Can't see camera in ConfigTool

D

Dahua_user

n3wb
Aug 9, 2016
13
0
Hi,

I have the Dahua HFW2100 model which all of a sudden I was unable to reach the video feed or admin interface of.

I took the camera down from my house, powered it up inside and connected it to a LAN port on the router. I connected my laptop to another LAN port. However, when I look at DHCP client list the camera is not showing up. It is also not showing up in Dahua's ConfigTool client.

I factory reset the camera by holding in the reset button for 30 seconds, but that didn't change anything.

I also tried connecting the camera directly to my laptop to see if ConfigTool would pick it up, but nope.

When I contacted Dahua to get technical assistance, they told me to go to the reseller (Amazon). Amazon told me to contact Dahua. So no help from either place.

Does anyone have any ideas of what I could try? I've spent a lot of hours/days on this and I'm close to giving up.

Thanks!

Edit: I should note that the network is running on 192.168.1.x and I had left the camera on 192.168.1.108 (which i also believe is the factory reset default IP).
 
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It seems like this cheap Chinese POS Dahua camera is dead. The LEDs stay on and the camera feels pretty warm when I touch it. Bummer, that was a lot of money wasted.
 
thats a 4 year old 720p model, long since discontinued.. it shouldn't of cost you much money in the first place and has long been due for an upgrade.

I take it you get no response from the 192.168.1.108 IP when you ping it? Have you tried an external 12v power supply or another PoE switch port?
 
Or go into your router's screen that shows connected devices, and look for the cam's ip addr
 
I don't think it needed an upgrade even though it was only 720p. It was only for surveillance not to watch the latest movies on ;). The hardware really should be able to last more than a few years, especially as it was placed under an overhang and mostly protected from sun and rain.

Both good suggestions, but I have tried pinging it and get "Request timed out" back. As mentioned above, it is also not listed in the DHCP / Connected devices list.
 
pixels per foot is more important for surveillance than movies, and also low light performance.. having 10 pixels of someone's face is not enough to identify anyone.

have you tried another power supply yet?

all manufacturers will have failures; Ive replaced alot of expensive axis cameras out in the field that lasted less than your Dahua.. the vast majority of times a premature failure is due to poor installation practices.

right now dahua has the best damn cameras on the market; they are not cheap Chinese junk.. you'd of never got a year out of that crap
 
For the record, I have a whole bunch of these installed in December 2012 still running great...Probably one of the best reasonably priced cams at the time with great low light performance...
Lot of money wasted? How much did you pay? 100? ...would you rather pay 700 and get a few more years? As pointed out, there are failures with every brand, with dahua its very low overall..
Also check the ethernet connection, many self installers do not weather seal properly...
 
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I did try an AC adapter instead of my PoE just to make sure it wasn't the power connection. When I originally installed the camera I drilled it into stucco and weather sealed around to camera socket with silicone. The ethernet cable was not outside, but only installed inside the house. I also never experienced condensation on the lens, so I am not sure what I could have done differently.

I tried a couple of different ethernet cables though, just to rule a bad connection out, but that didn't solve it.

I'm surprised that the longevity of surveillance cameras are so little, even with the more expensive brands. I'll give you that the picture quality was outstanding, but again if the hardware is only supposed to last 4 years or less it's less impressive and I still think it's a lot of money wasted even though it was "only" $125 or so.

I do appreciate your suggestions. I think I'll disassemble the camera next and see if there is anything broken on the board, but apart from that I think it's a lost cause.
 
Dahua_user said:
I'm surprised that the longevity of surveillance cameras are so little, even with the more expensive brands. I'll give you that the picture quality was outstanding, but again if the hardware is only supposed to last 4 years or less it's less impressive and I still think it's a lot of money wasted even though it was "only" $125 or so.
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You are just making stuff up now. Look, you had ONE failure after a few years..most will last many years, though ip cameras have not been around and in use in large numbers for too long.
How are you extrapolating that all ip cameras will fail in only 4 years. Who said they are "supposed" to last 4 years....
My point was that some brands that may be a bit more reliable cost much much more. There is no reason why the dahuas I installed in 2012/2013 will not run fine until 2022...but will likely get replaced because much better imaging technology is available.
It is your experience that every piece of electronics you purchased lasts you 10 years? Do you keep those electronics in harsh environments?
Stop wasting your time trying to repair it...replace it..how much is your time worth?
 
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I do hope most of my electronics last 10 years if I choose to keep them, unfortunately planned obsolescence doesn't always allow that. A product rated for outdoor use should be able to hold up to the conditions since that is its purpose and what it was designed for, so that's not an excuse for it failing.

It sounds like you and Nayr install these professionally and have seen more units than I have and it's great to hear that you have success with these cameras. Unfortunately my camera has given me plenty of trouble with random disconnections that I have spent too much time troubleshooting and with Dahua refusing to help when contacted, my experience with this brand differs a lot from yours.
 
Dahua_user said:
I do hope most of my electronics last 10 years if I choose to keep them, unfortunately planned obsolescence doesn't always allow that. A product rated for outdoor use should be able to hold up to the conditions since that is its purpose and what it was designed for, so that's not an excuse for it failing.

It sounds like you and Nayr install these professionally and have seen more units than I have and it's great to hear that you have success with these cameras. Unfortunately my camera has given me plenty of trouble with random disconnections that I have spent too much time troubleshooting and with Dahua refusing to help when contacted, my experience with this brand differs a lot from yours.
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Dahua has no obligation to help you. You did not purchase from an authorized dealer. Again you make baseless statements based on ONE camera. That is your entire experience. Go out and find a better camera at this price point and report back to us. There are posts here where expensive Axis cameras have failed, all products have failure rates. You are really not making any sense at all.
Also consider that the camera could have suffered a surge related failure. What have you done to protect against that?
 
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We're never going to agree on this and we'll both waste our time trying to convince the other part of our viewpoint. Let's save that for politics at Halloween dinner.
 
Dahua_user said:
We're never going to agree on this and we'll both waste our time trying to convince the other part of our viewpoint. Let's save that for politics at Halloween dinner.
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Then go fuckoff and try another brand. I am not trying to convince you, simply trying to point out your stupidity for others that come across this thread. May I suggest Sricam and wanscam, VERY reliable brands, particularly if used over wifi...;)
 
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