Ready to pull my hair out - QSee

[R0gvedtastatvs]

QSee has been down for over a week for “server maintenance upgrades”. I think they’re going out of business again. If anyone’s familiar with this company, you know they’re a nightmare.

That being said, I can no longer access my cameras remotely. They are great cameras, but this server “upgrade” is giving me a “information acquisition failure” error when attempting to view them in their app.

I just purchased an Amcrest 4k PoE NVR and it’s recognizing the cameras. But the camera passwords are incorrect so therefore I cannot add them.

I tried using the passwords I had them set on my Q See NVR, and a ton of defaults but no good.

Does anyone have any idea how I can get these cameras working to view remotely again? I’m semi tech savvy but could need some help here. I’m losing my mind.

Thank you

 

[mat200]

QSee has been down for over a week for “server maintenance upgrades”. I think they’re going out of business again. If anyone’s familiar with this company, you know they’re a nightmare.

That being said, I can no longer access my cameras remotely. They are great cameras, but this server “upgrade” is giving me a “information acquisition failure” error when attempting to view them in their app.

I just purchased an Amcrest 4k PoE NVR and it’s recognizing the cameras. But the camera passwords are incorrect so therefore I cannot add them.

I tried using the passwords I had them set on my Q See NVR, and a ton of defaults but no good.

Does anyone have any idea how I can get these cameras working to view remotely again? I’m semi tech savvy but could need some help here. I’m losing my mind.

Thank you

Welcome @R0gvedtastatvs

Do you still have a working Q see NVR ?

What are the models of the Camera and NVR ?

 

[Revo2Maxx]

Something you might want to check is if your cameras use what is called ONVIF password? So what can happen is that when you setup the camera and then later change the password for the camera and then you try to access the camera on a different platform that uses Onvif format the password would be the first setup password. Now some systems have a password spot that you can go into your WebUI and make a change of the Onvif password to the current camera password. I personally keep them different incase someone was able to gain access they would have to know the reason they can't connect to a remote location NVR or server based system is because the Onvif password don't match the one they found out.. Hasn't happened but one thing I do just incase.. So that would be something to try.. For my if I try to connect my Dahua or Amcrest cameras to my Alibi NVR I found that it is just easier to set the camera back to factory settings to make that connection easier.. You may need to Reset the Camera back to factory.. Are you connecting using POE NVR or are your cameras connected over a POE switch?

Another thing that can happen, Might need to make sure cameras are setup with good IP address, This is depends on your connection type, Camera should have a good IP, subnet and gateway. If the IP and gateway is off and you are connecting camera on your local network camera can have connection issues. At times connected to POE NVR this isn't an issue as I have seen some of my cameras that I move over to one of my POE channels from my POE Switch that the gateway will have the wrong one listed but because it is connected on POE NVR ports the camera still works. However on your Lan Ip range and gateway need to be in the same. So like the picture below this on my Amcrest 4216-E1 NVR so all my camera connect over LAN. If the camera had one of my POE NVRs gateway as you see I changed 10.0.0.48 to have the gateway of my 4116E-HS NVR POE switch and it is showing offline. Only thing I changed was the gateway..

 

[Revo2Maxx]

Oh Also see you said that you are using POE Amcrest NVR, so if you are connecting them to your POE Port 1-xx then it could be that your Cameras are setup for a static IP that would need to be changed to meet your NVrs switch.. To be honest might be easier to just go into the NVRs Network and Swtich setting and change the IP to match that of your QSee cameras.. Again would need to setup Switch with good gateway. So your NVR from factory was setup with 10.1.1.1 and the gateway is the same so if your cameras are setup on a Static IP of 192.168.1.xxx and then you would want to setup the Switch for the NVR to 192.168.1.1 and gateway 192.168.1.1. Just keep in mind that you can't have your normal LAN and NVRs switch on the same IP range.. I am guessing that is the same for your older NVR as well.. So shouldn't be an issue.. If your Camears are on 172.16.x.x format then you might want to reset the cameras back to Factory for easier access to your new NVR..

 

[Flintstone61]

try logging out and back in to the amcrest after you input the old password.
and also try rebooting the Amcrest after you edit a password to see if that kicks it in the ass.

 

[Flintstone61]

or go into the amcrest menus and locate and enable ONVIF user

 

[TonyR]

+1^^^.
If no joy after doing the above, can you perform a hard reset on the cameras?
If so, disconnect all but one, reset that one, put in new user/pass, add to NVR, once going do same to another camera, do one at a time.
When all up and streaming OK to NVR, set up P2P and DDNS in NVR, put that info into the app (Amcrest View Pro or View Pro 2).

 

[Flintstone61]

are you editing/adding the old password here? if so sometimes if you log out and log back in to the NVR it will start working

 

[R0gvedtastatvs]

Welcome @R0gvedtastatvs

Do you still have a working Q see NVR ?

What are the models of the Camera and NVR ?

This is the system I am on. It’s one of their newer ones. The cameras work great. But since their BS server upgrade, which I don’t think is happening, they’re way past their projected deadline and all their items are marked down on their site.

QP08045YC-QP05YC - NVR PoE Security Camera System - Qsee

Elevate your surveillance with the Qsee 8-channel 4K PoE 2TB NVR system. The 4K NVR system comes with 8 5MP IP cameras and a pre-installed 2TB HDD for 24/7 recording. The NVR is compatible with Q-see cameras of various resolutions up to 4K. Enjoy easy PoE connection, color night vision, and...

www.q-see.com

 

[R0gvedtastatvs]

Something you might want to check is if your cameras use what is called ONVIF password? So what can happen is that when you setup the camera and then later change the password for the camera and then you try to access the camera on a different platform that uses Onvif format the password would be the first setup password. Now some systems have a password spot that you can go into your WebUI and make a change of the Onvif password to the current camera password. I personally keep them different incase someone was able to gain access they would have to know the reason they can't connect to a remote location NVR or server based system is because the Onvif password don't match the one they found out.. Hasn't happened but one thing I do just incase.. So that would be something to try.. For my if I try to connect my Dahua or Amcrest cameras to my Alibi NVR I found that it is just easier to set the camera back to factory settings to make that connection easier.. You may need to Reset the Camera back to factory.. Are you connecting using POE NVR or are your cameras connected over a POE switch?

Another thing that can happen, Might need to make sure cameras are setup with good IP address, This is depends on your connection type, Camera should have a good IP, subnet and gateway. If the IP and gateway is off and you are connecting camera on your local network camera can have connection issues. At times connected to POE NVR this isn't an issue as I have seen some of my cameras that I move over to one of my POE channels from my POE Switch that the gateway will have the wrong one listed but because it is connected on POE NVR ports the camera still works. However on your Lan Ip range and gateway need to be in the same. So like the picture below this on my Amcrest 4216-E1 NVR so all my camera connect over LAN. If the camera had one of my POE NVRs gateway as you see I changed 10.0.0.48 to have the gateway of my 4116E-HS NVR POE switch and it is showing offline. Only thing I changed was the gateway..

View attachment 210432

How can I access the QSee WebUI if their servers are down? Apologies, I’m not the greatest when it comes to this stuff and I’m losing my mind

 

[R0gvedtastatvs]

Something you might want to check is if your cameras use what is called ONVIF password? So what can happen is that when you setup the camera and then later change the password for the camera and then you try to access the camera on a different platform that uses Onvif format the password would be the first setup password. Now some systems have a password spot that you can go into your WebUI and make a change of the Onvif password to the current camera password. I personally keep them different incase someone was able to gain access they would have to know the reason they can't connect to a remote location NVR or server based system is because the Onvif password don't match the one they found out.. Hasn't happened but one thing I do just incase.. So that would be something to try.. For my if I try to connect my Dahua or Amcrest cameras to my Alibi NVR I found that it is just easier to set the camera back to factory settings to make that connection easier.. You may need to Reset the Camera back to factory.. Are you connecting using POE NVR or are your cameras connected over a POE switch?

Another thing that can happen, Might need to make sure cameras are setup with good IP address, This is depends on your connection type, Camera should have a good IP, subnet and gateway. If the IP and gateway is off and you are connecting camera on your local network camera can have connection issues. At times connected to POE NVR this isn't an issue as I have seen some of my cameras that I move over to one of my POE channels from my POE Switch that the gateway will have the wrong one listed but because it is connected on POE NVR ports the camera still works. However on your Lan Ip range and gateway need to be in the same. So like the picture below this on my Amcrest 4216-E1 NVR so all my camera connect over LAN. If the camera had one of my POE NVRs gateway as you see I changed 10.0.0.48 to have the gateway of my 4116E-HS NVR POE switch and it is showing offline. Only thing I changed was the gateway..

View attachment 210432

My QSee cameras are connected directly to the back of the Amcrest NVR without a Poe switch. I still have access to everything locally through the QSee NVR. Should I do a factory reset on the QSee NVR?

 

[R0gvedtastatvs]

are you editing/adding the old password here? if so sometimes if you log out and log back in to the NVR it will start working

View attachment 210435
View attachment 210434

Yes this is where. Problem is, I don’t know the password it’s looking for. I tried the password I set while connected to the QSee NVR but it didn’t take. But I also didn’t try logging out or restarting. Will definitely try that today to see

 

[TonyR]

How can I access the QSee WebUI if their servers are down? Apologies, I’m not the greatest when it comes to this stuff and I’m losing my mind

You access the NVR's webGUI by connecting a PC or laptop to the same LAN as the NVR and opening a browser on that PC to the IP address of the NVR's LAN.

 

[R0gvedtastatvs]

You access the NVR's webGUI by connecting a PC or laptop to the same LAN as the NVR and opening a browser on that PC to the IP address of the NVR's LAN.

Gotcha. Sorry— I am definitely not up to par with This stuff as much as I wish I was. Thank you for the heads up. Will try that

 

[TonyR]

Gotcha. Sorry— I am definitely not up to par with This stuff as much as I wish I was. Thank you for the heads up. Will try that

Then you can check out @Revo2Maxx 's tip about insuring that if there's an ONVIF user in the NVR that it is set up with the same user/pass as used for the camera account.

 

[R0gvedtastatvs]

Oh Also see you said that you are using POE Amcrest NVR, so if you are connecting them to your POE Port 1-xx then it could be that your Cameras are setup for a static IP that would need to be changed to meet your NVrs switch.. To be honest might be easier to just go into the NVRs Network and Swtich setting and change the IP to match that of your QSee cameras.. Again would need to setup Switch with good gateway. So your NVR from factory was setup with 10.1.1.1 and the gateway is the same so if your cameras are setup on a Static IP of 192.168.1.xxx and then you would want to setup the Switch for the NVR to 192.168.1.1 and gateway 192.168.1.1. Just keep in mind that you can't have your normal LAN and NVRs switch on the same IP range.. I am guessing that is the same for your older NVR as well.. So shouldn't be an issue.. If your Camears are on 172.16.x.x format then you might want to reset the cameras back to Factory for easier access to your new NVR..

Ok so working on my current QSee NVR first, I see when I did a factory reset, the cameras wouldn’t connect. It said unknown user name or password. The field, which is covered I can’t see what’s pre entered in there. Had 7 numbers or letters entered. Go get my cameras to connect, I need to clear that field, so it’s blank, it submit and the cameras connect. So I don’t think there is a password.

Second issue based on what you said is I see on the QSee NVR my cameras are operating on a 192 IP. Not the 10 like you suggested. How do I go about changing that so that when I plug them via Poe back of NVR they will connect via 10 IP? Thank you for sticking with me and having the patience I appreciate it.

 

[Underhill]

Holy cow, I haven’t heard qsee in 20 years! Back when there was only high end; Bosch, Honeywell and pelco, or cheap; geovision, qsee and swann. Most were 24vac back then!

 

[R0gvedtastatvs]

I also accessed the Web GUI for the q see NVR but it’s pretty bare bones. What should I be looking for specifically in order to access the ONVIF settings? I think one issue is the cameras operating on 192 IPs on q see NVR but when I plug into Amcrest NVR I am seeing them pre populate with 10 IPs.

You access the NVR's webGUI by connecting a PC or laptop to the same LAN as the NVR and opening a browser on that PC to the IP address of the NVR's LAN.

 

[TonyR]

I also accessed the Web GUI for the q see NVR but it’s pretty bare bones. What should I be looking for specifically in order to access the ONVIF settings? I think one issue is the cameras operating on 192 IPs on q see NVR but when I plug into Amcrest NVR I am seeing them pre populate with 10 IPs.

The qSee may not be ONVIF compliant.

The cams with 192.XXX.XXX.XXX IP's from the qsee were likely plugged into a POE switch and the subnet is the same as the qsee NVR's LAN.
Since the Amcrest is a POE NVR then it assigns IP's on a private subnet such as 10.XXX.XXX.XXX to isolate the cams from the Internet which is NOT the same subnet as the Amcrest NVR's LAN.

 

[mat200]

This is the system I am on. It’s one of their newer ones. The cameras work great. But since their BS server upgrade, which I don’t think is happening, they’re way past their projected deadline and all their items are marked down on their site.

QP08045YC-QP05YC - NVR PoE Security Camera System - Qsee

Elevate your surveillance with the Qsee 8-channel 4K PoE 2TB NVR system. The 4K NVR system comes with 8 5MP IP cameras and a pre-installed 2TB HDD for 24/7 recording. The NVR is compatible with Q-see cameras of various resolutions up to 4K. Enjoy easy PoE connection, color night vision, and...

www.q-see.com

Hi @R0gvedtastatvs

Could be a non-Dahua OEM from Q-see .. iirc their older kits / nvrs / cameras were Dahua OEM and then they went with another OEM

Amcrest 4k PoE NVR -> should be a Dahua OEM NVR as Amcrest typically sell Dahua OEM cameras.

Thus the Q-see cameras may not natively use the Dahua API, so you will need to look at setting the cameras to ONVIF settings if the cameras ( once you get the user / password pairs set ) do not natively talk to the Amcrest NVR. ( in the NVR you will need to set the camera channel to ONVIF and in the camera itself set it to "talk" ONVIF )