Just solved a mystery with my OEM HA-DB-6I (Dahua DB6I-CAN) Doorbell Camera.
I installed this OEM Dahua camera about two years ago. Initially I had to upgrade my doorbell transformer from 10VAC (13.8VAC no load) to a 16VAC 10VA transformer, but it worked perfectly for over a year and a half. The only issue was minor - it would not take 02:00AM in the daylight savings time offset field (rejected it and zeroed the fields), but I figured it would be resolved in a future firmware update.
So I waited, and when the firmware update showed up, I upgraded. Around that same time, my WiFi router blew a gasket and needed to be restored from backup.
Soon thereafter, my doorbell stopped working properly; someone would ring, and the DMSS application would throw up a banner or voice-call my cellphone. Now instead of answering the door, I would get a "Connecting..." with the spinning icon, and then "Connection failed." I figured it must have something to do with the restoring my router from an older config, so I tinkered with the firewall rules but could not solve the doorbell-answering problem. I'd have to eventually dig into it.
And did I did. Though, I could not understand what I did wrong. All the rules seemed correct, and even when opening it up wide open for the doorbell:
SRC: Doorbell IP, all protos, all ports ==> DST: ALL IPs, all protos, all ports
SRC: ANY, all protos, all ports ==> DST: Doorbell IP, all protos, all ports
It still would not work. Could the firmware update be at issue? The NVR or DMSS (doorbell) config? Someone here on another thread warned not to upgrade because of losing HTTP API, so I hunted down an old firmware (which btw was like pulling teeth - why are suppliers happy to sell you equiment but never around when you need their help?) and down-graded the doorbell to 2023-01-05. No effect and still won't connect. Now I'm tinkering with everything - pouring overevery single configuration option in the NVR, in DMSS, my firewall... reinstalled my camera a half-dozen times, tried it on different networks... nothing mattered.
I've been going at this for weeks, going back and forth with the vendor, with Dahua, combing the internet, and coming up empty.
This morning thanks to daylight savings time, I woke up very early and decided to give it another try. This time though, I disconnected the doorbell and brought it to my desk instead of standing outside freezing my ass off. I connected it to a USB supply and performed a factory reset. Lo and behold, it worked!! I got a phone call from the doorbell and I could finally hear my own voice on the other end.
Well not so fast. After hooking it back up to my doorbell circuit, it failed again. WiFi signal? I connected the doorbell to a USB power pack and put it exactly where it usually sits. It connected just fine. I measured the transformer circuit: Still 17~18 VAC, and still within spec (manual says 16VAC - 24VAC is required.) Could it be that the doorbell transformer I used was underrated (or had degraded over time?? Or Ontario's power supply was lower (121.3V compared to last year at 125.4V?)
I took it downstairs and connected it to a very stiff 10A Variac transformer and dialed in 16.3VAC. Again, It failed to connect! Then I noticed something: When the doorbell is pressed, the voltage drops to 7VAC momentarily, then it fails to connect. I tried it again and noticed something more - right after the failed connectio, I saw the button flashing red. The camera was rebooting.
Yeah. Took me by surpise too.
Maybe 16VAC is too low and dialed it up to 24VAC. Then it connected just fine.
I was ready to head out to Homedepot to buy a new 24V chime/transformer combo when it dawned on me to try an AC capacitor to buffer the supply. I rummaged through my cap drawers and found a few 5uF 250VAC polyester film caps. I wired one in parallel with the transformer, reconnected my camera outside to the doorbell circuit and gave it another go. To my (and my wife's) absolute delight, the DMSS application connected to the camera and once again, finally, I could hear my voice on the other end. Mystery solved.
What a journey. Hopefully what I learned here will help someone in the future.
Torin...
I installed this OEM Dahua camera about two years ago. Initially I had to upgrade my doorbell transformer from 10VAC (13.8VAC no load) to a 16VAC 10VA transformer, but it worked perfectly for over a year and a half. The only issue was minor - it would not take 02:00AM in the daylight savings time offset field (rejected it and zeroed the fields), but I figured it would be resolved in a future firmware update.
So I waited, and when the firmware update showed up, I upgraded. Around that same time, my WiFi router blew a gasket and needed to be restored from backup.
Soon thereafter, my doorbell stopped working properly; someone would ring, and the DMSS application would throw up a banner or voice-call my cellphone. Now instead of answering the door, I would get a "Connecting..." with the spinning icon, and then "Connection failed." I figured it must have something to do with the restoring my router from an older config, so I tinkered with the firewall rules but could not solve the doorbell-answering problem. I'd have to eventually dig into it.
And did I did. Though, I could not understand what I did wrong. All the rules seemed correct, and even when opening it up wide open for the doorbell:
SRC: Doorbell IP, all protos, all ports ==> DST: ALL IPs, all protos, all ports
SRC: ANY, all protos, all ports ==> DST: Doorbell IP, all protos, all ports
It still would not work. Could the firmware update be at issue? The NVR or DMSS (doorbell) config? Someone here on another thread warned not to upgrade because of losing HTTP API, so I hunted down an old firmware (which btw was like pulling teeth - why are suppliers happy to sell you equiment but never around when you need their help?) and down-graded the doorbell to 2023-01-05. No effect and still won't connect. Now I'm tinkering with everything - pouring overevery single configuration option in the NVR, in DMSS, my firewall... reinstalled my camera a half-dozen times, tried it on different networks... nothing mattered.
I've been going at this for weeks, going back and forth with the vendor, with Dahua, combing the internet, and coming up empty.
This morning thanks to daylight savings time, I woke up very early and decided to give it another try. This time though, I disconnected the doorbell and brought it to my desk instead of standing outside freezing my ass off. I connected it to a USB supply and performed a factory reset. Lo and behold, it worked!! I got a phone call from the doorbell and I could finally hear my own voice on the other end.
Well not so fast. After hooking it back up to my doorbell circuit, it failed again. WiFi signal? I connected the doorbell to a USB power pack and put it exactly where it usually sits. It connected just fine. I measured the transformer circuit: Still 17~18 VAC, and still within spec (manual says 16VAC - 24VAC is required.) Could it be that the doorbell transformer I used was underrated (or had degraded over time?? Or Ontario's power supply was lower (121.3V compared to last year at 125.4V?)
I took it downstairs and connected it to a very stiff 10A Variac transformer and dialed in 16.3VAC. Again, It failed to connect! Then I noticed something: When the doorbell is pressed, the voltage drops to 7VAC momentarily, then it fails to connect. I tried it again and noticed something more - right after the failed connectio, I saw the button flashing red. The camera was rebooting.
Yeah. Took me by surpise too.
Maybe 16VAC is too low and dialed it up to 24VAC. Then it connected just fine.
I was ready to head out to Homedepot to buy a new 24V chime/transformer combo when it dawned on me to try an AC capacitor to buffer the supply. I rummaged through my cap drawers and found a few 5uF 250VAC polyester film caps. I wired one in parallel with the transformer, reconnected my camera outside to the doorbell circuit and gave it another go. To my (and my wife's) absolute delight, the DMSS application connected to the camera and once again, finally, I could hear my voice on the other end. Mystery solved.
What a journey. Hopefully what I learned here will help someone in the future.
Torin...
