Hikvision NVR Update Path

[TurnipTruck]

Greetings,

I know this has been discussed at length. I spent quite a bit of time reading posts, but could not come up with a solid answer. Therefore I am asking:

I have a Hikvision DS-7608N-E2/8P that I believe was brought in via gray market from China. However, all menus have always been in English. I would like to update it to the latest FW as the current version is quite old.

Please advise on how to choose the right firmware for this NVR. A screenshot of its device information is posted.

Thank you.

 

[Hotelone]

I'm pretty sure that the "RR" connotes "other" for region. All I can tell you is that I have had two "RR" NVR's that successfully updated with multi-language firmware from Hikvision Europe's site. Firmware updates with Hikvision equipment is always fraught with peril and there is always a risk of bricking your NVR irretrievably. If you don't need to fix something very serious or are willing to take the risk for some must have feature DON'T do it! Read and heed all the cautionary tales of others in threads on this site. If you must do it, triple check in the release notes that you are downloading the correct firmware for your model.

 

[alastairstevenson]

With that old firmware, you will still have telnet access possible.
If you enable it, and log in as root using your admin password, try this command:
cat /proc/hkvs/bootpara
That will give you the device region (called language, not to be confused with the web GUI language) and model code.
I suspect it will say language=2 which is Chinese region.
Example of a 7816N-E2 with AARR in the serial number:

dvrdvs login: root
Password:

BusyBox v1.16.1 (2016-06-29 13:49:45 CST) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.
psh: applet not found
[root@dvrdvs /root] # cat /proc/hkvs/bootpara
====================== BOOT INFO ====================
magicNumber   :0x484b5753
paraChecksum  :0xdb1
paraLength    :0xf4
encryptVer    :0x10000
language      :0x2
device_class  :0x2a
oemCode       :0x1
encodeChans   :0x10
decodeChans   :0x10
ipcChans      :0x0
ivsChans      :0x0
picFormat     :0x2
macAddr     :c0-56-e3-3d-19-5b
prodDate     :32:30:31:35:30:32:30:33
prodNo     :353033313436373934
devHigh       :0x0
cpuFreq       :0x1
dspFreq       :0x1
zone          :0x1
webSupport    :0x1
voipSupport   :0x0
usbNums       :0x2
lcdSupport    :0x0
voNums        :0x2
vganums       :0x2
vtSupport     :0x1
videoMaxtrix  :0x0
extendedDecoder:0x1
extendedIVS   :0x1
extendedAlarmOut:0x0
devType       :0xa17f
ubootAdrs     :0x0
ubootSize     :0x0
ubootCheckSum :0x0
tinyKernelAdrs:0x0
tinyKernelSize:0x0
tinyKernelCheckSum:0x0
==========================================================
[root@dvrdvs /root] #

What's likely to be possible are progressive web GUI updates through the many versions of firmware available on the Hikvision Europe site for that NVR : http://www.hikvisioneurope.com/portal/index.php?dir=Product Firmware/Back-ends/Recorder/NVR/DS-7600NI-E1(E2) 7700NI-E4/
BUT - although the web GUI update will preserve the English menus, what's likely is that as soon as you do a factory reset or a tftp update (both of which clear the configuration) you will get Chinese menus.
Also worth trying - though it may not work on that older firmware is http://NVR_IP_address/SDK/language and see what it says.

 

[TurnipTruck]

Great info. I will try the telnet login tomorrow. If I try the multi-lingual updates, must they be done sequentially?

If I end of with Chinese menus, any way to revert to English?

Thanks!!!

 

[TurnipTruck]

I tried to telnet into the NVR and it did not accept a connection.

I then looked through all the setting in both the Web GUI and on the connected display and could not find any setting to enable telnet.

Any other ideas?

Thanks.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Telnet certainly used to exist in 3.0.8, so I've just assumed it might still be there in 3.0.10
From what I recall, it used to be under Network Advanced settings in the web GUI.
The reason to suggest doing the in between updates as opposed to just jumping to the latest is to be sure the configuration is properly retained and updated.

 

[TurnipTruck]

Telnet is definitely not there.

I tried to install the next version from the site that you linked. The NVR showed "Update Failed" almost immediately. Fortunately, I still have control and use of the unit!

I would like to try and update. If I kill it, I'll just buy a USA model or a Dahua to replace it.

Thanks!

 

[TurnipTruck]

What is the difference between the 7608N and the 7608NI?

 

[alastairstevenson]

Region I believe, I for International. The same hardware - just a different label in the flash.

 

[TurnipTruck]

Regardless of what firmware I try to send via the web interface, I get "Upgrading Failed" after a few seconds" Any suggestions to proceed?

Thanks.

 

[TurnipTruck]

I spoke to the original seller from China. They claim that the firmware cannot be updated by them or anyone else.

Could this NVR really be stuck at this old firmware?

 

[alastairstevenson]

That sounds like a firmware header language mismatch. You should be able to use Hiktools Lang option to fix that.

 

[trl]

Just got upgrade my AARR Hikvision DS-7608N-E2/8P today with the ML ver. from DOWNLOAD PORTAL through iVMS-4200 client. All good, reboot went automatically after the update, same English menus, so everything seems fine.

Too bad the IP cameras (DS-wCD2352-I) can't be upgrade through iVMS-4200 too, seems that the NVR itself can't act as a gateway. Cameras need to be directly connected to PC having the firmware, so I need to disconnect the cameras and get them into my home router th acquire the DHCP address a.s.o.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Too bad the IP cameras (DS-wCD2352-I) can't be upgrade through iVMS-4200 too, seems that the NVR itself can't act as a gateway

You could change the PC IP address to one in the range that the NVR PoE-connected cameras are using, and hook the PC into an unused NVR PoE port to update the cameras directly via their web GUI.

 

[trl]

Thank you, did that in the past, just need to get up in the attic and I hate this.
Too bad I can't do it while being connected to the NVR itself, but probably this would be a good thing, at least from security reasons (less hacking attempts perhaps).

 

[alastairstevenson]

just need to get up in the attic and I hate this.

Too bad I can't do it while being connected to the NVR itself,

OK, if the NVR is not very accessible you could easily try this method of gaining access from the LAN via the NVR as gateway :
I can not access to NVR connected camera

 

[trl]

Thank you, I tried that yesterday: route add 192.168.254.0/0 gateway 192.168.100.100 (NVR's internal IP address from the home network), but it didn't worked.
However, not a big deal, really...I can do this like you said in the first place by connecting to NVR's internal LAN ports.

 

[alastairstevenson]

You added that route to your LAN router?
And changed the default gateway on the cameras?
Can you ping the camera actual IP address, and try a tracert to that IP address?

 

[trl]

No, can't ping the cameras for the moment via the NVR and haven't got to the cameras to change their default gw, but when I'll get there to upgrade their firmware I'll probably do that to make things easier in the future.

 

[RyanODan]

Did you try Virtual Host?