Dahua NVR2108HS-4KS2, problem after firmware upgrade

[ChrisO]

Hi
Few days ago I replaced a very old and noisy NVR with Dahua's NVR2108HS-4KS2 which promised
plugin-less management/operation with a web browser. Everything was working as expected using Firefox on Linux.
Then my NVR found a newer firmware version and, silly me, I told him to go for it.

Now when I click on a camera in "View live video" instead of an image I get a link asking me to "Download Certificate",
a click on it results in "Download Failed" message.
Chromium browser doesn't even load the login page.
It's not hard to guess, it works with browsers from Microsoft, but Windows is not an option for me.

Does anybody know how to remedy this?
I would love to downgrade my NVR but cannot find the old firmware version.

Old Version: 4.001.0000000.1 Build Date: 03-07-2020
New Version: 4.001.0000005.0 Build Date: 17-11-2020

Thanks for your time
Chris

 

[ChrisO]

Hi

Well, looks like I'm on my own with this problem....
As I found the old firmware version I would like to go for it and downgrade my NVR. I found hundreds of manuals describing thousands of devices but I'm still unsure how to install the (older) firmware.
I tried using WEB interface and offered the xxxx.zip file but it was not what my NVR expected. I know now it expects a .img file, but looking and the content of the .zip archive I downloaded, something tells me to be carefully:
osk@mint:~/Downloads/NVR-Dahua$ unzip -l DH_NVR2XXX-I_Mul_V4.001.0000000.1.R.200930.zip
Archive: DH_NVR2XXX-I_Mul_V4.001.0000000.1.R.200930.zip
Length Date Time Name
--------- ---------- ----- ----
46658144 2020-09-30 05:31 romfs-x.squashfs.img
256 2020-09-30 05:31 sign.img
512 2020-09-30 05:31 PartionTable.bin
6312544 2020-09-30 05:31 web-x.squashfs.img
12063328 2020-09-30 05:31 ext_usr-x.squashfs.img
26 2020-09-30 05:31 safeEnv.img
95175428 2020-09-30 05:31 DH_NVR2XXX-I_Mul_V4.001.0000000.1.R.200930.bin
94999520 2020-09-30 05:31 update.img
45664 2020-09-30 05:31 logo-x.squashfs.img
276824064 2020-09-30 05:31 flash.bin
220816 2020-09-30 05:31 u-boot.bin.img
29917792 2020-09-30 05:31 algorithm-x.squashfs.img
4704 2020-09-30 05:31 custom-x.squashfs.img
11411380 2020-09-30 05:31 uImage
--------- -------
573634178 14 files

So, which one should I specify? What about the other files? There must be a reason for them being there, no?
I don't want to brick ten days old NVR, so please advise.

Regards,
Chris

PS I don't want to offend Dahua but currently my impression is that it is not easy to get, as a mere mortal, any support from them.

 

[tigerwillow1]

I don't want to offend Dahua but currently my impression is that it is not easy to get, as a mere mortal, any support from them.

I think it's actually impossible for you to get support from Dahua as an end user. You need to look to a forum member who could possibly help, or Andy who is offline for a while for chinese new year. The only thing I can offer is that when I changed my 5216 nvr firmware I used a single .bin file.

 

[alastairstevenson]

95175428 2020-09-30 05:31 DH_NVR2XXX-I_Mul_V4.001.0000000.1.R.200930.bin

Try this file via the web GUI.

 

[ChrisO]

Thanks for your advice.
As I'm going soon to be away for several weeks and I don't want to risk not to have monitoring during this time I decided to postpone working on this until I'm at home again.
I will share my experiences then.

Regards,
Chris

 

[wittaj]

Yep, you learned a lesson - don't fix what ain't broke and don't install a firmware unless you know it is fixing something you had an issue with!

As another member posted, we are not the Dahua target audience and as such we do not get end-user support from them. If you were an installer purchasing in bulk and installing and servicing them, that is their target audience. So we rely on forums like this to help each other out!

 

[ChrisO]

Having spent 30+ years in IT business, most of them as UNIX sysadmin I had to learn this lesson again and again
I've "partially" moved from a country where people relay on "monitoring by neighbours" ;-) to a country where almost every house has cameras. And so I started my monitoring adventure, and learned quite quickly what end-users mean to the marktleaders in this area :-(
See, another lesson learned
If I have enough time and energy I will have a look at some Open Source software like ZoneMinder.

Regards
Chris

 

[wittaj]

It happens to all of us LOL. We think certainly this update is good....and yet it bites us more times than not LOL.

Or look at Blue Iris!

 

[ChrisO]

Will certainly do it!

 

[Dainny shehki]

Hi
please anyone guide me how I can reset my NVR2108HS 8P, while I have forgotten all my passwords.
Please help...

 

[wittaj]

Can you find a few more threads to post your request in LOL Once is fine...

 

[Dainny shehki]

Can you find a few more threads to post your request in LOL Once is fine...

Please help

 

[looney2ns]

Hi
please anyone guide me how I can reset my NVR2108HS 8P, while I have forgotten all my passwords.
Please help...

Start your own new thread, instead of highjacking this one.

 

[Dainny shehki]

Start your own new thread, instead of highjacking this one.

Ok..
I really want help

 

[wittaj]

Start your own new thread, instead of highjacking this one.

Oh he already did that, as well as finding 3 other threads to post the same thing....

 

[lukecwik]

I was able to get around the "download certificate" issue by enabling https on the NVR and login using https://ipaddress. I used chrome. I didn't need to install any certificates. I did get the big warning from chrome that the ssl certificate was untrusted but that is because it is self signed. I might import it later.

 

[ChrisO]

That's a great news, thank you! I will try it as soon as I'm close to my NVR, that is in about three weeks. Will report results.

 

[ClickPimpsta]

I had the same issue with OEM brand Dahua NVR, and just like @lukecwik fixed it by enabling https on the NVR it worked for me too. I can view the live streams on a Windows PC with Firefox. I did have to install the certificate, though, but it fixed my problem of not being able to view the cameras. However, in Firefox I'm limited to only 4 channels at a time. In Internet Explorer I could view up to 16 at a time. Not a big issue as we'll be using the phone app and dedicated HDMI monitor.

 

[ChrisO]

Thank you all who suggested switching to HPPS, it solved the problem! The self-signed certificate doesn't bother me.
For the other problems I have with this NVR I will start a new thread.