 42084

-------------------------------
Looks secure to me, at least for the hardwired interface. I'll be shaping a tinfoil hat for Wifi jamming !

 

[TonyR]

-------------------------------
Looks secure to me, at least for the hardwired interface. I'll be shaping a tinfoil hat for Wifi jamming !

Get a hold of @looney2ns ...he has a pattern that works.

 

[BiigRich]

Hey, where'd you get a pic of me??? Are you snooping my WiFi?