Just received my NVR5216-16P-4KS2

[Xeddog]

So far only two quick observations. 1. Received it from China in only 7 days. Not too bad. 2. Those Chinese sure know how to tape up a box.

I had already received my WD 4TB Purple, so I now have that installed. Now I just have to find a [expletive] Windows computer. AAARGH! SWMBO is using it right now, and will be most of the day.

Wayne

P.S. I would include a photo of the box, but when I tried, I got the wrong image. After deleting it, I am unable to add the correct image. Let me just say that I think they could have saved themselves a few bucks if they cut back on the tape.

 

[Xeddog]

OK, I finally remembered I do have a Windows machine I can use. I am a Linux user, but I have Windows VM that I keep around just for one or two applications that I have to have. I rarely ever use it though. So anyway, I connected the NVR to my TV via HDMI long enough to configure a few things like the ip address and switch address. Then got it on the network and I have MSIE access to it now. So after confirming a few of the settings, I connected two simple bullet cameras to it via the PoE ports on back.
1. Lorex LNB4321-C - This is either a 3MP or 4MP camera with color night vision
2. Dahua DC-IPC-HFW1320SP - A 3MP camera with nothing special about it.

The DaHua camera I can only get working in the worst way. I mean that I can only get resolutions of D1 and CIF. Most other camera settings are also not available.

The Lorex camera is the one I expected to have problems with, but it is the one I do not have problems with as long as I switch the protocol to ONVIF (not unexpected). Other than that it works great.

But here are the questions for now:

1. I was looking into the camera firmware and the DaHua has two listed that might fit. In the supported models list, there is one that lists HFW1320S-W, and one that lists HFW1320S, but none that list exactly HFW1320SP. Would either one of those be for my camera, or does the model have be EXACT?
2. The front lights on the NVR, there are four lights on the right side. Power, Net, HDD, and Status. Power should of course be on when the unit is powered up, and it is. "NET" seems like it should be on whenever the NVR is connected to a network, but I have not seen it on at any time. "HDD" could be a hard drive activity light, or should just be on. It has never been on either. "STATUS" comes on after the unit is fully functional after a pwer up or reboot. So the basic question is, when should "NET" and "HDD" be on?
3. What mechanism does the NVR use when searching for devices? It just seems as though when the NVR finds a camera and knows the ports involved, why not the protocol and other information too.
4. Speaking of protocol, Is there any other camera protocol that should work besides ONVIF or Private for any of these cameras?

Thanks in advance,

Wayne

P.S. I don't know what just happened here, but the Lorex camera just came up and is working great using "Private" protocol. Sheez.

 

[DavidDavid]

Can't help with most of your questions... But I installed SmartPSS using Wine onto my Linux desktop and it's working great. I still have to use my Windows VM to access the camera web pages, but easy access to SmartPSS is nice.

 

[Xeddog]

I was wondering about Wine. I have tried it several times in the past and my results have not been very good. When you install Wine, there is a bunch of other stuff that comes along with it, and when later uninstalling Wine, a lot of it is left behind. Not a huge deal, but a deal. And since I have a Windows vm anyway . . .

As for SmartPSS, I have it installed on that other machine that my wife was using, and when I finally got the machine later that day, I got a failure to launch. I would launch SmartPSS, PC-NVR would start, I would see that little spinning circle thingy, and then . . . . .nothing. Crap. I don't know what it is with SmartPSS on that machine, but it no longer launches after a couple of weeks. No error messages or anything. It just doesn't work any more.

Thanks for the reply,

Wayne

 

[Shockwave199]

Can you access the dahua camera web service page at all? I recently had success with stubborn dahua cameras by first noting the address the nvr switch gave them, then going into the cameras web service page and switching it to static rather than dhcp, pulling the cable out of the nvr poe and plugging it back in, and then when the nvr couldn't find it I manually added it with the address I wrote down for it previously. Bingo, camera settings are available from the nvr. There's another setting that was disabled in the camera as well in the connections menu, from memory, I think it was a ping setting and it was unchecked. It may be that setting needs to be enabled. I just didn't try that one but I did read about it in the nvr manual about how the nvr handles addressing cameras once they're plugged in.

 

[Xeddog]

Now THAT is just weird. I HAVE to try that.

Wayne


WAIT A MINUTE!! NVR manual??

 

[Fastb]

a ping setting and it was unchecked. It may be that setting needs to be enabled. I just didn't try that one but I did read about it in the nvr manual about how the nvr handles addressing cameras once they're plugged in.

I leave the ping setting unchecked. If it's harder for other folks to find it, it seems it would be a little more secure.
I use a static ip for each cam, so the NVR can find the cam once it's plugged in.
New cams get set up using a cable from laptop to cam. Then I can set the ip addr for my cam subnet, and I assign a static ip addr.

Just a thought....

Fastb

 

[Shockwave199]

On this page it's the arp /ping settings which was unticked on my cameras. I wonder if this was my problem with my nvr poe port setup. It was weird that dahua cameras were acting like onvif with no motion detection or time sync. I'll have to try this setting to see.

 

[Shockwave199]

I leave the ping setting unchecked. If it's harder for other folks to find it, it seems it would be a little more secure.
I use a static ip for each cam, so the NVR can find the cam once it's plugged in.
New cams get set up using a cable from laptop to cam. Then I can set the ip addr for my cam subnet, and I assign a static ip addr.

Just a thought....

Fastb

Oh you posted before I saw. Interesting. Three of my dahua cameras integrated via nvr poe perfectly. Four acted like 'I never saw this equipment in my life' lol. Dahua /dahua. Should work plug and play. Very weird. I thought the ping setting not being enabled may figure in but before I realized it, I got it done setting the cameras to static and manually adding them which is something that shouldn't be necessary with all dahua gear.

 

[Xeddog]

OK, there are a couple of things going on here that I don't understand. First, why should a DaHua camera on a DaHua NVR have to be manually switched from Private protocol to ONVIF? Second, why doesn't the NVR save that information anywhere. If the camera or the NVR are rebooted, the protocol information isn't saved and it has to be manually changed again.

Now, I connected my laptop that I had to pry from my wife’s cold (not) dead hands to a port on the NVR. From there I can access the camera's web page and I have access to the full array of configuration options, including all of the different resolutions up thru 2304x1296. So while there, I changed the ip addressing from DHCP to static, keeping the original IP address of x.x.x.129. The ARP/PING was already enabled so as a check I disabled it.

Then, just to make sure I would have a clean start, I rebooted the NVR. I waited and waited but the camera never did come online again. I logged back in to the cameras web service using the laptop and changed the ARP/Ping back to checked, and saved the settings. Rebooted the NVR again and this time the camera came back online. For THIS camera at least, ARP/PING has to be checked.

BUT! Even though I set the camera's IP address to a static x.x.x.129, the NVR still changed it to x.x.x.69. What the heck? I must have screwed it up, so back to the laptop and login to the camera. It did indeed show x.x.x.69, but still a static address. I went through the process again setting the camera IP back to x.x.x.129, saved, saved again, and rebooted the NVR again. This time the IP address was changed to x.x.x.77. Subsequent attempts seem to indicate the NVR is finally happy with x.x.x.77.

And another BUT. After all of this, the camera's settings are essentially still not available, and no resolution higher than D1.

I just noticed two things neither of which is probably relevant. First, some time ago I had changed the TCP port in the camera from the DaHua default of 37777 to the Lorex default 35000 to match the Lorex NVR I was using. I didn't have to but I did. Thinking that maybe the DaHua NVR didn't recognize the Dahua camera because it was on the wrong port, I changed the port in the camera's network settings back to 37777. Sadly, nothing changed. The second thing is that when I looked at the settings for the camera shown in the Modify panel when changing the protocol, the TCP Port number is 13, and I am unable to change it. Port 13 is the Switch port the camera is attached to, not the TCP Port which should be 37777. This is probably not relevant because the other Lorex camera attached to this NVR also says the Physical port number instead of the 35000 TCP Port and it works perfectly. Maybe just a bad translation somewhere from Chinese to English.


Wayne

 

[Xeddog]

OK, I think I have it all working now. Mostly anyway. Enough at least. The problem was camera firmware. I had another one of the same DaHua cameras that was at my sons house. He wanted to try it out on his new Synology NAS. He wasn't using it any more so I got it back for additional testing. But both of these cameras had the same problems so that pretty much ruled out the one camera that I had. The firmware that was in the cameras was dated some where around July 2015, so I dug around the DaHua Download Center and found a newer version coming up to Dec 2016. I upgraded one of the cameras and then I was able to see many more of the config options including the 3MP encoding. Since it worked I also upgraded the second one and it is now usable too.

The one thing that still strikes me as just odd, is that I have to change the protocol from Private to ONVIF. With a DaHua camera on a DaHua NVR, that's just wrong. :-(

Anyway, I'm a happy(-ish) camper so now I can finish replacing my other NVR.


Thanks all,

Wayne

 

[Xeddog]

Well Hell. I'm back to being an UNhappy camper again. I got the video encoding (IMAGE>ENCODE>Encode tab) at the proper resolution but that is about all that works. I am unable to change the bit rate type from CBR to VBR. I can make the change to VBR on the screen and save it (which takes about 30 seconds), but when I navigate to another camera and then come back the setting is back to CBR. The Snapshot and Overlay tabs are not functional either. When I click on the Overlay tab I get a error panel saying "Channel x failed to get configuration" for each camera, so the "Setup" boxes are not functional either.

Moving on to EVENTS. More manure. EVENT>VIDEO DETECTION>Motion Detect looks ok on the screen. But when trying to set the region(s), I only get a camera image if I am using my laptop attached to the NVR. Even when plugged into the NVR, it looks like you only get to set zones using a single sensitivity. Still, when navigating away, and then back again, it doesn't look like the period information was saved. I was expecting better because on my Lorex NVR I can set zones using one or more of 4 sensitivity settings and that is using these very same cameras.

EVENT/IVS - I am not sure about this one since none of my cameras support IVS. But if the NVR is supposed to do it, then that doesn't work at all either. When I enter the "Tripwire" panel, it looks correct. I have the camera image and all of the configuration options to the right of, and below the image. I can check the tripwier box to enable, and give it a name, but then everything below the section divider under it does not work. For examples, for Period when I click the "Set" box the camera image goes away. Clicking on the "Record CH" or "Snapshot" set buttons gives me a dialog box to select channels, but when I click "OK" nothing happens and the settings are not saved. Lastly, the "Draw Rule" box does nothing at all. Clicking on "Face Detection" gives the box saying "Channel x failed to get configuration" so maybe that has to be a camera feature.

Overall I would have to say that my 2 year old Lorex LNR400 series NVR has much more functionality than this box. I wouldn't even be considering replacing it if I hadn't run out of channels. That, and their Customer Service is just terrible. HORRIBLE. But wanting to add 3 or 4 more cameras I decided to buy a next generation NVR, thinking that I would get AT LEAST the functions I already had for over 2 years. CRAP!

(vent off)

Wayne

 

[Shockwave199]

OK, there are a couple of things going on here that I don't understand. First, why should a DaHua camera on a DaHua NVR have to be manually switched from Private protocol to ONVIF? Second, why doesn't the NVR save that information anywhere. If the camera or the NVR are rebooted, the protocol information isn't saved and it has to be manually changed again.

Now, I connected my laptop that I had to pry from my wife’s cold (not) dead hands to a port on the NVR. From there I can access the camera's web page and I have access to the full array of configuration options, including all of the different resolutions up thru 2304x1296. So while there, I changed the ip addressing from DHCP to static, keeping the original IP address of x.x.x.129. The ARP/PING was already enabled so as a check I disabled it.

Then, just to make sure I would have a clean start, I rebooted the NVR. I waited and waited but the camera never did come online again. I logged back in to the cameras web service using the laptop and changed the ARP/Ping back to checked, and saved the settings. Rebooted the NVR again and this time the camera came back online. For THIS camera at least, ARP/PING has to be checked.

BUT! Even though I set the camera's IP address to a static x.x.x.129, the NVR still changed it to x.x.x.69. What the heck? I must have screwed it up, so back to the laptop and login to the camera. It did indeed show x.x.x.69, but still a static address. I went through the process again setting the camera IP back to x.x.x.129, saved, saved again, and rebooted the NVR again. This time the IP address was changed to x.x.x.77. Subsequent attempts seem to indicate the NVR is finally happy with x.x.x.77.

And another BUT. After all of this, the camera's settings are essentially still not available, and no resolution higher than D1.

I just noticed two things neither of which is probably relevant. First, some time ago I had changed the TCP port in the camera from the DaHua default of 37777 to the Lorex default 35000 to match the Lorex NVR I was using. I didn't have to but I did. Thinking that maybe the DaHua NVR didn't recognize the Dahua camera because it was on the wrong port, I changed the port in the camera's network settings back to 37777. Sadly, nothing changed. The second thing is that when I looked at the settings for the camera shown in the Modify panel when changing the protocol, the TCP Port number is 13, and I am unable to change it. Port 13 is the Switch port the camera is attached to, not the TCP Port which should be 37777. This is probably not relevant because the other Lorex camera attached to this NVR also says the Physical port number instead of the 35000 TCP Port and it works perfectly. Maybe just a bad translation somewhere from Chinese to English.


Wayne

Well I feel you pain, lol. This crap can be a nuisance for sure. I tried the TCP port change on my stubborn cameras too and it did in fact change the IP address of the camera too when I plugged it back in. The thing that seems to have worked is to get into the web service via pc, change to static , save it, yank the cable from the nvr and plug it back in. The nvr will not find it at that point and when you manually add the IP address you noted, it comes up with as much control as the nvr offers to the camera, including time sync and motion detection which for me is the biggest things to have right. I can tweak anything I need in the cameras web service so I don't care if the nvr gets funky doing it. This oddness is kinda to be expected when dealing with poe nvr's, at least with dahua anyway, it seems to me. Their nvr firmware is all over the map, as is camera firmware and for that matter, hardware builds too I think. That makes plug and play streamlined control of cameras through the nvr unpredictable, it seems. For me, honestly it's about a great picture for security, proper time sync between all, and simple motion detection being recognized on the time line no matter where I have to set it up, be it the camera or the nvr, as I record full time anyway. I don't ask for much and whatever I really need to tweak camera wise I'm fine with doing it via the web service. Hope you get some peace with it all. Good luck and keep posting your findings. I find it interesting, anyway lol!

 

[Xeddog]

I don't ask for much either, about as much as you do. The great picture quality I think I have, I think the time sync also works, but I have a couple of cameras that don't see a lot of action so motion detection saves a LOT of disk space. It just seems like at this point in NVR and camera development that motion detection (not IVS yet though) would be a given. My two biggest beefs are 1)the cameras not working after a reboot or power failure until I manually change the protocol. If I was away from my house and the power failed, I would not have a surveillance system until I came back and changed the protocol. It's pure BS that the NVR can't save that info. 2) Configuring motion detection shouldn't be difficult. That technology has been fleshed out about as much as it can be and should be stable by now. ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR OWN CAMERAS fer cryin out loud.

Today looks like I will be spending a lot of time going through the user manual to see if I can find some answers.


Wayne

 

[Shockwave199]

When in doubt default everything out and start from scratch. See what happens.

 

[Shockwave199]

Why do you you have to change dahua protocol to onvif? What is making you do that?

 

[Xeddog]

Believe it or not, I did do a factory reset on it. When I did it, the one camera I have that came up fine with "Private" protocol (The Lorex LNB4321-c) now needs to be switched to onvif too. Crap. I found a video about adding DaHua cameras to a DaHua NVR, but it wasn't much help. The problem is that it doesn't have any audio. The operator goes through the motions (and, for what it's worth, is using the HDMI interface, not the web) and near the end he selects the "ONVIF" protocol, pauses I guess to say something about it, and then moves the cursor away and keeps the Private protocol. I guess he is saying that if you have the HFW1320SP cameras you have to use ONVIF. :-(

Here is the link to the video: NVR/Basic Setup/Add Dahua IP Camera - Dahua Wiki

I have read a few things about configuring cameras and NVRs and while no one has actually said so, it looks like whatever you code into the camera is really what the NVR does. Is this correct?? For example, if the NVR just shows a single motion detection zone, but in the camera there are two or three different zones with different sensitivity and threshold values, Am I going to really be getting what the camera says? It makes sense for the camera to do the detection and processing involved because if the NVR had to do it, it seems like the processor in the NVR would rapidly be overworked. I co8uld live with that until DaHua gets all of their faeces collected into a single location and fixes the firmware.


Thanks,

Wayne

 

[Shockwave199]

I have read a few things about configuring cameras and NVRs and while no one has actually said so, it looks like whatever you code into the camera is really what the NVR does. Is this correct?? For example, if the NVR just shows a single motion detection zone, but in the camera there are two or three different zones with different sensitivity and threshold values, Am I going to really be getting what the camera says?

Yes, I believe you should get what you program in the camera. You can certainly try it and see. With poe nvr's, it's to be expected that for camera tweaks and setup you'll need to hit the cameras web service regardless. Even the limited number of settings options you may get per camera on the nvr side can be glitchy and not take, or not show the setting properly. If everything you set up goes to crap with a reboot, that is a much larger problem that I don't think should be just a compromise.

 

[Xeddog]

As I mentioned earlier, I just expected more from a 2 year newer NVR. With my Lorex NVR, every setting in the cameras is available for configuration from the NVR itself without having to login directly to the cameras. This includes not only the Lorex branded cameras I have, but two other DaHua cameras. The only thing that goes to crap after a reboot is the protocol information, and this happens on the Lorex NVR too for the DaHua cameras. All of the camera settings remain intact. It's just the NVR not reconnecting to the cameras because of the protocol. Why is it so hard for the NVR to keep that vital information?!!?!?!

Anyway . . .

wayne