OMG I can't figure this out!! Dahua cam bricked?

F

Fester

n3wb
Sep 15, 2015
26
0
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Let me start off by saying I am a noob to IP Cams, most of my experience is from the old analog cameras and DVR's. That also means that I know how addicting having a security camera system can be! Let me start off with the specs of my system:

Lenovo K450e with an i7 4790 processor running at 3.6 Ghz, 2TB internal HDD, 16 gigs of RAM and a 3TB external HDD for archiving video

Here's where my addiction to a camera system took me down a dark path Lol;

I purchased a Nortel Baystack 5520-48T-PWR POE switch..... this was probably not a good idea because although tested and guaranteed by the company I purchased it from, it came with zero documentation, and I know nothing about it other than it would afford me lot's of room for cameras down the road.

I purchased one Dahua HDW4300C IP cam

Blue Iris software

So.... the install went well, set up the camera with no problems. Everything was running smoothly except for a few problems that I was working through like trying to get Blue Iris tools to put the weather overlay on and small things like that. I had it configured to email a still image to me whenever the camera sensed motion. Everything was hunky dory.

Then I noticed that every couple of days Blue Iris would give the error that Cam1 had no signal. After a computer and switch shutdown and some fiddling the cam would return, only to do the same thing in a couple more days. I turned everything off and let it sit for a few weeks and then decided to run everything again... same thing - cam ran for a couple days and then lost signal.

The last time it happened I was never able to get the cam back. So, thinking that the Nortel Baystack might be the problem (since I have no idea or way to configure it) I purchased a brand new Linksys LGS308P 8 port POE+ Gigabit smart switch. I got this added to my network and was able to log into the internet based GUI for the switch. Hoping that this would solve my problem, but no dice! I can test the wiring to the cam and it passes 100%, but if I ping the cam I get nothing.

If I run the config tool for the Dahua cam it never finds the camera. I believe the camera is in fact getting power because I see momentary flashes from the IR light, and the camera is warm to the touch. But nothing I do will allow me to connect to the camera via it's default IP address.

That said, I am a noob to IP addresses and subnet masks and all that. That type of stuff doesn't come very easy to me as I always use a Mac, but purchased the Lenovo specifically for this project. I'm sure I probably have a bunch of settings wrong Lol, but without being able to get the cam config tool to see the camera, and without any pings going to the camera even though the cabling tests good via the Linksys switch diagnostics.... I'm lost! I Know I want to purchase more cameras but I don't want to brick another one (if in fact that's what is wrong with the Dahua).

Any ideas, tips, tricks?
 
I'm not sure if your cam has one but if you take it apart you might find on the board a small button that is a reset switch. I've had to use it on mine when I was having a few issues with it. It resets the password and settings to defaults. Just press it for a second or so while the cam is powered on. You never know it might do the trick.. Good Luck.
 
Fester said:
I can test the wiring to the cam and it passes 100%, but if I ping the cam I get nothing.
Click to expand...

what exactly does this mean, test the wiring? do you mean one of those LED continuity testers such as this:
2chuoee.jpg


those merely tell you that the cables have a connection and are in the right order, not that the cabling is 100%.. your symptoms are typical of bad cabling with PoE devices, its intermittent and frustrating.

Step 1. Take the camera down, put it on a bench with a known good pre-fabricated cable and run it there and see if the issue is replicated... if problems go away, cut ends off your cables and remake em.. if that dont fix it, you either damaged the cable durring install or it is running too close to high power appliance thats introducing noise.. if problem persists you have ruled out the most common culprit successfully, then look at camera settings.. you may be overloading the camera, try backing down quality a little.
 
I have one of those, but no that's not what is testing it, the Linksys switch actually tests the wiring. If I unplug the cam then it gives an open error, with the cam plugged in it says the "copper" tests good. And the camera is down and on a table with the computer, switch etc. and I'm using new cat5e cables. When I first started having problems I cut the ends off the cables and installed new ends, but still had the cam disappear every couple of days.

From the Linksys manual;
Diagnostics
This section covers the following topics:
Copper Test
•
Optical Module Status
•
Ping
•
Traceroute
•
Port Mirroring
•
Copper Test
The Copper Test page displays the results of integrated cable tests performed
on copper cables by the Virtual Cable Tester (VCT)
VCT performs two types of tests:
Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) technology tests the quality and
•
characteristics of a copper cable attached to a port Cables of up to 140
meters long can be tested These results are displayed in the Test Results
block of the Copper Test page
DSP-based tests are performed on active GE links to measure cable
•
length These results are displayed in the Advanced Information block of
the Copper Test page
Preconditions to Running the Copper Port Test
Before running the test, do the following:
(Mandatory) Disable Short Reach mode (see the Port Management >
•
Green Ethernet > Properties page)
(Optional) Disable EEE (see the Port Management > Green Ethernet >
•
Properties page)
Use a CAT5 data cable when testing cables using (VCT)
Accuracy of the test results can have an error range of +/10 for
•
Advanced Testing and +/2 for basic testing
CAUTION:
When a port is tested, it is set to the Down state and communications
are interrupted After the test, the port returns to the Up state It is not
recommended that you run the copper port test on a port you are using to run
the web-based switch configuration utility, because communications with that
device are disrupted
To test copper cables attached to ports:
STEP 1 Click Maintenance > Diagnostics > Copper Test
STEP 2 Select the port on which to run the test
STEP 3 Click Test
STEP 4 When the message appears, click OK to confirm that the link can go
down or Cancel to abort the test
The following fields are displayed in the Test Results block:
Test Results—Cable test results Possible values are:
•
OK—Cable passed the test
 
thats a little bit better but I'd still bench test it to be sure, those switch testers are unlikely to test the pair used for PoE.. and thats usually the problem, heat or damage adds resistance, which lowers voltage, which increases amperage, and it just eventually shuts down.

resetting it to defaults through the WebUI would be good start, opening up the camera is rarely nessicary unless you cant get to it on the network.
 
JimandYen said:
I'm not sure if your cam has one but if you take it apart you might find on the board a small button that is a reset switch. I've had to use it on mine when I was having a few issues with it. It resets the password and settings to defaults. Just press it for a second or so while the cam is powered on. You never know it might do the trick.. Good Luck.
Click to expand...

I got it apart and there is a reset switch.... I'm gonna see if that solves the problem! Maybe at least the Config tools will see the camera again, that would be a start.
 
nayr said:
thats a little bit better but I'd still bench test it to be sure, those switch testers are unlikely to test the pair used for PoE.. and thats usually the problem, heat or damage adds resistance, which lowers voltage, which increases amperage, and it just eventually shuts down.

resetting it to defaults through the WebUI would be good start, opening up the camera is rarely nessicary unless you cant get to it on the network.
Click to expand...

I've tried everything, and noting sees the camera anymore, the Config tool from Dahua can't even find it. I did find a reset button on the board though. We'll see if that helps!
 
Have you tested with a short premade cable? Did you wire your run using the 568 standard?
 
fenderman said:
Have you tested with a short premade cable? Did you wire your run using the 568 standard?
Click to expand...

Yes, I used the 568 standard when I made my cables. But now that I have the camera unmounted and sitting on a table for testing I am using a pre-made cable. I was able to locate the reset switch on the camera board but Dahua config tool still won't see the camera. The ir flashes every once in a while, the camera is warm and the POE shows it is powering the camera. I'm lost :-(
 
sounds like its stuck in a reboot loop.. it might be dead jim.
 
Sounds like the camera is a brick then. I say try another one (maybe Hikvision if you're turned off from Dahua now). If you are lucky, you bought the cam from someone who will replace it without you having to buy another outright.
 
bp2008 said:
Sounds like the camera is a brick then. I say try another one (maybe Hikvision if you're turned off from Dahua now). If you are lucky, you bought the cam from someone who will replace it without you having to buy another outright.
Click to expand...

Yes, I might try a Hikvision this time. I'm going to message the seller and see about a repair/replacement, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.
 
@nayr I am having a smilar problem as described here. Except this happened the other day where all 7 cameras (4x PC-HDW5231R-Z, 3x IPC-HDBW4231F-AS) running latest FW all of sudden lost connectivity. I could ping them but cannot get to the Wed Admin page. I thought maybe my switch was bad so I replaced that to a new one. The issue seems to not have changed. I opened the camera and pressed the button to reset it. Put it on a bench with a pre-fab cat5 cable and when I watch a continuous ping I see every 30-60 sec it losses about 10 pings. The reset made the password go back to the default 192.168.1.108. I am guessing this is a reboot loop, possible brick? But how is it possible the all 7 cameras are experiencing this and different models from different suppliers?
 
did you have ports forwarded? there's malware out now bricking IoT devices
 
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