New RCA HSDB2A 3MP Doorbell IP Camera

[throwaway12345]

You can still use EZVIZ app to set up the DB to connect it to your wifi without creating an account with them. Just delete it after you're done setting it up for the first time.

This is effectively what I did just today with my NSC-DB2. I normally have a personal policy of never letting IoT or "Smart" devices reach out to the internet, so I had set up a Wifi network specifically for the camera that is isolated to my camera VLAN. It is possible to get the doorbell connected to the Wifi with some fiddling with the app, but it is impossible (as far as I can tell) to fully set up the doorbell this way.

My issue was that my mechanical chime was not ringing despite having partially set up the doorbell in the app and configured with the Batch Config Tool. I replaced my transformer with a 16V 30VA and even brought out my oscilloscope, but never saw the power kit or doorbell reacting to the button press. I was very close to buying a new chime from the compatible chimes list before seeing that the doorbell wasn't even trying to relay the button press.

As a last ditch effort before spending more money, I broke down and allowed the doorbell to temporarily connect to a Wifi network that did have internet access. It turned out that the issue was that internet access is required to complete configuration in the app. This is probably obvious to those that have successfully configured the doorbell in the past. However, there are more steps in the configuration after the app switches the doorbell to the Wifi network. That includes a setting to select the chime type: None Connected (default), Mechanical, or Digital. There is no such setting in the Batch Config Tool.

After completing the configuration in the app, I used the Batch Config Tool to change the doorbell over to the dedicated hotspot that I had configured for it without doing a complete reset. I'm pretty sure I lost notifications and calls in doing so, but the chime is now working!

Has anyone tried to catch motion detect and button press notification packets? I'll probably break out Wireshark to take a look at some point. However, it would be good to know whether someone knows if I'd be wasting my time with that.

 

[Kennsys]

Interesting, thanks for the find/share, wonder how they communicate with each other, more so how do they pair. Have not seen any option in their App.

It's the Ezviz CS-CMT-AO-CHIME, works with the Ezviz Doorbell. Just add the chime with the app, scan the QR code and pair with the doorbell.

 

[alexdelprete]

This is effectively what I did just today with my NSC-DB2. I normally have a personal policy of never letting IoT or "Smart" devices reach out to the internet, so I had set up a Wifi network specifically for the camera that is isolated to my camera VLAN. It is possible to get the doorbell connected to the Wifi with some fiddling with the app, but it is impossible (as far as I can tell) to fully set up the doorbell this way.

My issue was that my mechanical chime was not ringing despite having partially set up the doorbell in the app and configured with the Batch Config Tool. I replaced my transformer with a 16V 30VA and even brought out my oscilloscope, but never saw the power kit or doorbell reacting to the button press. I was very close to buying a new chime from the compatible chimes list before seeing that the doorbell wasn't even trying to relay the button press.

As a last ditch effort before spending more money, I broke down and allowed the doorbell to temporarily connect to a Wifi network that did have internet access. It turned out that the issue was that internet access is required to complete configuration in the app. This is probably obvious to those that have successfully configured the doorbell in the past. However, there are more steps in the configuration after the app switches the doorbell to the Wifi network. That includes a setting to select the chime type: None Connected (default), Mechanical, or Digital. There is no such setting in the Batch Config Tool.

After completing the configuration in the app, I used the Batch Config Tool to change the doorbell over to the dedicated hotspot that I had configured for it without doing a complete reset. I'm pretty sure I lost notifications and calls in doing so, but the chime is now working!

Has anyone tried to catch motion detect and button press notification packets? I'll probably break out Wireshark to take a look at some point. However, it would be good to know whether someone knows if I'd be wasting my time with that.

The first time configuration (setup) requires access probably because of the registration of the camera and the account. In any case, it is not a security issue doing it only the first time. All the configuration activities after the setup DO NOT require internet access, that is tested by me and other people. During the setup phase you ENABLE the mechanical/electronic chime, if you don't do it, the doorbell doesn't relay it, obviously.

You probably didn't read the thread nor the 101 (see signature for links), otherwise you would have known this. But glad you have solved the problems with your doorbell now. In the 101 you'll also find info related to tcp/udp ports for fw configuration that a user discovered. You might want to double-check those when you'll use wireshark and please let us know your findings so we can update/integrate the 101 document.

 

[Glen Mark]

Has anyone tried to catch motion detect and button press notification packets? I'll probably break out Wireshark to take a look at some point.

I like the way you're thinking. The doorbell probably teaches out to ezviz with those packets, if you figure out what the domain is you could seed your internal DNS with the address of your raspberry pi or whatever will catch those packets. It's definitely a worthy endeavor, better than some external relay/electrical method of logging doorbell presses. Let me know please what you find, I'd like to work in it with you. Are you a Smartthings user?

 

[camry]

Well I managed to brick my EZ-Viz by trying to update the firmware to the latest version via. Batch Config.
I tried the recovery method described here -(2 copies of firmware on reformatted SD Card, one renamed to digicap.dav, hold reset and apply power) but no joy.
As soon as the device powers up it goes red.
I tried using the Hik firmware and when that didn't work, tried the EZ-Viz files as well.

Not sure why it's not working, it but seems like the recovery process is not foolproof at this time.

 

[argus]

As soon as it powers up it will be red , you need to keep holding the reset button.
LEDs will flash once, and still be red when they come back on, do not release reset button
continue to hold the reset button until LEDs turn blue and doorbell announces reset successful, took about a minute or so of holding the power button.

 

[camry]

I'm not seeing any flash - as soon as power is applied, the LEDs around the ringer button go red and stay red.
I'll give it another try.

 

[argus]

On the RCA the restet button was a bit awkward to keep down under the rubber, had to use a fingernail to make sure it was down the whole time.
My guess is the LED flash is the boot loader completing and the beginning of the firmware flash so if you are not getting the flash something more may be wrong. Other thing to check is you are selecting FAT32 when you reformat and not using a higher capacity SD card than the stock card. Good luck

 

[camry]

Tried again with a different micro SD card (8G) verified FAT32, but still no luck.
Guess I'll need either get a new one or try something else.

Obviously, be careful with firmware updates - there may be some conditions that prevent unbricking.

 

[KC8DKT]

Anyone got the RCA HSDB2 PIR working in Blue Iris? I got the video feed to BI working and I got MOTION triggers working but I can not seem to get the PIR to trigger BI still.

Still running the RCA stock FW (V5.2.4build 200321) with BI (5.2.7.12 x64) setup as Generic/ONVIF
I would really like for the RCA PIR to trigger BI and turn the motion off in BI, with out the PIR trigger working (no more alarms when a car drives) I do not really need it.

 

[KC8DKT]

Tried again with a different micro SD card (8G) verified FAT32, but still no luck.
Guess I'll need either get a new one or try something else.

Obviously, be careful with firmware updates - there may be some conditions that prevent unbricking.

I had this same problem, too fix it I put the HSDB2.DAV on a 1gb SD card formatted fat32. The hard part is holding the reset button down BEFORE you turn the power ON for the cam and keeping it held down through 2 audio prompts. Forget what it said it was a week ago. Its a good 45sec you have to keep it held down. I used a transformer on my desk with a toggle switch so it was easier to turn it on and keep the button held down. Hope this helps with your problem.

This is the file I used on my sd card and I left the file name the same

http://usdownload.ezvizlife.com/device/HSDB2/2.0/HSDB2.dav

 

[camry]

Pushing the reset and holding is not easy, but I pulled wires from the transformer and put a switch on one leg so I can easily hold the reset button and turn the power on to the doorbell.
I've tried formatting the card in Windows and using Rufus, tried with just the firmware file on the card, firmware file + a copy named digicap.dav, just a file named digicap.dav and repeated with both HIK and EZ-Viz firmware. I'm pretty sure since the LED ring never flashes, it is not able to even get to the point where it reads the firmware off of the card.

It's dead JIm.

Thanks for the help.

 

[KC8DKT]

I think you know this already but

When I bricked mine flashing it with the hikvision firmware I renamed the RCA firmware from "hsdb2.dav" to "ds-hd1.dav" to get mine back to the RCA firmware. I could not get any software working to UPDATE the firmware. I have used this trick twice now to get off the solid red never flash and when I remove power the red lights stay ON for a good 5min before I can hold reset and power it up. Its odd that the red lights stay on even with no wires connected so long.

HELLS ya, an extra transformer with a switch is a must till you know you get every thing working. I would have returned this thing on day one if I did not have it setup on my dench.

No clue if this will matter for yours but I used a 1gb fat32 formated sd card for the restores NOT the 16gb sd the unit comes with and it was initialized under the RCA firmware with the RCA IOS app. The 16gb sd card would NOT blink 2 times, it would only blink 1 time and would never fix the problem. I have to give Dave40678 credit for this tip. The 1gb card and file rename trick was the last piece that got it working again.

 

[gudmundurg]

Hi all - really interesting to read through this thread, however I've not found anyone dealing with the exact problem I'm dealing with in the thread or the 101. If I missed it, sorry for the repeated post.

This is my doorbell, it came in an unbranded box, got it here on ebay.

I'm struggling to get my HIKVISION through the initial configuration. Guarding Vision is recommended by the included instructions so I used that. It starts fine, verbal instructions, GV finds the doorbell and the doorbell verbally declares that the wifi configuration was successful. However GV just counts down to 0 while "Connecting to the Wi-Fi" and then gives me an error "Incorrect Wi-Fi password Try again" and "Complicated environment on the Wi-Fi network. The Camera's Wi-Fi function may be affected".
As the doorbell had declared loud and clear it was connected to the network so I managed to add it manually by IP address and serial# password. But that only allows me to see the camera. So it's basically just a camera that way, not a doorbell.
In other words, the button does nothing for me and I don't see any configuration features for the doorbell in the app.

My wifi is NetGear Orbi - one hub and one satellite.
I kept UPNP open on the Orbi and saw that the doorbell had opened a few ports.
I've tried to turn 5g off as some have suggested.

I found it in Batch Configuration and saw it has V5.2.4build 190625 firmware.

Any suggestion on what I'm missing?

 

[throwaway12345]

The first time configuration (setup) requires access probably because of the registration of the camera and the account. In any case, it is not a security issue doing it only the first time. All the configuration activities after the setup DO NOT require internet access, that is tested by me and other people. During the setup phase you ENABLE the mechanical/electronic chime, if you don't do it, the doorbell doesn't relay it, obviously.

You probably didn't read the thread nor the 101 (see signature for links), otherwise you would have known this. But glad you have solved the problems with your doorbell now. In the 101 you'll also find info related to tcp/udp ports for fw configuration that a user discovered. You might want to double-check those when you'll use wireshark and please let us know your findings so we can update/integrate the 101 document.

I did read through the 101, but I didn't notice anything indicating that internet is required on the target wifi network to complete configuration. I (wrongly) assumed that since the doorbell had successfully switched over to wifi and could be accessed via Batch Config Tool and RTSP that configuration was complete despite the timeout in the app. In any case, it's fixed now. Just had to jump through a couple extra hoops to get it connected the target network.

 

[pete_c]

@gudmundurg

Welcome to the IPCamTalk forum.

It appears that you have a Nelly Video Doorbell. I have the same video doorbell. The box is unmarked except that you see a tiny bar code sticker on the back of the box.

When running Batch Configuration you should see this model number : NDB313-W

You will not be able to do anything with the HikVision Batch Configuration program until you can log in to your DB with admin access.

I am not familiar with the NetGear Orbi WAP you have. Thinking there are other users here that utilize same WAP.

For configuration here connected the transformer to the DB on the workbench inside of the home and configured WiFi to work with 2.4Ghz.
Kept Android device next to the DB and close to the WAP when configuring it with the Android App.

IE: start all over again but this time configure/ register your new Video Doorbell inside of your home and close to your WAP (Orbi Hub - not Orbi Satellite) and phone/tablet.

Have a read here ==> New RCA HSDB2A 3MP Doorbell IP Camera

You can configure the WiFi SSID via the Batch Configuration program.

 

[JimEPage]

It's the Ezviz CS-CMT-AO-CHIME, works with the Ezviz Doorbell. Just add the chime with the app, scan the QR code and pair with the doorbell.

Where can I buy this in North America? Ezviz doesn't respond to emails.

 

[Kennsys]

Where can I buy this in North America? Ezviz doesn't respond to emails.

I don't know where to buy it in North America. You may need to email Ezviz Europe and ask them.

 

[hawkeye217]

Well, I've had the LaView version of the doorbell up and running for over a year now without any problems, and over the last few days I've noticed some random glitching of the video stream and today the button press doesn't ring my mechanical chime anymore. I rebooted a couple of times without any remedy. I wonder if it's a power problem... Do you think my 30VA transformer that I installed new back when I installed the doorbell is going bad?

 

[gudmundurg]

@gudmundurg

Welcome to the IPCamTalk forum.

It appears that you have a Nelly Video Doorbell. I have the same video doorbell. The box is unmarked except that you see a tiny bar code sticker on the back of the box.

When running Batch Configuration you should see this model number : NDB313-W

You will not be able to do anything with the HikVision Batch Configuration program until you can log in to your DB with admin access.

I am not familiar with the NetGear Orbi WAP you have. Thinking there are other users here that utilize same WAP.

For configuration here connected the transformer to the DB on the workbench inside of the home and configured WiFi to work with 2.4Ghz.
Kept Android device next to the DB and close to the WAP when configuring it with the Android App.

IE: start all over again but this time configure/ register your new Video Doorbell inside of your home and close to your WAP (Orbi Hub - not Orbi Satellite) and phone/tablet.

Have a read here ==> New RCA HSDB2A 3MP Doorbell IP Camera

You can configure the WiFi SSID via the Batch Configuration program.

Thanks for the quick reply.
I followed the guidance and that worked out well. Was able to configure the wifi and have the doorbell join the home wifi. However I seem to be in the same spot as when I manually added it do the GV app.
The camera and recording is working but I don't see a way to get the doorbell to work - that is get notified in the GV app (or other app) when the button is pressed.
Btw, I'm not using a chime - my plan was to get notified in the app when button is pressed - at least as a first step.
I've not found a way to configure that functionality through the app or in iVMS4200?