PoE Network Camera without NVR

[Tim1010]

All I want to do is connect a PoE enabled camera on our local network at work which will be used for remote monitoring of a robot in a machine. No recording needed. All of our switches in the building are PoE. Also I'm not worried about network security, since this will be on an isolated local network, actually it would be preferable if anyone on the network could see the camera.

I bought a Lorex LNE4322-C which is ONVIF compliant so I thought it would be fine for my purposes. Turns out that if its not connected to a NVR, it doesn't get an IP address. Even if I connect the camera at home to my simple Asus RT-N66U router (and use the power adaptor for power rather than PoE), I get nothing. Using the DHCP server to detect the MAC address and assign an IP address, the router cannot see the camera at all.

A rep at Lorex told me that I cannot use the camera without a NVR.

Can anyone recommend a camera that is
- Available in canada ( I see Hikvision is available from Newegg.ca)
- PoE enabled
- I can assign a static IP address
- View a video feed from it using a computer on the local network
- Does not require any other hardware (like an NVR)

I feel like this should be an incredibly simple task and thought that most IP cameras would have a web interface that anyone could view if they know the IP address of the camera. But it has proven to be more difficult than I thought.

 

[Fastb]

Tim1010 (Tim10 if binary?)

Welcome to the forum!
I'm not familiar with Lorex, and can't comment on your ability to use it without an NVR. That said, your problem sounds like a classic problem of mismatched ip subnet addressing. Check the default ip address the camera is given in the Lorex factory. Configure your laptop's ethernet card to that ip addr range. Then try to ping the camera. If you get a response, your next step is use the cam's web server (assuming it has one), and surf in with a browser.

If Lorex cana't be used as "cam only", then next best bet is Hikvision or Dahua. Lots of expertise here to give guidance. An NVR isn't needed.

Q: Does the Lorex power up? turn off the lights, do you see the IR LEDs come on (faint red).
Turn the lights in the room off. Wait. Do you hear the IR cut filter click as it moves out of the optical path? Turn lights on. Do you hear it click back into place?
If you're using robots, I assume you could measure current into the cam? Easy, if you use a poe splitter, and measure the current on the 12V DC line into the cam. Or use a 12V supply. (But don't power the cam simultaneously with both POE and 12V. Some cams don't like that)

Fastb

 

[Tim1010]

@Fastb
Re: "mismatched IP subnet addressing". Yes I thought the same at first, but both from my testing and from Lorex (FLIR)'s tech support, "the cameras do not have a default fixed IP address". Even my router, which would normally detect any device on the network and assign a IP using the DHCP server, cannot see the device. This is in line with what their tech support fed me. They said it "doesn't work without a NVR" which is a bit of a pain in the butt and feels like it could have worked with a small change in the design; but they might be doing this to "encourage" their customers to purchase a NVR.

Re: Does it turn on. Yes; I confirmed by covering the sensor and using the camera on my phone to see the IR light (this works great). Also confirmed as you mentioned by hearing the relay click with light level changes and viewing the slight "redness" in the IR LED's with the human eye.

 

[Fastb]

Tim1010,
I understand.
I hope you can return it....

Fastb

 

[fenderman]

@Fastb
Re: "mismatched IP subnet addressing". Yes I thought the same at first, but both from my testing and from Lorex (FLIR)'s tech support, "the cameras do not have a default fixed IP address". Even my router, which would normally detect any device on the network and assign a IP using the DHCP server, cannot see the device. This is in line with what their tech support fed me. They said it "doesn't work without a NVR" which is a bit of a pain in the butt and feels like it could have worked with a small change in the design; but they might be doing this to "encourage" their customers to purchase a NVR.

Re: Does it turn on. Yes; I confirmed by covering the sensor and using the camera on my phone to see the IR light (this works great). Also confirmed as you mentioned by hearing the relay click with light level changes and viewing the slight "redness" in the IR LED's with the human eye.

Modern flir/lorex cameras are rebranded dahua. They will have a static ip set default. The camera cannot be ONVIF compliant and not have direct access...
The reason your router cannot see it is because as fastb explained the camera is on a different subnet and set to static..
The default ip address on dahua cams are 192.168.1.108

 

[Tim1010]

@fenderman
@Fastb

You guys were so right! My apologies for my ignorance LOL, and sorry for blindly trusting Lorex tech support. I did an IP scan using "Angry IP Scanner" on 192.168.x.x and found it at 192.168.1.54.

Login: admin Password: admin and I was in! Everything I read for Lorex said UN: admin PW: nothing or 000000 but they did not work.

Thanks Guys! Hopefully this post can serve to help the next person in my situation with Lorex cams

 

[compudoc]

and Tim - Don't forget to change the default password!

 

[FlatTop Geek]

I’m interested in doing just what you did, hook up an IP camera to be viewed without a NVR. I just want to clarify that all you did was connect directly to the camera via the ip address for direct viewing and that you didn’t use any other software. And second, can multiple people connect at same time?

Thanks!

 

[Fred Cutler]

Hi Tim, I have the same requirements out here in Vancouver. Except I need audio too. Does your camera have a mic? If so, does it feed you audio as well, even without the NVR?
thanks
Fred

@fenderman
@Fastb

You guys were so right! My apologies for my ignorance LOL, and sorry for blindly trusting Lorex tech support. I did an IP scan using "Angry IP Scanner" on 192.168.x.x and found it at 192.168.1.54.

Login: admin Password: admin and I was in! Everything I read for Lorex said UN: admin PW: nothing or 000000 but they did not work.

Thanks Guys! Hopefully this post can serve to help the next person in my situation with Lorex cams

View attachment 16550

 

[Whoaru99]

I’m interested in doing just what you did, hook up an IP camera to be viewed without a NVR. I just want to clarify that all you did was connect directly to the camera via the ip address for direct viewing and that you didn’t use any other software. And second, can multiple people connect at same time?

Thanks!

Usually multiple people can connect but sometimes (usually??) there is a setting for the max allowed number of concurrent connections. A fairly small number should be fine but bear in mind the built-in web server (or whatever it's called) is in a relatively inexpensive camera, not a Google data center server.

 

[looney2ns]

Hi Tim, I have the same requirements out here in Vancouver. Except I need audio too. Does your camera have a mic? If so, does it feed you audio as well, even without the NVR?
thanks
Fred

Yes it will.
Review-Dahua Starlight IPC-HDW5231R-ZE 800 meter capable ePOE