RTSP security on BEDSER panoramic IP camera

[Chris Fowler]

I'm working on a project for my father where my mother wants a camera in his building so she can check up on him while working on a car. He bought a lift and she is worried some accident will happen. I did some work using a Pi Zero W camera and decided I wanted a RTSP camera with a larger FOV. With the panoramic view I can put in the corner of the building and see the whole inside.

I ordered a BESDER Panoramic camera from Aliexpress and am having a few growing pains figuring it out. My father set up CCTV cams at his home and metal working shop.

BESDER Panoramic IP Camera 48V PoE Outdoor Waterproof 2.0 MP 1080P Wide Angle 1.7MM Lens Motion Detect RTSP HI3516C CCTV Camera-in Surveillance Cameras from Security & Protection on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

It seems to me the only way to configure this camera is using the CMS software for windows. I did that, changed password and using the RTSP link with VLC I am still able to stream with no password. Is this just the way it is with these cameras? I've been programming in Linux since 95 and have no problem creating my own NVR device to protect these cams on their own subnet if required. I just need others with experience with these to tell me that I can't lock down RTSP like I need to.

Chris

 

[alastairstevenson]

I just need others with experience with these to tell me that I can't lock down RTSP like I need to.

Sometimes the level of authentication for an RTSP stream is configurable - sometimes it's fixed as authentication required, and sometimes it's not required at all and can't be enabled. It varies with manufacturer and model.
Have you checked in the camera web GUI for any configuration settings relating to RTSP authentication?

*edit* And you are unlikely to find a cheaper camera - what guided you to that choice?
*edit1* Also - check that the P2P facility can be disabled, and check from the network traffic that it actually is.

 

[Chris Fowler]

Sometimes the level of authentication for an RTSP stream is configurable - sometimes it's fixed as authentication required, and sometimes it's not required at all and can't be enabled. It varies with manufacturer and model.
Have you checked in the camera web GUI for any configuration settings relating to RTSP authentication?

*edit* And you are unlikely to find a cheaper camera - what guided you to that choice?
*edit1* Also - check that the P2P facility can be disabled, and check from the network traffic that it actually is.

The windows CMS software does not seem to have any option for RTSP auth.

What guided me to that choice was that it showed up when I did a search on Aliexpress. My father said he was going to spend $200 on a camera. The Pi Zero W solution I made it roughly $50 in parts. I did a search on Aliexpress for "rtsp camera" and saw the panoramic one. The Xmeye software in Android and iPhone works well and meets the requirements for local view for him. I can watch on almost anything. VLC, Note 8, etc. The nut on the camera for msition the camera is not good quality. I had to remount it to tighten enough so the eye would not drop and point to the ground.

I'd like to find an HD panoramic that has decent day and night. Supports RTSP and can be locked down. < $50 is a target and I would like to source the same model so I don' have different cameras around my home. I'm implementing these at my house. Can you recommend anything I can source from Aliexpress? Thanks.

EDIT: I am trying to use clvc in Linux to restream the RTSP, but I can't figure out if sout rtsp supports auth on it. One option is to create my own "NVR" and block thse cameras.

 

[alastairstevenson]

What configuration options for authentication does the web GUI have?

 

[Chris Fowler]

What configuration options for authentication does the web GUI have?

I've given up on using the web gui. It is in Chinese, but requires ActiveX control to do anything. It will do English, but I've not been able to access via Internet Explorer on any of my Windows PCs. It only supports IE. I run Linux so I'm having to remotely control and test the family's Windows PCs. no luck there. To do any config you need a program called CMS, not Novosun's cyeweb version. I've combed through those config pages and there is nothing on RTSP security.
The only security I can do is set the admin password on the camera.

I've been able to telnet into the camera using the backdoor password. This thing runs dvrbox. Nothing there at all to configure it. If I could find something there I could easily script my own Perl programs to configure all these for me. It then becomes a cookie cuter deployment and I can centrally control them.

CMS communicates with the camera via SOAP and JSON for config. I imagine it uses RTSP or the ONIVF port. I tried updating to the newest firmware, but it is already at latest.

Product: 53H13_S38
Version: V4.02.R12.00018531.10010.143300.01000
BuildDate: 2016-06-16 18:28:43

I've zipped up the cfg directory. The files in cfg/Json were gzipped ascii JSON. I've left them intact, but created the uncompressed JSON files in case someone is interested and would not have to uncompress each one.

Dropbox - cam-cfg.zip

At this point I need to figure out if I can wrap the RTSP stream via a Linux device using something like CLVC to add RTSP authentication.

This command on my Linux desktop will allow me to connect via VLC, Mplayer, etc to it and stream the video. I've not figured out how to add in auth to the output. Ive tried rtsp://user:user@127.0.0.1:8080/test.sdp and it it did not even matter. I'm not even sure clvc can support auth in RTSP when used as dst.

cvlc -I http -vv 'rtsp://192.168.1.10:554/user=admin&password=&channel=1&stream=0.sdp?real_stream' --sout '#rtp{dst=127.0.0.1,port=8081,sdp=rtsp://127.0.0.1:8080/test.sdp}'

If I can't get past that problem I just need to keep looking for a camera that'll work. I can live with a few of these issues. I really hate a windows program is required to configure it over using a web interface.

I've never deployed a camera outside so I'm not sure how much I should see at night with this one. I am seeing some ir interference from its own LEDs. I think that is because the FOV is as large as it is. The 1080p model showed part of the enclosure so I skipped that one. If I turn on my back spotlight that circular haze is minimized. I'll have pics when it gets dark. I'm thinking I need to IR illumination to see the whole back yard. I've got about 5 hours into getting this to work. I don't give up easily.

EDIT: Can't seem to post image from imgur. Getting spam error from message board.

Day:

Night, no spot light

Night, with spot light

 

[alastairstevenson]

That's probably the cheapest of the cheap cameras, it's a known low-end brand.
With all the messing around, and the basic issues you're trying to work around, wouldn't you be better to buy something that works?
If that poor night time image isn't caused by reflections around the mount location, that alone would rule it out as a valid solution.

 

[Chris Fowler]

That's probably the cheapest of the cheap cameras, it's a known low-end brand.
With all the messing around, and the basic issues you're trying to work around, wouldn't you be better to buy something that works?
If that poor night time image isn't caused by reflections around the mount location, that alone would rule it out as a valid solution.

The mount location I chose is temporary for testing, but it is possible that the reflections caused it.

The low end brand we are talking about is not the specific camera from BESDER it is the board inside? I'm seeing many with what seems to be the same "family" of hardware. Like VIA x86, AMD, and then Intel listed in order of cost.
My issue with Nest type cameras or anything I can buy at Home Depot is that they push you to their cloud and lock you in. I run into a wall eventually with all tech gadgets because I like doing things my way.

With the Pi Zero W Camera I wrote a program to create a rolling 24hour time lapse movie. 24 hours in 3 minutes. Program uploaded it to a website, edited the page, and added in thumbnails for the first frame and the last frame. Rolling means that the full video is 24 hours of time with the older seconds deleted as time progressed. The program also tracked time and changed the color of the camera for better night mode. With the exception of changing the colr color I have the time lapse working well.

No argument from me that this is the cheapest of the cheap. I bought a $50 quad-copter with the intention of learning about features I would want in one. Same with this camera. There is a difference between reading and article you found on Google titled "What to look for in a camera" vs buying something cheap and seeing what you have when you don't have feature X. I'd like to mix my quality outside vs inside and not be locked in to a vendor. I bought a cheap wifi camera that can be placed anywhere with the intention of putting it somewhere that I want to watch temporarily. I tacked the Pi Zero W down to scrap wood and used a tripod to do the same when I made it. Watch the cat in your daughter's bedroom while n vacation? Perfect. She will not tolerate a camera in her room installed permanently. The camera I posted above could suck outside, but work fine watching the inside of my basement. Behind that large tree is a pond and I'd like to run some CAT-5 out to behind the fence and post a camera looking out over it. PTZ too. Would allow me to move and zoom in on Herons in the morning feeding on the fish.

Temp Mount:

What models should I be looking at and where can I source them? What is the realistic price range of those features?

 

[mat200]

Hi Chris,

If you're looking to play with a camera's firmware, then perhaps take a look at the following thread.
( I have not been following it, but it did look very interesting - especially look at the notes from cor35vet )

Dahua Firmware Mod Kit + Modded Dahua Firmware