New Hikvision setup - New Bee challenges - please help

J

JT_Singh

Young grasshopper
Apr 24, 2020
35
8
United Kingdom
Hello helpful lot - I have recently installed 11 Hikvision cameras and a NVR. Details below:

  • Hikvision DS-2CD2346G2-IU(2.8MM) 4 MP AcuSense IR Fixed Turret Network Camera & Hikvision DS-2CD2347G1-LU (2.8MM) 4MP ColorVu Fixed Turret Network Camera
  • Hikvision DS-7616NI-K2/16P Embedded Plug & Play 4K NVR

I can access to all my cameras - live/playback - audio/video - via the NVR and via the recently installed Hik-Connect app. All sorted on that front!

Challenges:
  1. iVMS-4200 3.4.0.7 Windows Client
    I recently downloaded the windows client to access the NVR. Prior to this I was accessing it directly via the NVR primitive UI or the web-browser. After installation if I try to open the iVMS-4200 - it only gives me an option to login - and no option to register. As far as I remember I never registered before but now I am stuck and I can't login. Any help would be appreciated. BTW I came across NVR GUI 4.0 for Hikvision NVRs. But I am not able to find any download link for this software. Is this an alternative to iVMS-4200?
  2. Pop Up / Email Notifications - Android / iOS
    I have configured - motion detection / smart events - intrusion detections rules as required on the NVR for a few cameras. Under Alarm linkage option - I have ticked off "Notify Surveillance Centre" and "Send Email".
    Under Network->Advanced Settings->Email - I am using a gmail domain email id as the sender id which sends out emails to a list of receivers. I have used "smtp.gmail.com" as the smtp server and port as 25 (default), and Enable SSL checked. However if I try to test this connection it fails. Google account (sender id) informs this as a unsecure app trying to access the credentials and is asking me to explicitly allow unsecure apps to access the account. Surely this doesn't sound right and there'll be a better and secure way to do this. Any suggestions?
    On the pop up alerts I don't get any alerts on my phones. So currently there isn't alert management system for me to let me know if any intrusion.
  3. Login to Hik-connet.com via a web browser
    If I login to hik-connect.com via a web brower, I do not see my NVR under Device Management. The "Platform Access" under Network-> Advanced Settings is enabled, and the Hik-Connect Register status is "Online". Not sure if I am missing something here.
I'll appreciate any help on the above. I have scanned the internet for a few days now and I am going a little bonkers trying to make sense of the above listed things.

Best,
JT
 
What Hikconnect server are you using? There are several and playing with the server address can help. Mine was set to a UK connection out of the box and didn't work. I had to exchange it for "litedev.us.hik-connect.com"

For number 2, you have to allow unsecure apps or it won't work. Port needs to be 587.
 
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fullboogie said:
What Hikconnect server are you using? There are several and playing with the server address can help. Mine was set to a UK connection out of the box and didn't work. I had to exchange it for "litedev.us.hik-connect.com"
Click to expand...
Thanks mate for the reply. I have "dev.eu.hik-connect.com" as the server which was by default. Will try to change it to the one you suggested.
fullboogie said:
For number 2, you have to allow unsecure apps or it won't work. Port needs to be 587.
Click to expand...
What about the Push notifications? Appreciate I need to allow unsecure apps for email notifications but prefer Push notifications anyday over email pop overs.
 
It's been 2 years since I set mine up, so I can't remember the details. I do think that the server address, unsecure apps, and port all relate to how/if you get notifications - which may include push notifications.

Your server address may be correct - I'm in the US so the address I changed to is correct. Not sure about yours as I just noticed you are in the UK. You have to get to the point that the hikconnect website shows your NVR online, so see if any of the above helps. Also, what are the networking ports listed in your NVR? I wonder if your router/ISP is blocking any of them?

Sorry I can't be of any better help. I'm a hobbyist and fairly new at this, just figured it out myself. There are lots of extremely knowledgeable pros on this board who will hopefully chime in soon.
 
1 - Login. That login is just to open the software so there's no need to register. You usually get asked to set a password the first time you open it. I can't remember if there's a default password. NVR GUI 4 is firmware for the NVR as opposed to monitoring software, so is not a replacement for iVMS 4200.

2 - You do need to allow insecure apps to get the e mail working using g mail - it won't work otherwise. Enable authentication, enable SSL and use port 587. Regarding notifications to phones - these are only supported by the Hik Connect app if you are using Hikvision DDNS and have added the system to the app that way. If you are using your own Dynamic DNS or connecting using the IP address - it's not supported. If you must use your own DNS or IP and want push notifications you'll have to use the older iVMS 4500 phone app - though it's a bit basic with no thumbnail images sent with the alarm.
 
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Thanks a ton mate for the reply.

John Williamson said:
1 - Login. That login is just to open the software so there's no need to register. You usually get asked to set a password the first time you open it. I can't remember if there's a default password. NVR GUI 4 is firmware for the NVR as opposed to monitoring software, so is not a replacement for iVMS 4200.
Click to expand...
I finally managed to log into iVMS4200. On GUI 4.0, do you know how can I go about getting this installed on my NVR?

John Williamson said:
2 - You do need to allow insecure apps to get the e mail working using g mail - it won't work otherwise. Enable authentication, enable SSL and use port 587. Regarding notifications to phones - these are only supported by the Hik Connect app if you are using Hikvision DDNS and have added the system to the app that way. If you are using your own Dynamic DNS or connecting using the IP address - it's not supported. If you must use your own DNS or IP and want push notifications you'll have to use the older iVMS 4500 phone app - though it's a bit basic with no thumbnail images sent with the alarm.
Click to expand...
On the phone notifications, are there any instructions on how can I go about doing this?

Also any thoughts on the below? This may influence the Hikvision DDNS setup you mentioned above?!
Login to Hik-connet.com via a web browser
If I login to hik-connect.com via a web brower, I do not see my NVR under Device Management. The "Platform Access" under Network-> Advanced Settings is enabled, and the Hik-Connect Register status is "Online". Not sure if I am missing something here.
Click to expand...
 
JT_Singh said:
Thanks a ton mate for the reply.


I finally managed to log into iVMS4200. On GUI 4.0, do you know how can I go about getting this installed on my NVR?

On the phone notifications, are there any instructions on how can I go about doing this?

Also any thoughts on the below? This may influence the Hikvision DDNS setup you mentioned above?!
Click to expand...

You won't get the full GUI 4 on your K series NVR. On the UK portal you can get the latest version of K series firmware which is 3.4.112 or there is a version 4 but it's not the same and plenty of people have complained regarding issues with it. All firmware for your cameras and NVR is available on the portal HIKVISION UK PORTAL

For the phone you just need to make sure you register a Hik Connect account and add your NVR to it using its serial number or by scanning the QR code from the menu. the key thing is that although you can connect to the NVR using an IP address - alarms won't be supported unless you connect using Hik Connect DDNS and are logged into your account in the app.

From your last point I'm not sure. If you're connecting from a device on the same LAN it should be visible. Although it says that Hik Connect is online does it also say Linked which means it's linked to a Hik Connect account.
 
John Williamson said:
For the phone you just need to make sure you register a Hik Connect account and add your NVR to it using its serial number or by scanning the QR code from the menu. the key thing is that although you can connect to the NVR using an IP address - alarms won't be supported unless you connect using Hik Connect DDNS and are logged into your account in the app.
Click to expand...

Funny you mentioned that. For the last one week I have been constantly trying to scan the QR code and it threw up an error because of which I had to resort the IP/domain option to add the device. I thought of trying my luck again after reading your message and - voila - it recognised it and added the device on the hik-connect app. Now it is also seen on the hik-connect web login. So at least I am able to access the NVR linked to the Hik-connect. Some success perhaps!

But now I am stuck with iVMS-4200. I am logged into my hik-account on iVMS-4200 but I guess that doesn't automatically load the NVR in it. I deleted the previously added NVR device as it was via the IP domain option. If I click "Online Device" option under Device Management->Device, it shows me the NVR and if I select that and click on add - it gets added as a Cloud P2P connection - which I don't think is correct - Thoughts?!

To configure HiDDNS, I checked a couple of videos on youtube (from Hikivision). They ask me to forward ports - which I think is considered a bigger security issue (as read in this forum thread ) - hence I am confused. To further add to my misery, if I check the option under DDNS on the web-browser NVR login, I don't see any option as HiDDNS in the DDNS Type. So still stuck in a limbo.:rolleyes::confused:1607031769240.png
 
If it’s registered with Hik Connect and showing online in platform access you don’t touch that DDNS page - that’s for if you’re using your own (which won’t support the phone notifications)

If you just log in to your Hik connect account in iVMS you can get it online, it will be cloud p2p if you haven’t forwarded ports. If you’re only using that pc to view the system locally from your home network you can just add it using its internal IP address.

Opening ports on the network could always be considered a security risk. To mitigate that risk you could change the ports in the NVR to different ones before setting up forwarding (the default ones if 80, 8000 and 554 are well known) The fact is that port forwarding works better and provides a more reliable connection than using a P2P connection with UPnP.
 
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John Williamson said:
If you just log in to your Hik connect account in iVMS you can get it online, it will be cloud p2p if you haven’t forwarded ports. If you’re only using that pc to view the system locally from your home network you can just add it using its internal IP address.

Opening ports on the network could always be considered a security risk. To mitigate that risk you could change the ports in the NVR to different ones before setting up forwarding (the default ones if 80, 8000 and 554 are well known) The fact is that port forwarding works better and provides a more reliable connection than using a P2P connection with UPnP.
Click to expand...

So I added the device as cloud P2P via the Hik-Connect account. It is added successfully but it is too damn slow to upate the configuration. It takes at least 45 seconds to respond to a click and I am on a 200 Mbps internet connection. Is this usually this slow? Or am I missing something here??

Also all the camera names have disappeared and now I have the default names. If I try to enable Camera names it just doesn't do it - or may it is too slow to act on it....
 
JT_Singh said:
So I added the device as cloud P2P via the Hik-Connect account. It is added successfully but it is too damn slow to upate the configuration. It takes at least 45 seconds to respond to a click and I am on a 200 Mbps internet connection. Is this usually this slow? Or am I missing something here??

Also all the camera names have disappeared and now I have the default names. If I try to enable Camera names it just doesn't do it - or may it is too slow to act on it....
Click to expand...

P2P is slower and as I’ve said unnecessary for monitoring using a computer on your home network.

Camera names. In device management nested under the folder for your site you’ll see “Encoding Channel”. Right click that heading and click “Update Camera Name” - that’ll import the names into the app
 
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John Williamson said:
P2P is slower and as I’ve said unnecessary for monitoring using a computer on your home network.

Camera names. In device management nested under the folder for your site you’ll see “Encoding Channel”. Right click that heading and click “Update Camera Name” - that’ll import the names into the app
Click to expand...
mate - thanks for reply on a Saturday evening :)

Getting a Failed error when trying to updating the camera names as you suggested. God knows WTF is going on :(:rolleyes:
 
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JT_Singh said:
mate - thanks for reply on a Saturday evening :)
Click to expand...

It's Friday mate - but one day's the same as the next during this pandemic!

It's probably because you are using Cloud P2P which doesn't support remote configuration. Hik connect DDNS (which you're using WITH P2P) does support remote configuration but only if you port forward and and enter the settings in the app. Just sign out of Hik Connect in IVMS 4200, delete the site and re enter it using the 192.168.??? address. That will work quickly and will support the configuration. Unless you are wanting to use that PC anywhere other than home theres no need to use Cloud P2P as the connection for that software - unlike the Hikvision Connect app on your phone which will use it.
 
John Williamson said:
It's Friday mate - but one day's the same as the next during this pandemic!

It's probably because you are using Cloud P2P which doesn't support remote configuration. Hik connect DDNS (which you're using WITH P2P) does support remote configuration but only if you port forward and and enter the settings in the app. Just sign out of Hik Connect in IVMS 4200, delete the site and re enter it using the 192.168.??? address. That will work quickly and will support the configuration. Unless you are wanting to use that PC anywhere other than home theres no need to use Cloud P2P as the connection for that software - unlike the Hikvision Connect app on your phone which will use it.
Click to expand...
Oh yes its Friday. Lol. I've been downing whiskey to drown my sorrows as I failed to make my hikvision work.

Tbh mate I don't give a fish about ivms4200. I just need my mobile apps to give push notifications with the link to playback video. Currently that's not working as now the live feed doesn't load fully. So not sure what's gone missing there. I get notifications of alarm and if I click on the playback it says failed to load the video. Something is just not right. But guess its time for me to call it a night and then try my luck tomorrow with it.
 
continue to struggle with the below:

  1. The hik-connect app has the long winded NVR serial number as name and the camera names are the generic ones. It just doesn't update the alias names of the nvr / cameras on the app. So quite painful to understand what alerts pop up unless I click on the alert to see the thumbnail
  2. When I click on the alert, and the thumbnail to view the video for playback it says no video found. Not very helpful again, as the alert doesn't give me any information on what was the intrusion as I couldn't view the captured clip on the app - not sure why is this case
  3. Struggling with false alarms. I have disabled motion detection and using intrusion detection instead. However I can't see any option to set max/min size & percentage options. The only options I can edit is threshold and sensitivity. Also not sure if I can draw more than 1 area for intrusion detection. If yes, how?
 
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