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New RCA HSDB2A 3MP Doorbell IP Camera

Buttan Butt

Buttan Butt

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argus said:
What is your software version numner please?
Click to expand...
The installed RCA Security app is V3.9.0.20190625

I notice now that the RCA Security App by VOXX International is currently not available on Google Play any longer. (It's available on the App Store for iOS devices though) That's kinda weird don't you think?
 
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argus

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Sorry, meant RCA doorbell firmware version number that has onvif?
I’ve not had an update available since v5.2.4 build 190124
 
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argus

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In the RCA App go to settings and it's 4th from the bottom "Device Version"
 
Buttan Butt

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argus said:
In the RCA App go to settings and it's 4th from the bottom "Device Version"
Click to expand...
The thing is that the issue with the app is that the device won't list in the app's home screen. Therefore I have no clue and no way AFAIK to find out the installed firmware version of the RCA doorbell camera.
 
David L

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Buttan Butt said:
The installed RCA Security app is V3.9.0.20190625

I notice now that the RCA Security App by VOXX International is currently not available on Google Play any longer. (It's available on the App Store for iOS devices though) That's kinda weird don't you think?
Click to expand...
I only see 2 listed (here in the states) available:

upload_2019-8-22_6-13-38.png
 
David L

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dbaker said:
I don't think you will be able to drill just one new hole, they would need to be spaced further apart. You would have to drill two new holes right on the edge of the mount, it is about 4 3/4 inches long with rounded edges.

I have just the top screw in with double sided gray 3m tape holding it on.
View attachment 46266
Click to expand...
I have a family member that just informed me last night that he has the LaView Doorbell on order after seeing ours :) and asked about mounting, so I showed him your mount. It looks like mounting the camera directly to the POPMAS mount won't work since the holes on the Doorbell camera are 1 5/8th inches apart and the hole for the wires are too big to center the camera on the mount. Making a custom mount in place of the Doorbell mount may be an option, if wood, one could glue in the nuts in the custom mount needed for the Doorbell to mount and also match the holes on the POPMAS mount. Of course a 3D printer would be nice too :)

Using the Doorbell mount with the POPMAS mount, as you did, seems to be the best and easiest option. In measuring the wall mounting holes on the Doorbell mount they are 3 8/16th apart and your picture shows the POPMAS mount to be 3 13/16th long, leaving 5/16th to work with. Each mounting hole on the Doorbell mount are 2/16th making it very close to drill holes on the end of the POPMAS mount (as you mentioned), you may end up with a u-shaped hole/cutout which may still work. I used 16ths to make explaining my logic easier :) Securing the Doorbell was a concern with my family member so this is why I revisited this.
Thank You...

upload_2019-8-22_8-4-59.png
 

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dbaker

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David L said:
Please let us know how you did your mount, thanks...
Click to expand...
I only used the existing top screw hole on the POPMAS mount with the top screw hole of the doorbell mount. This put both mounts close to flush on the top. I then used a small piece of 3M gray double sided tape to hold the bottom.

I had this tape on hand, it is made to hold auto body parts together.
https://www.amazon.com/3M-03615-Scotch-Mount-Molding-Tape/dp/B000BO9L00/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=3m+auto+body+tape&qid=1566489383&s=gateway&sr=8-3

There isn't much surface area for the tape. I covered as much of the bottom bracket as I could, cutting out a small hole for the wires to pass though (where the hole in the door bell mount is). This can also be removed with a little heat with some twisting and turning. I know this is not completely secure, but it has not moved and made it through 1/2 of an Arizona summer.
 
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Buttan Butt

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For you guys who also wonder what happened to the official app RCA SECURITY referred to in the Installation Guide.

I asked Voxx International (Voxx International who has purchased brand name RCA and manages their product support) the following question:

RCA Security App is currently not available at Google Play. Why was it removed?
Click to expand...
The answer just arrived:

Please note that the RCA Security App was taken off of the Google Play store last night, so customers are not able to currently download it. I suggest that they use the Guarding Vision app until it is back up.
Click to expand...
Well that didn't answer my question, did it? Maybe I wasn't clear enough. What it means for customers who just bought the product? Well, I guess it's open for interpretation....

EDIT: I tried the software suggested by RCA and the software tells me to activate a WiFi network named softap_C967XXXX and use the password softap_XXX where XXX is the code on the backside label.

I can say that there is no such WiFi with a SSID named like that. There is a however a SSID with name HSDB2_C967XXXX. I tried that but it fails using the suggested password and I've also tried using password HSDB2_XXX which seems to work better but what happens is that I get error message "Change of WIFI failed".

So it is probably just a desperate face-saving exercise. I don't think that app is really intended to work with the HSDB2A device.

Trying to get this RCA product work is like trying to tackle an enormous maze. No working software, no up to date documentation and a support that happily mocks you. In case you are considering to buy a product from RCA, you'd better stay away until they've resolved their problems. Beware! You have been warned. The product is not even heavy enough to work as a doorstopper.
 
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David L

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Buttan Butt said:
For you guys who also wonder what happened to the official app RCA SECURITY referred to in the Installation Guide.

I asked Voxx International (Voxx International who has purchased brand name RCA and manages their product support) the following question:



The answer just arrived:



Well that didn't answer my question, did it? Maybe I wasn't clear enough. What it means for customers who just bought the product? Well, I guess it's open for interpretation....

EDIT: I tried the software suggested by RCA and the software tells me to activate a WiFi network named softap_C967XXXX and use the password softap_XXX where XXX is the code on the backside label.

I can say that there is no such WiFi with a SSID named like that. There is a however a SSID with name HSDB2_C967XXXX. I tried that but it fails using the suggested password and I've also tried using password HSDB2_XXX which seems to work better but what happens is that I get error message "Change of WIFI failed".

So it is probably just a desperate face-saving exercise. I don't think that app is really intended to work with the HSDB2A device.

Trying to get this RCA product work is like trying to tackle an enormous maze. No working software, no up to date documentation and a support that happily mocks you. In case you are considering to buy a product from RCA, you'd better stay away until they've resolved their problems. Beware! You have been warned. The product is not even heavy enough to work as a doorstopper.
Click to expand...
Very much understand your frustration, I have had similar issues with other smart devices in the past, some I had to wait months for a firmware fix. I just wanted to say I have read this thread from the first message and there are several people using the Guarding Vision App (<--Forum Search), you might reach out to them.
 
Buttan Butt

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As recommended by VOXX Support I've requested a replacement unit. I got it today from Amazon today.

The new HSDB2A doesn't work differently from the previous one. I tried the RCA Security app at first followed by the Guarding Vision App.

The installation process fails with the error text "Configuration Failed" in the RCA Security App a minute after that the HSDB2A has spoken "Platform registration successful" and the LED ring has turned solid blue.

After the failed setup, I have checked that there is no connectivity problem between my Android phone and the HSDB2A by pinging it and also by opening the RTSP stream in VLC rtsp://admin@XXXXXX@192.168.1.39:554/ (using my Android phone). So no problem with that.

I still don't know what firmware the HSDB2A ships with but there is a stamp on the product box: SD C-10285 # 194211086 v1.1 (Maybe you guys with working HSDB2A units can check your boxes in case you've kept them?)

Cheers!

EDIT:
I've contacted VOXX support to follow up on the support case. I noticed that the status of the support ticket has been changed to "closed".
 
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Drekameger

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It is still not working :banghead:
I just got off the phone with them and told them about my case (again). We went through the same basic troubleshooting (speedtest, forget wifi and add Wifi again, etc...) as before and as expected, same results. They want me to return the unit or try to get a replacement from Amazon. They even told me that I am the only customer that has ever had this problem :smash:

The VPN test I did earlier was maybe not conclusive as the VPN provider doesn't allow port forwarding. I see that the doorbell sends a UPNP request to my router to open up ports:
Protocol Port Internal IP Local Port Description
TCP 39467 192.168.1.34 9010 IPC_CMD
TCP 38549 192.168.1.34 9020 IPC_STREAM
UDP 31738 192.168.1.34 9030 IPC_UDP_STREAM0
UDP 39156 192.168.1.34 9031 IPC_UDP_STREAM1
UDP 35130 192.168.1.34 9032 IPC_UDP_STREAM2
UDP 38284 192.168.1.34 9033 IPC_UDP_STREAM3

Most likely these ports need to be open and forwarded to the camera, for it to work with the RCA app (or numerous other I have tested). So maybe Norway and Sweden are not supported. The technology isn't there yet!

I have the same stamp as you on my product box and my HSDB2A serial number is C9563477X.
 
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Buttan Butt said:
After the failed setup, I have checked that there is no connectivity problem between my Android phone and the HSDB2A by pinging it and also by opening the RTSP stream in VLC rtsp://admin@XXXXXX@192.168.1.39:554/ (using my Android phone). So no problem with that.

I still don't know what firmware the HSDB2A ships with but there is a stamp on the product box: SD C-10285 # 194211086 v1.1 (Maybe you guys with working HSDB2A units can check your boxes in case you've kept them?)
Click to expand...
If your doorbell is accessible on your lan, could you not connect to it via "iVMS-4200 Lite" Windows software, set the IP/user/password, select "Remote configuration" and view all the Device Information?

Or any of the iVMS-4200 products -- I like "Lite" because it isn't so bloated
DOWNLOAD EU PORTAL
 
Buttan Butt

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Drekameger said:
It is still not working :banghead:
I just got off the phone with them and told them about my case (again). We went through the same basic troubleshooting (speedtest, forget wifi and add Wifi again, etc...) as before and as expected, same results. They want me to return the unit or try to get a replacement from Amazon. They even told me that I am the only customer that has ever had this problem :smash:

The VPN test I did earlier was maybe not conclusive as the VPN provider doesn't allow port forwarding. I see that the doorbell sends a UPNP request to my router to open up ports:
Protocol Port Internal IP Local Port Description
TCP 39467 192.168.1.34 9010 IPC_CMD
TCP 38549 192.168.1.34 9020 IPC_STREAM
UDP 31738 192.168.1.34 9030 IPC_UDP_STREAM0
UDP 39156 192.168.1.34 9031 IPC_UDP_STREAM1
UDP 35130 192.168.1.34 9032 IPC_UDP_STREAM2
UDP 38284 192.168.1.34 9033 IPC_UDP_STREAM3

Most likely these ports need to be open and forwarded to the camera, for it to work with the RCA app (or numerous other I have tested). So maybe Norway and Sweden are not supported. The technology isn't there yet!

I have the same stamp as you on my product box and my HSDB2A serial number is C9563477X.
Click to expand...
I made some progress here.

Earlier I had already taken the HSDB2A unit to my friends house. He has a standard consumer router, nothing fancy. I then tried to install it at his place but it failed the same way as at did at my home.

However today I borrowed another standard router from another friend. To my surprise I got the HSDB2A to register on the first try.

I then deleted the device in the app (because that's the only way to change the WIFI SSID that HSDB2A connects throgh)

I tried again adding it to my ordinary WIFI. Now it worked all of a sudden!!! What has changed? Nothing in my network or the setup here for sure. Maybe you can try if you can reproduce that @Drekameger
 
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Buttan Butt said:
I made some progress here.

Earlier I had already taken the HSDB2A unit to my friends house. He has a standard consumer router, nothing fancy. I then tried to install it at his place but it failed the same way as at did at my home.

However today I borrowed another standard router from another friend. To my surprise I got the HSDB2A to register on the first try.

I then deleted the device in the app (because that's the only way to change the WIFI SSID that HSDB2A connects throgh)

I tried again adding it to my ordinary WIFI. Now it worked all of a sudden!!! What has changed? Nothing in my network or the setup here for sure. Maybe you can try if you can reproduce that @Drekameger
Click to expand...
Sounds like problems in the cloud. As the app was/is pulled from the android App Store they may be having a bunch of problems.

But when it is a free cloud service, and when having problems, the normal methodology is don't ask, don't tell and deny, deny, deny......

So you may try a dozen different configurations and all fail , then the cloud is fixed, and the last configuration seems to work (even though is is all upstream of you)...

If the issues are at the cloud level, VOXX may not even be getting the real story (as they buy (not manage) the service).
 
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