HIK Vision Ds 7616NI, how to use the other 8 ports?

[drunkntigr]

Back of NVR has 8 POE Ports with all 8 ports taken up by the HIK IP cameras

Have a 4 port POE switch to enable the other 8 ports (obviously this will allow only 3-4 other ports as I bought a smaller switch)

The NVR is connect to a gigabit switch.

Additional cameras are connect to the POE switch.

Do I just connect the POE switch via LAN to the gigabit switch and the NVR should detect the additional cameras? or do I have to disconnect one of the cameras from the NVR and connect a lan cable from a POE port on the NVR directly to a POE port on the POE switch?

 

[alastairstevenson]

Do I just connect the POE switch via LAN to the gigabit switch and the NVR should detect the additional cameras?

Yes, connect the NVR LAN interface to your network, as you already have it, and connect the POE switch to the network also. Don't connect anything other than cameras to the POE ports of the NVR.
The NVR may not automatically find the cameras on the LAN on the POE switch - but, assuming you have set them up with a static IP address (use SADP for that) you can 'Add' the cameras manually.

 

[drunkntigr]

Yep. The NVR didn't find the cameras with the POE switch plugged into the LAN switch. Do you mean setup all 16 cameras with a static IP address and disable DHCP from the NVR?

I have a non-managed POE switch btw.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Yes, you'd want to know where your cameras are on the LAN, so setting them up with a fixed IP address, either individually or via your router DHCP reservations, is best.
Then you can simply add them to the NVR, knowing their actual addresses.

 

[tmushy]

A better option is get a 16 port POE and have the cameras all static ip and not hooked up to the nvr.
That is my personal opinion on how these cameras should be installed. This allows camera access to any other program you may be using "for example blue iris".

It also lets you hide the nvr anywhere you want

 

[bananero]

Back of NVR has 8 POE Ports with all 8 ports taken up by the HIK IP cameras

Have a 4 port POE switch to enable the other 8 ports (obviously this will allow only 3-4 other ports as I bought a smaller switch)

The NVR is connect to a gigabit switch.

Additional cameras are connect to the POE switch.

Do I just connect the POE switch via LAN to the gigabit switch and the NVR should detect the additional cameras? or do I have to disconnect one of the cameras from the NVR and connect a lan cable from a POE port on the NVR directly to a POE port on the POE switch?

Connecting a direct patch cord from the POE switch to the POE of the NVR would be a better idea. Plug and play would only bring in 1 camera tho. You would need to use the SADP tool to network the cameras to bring them in manually.