***PSA for those with a New DAHUA NVR with Built-in PoE switch

[bigredfish]

Shouldn’t be a problem on the HD. The new NVR on initial boot up will likely reformat the drive.

Suggest on setup you make the new NVR password exactly the same as the old one to minimize problems.

 

[Zook]

Hello all, I just got a new nvr and was planing to upgrade and replace my old one. The old model is a NVR4208-8P-4KS2 while the new model is a NVR5208-8P-4KS2E. The old model has 2 HDD already installed and was planning to take 1 out and put it in the newer model for setting up while keeping the old nvr running so I can copy down settings or if things go wrong setting up the new nvr. Is it ok to just remove one of the drives from the old nvr? Do Dahua nvrs store its main or important settings on either drives? Was wondering if there is any kind of prep setup for removing a used drive.

Also how would the new nvr handled my cameras that already have settings from my old nvr? Will my cameras take the new password from my new nvr?

You can just move 1 HDD from the old NVR and put it into the new one....if you want, you can go to the storage options and format it.
The HDD's do not store the settings...those are stored in the integrated components of the NVR.
The cameras I believe will keep their old settings with their internal memory (as long as the old NVR properly pushed them).
The password of the old NVR is sync'd to the cameras when they first booted up...to connect them to the new NVR, you will need to do one of the following.
1) Set up the new NVR with the same password of the old.
2) To go the camera registration page of your new NVR, and use the password/connect option to connect the camera with the password from the old NVR.
3) Factory default the cameras with the reset button or webGUI before you connect them to the new NVR and the new password will sync to them when connected to the new NVR (you will lose all of your old camera settings when you factory default the cameras).

Those are the only options I know of...there may be apps out there but if there are, I have never used them.

 

[gregip]

I followed the guide (way back on the first page, step 1) to set up my 4216-16P NVR and all is well. I kept the default IP addresses, changed nothing, etc and logged out of the NVR interface. I've already downloaded SmartPSS on my laptop and planned to use that the continue exploring the NVR and cameras as described in the guide.
I then plugged in a cat5e cable to the NVR and my laptop, disconnected the laptop from my 4G wireless broadband modem, checked the laptop's network status of the "Ethernet Unidentified network" and get an error message "Ethernet doesn't have a valid IP configuration". I also used Internet Explorer to try and access the NVR IP of 192.168.1.108 as described in step 3 but that failed to find it saying that my laptop is correctly configured but the device 192.168.1.108 is not responding. I'm sure there is a simple explanation since I'm a networking newbie but lots of internet searching hasn't yet helped resolve it.
Any suggestions as to my mistake (s) ?

 

[alastairstevenson]

I then plugged in a cat5e cable to the NVR and my laptop,

On the likely assumption that the laptop is using DHCP for it's network configuration (IP address, gateway, DNS) -
When connecting directly to the NVR there is no DHCP server (it's provided by your router) so the laptop will revert to a 'self-administered IP address' that's not in the same range as the NVR, which means the NVR will not be accessible.

A couple of things you can do to access the NVR over a wired connection from the laptop -

On the assumption that the NVR is normally wired to your router, connect the laptop to the router as well instead of directly to the NVR.

On the laptop, temporarily manually set the laptop IP address to be in the same range as the NVR.
In the laptop network settings, set the IP address to, say, 192.168.1.107 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Settings | Network and Internet | Properties | IP settings | Edit | Manual dropdown | IPv4 on | set IP address and subnet mask.

 

[bigredfish]

I’m just in my first cup of coffee so excuse if I missed something, but you don’t need to connect directly to the NVR with a cable to your laptop to access it.

Assuming your NVR is on your home LAN at 192.168.1.108 you should be able to go to that address from your laptop directly while your laptop is connected to your home wifi.

is your home LAN 192.168.1.x? Check the IP of your laptop while connected to your home wifi as normal…?

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

I followed the guide (way back on the first page, step 1) to set up my 4216-16P NVR and all is well. I kept the default IP addresses, changed nothing, etc and logged out of the NVR interface. I've already downloaded SmartPSS on my laptop and planned to use that the continue exploring the NVR and cameras as described in the guide.
I then plugged in a cat5e cable to the NVR and my laptop, disconnected the laptop from my 4G wireless broadband modem, checked the laptop's network status of the "Ethernet Unidentified network" and get an error message "Ethernet doesn't have a valid IP configuration". I also used Internet Explorer to try and access the NVR IP of 192.168.1.108 as described in step 3 but that failed to find it saying that my laptop is correctly configured but the device 192.168.1.108 is not responding. I'm sure there is a simple explanation since I'm a networking newbie but lots of internet searching hasn't yet helped resolve it.
Any suggestions as to my mistake (s) ?

When laptop is directly linked to NVR via Ethernet cable, you will need to manually set the IP of your ethernet card on the laptop to 192.168.1.222. You can a different number besides 222, as long as it is not currently used by an other device. Set you subnet mask to 255.255.255.0, and leave the default gateway blank. Apply the settings, then try accessing the NVR via web browser.

 

[bigredfish]

Are you connecting to the main ethernet port on the NVR or one of the PoE ports?

Again if your hone network is already the same as the NVR (192.168.1.x) there’s no need to connect directly to the NVR with a cable to access it…

 

[Griswalduk]

As above but make sure you are plugged into the Ethernet port on the NVR and not plugged into 1 of the camera 16 POE ports.

@bigredfish you beat me to it lol

 

[gregip]

Thanks for the prompt replies. The NVR is not connected to anything - except my laptop via the ethernet cable. I intend to keep the NVR separate from my home WIFI network by using another 4G wireless broadband modem. That is: two modems. One modem for "home" use for family laptops, etc and another modem for the NVR system. When I've finished fiddling with and learning about the current two camera setup I'll add more cameras. At that point I'll set up remote access to the NVR. My intention is to eliminate the possibility of any unwanted access to my "home" family network if I screw up the remote access arrangements to the NVR.
So I don't yet have a separate modem to use as a WIFI go between from the NVR to my laptop. I, perhaps mistakenly, thought that I could just use IE to access the NVR directly over the ethernet cable by entering the NVR's IP address in IE. Then I can use SmartPSS to experiment with the system instead of the standard NVR interface. Are we saying I can only access the NVR via a modem which allocates IP addresses to both the NVR and my laptop? (Scuse my ignorance).
Oh, just saw your reply bigredfish.... no the cable is definitely connected to the main ethernet port on the NVR, not one of the PoE ports.

 

[bigredfish]

Ok that adds something to the equation

I don’t think you can connect it that way. At least I never have…..but you could try what @SpacemanSpiff said above… I’ll try myself …

You CAN connect to the individual cameras by plugging the laptop into a PoE port, disconnecting from your wifi, and making sure your local connection is set to dhcp. The NVR will assign your laptop a 10.1.1.x address and if you know the 10.1.1.x address of a camera also plugged into a PoE port you can connect directly to it. I just verified that.

 

[bigredfish]

When laptop is directly linked to NVR via Ethernet cable, you will need to manually set the IP of your ethernet card on the laptop to 192.168.1.222. You can a different number besides 222, as long as it is not currently used by an other device. Set you subnet mask to 255.255.255.0, and leave the default gateway blank. Apply the settings, then try accessing the NVR via web browser.

Yep! Verified this works

 

[gregip]

but you could try what @SpacemanSpiff said above…

Yes, just tried it but no success. I did not have a choice to leave the default gateway blank. I had to enter something before I could save the changes. I just entered the same details I see on the NVR interface plus a "subnet prefix length" of 24.

 

[bigredfish]

Hmmm my laptop allowed me to. There is no reachable gateway….

 

[bigredfish]

Of course this is an old windoz 7 laptop….

 

[bigredfish]

I’m at the end of my networking knowledge here…

 

[gregip]

Thanks all. I'll sleep on it and continue researching tomorrow. Cheers.

 

[alastairstevenson]

On the laptop, temporarily manually set the laptop IP address to be in the same range as the NVR.
In the laptop network settings, set the IP address to, say, 192.168.1.107 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Settings | Network and Internet | Properties | IP settings | Edit | Manual dropdown | IPv4 on | set IP address and subnet mask.

This will work when the laptop is wired to the NVR LAN interface, and the NVR IP address is 192.168.1.108 as you've indicated.
The gateway IP address doesn't matter - but use 192.168.1.1 as it needs to have something.

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

Yes, just tried it but no success. I did not have a choice to leave the default gateway blank. I had to enter something before I could save the changes. I just entered the same details I see on the NVR interface plus a "subnet prefix length" of 24.

Subnet length of 24 is the equivalent to the 255.255.255.0 I mentioned earlier, merely a different method of expressing it. For the default gateway, simply enter the IP address 192.168.1.1 (I believe you could also enter the IP of the DVR, also).

The default gateway value is used when the respective devices traffic is destined for another network, it will exit the local LAN via the gateway. Because you are connected directly via Ethernet, and you are accessing a device on the local network, the default gateway value will not be used.

What operating system are you running on your laptop?

 

[Griswalduk]

The network cable needs to be plugged into the lan port of the nvr. This is the 1 you would connect to router / switch.

With only the laptop and nvr connected together go to the network settings page on nvr. Note IP address and subnet.

See screen of an example how to network them together but use the nvr settings noted earlier. laptop and not must have different IP addresses but be on same subnet.

Using internet explorer type in nvr IP address in the address bar and go from there.

See also on how to connect to cameras through 1 of the nvr poe ports.

Hitting cameras web pages with a laptop in an NVR with POE

I figured I'd make a new post for this. It's nothing particulalry new and I certainly didn't invent this wheel! But I was taught how to do it and I want to pass it on to other people who have NVR's with built in POE. There IS a way to hit the cameras web pages directly, right through the NVR...

ipcamtalk.com

Griswald

My post on another thread might be helpful. See quote

 

[bigredfish]

I would just connect both the NVR and laptop to your home LAN and access it and make your settings and adjustments.
As long as you’re not port forwarding, the risk is very very small.