Help with older Annke system

[nukeworker]

I have a Annke NVR system that I purchased on Amazon in 2018. It is an N481Y system that came with 4 bullet cameras, I believe they are model I31BY cameras. I am setting up a new camera system using Blue Iris, ans would like to re use these cameras if possible. I have successfully connected a new Reolink camera to the BI system, so I know it can be done. The issue I'm having is I cannot connect to the Annke cameras, other than through the NVR. I'm not sure how to find their ip address, or how to change it like I did with the Reolink camera. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TonyR]

Those may be sPOE (simplified POE) cams which is non-standard method of powering the cams and is not 802.3af/at compliant.

Does the NVR have an external power supply?
If so, what is its rated output voltage and current?

 

[nukeworker]

the power supply per the manual is 12v DC. the cameras plug into the back of the NVR, not anywhere else on the network. when I access the camera through the NVR it has an IP of 1.168.254.2. I tried to manually change it so it could be seen on the other network, but it didn't show up.

 

[wittaj]

NVRs by default act as a firewall of sorts and you cannot access the cameras directly. Most NVRs put the cameras on a 10.x.x.x subnet.

So if they are true POE cameras, you would have to connect them to a POE switch and manually assign them an IP address the same as your system.

Or do as many do and use the NVR as the POE switch and bring the cameras in from the NVR.

In BI, you select add camera and put the IP address of the NVR into the IP address location. Put in username and password and hit find/inspect and let BI do its thing.

Then about halfway down is a pull down for Camera number and pick camera 1 and then hit ok. The camera should show up. Then add camera and the select copy and copy this camera and then change the number 1 to a 2 and repeat for your cameras.

OR depending on your NVR, it may populate all the cameras in the main and substream pulldown boxes and you just select a camera number and then add another camera and select the next pulldown.

 

[TonyR]

the power supply per the manual is 12v DC. the cameras plug into the back of the NVR, not anywhere else on the network. when I access the camera through the NVR it has an IP of 1.168.254.2. I tried to manually change it so it could be seen on the other network, but it didn't show up.

If there are no 12VDC wall wart power supplies for each of the cams then they are not 802.3af/at POE compliant and are powered by the NVR. You'll likely have to continue using them as you do now (possibly from the NVR to Blue Iris) and if you want individual, discreet cams then you just need to buy some....some GOOD ones that are 802.3af/at compliant, with a good sensor to MP ratio, and good form factor as sold by @EMPIRETECANDY .

 

[nukeworker]

Thanks for your replies. I will try to import the NVR and do it that way, that could actually solve a lot of my issues. I have some new Amcrest cameras on order, and if the NVR thing doesn't work, I will probably just replace them.

 

[nukeworker]

If there are no 12VDC wall wart power supplies for each of the cams then they are not 802.3af/at POE compliant and are powered by the NVR. You'll likely have to continue using them as you do.

I don't understand this part. The Reolink I have connected doesn't have a separate power supply, and is powered through a POE switch. I figured the NVR injected power just like the POE switch does. So if I connect that camera to the POE switch, it should have power and be discoverable correct?

 

[TonyR]

I don't understand this part. The Reolink I have connected doesn't have a separate power supply, and is powered through a POE switch. I figured the NVR injected power just like the POE switch does. So if I connect that camera to the POE switch, it should have power and be discoverable correct?

The NVR does inject power to the Annke cams but is it NOT compliant with 802.3af/at which can be as much as 52 volts from the PSE...how can a 12VDC power supply put out 52 volts?

You said the Reolink is connected to a POE switch. The Annke cams use 12VDC.

 

[nukeworker]

...how can a 12VDC power supply put out 52 volts?

Transformer? That would be my guess.

 

[TonyR]

Transformer? That would be my guess.

You can't step up or down DC with a transformer.
It's simple:
The Reolink is powered by your POE switch.
Your Ankke is powered by the NVR with non-compliant "sPOE".

If that's a 802.3af/at compliant POE switch (and it likely is since the Reolink works), go ahead and plug the Annke into the POE switch. Because the Annke is not 802.3af/at compliant it won't communicate with the POE switch and nothing will happen, it will remain un-powered.

 

[nukeworker]

You can't step up or down DC with a transformer.
It's simple:
The Reolink is powered by your POE switch.
Your Ankke is powered by the NVR with non-compliant "sPOE".

If that's a 802.3af/at compliant POE switch (and it likely is since the Reolink works), go ahead and plug the Annke into the POE switch. Because the Annke is not 802.3af/at compliant it won't communicate with the POE switch and nothing will happen, it will remain un-powered.

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. When I get home I will try to reach the cameras through the NVR. Hopefully that works.

 

[TonyR]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. When I get home I will try to reach the cameras through the NVR. Hopefully that works.

You might be able to stream them via the NVR as @wittaj outlined above in post #4.

 

[looney2ns]

Avoid Reolink if you want reliable performance.
Only thing Reolink has that is worthwhile is there new doorbell cam.

 

[nukeworker]

Avoid Reolink if you want reliable performance.
Only thing Reolink has that is worthwhile is there new doorbell cam.

I did not know that when I purchased it, I know better now.

 

[nukeworker]

OK, I attempted to add the NVR to BI. I added the IP address (192.168.1.92), set the RTSP port as 554, Discovery I have tried 8999, and 8000, I keep getting "Camera not Found" or RTSP 404 Not found. See attached

 

[wittaj]

What did the find/inspect come back as? Usually that will find the correct settings

And then what shows up in the pulldown for mainstream?

And then sometimes we have found that an NVR is semi-proprietary and the video can't be fed out. I would hope with this one it would be able to go out.

 

[nukeworker]

 

[nukeworker]

 

[wittaj]

Oh wow.

The only other thing to try now are the different Annke and Hikvision models in the dropdown and see if any of them work.

Unfortunately we have seen instances where they just don't come over. Sometimes companies like to lock people into their system.

 

[nukeworker]

Ok, I think I have a way forward. I was able to access the RTSP stream coming out of the camera with VLC. Now I need to configure BI to accept that stream. Any guide on how to do that?