Questions regarding NVR setup (newbie that is confused)

Mahumadi

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So, I have received my PoE NVR with one camera today. I powered up the NVR and connected the camera.. the camera works, yay!

I have gone through the cliff notes and am utterly confused on what the purpose is of "Dahua Camera Initial Setup".

I'm disconnecting from my internet connection to connect to my camera's? NVR's? IP address?

I'm then setting a static IP address so my NVR? camera? can't access the internet?

Then I re-enable my internet connection and I can freely connect to the camera? NVR? via web browser with an active internet connection at any time? Or, do I need to disconnect from the internet every time I want to access my camera? NVR? through my browser?

Aside from answering the direct questions, can you explain exactly why this process is necessary?

Thanks in advance!
 

SouthernYankee

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Please provide model number of the NVR and camera. Provide a picture diagram of how you have the NVR, camera, router wired.

If it is a normal POE style NVR. When the camera is plugged into the POE rj45 plug on the NVR. The camera will no longer be directly viewable as the IP address of the camera has changed. It will only be viewable via the NVR.

FYI I do not use an NVR I use Blue Iris.
 

Mahumadi

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Please provide model number of the NVR and camera. Provide a picture diagram of how you have the NVR, camera, router wired.

If it is a normal POE style NVR. When the camera is plugged into the POE rj45 plug on the NVR. The camera will no longer be directly viewable as the IP address of the camera has changed. It will only be viewable via the NVR.

FYI I do not use an NVR I use Blue Iris.
I have lurked here for a while and understand that BI is the way to go. In my scenario, I chose to go with a NVR. With that being said, I have a Dahua NVR5216-16P-4KS2E and a 2231. It is a NVR with built in PoE. My cameras will be connected to the NVR via cat6 cable. There will be no active internet connection. I will however have to access my NVR and cameras via web browser to adjust settings. I have one camera at the moment so I can test placement around my home in each location I wish to have a camera. Before I begin adjusting settings via web browser (I will be testing locations this weekend) I'm trying to make sure I have all of my ducks in a row before hand. Going through the cliff notes I am confused on what exactly I am doing (referencing what I wrote in my original post) and why it is necessary. Also, I want to know if after doing the initial Dahua setup, can I access via web browser at any time with an active connection, or do I need to be disconnected from the internet?
 

SouthernYankee

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Do a hard reset on the camera.plug it into the first port on the NVR. Do NOT access the camera directly with the web browser on your network. Do all camera settings via the NVR.
 

Mahumadi

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Ok... I never accessed the camera via my network. Why do a hard reset? My question is whether or not I need to do the setup in my first post. Can anyone advise?
 

mat200

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Welcome @Mahumadi

note: If you see a particular section in the cliff notes which need clarification, please quote that along with a suggested modification.

The cliff notes are for IP PoE cameras and kit along with some more general information which applies to other cameras as well ( example the DORI stuff.. mounting height,.. )

When you plug the Dahua OEM cameras directly to the Dahua OEM NVR and startup, sometimes everything works well. IF this is your case, you're fine and do not need to use the config tool.

Sometimes it does not - and each camera defaults to a particular IP address. When that happens - using the Dahua config tool allows you to set the IP, port, user / password, and other parameters iirc.
 

Will.I.Am

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I don't think he's having problems connecting to his camera.
He's confused about the requirement to disable the Internet and wondering if this is always required or not to access the camera.


Disabling the Internet is to make sure no one can hack it in the short time it'll be online and before you've set it up.
 

Mahumadi

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@mat200 thank you for the info as this may be useful if I ever run into that issue.

I don't think he's having problems connecting to his camera.
He's confused about the requirement to disable the Internet and wondering if this is always required or not to access the camera.

Disabling the Internet is to make sure no one can hack it in the short time it'll be online and before you've set it up.
That makes sense. Thank you. I am assuming that as long as I am using my NVR to setup my cameras and DO NOT connect it to my network I will be ok.

When i eventually do connect it to my network I will have a VPN in place. Therefore, when i connect to my cameras via mobile or my desktop I will be protected. Is this correct?

Aside from using a VPN, Would I have to do anything else to my cameras before connecting them to my network?
 

Will.I.Am

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I haven't read that full guide as I am happy enough with my own knowledge and preferences and the security and functionality my setup provides, but I think the premise is to keep the cctv equipment from being able to talk to the Internet, so the process is
1 disable Internet
2 setup cctv equipment and network equipment to block access from cctv to the Internet
3 enable Internet
4 profit?

The cameras themselves will be behind the nvr's own proxy, but I wouldn't trust it if the nvr can still communicate with the Internet. The aim is that the only communications will be between internal network devices and the cctv devices, and that the cctv can't go anywhere itself.

Once that setup is complete, then your vpn will allow you remote access to both the cctv and the rest of your network.
 

SouthernYankee

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In the past in my router, i block the mac address for the cameras and other equipment from communications to the internet. I use an ASUS router it is in the parental controls.

I currently physical isolate the cameras from the internet using a different subnet. If you are using an NVR and the included POE ports the cameras are isolated from the internet. The NVR itself is not isolated.
 

Mahumadi

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Ok great, so I have to isolate the NVR and I can do this by blocking its mac address?

I can then connect it to my network and access it via VPN?

I theoretically can keep it off my network since I can access the cameras via the NVR, right?
 

bluecam

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Have you tried connecting a computer monitor directly to the NVR (no internet/network connection) first? You should be able to setup/see the POE camera from the monitor NVR menu with nothing but a mouse.

Also, do you have a bar code on top of the NVR to scan? A lot of the setup gets a lot easier if you can scan that (QR) code using a mobile phone app, so you don't have to do a lot of the networking adjustments manually.

It finds and sets everything for you. You can still then go to a desktop login and make adjustments manually, but since the QR codes became available, things got MUCH easier.
 

Will.I.Am

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The qr code registers you for the nvrs own remote viewing service, which also opens up your nvr to the Internet for anyone to try to see it.

Not really the best solution when vpns are so easy.
 

Mahumadi

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@bluecam yes I have done the monitor to nvr for setup and this is how inolan to eventually set up all 8 of my cameras. I plan to only access the nvr through a monitor, however when i want to access the cameras via my desktop and my phone I want to make sure I am protected. I suppose I never will have to access it via phone or desktop, but I would assume that at some point I may want to?

I don't know. I've read over all of the security stuff and the networking part confuses me
 

bluecam

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So you are planning, not actually connecting. No security worries there. If you can access the NVR though a monitor, you should at least familiarize yourself with all the menu settings of the monitor/cameras/networking settings first.
It will be easier to find things, once you do connect. Disconnect your computer internet, and connect computer router ethernet cable to NVR port, and you can see all the addresses that are assigned, using the NVR menu (if you are that paranoid about getting hacked on network setup).
It will give you an idea of what the addresses and ports need to be forwarded with the router, if you want to do that all manually. As I said, QR code will make things much easier for you, but if you think VPN is easier as others suggest, have at it. Also, I have not avoided intermediary servers and connected an NVR to computer/mobile phones with direct VPN myself, so can't really speak to it. Sounds like a good idea if it works, but doesn't sound easy for someone without a lot of experience.
 
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