Camera time not synchronising

[Dewcal]

Currently using BI v5.1.3 x64 on Windows 11 with 19, mainly POE, cameras. Three new camera - ex Aliexpress - for use in bird boxes will not maintain correct time. The cameras are identifies by BI as "Foscam FI86xx/98xx compatible" and have fixed IP addresses.

I have set a PC up as a time server which all the 19 cameras are pointed to. I have set the default gateway on each camera as the same IP number as the camera - if the camera is 192.168.2.x then use the same numbers for the gateway. I believe that this will stop the cameras "phoning home" or accessing the web.

16 of cameras, hikvision and some ex Aliexpress box cams have no trouble keeping the time / date in sync with the local time server. The three "Foscams" go out of sync within a day or so by up to a year or more - I cannot see a pattern here at all. The three cameras do not change their time by the same amount.

Would appreciate any ideas as to how I can overcome this issue as well as comments as to any other methods of stopping the cameras from accessing the web.

 

[wittaj]

Foscam is lower end and many of them do require internet access, so even though it is pointing to your time server, it might not actually consistently look at that, or the CPU is so poor that it cannot keep time cadence in between pings to your time server and is looking to get access to the cloud to keep the time accurate.

Since they are bid boxes and not critical surveillance cameras, I would turn the camera time off (if they allow you to) and use the BI time overlay for those cameras.

In theory, pointing the cameras to their own IP should keep them off the net, but who knows what code is in the background. Most of us either VLAN or those with BI commonly dual NIC the BI computer - all the cameras go to one NIC and the internet goes to the other.

Dual NIC setup on your Blue Iris Machine

In making your system more secure this is a great option to eliminate your cameras calling home / connecting to the internet This is a great place to start to setup a bit more secure network and learn more about IP/Subnets etc. before adding dual NICs: Router Security - Subnets and IP addresses...

ipcamtalk.com

How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!)

Many camera networks are unsecure, even those installed by professionals. This guide gives basic instruction in how to secure a camera network from the most common types of attacks. Perhaps the most important rule of securing a computer network is to not forward ports to unsecure services...

ipcamtalk.com

VPN Primer for Noobs

The internet is a force of nature; no video surveillance system made was designed to be exposed to those forces.. NEVER FORWARD PORTS to your NVR or Cameras, doing such things not only exposes you to severe security problems, but everyone else on the internet too.. Hackers dont want your video...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[Dewcal]

Foscam is lower end and many of them do require internet access, so even though it is pointing to your time server, it might not actually consistently look at that, or the CPU is so poor that it cannot keep time cadence in between pings to your time server and is looking to get access to the cloud to keep the time accurate.

Since they are bid boxes and not critical surveillance cameras, I would turn the camera time off (if they allow you to) and use the BI time overlay for those cameras.

In theory, pointing the cameras to their own IP should keep them off the net, but who knows what code is in the background. Most of us either VLAN or those with BI commonly dual NIC the BI computer - all the cameras go to one NIC and the internet goes to the other.

Dual NIC setup on your Blue Iris Machine

In making your system more secure this is a great option to eliminate your cameras calling home / connecting to the internet This is a great place to start to setup a bit more secure network and learn more about IP/Subnets etc. before adding dual NICs: Router Security - Subnets and IP addresses...

ipcamtalk.com

How to Secure Your Network (Don't Get Hacked!)

Many camera networks are unsecure, even those installed by professionals. This guide gives basic instruction in how to secure a camera network from the most common types of attacks. Perhaps the most important rule of securing a computer network is to not forward ports to unsecure services...

ipcamtalk.com

VPN Primer for Noobs

The internet is a force of nature; no video surveillance system made was designed to be exposed to those forces.. NEVER FORWARD PORTS to your NVR or Cameras, doing such things not only exposes you to severe security problems, but everyone else on the internet too.. Hackers dont want your video...

ipcamtalk.com

Many thanks for you prompt response and information therein. I think I will have to look into a second NIC for the BI machine. Can a second NIC share the same unmanaged switch?

With my limited knowledge of VLAN, I believe these meed to have managed switches and as there are 8 switches around the property, changing all to managed could be an expensive option.
Thanks again - I will go off and do some homework!!

 

[Flintstone61]

You might want to see if a newer version of BI might " find inspect" those newer cameras better. can't hurt. Just dont go bleeding edge new in versions. or tell the Birds to buy a watch.

 

[TonyR]

 

[wittaj]

You are right, the VLANs require managed switches and some knowledge, so dual NIC is the easiest and fastest.

Yes the unmanaged switch is simply passing data without routing it, so it can have two IP address subnets going thru it.

In theory, if you put the foscam on an IP subnet that doesn't have internet access, it shouldn't cross thru that unmanaged switch to the internet IP subnet, but again if they have some code that behind the scenes is looking, it may find a path out.

It takes some time, but look at the connected devices on the router and map out what they are to ensure one of these aren't getting out.

 

[wittaj]

You might want to see if a newer version of BI might " find inspect" those newer cameras better. can't hurt. Just do go bleeding edge new in versions.

Posted in wrong thread LOL (I may have done that too before LOL)? This isn't a BI issue - it is a camera time issue.

 

[Dewcal]

You might want to see if a newer version of BI might " find inspect" those newer cameras better. can't hurt. Just do go bleeding edge new in versions. or tell the Birds to buy a watch.

Birds around here can't afford watches...And am the very latest update of BI and no difference in find / inspect. Don't normally try the latest just in case of wrinkles!! Thanks thought for suggestions!

 

[Dewcal]

View attachment 179115

Thanks Tony, a picture is worth a thousand words! Looks relatively simple - even for me....

 

[Dewcal]

You are right, the VLANs require managed switches and some knowledge, so dual NIC is the easiest and fastest.

Yes the unmanaged switch is simply passing data without routing it, so it can have two IP address subnets going thru it.

In theory, if you put the foscam on an IP subnet that doesn't have internet access, it shouldn't cross thru that unmanaged switch to the internet IP subnet, but again if they have some code that behind the scenes is looking, it may find a path out.

It takes some time, but look at the connected devices on the router and map out what they are to ensure one of these aren't getting out.

Thanks for explanation and suggestion of way forward - will keep me busy for a while!

 

[TonyR]

Thanks Tony, a picture is worth a thousand words! Looks relatively simple - even for me....

You're welcome...and there's also this:

Dual NIC setup on your Blue Iris Machine

In making your system more secure this is a great option to eliminate your cameras calling home / connecting to the internet This is a great place to start to setup a bit more secure network and learn more about IP/Subnets etc. before adding dual NICs: Router Security - Subnets and IP addresses...

ipcamtalk.com

 

[Dewcal]

Thanks again for all replies and generally increasing my knowledge of networking....it certainly needs improving!! Having looked at the various options my basic problem stems from not thinking it all through 10+ years ago when the first Ethernet cable went in..... Only two of the cameras connect via Wi-Fi, all the others are POE.
I now have the situation that cameras and NAS share the same cables via several unmanaged switches. So far as i can tell, I can either run a lot more Ethernet around the house + garden and possibly duplicate some of the unmanaged switches or invest in some managed switches to go the VLAN route....
Meanwhile I suspect blocking fixed IP addresses via the router firewall may be a "simpler" option - leaving aside whatever code may be in the background of the various cameras.
Thanks again for help and links.