Handling User Access - Dahua NVR

[Nic_waz]

In regard to Dahua Technology, I'm wondering if anyone working with multiple Dahua NVRs is handling user logins. Context: I currently manage approximately 30 NVRs at various properties around my state and in a few others, Access is created as a user login locally on the NVR that needs access given to it and the company has sent out QR codes to different employees to allow for access to the cameras. We give access to employees who are of a manager level or higher, and only deploy to devices that are in my MDM and controlled by the company. However, it appears that these devices could generate their own QR code and install the appropriate software on their personal phone. In order to correct this, I am currently required to travel to each device, or log on remotely and use a ConfigTool to modify passwords, which then kicks off the users who have access. The downfall is, that all the remaining employees then need to enter their new credentials to have access to the cameras again. Individual access logins might be an option, but would require lengthy setup and maintenance as turnover in our company can be high since we hire seasonally.

Is there Dahua software that could mitigate this? or does anyone have a different approach to controlling access to cams?

 

[lewic]

With Dahua recorders, on the local monitor plugged into the unit directly, you will see on the top right corner the spot to click to get the QR code. You will also be able to access this QR code when logged into the recorder directly using a web browser. This QR code is for the serial number information. Every person will be able to scan this QR code. If you need different permissions for different levels of access for different users then need to create a log in for each person. If not able to scan the QR code then can manually enter in the serial number of the unit and then it will ask for the user name and password.

 

[Nic_waz]

Thank you for your response, I suppose I didn't make my question clear enough.

This is the way that we are currently doing things, but having 20-30 users all with various levels of access, on 18 different NVRs and 9 stand along cams, and needing to go to each NVR (whether remotely or in person) is the problem I am trying to address. I'm Looking for centralized management of not just 1 NVR, but all 18 and different users with different levels of permissions. From what I'm seeing with Dahua online, they just don't seem to have anything. It's possible that DSS has some of this built into it, but I can not find documentation. I understand that there may be other options in switching brands, unfortunately, I am not the purchasing authority of these cameras and a complete exchange of our entire system would be very costly.

It's possible there is just not a solution, but I thought I'd put it out there! Again, thank you for your response!

 

[bigredfish]

I'm guessing thats part of what you pay the big bucks for with DSS. Like any other camera manufacturer, say Axis.

 

[lewic]

Technically you could use software like SmartPSS and add all the devices to for management. It should send all the alerts and notification to the software. Could even go with like they say the DSS platform but there is more involved with setting that up. For one it requires a server to be set up which acts like a middle man to control everything. I believe there is a license fee involved to add each device into the software. Then there are the 3rd party VMS solutions not by Dahua such as Eagle Eye, Digital Watchdog, Fox Center which allows for adding devices from all brands through ONVIF but has support for some manufacturer's device metadata. Again this does usually require a server to be utilized somewhere in the loop. This server is just a computer running the VMS software.

 

[Nic_waz]

Technically you could use software like SmartPSS and add all the devices to for management. It should send all the alerts and notification to the software. Could even go with like they say the DSS platform but there is more involved with setting that up. For one it requires a server to be set up which acts like a middle man to control everything. I believe there is a license fee involved to add each device into the software. Then there are the 3rd party VMS solutions not by Dahua such as Eagle Eye, Digital Watchdog, Fox Center which allows for adding devices from all brands through ONVIF but has support for some manufacturer's device metadata. Again this does usually require a server to be utilized somewhere in the loop. This server is just a computer running the VMS software.

We currently utilize SmartPSS, but a downfall is that even as a user you can export a device(nvr) to a personal device(phone/pc) and retain camera access if the user is let go. We looked into DSS, and the licensing cost is too high at this time. I have come up with a tiered system of access, and a index that displays which access levels are most vulnerable. This will allow my longer term management team to have consistent access, while rotating are shorter term employees passwords more frequently. Through remoting desktop and configTool, I can at least access most of these NVRs remotely, as traveling to each one would be a multi-day adventure. I'll look more into some VMS solutions from other brands, but I would assume that access would be handled in a similar way as to how I am doing it now.

This is an issue that I sort of just stumbled across, when I brought this up to my management team it seemed like they were aware of the issue but had a "trust people" sort of attitude. Which is wonderful in theory, but in reality, I think we should be setting ourselves up to protect against an attack or loss of information rather than blindly trusting people with access.

 

[Nic_waz]

Just wanted to reply to this thread and share some findings, in case someone stumbles across it with a similar question or issue.

SmartPSS, if you add a P2P capable device with an administrator username/password. You can go into the settings and customize user logins. On the device list, go to the gearbox "device configuration" (far right of the NVR/DVRs line item), under System, and Account, you can add and delete users or update passwords.

It's possible @lewic that this is what you were getting at, I just did not notice at the time.

Thanks everyone for your assistance! This is far more efficient than traveling around the state to update user logins and passwords.