Noob IPCAM Installer Needs Help!

MacFun · May 25, 2018

Wow, I thought the hard part was going to pulling cable through the attic! I have a Mac and a PeeCee and not having any look seeing my first ipcam. The camera is getting POE power and it can be seen with Smart PSS where I changed the IP address to be the same network as my client computers and I changed the username and password too. I've not been able to view the camera via: Smart PSS, Blue Iris or Security Spy (a Mac application). What's the typical procedure to get a cam configured and visible by BI or anything else? What other tools do you use? Do you always use Smart PSS to discover the camera and get the IP changed without manually changing your IP address of your computer? Please advise. I understand if you knock me on the head and show me an existing thread where this was already well-defined—it's been a LONG night. I thought I read all of those types of threads 5-7 times; yet, nothing is working so well tonight. BTW: I have a trip planned tomorrow and I wanted to get this going before I left town. I appreciate your help!

Robert

catcamstar · May 25, 2018

MacFun said:
The camera is getting POE power and it can be seen with Smart PSS where I changed the IP address to be the same network as my client computers and I changed the username and password too. I've not been able to view the camera via: Smart PSS, Blue Iris or Security Spy (a Mac application).
Robert

Hi Robert,
I am already confused with some contradictions (?) in your post.
So to summarize:
1) you installed cabling: that's good starting point for a non-wifi camera (albite never buy wifi brol)
2) you were able to detect the camera with SmartPSS: very good!
3) you changed IP address within SmartPSS to something in your LAN ip range (eg 192.168.1.x)
4) but then, you loose all communications with that camera?

In my opinion, either you mistyped the ip address in step 3 (eg if you type 192.168.2.x, you're off-LAN subnet). But I would suspect that SmartPSS with it's detection might pick it up again.

So what I would suggest:
1) try to PING your camera from a dosprompt (PC) or shell (MAC): ping 192.168.1.x ... if that does not reply, don't expect any other program to work. Period
2) if that does not work, I would suggest to hard-reset the camera (look in manual: some require some disassembly, to find the pinhole) - it will revert back to the original out-of-the-box IP so SmartPSS can find it again.
3) double-triple check again the ip addres (including subnet & gateway) when re-entering the correct data.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!
CC

MacFun · May 25, 2018

I very carefully typed the IP address however I noticed later that smart pss has the cam added to the list and it also showed the default .108 address and I went through the process a second time. SDSS would not allow the new destination ip twice so I ended up assigning 10.0.1.101 and 10.0.1.102. The problem is that I was never able to view the camera feed via IE on Windows or via my two chosen software NVRs. So, what’s the normal workflow? Yes, I agree that the hard reset might help; yet, I’ve had a crazy long day and I thought I might be missing a crucial step—thanks for your input.

Rob

catcamstar · May 25, 2018

Hi Rob,
if you have not created complex IVS rules and other configuration settings that are of high importance, I suggest to eliminate all possible (double) configurations: hard reset the camera, use the right ip address from the start. What wonders me: when SmartPSS did find the camera on .108, did it actually show footage on screen?
The normal flow on my POE NVR is even more simplier:
1) power on NVR & pre-configure network stuff
2) connect camera to POE port on the back
3) it auto-detects the camera, you choose: INITIALISE and ..
4) off you go. As simple as that.

Without a (hardware) NVR, you need to add a couple of steps in between (eg use "configtool" for Dahua camera's, or SmartPSS, but in the end, it comes down to: 1) find the camera on default address (.108), 2) change it to somewhere reachable in your own LAN.

Keep in mind one thing: do not connect more than 1 ip camera with standard network settings (.108) to your network. They will have the same IP OOTB, and no tool will be able to change the addresses as it is very confusing for everybody to have 2 (or more) devices running around with the same license plate, with the same car model and same color. Only the driver (MAC) is a bit different, but from the back, you don't see the driver.

Hope this helps!
CC

MacFun · May 25, 2018

When SmartPSS found the camera at no time did it show any video—I’ve never seen a frame of video from this camera. It prompted me to add it to the list and I did that. Later, I could see in the list that the gateway was a problem but there was no way to specify this with the edit dialog I was presented.

aristobrat · May 25, 2018

MacFun said:
The problem is that I was never able to view the camera feed via IE on Windows or via my two chosen software NVRs. So, what’s the normal workflow?

IMO, it makes sense to get the cameras working in Safari/IE first. For IE, make sure you’re in IE and not the Edge browser that has a similar icon.

To be clear, you can use both Safari and IE to goto http://<the IP of your cameras> and login OK?

MacFun · May 25, 2018

I did the hard reset by holding the button while the POE cable was attached and holding the button for up to 20 seconds.... I still cannot access via 192.168.1.108 when my NIC is manually set at 192.168.1.XX. Wow, now I see why some people like the new CVI cams, you plug them in and they just go. My next thought is to get a POE injector that I can work with on my desk so that I know for sure that the POE is getting to the cam with all certainty. Any other ideas are welcome.

aristobrat · May 25, 2018

Sometimes you have to hold the reset button for a full minute.

So assume the reset didn’t happen... if you put your computer back to a regular 10.whatever IP address, can you ping the 10.whatever IP address you said the camera had?

Also, if your Windows box is a VM on your Mac, make sure whatever VM program you’re using is bridging a connection to your LAN, and isn’t NAT’ing it. The Windows box’s IP should have the same first three octets that your Mac does. It might be easier to just try to get everything setup directly from the Mac vs Windows, if Windows is virtual.

How are you powering the cameras now but are uncertain if they’re really getting power?

looney2ns · May 25, 2018

Don't depend on Smartpss to do anything correctly, it's buggy as all get out.
Did you make the enternet cables or were they premade?
If you made the cables, did you use the 568b standard?
Are you certian the cable you used is pure copper and not Copper Clad Aluminum?
Did you test the camera before installing?

You should reset the cam to factory default.
Then in IE or Chrome, type in the address of 192.168.1.108, press enter.
Your computer will need to be on the same subnet such as 192.168.1.xxx
You will get a prompt to change the password....do it. Write down what you enter as password.
Then it will ask a couple of questions.
Ignore the "Install plugin" notice, we are not concerned with viewing video as yet.
You should see the cams Gui at this point.
Click on Settings>Network>Tcp/IP.
Set everything here the way you want it. Be sure to click save when finished.
Write down the IP you used.

Use the above info to add cam to BI.

MacFun · May 26, 2018

@looney2ns ive always used the 568b standard but the cable I used was a premade patch cable plugged directly into a Netgear GS728TXP switch that provided the POE power to the 5231. However, I might have been using WiFi initially to connect to the switch, all on the proper subnet. Later the computer was plugged into premise wiring that I made myself years ago and that could be weak link. When you are prepping cams are you using a Poe injector on your desk and having the cams directly connected to your computer or do you use a Poe switch to provide the initial power for setup? When the 5231ZE is getting power via Poe are there any external indications of power? I didn’t notice anything that would indicate power. When you are doing the hard reset is there any external indication that it was done?

When I created all of this premise wiring, I think it was all copper. I recently learned about the copper clad products recently, I had no idea. I’ll double check—my premade patch cable could be CCA or otherwise crap.

Can I use Safari on a Mac to access the cams directly?

Thanks,

Robert

catcamstar · May 26, 2018

Hi Robert,
you can use whatever browser to already check if the internal webserver does work. It does not guarantee that the IPC browser plugins work, because that is step 1. If you do not get the login screen, you know your network setup is not OK.

Pneuma · May 26, 2018

When you changed the IP address, did you also change the gateway and DNS address? The gateway and DNS server address should be your router's IP address.

zebrock · May 26, 2018

If I'm not mistaken, on the 5231 turrets there is a green LED inside that will flash once it's been hard reset

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

sirius99 · May 26, 2018

I dont understand why the 10.xxx addresses are being used and 192.xxx etc ..there should only be 1 subnet ... 10. Is a class A subnet and you do not need that ..get everything back to 192.xxx and make sure your network is properly configured.

This honestly just sounds like a messed up network issue .... the fact the cams aren’t resetting is weird but then if your LAN is borked it might explain a lot....

Can you detail your LAN confit for the guys to comment on how this ought to be set up more definitively?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

aristobrat · May 26, 2018

If he’s using an Apple Airport router, they default to 10.xxx for the network IIRC.

@MacFun, I have no problems using Safari to connect to my cameras.

Pneuma · May 26, 2018

I agree with Sirius99. It looks to me like a network configuration problem. The OP is probably out of town as he stated. OP, when your are back and if you still can't figure it out, please give us some details about your network.

danbutter · May 26, 2018

I would suggest a network scanner.
There are many you can download and install or you could try running arp commands from the command line.

Tinycam has one built into it that works well.

-----------------------------Edit------------------------------
A good scanner should be able to find it and what IP it is using even if it is a different subnet.
I'm a bit rusty, but I think that it would be a layer 2 scanner.
I did this once with Bosch Configuration Manager. I had the opposite of you...my network is 192.168.xx.xx and the camera was 10.xx.xx.xx. Once I found it I changed my computers IP to match and then changed the camera to match my network.

http://resource.boschsecurity.us/software/SW_CM_5.54.0133_Software_ConfigurationManager_5.54.0133_all_4659671819.zip

looney2ns · May 26, 2018

MacFun said:
@looney2ns ive always used the 568b standard but the cable I used was a premade patch cable plugged directly into a Netgear GS728TXP switch that provided the POE power to the 5231. However, I might have been using WiFi initially to connect to the switch, all on the proper subnet. Later the computer was plugged into premise wiring that I made myself years ago and that could be weak link. When you are prepping cams are you using a Poe injector on your desk and having the cams directly connected to your computer or do you use a Poe switch to provide the initial power for setup? When the 5231ZE is getting power via Poe are there any external indications of power? I didn’t notice anything that would indicate power. When you are doing the hard reset is there any external indication that it was done?

When I created all of this premise wiring, I think it was all copper. I recently learned about the copper clad products recently, I had no idea. I’ll double check—my premade patch cable could be CCA or otherwise crap.

Can I use Safari on a Mac to access the cams directly?

Thanks,

Robert

When I prep cams, I take the cam out to the garage where my POE switch lives. Plug it in, then go back into the house to use my laptop to connect and config.

If it has power, you should be able to see the IR lamps on the cam light up in the dark. Sometimes you can also hear it click as it goes from day to night and back.

MacFun · May 26, 2018

aristobrat said:
If he’s using an Apple Airport router, they default to 10.xxx for the network IIRC.

@MacFun, I have no problems using Safari to connect to my cameras.

Yes, I’m currently using an AirPort Extreme router which defaults to a 10. network. This works in my favor since I often have to vpn to 192.168 based networks and if each lan has the same 3 octets the vpn can get confused.

MacFun · May 26, 2018

looney2ns said:
When I prep cams, I take the cam out to the garage where my POE switch lives. Plug it in, then go back into the house to use my laptop to connect and config.

If it has power, you should be able to see the IR lamps on the cam light up in the dark. Sometimes you can also hear it click as it goes from day to night and back.

I guess I have a defective cam since there was never any IR lamp activity when powered up in a poorly lit closet.

Okay, many good suggestions, I will diagnose when I’m home next Tuesday. Thanks to all of you for chiming in!

Robert

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