Stumbling Badly on Initial Set Up

MrSurly

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I’ve received most of the start up pieces of my system; tiny PC, PoE switch, a couple of cameras to test with from Andy. I’m trying to get initial communication with the cams and I’m pulling out my hair.
First: I’ve read all the Wiki and Cliffs notes and the “standard start up pages”, but clearly, I didn’t retain all the details.
My issue is right at the initial point of trying to get the cams initialized, ips changed. Before even going into BI.
Dahua cams.
Researching threads here, I found info that I needed to change my PC’s ip as it was defaulted to 192.168.0.1.
After that point I successfully connected to the 5442T-ZE. Before that point I had been trying with a couple of IPC-HW1831EPs and it seems as it I may have messed them up.
So, I guess that my first issue is, how do I reset these 1831s, which apparently do NOT have a reset switch? The booklet shows a removable cover where the SD card and the button should lurk, on some models but there is no panel like that on these.
After several attempts using Dahua's config.exe I changed the ip of the PC to get on the same segment as the Dahua default; despite this change there was no joy so I gave up on the 1831s.
I got the 5442TZE out of its box and the web approach worked. Now to get the bullets working! Any ideas?
Next question:
My PC was 192.168.0.1
Which I changed... but my Switch a V7 24PoE shows 193.168.0.178
Do I need to also change the op of the switch somehow (temporarily) to help with cam setup?
 
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biggen

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I can't help you with the reset on that particular model, although there should be a switch inside the camera I would think.

As far as the IP of the switch goes that doesn't really matter in your case unless you are really going into in depth networking. Just plug up everything and get going.
 
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If your PC is 192.168.0.1 so I imagine you changed it to 192.168.1.xxx?

Dahua cams default to 192.168.1.108 and if you plug them into a switch on 192.168.0.xxx you will not be able to see them. Are you letting the router assign the IP addresses? If so, then have the router use 192.168.1.xxx.

I tried to look up the model for the 1831 but you did not put the whole number up. Give the correct model number and a pic of what's under the cover.

Also, do not plug more than one cam in to the POE switch at a time until you get each one assigned a new IP address or you will end up with conflicts.
 

MrSurly

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I've made some progress!
After changing my PC's IPV4 setting to use a specified 192.168.1.1 I was able to hook up a fresh-out-of-the-box cam using the browser based approach. Where I was getting into difficulty was using Dahua's config.exe. Their program worked great once I figured out my issue.
Using the config.exe I could see a cam and then initialize it.
I installed a strong password at this step.
I then went to the "modify IP" icon, put in my preferred IP, "OK"ed it but it didn't stick.
The password HAD stuck, but the IP change would not.
Eventually, I determined that when you create the password and save it, it saves but it does NOT also log you into that cam. I was assuming, here, that I was logged in to the camera.
Then I tried to mod the ip, it didn't take (because I wasn't logged into the cam... but it doesn't actually tell you that, it just seems like all is OK. Except that when you refresh the view, the old ip is still there.
To actually change the ip, I needed to log in to the camera, so I needed to figure out how to trigger a login dialog.

What is needed is that you have to use the tab for camera settings (icon of a box cam and a gear), select the ip address shown for the cam then hit 'get device info' THEN it will prompt for a login. Put in the password you installed earlier, look at the IP tab screen, THEN you can use the little icon to mod IP and this time, after hitting OK, and tapping the refresh (upper blue circle thingy), you'll SEE the ip change in the IP screen.
Once I figured this out, I was able to see and mod the ips of the bullets, so (hopefully) no need to reset.
The bullets in question are IPC-HFW1831EP there's no little panel to open and no reset that I can find. (pics below). There is also NOT a reset button on a cable dongle. There is also nothing hiding under the removable shade (hood).
So, in the last little while I have initialized and password-ed and IP-ed a handful of these Dahuas. Shortly I will change the PC's ip to the new subnet and see if BI can see them now.
 

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MrSurly

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Well I got over that hurdle! Now I’m adding cams to BI and before o go much further, I will have to research every possible optimization in the settings as the Tiny PC is getting its ass kicked.
All the cams are at defaults and all will have to be pruned back in frame rates and every other way. With just a few cams hooked up it’s at 100% CPU and crashing BI.
Man this is fun /s
 

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Personally, I use the config tool to just initialize and give it a new password. Everything else I do in the web interface.
I was trying this with the bullets (after I had password-ed them) and I could NOT get the web interface to operate.
By that, I mean, I put in the 192.168.1.108/enter and I would get the grey window (dahua's GUI?) but the data boxes would not appear. Refreshed ad infinitum.
Plugged in a fresh cam (that I had not yet dicked with) initialized in config exe, same password installed, but no attempt at changing the ip, went to web and the same grey window, data boxes appeared, connected, made changes, all was well.
For some reason, I did something different with (to) the bullets.
Once I got the config exe connected properly to them, all was well.

Added pics of the bullet cam in this thread above
 
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Wow, on the Dahua website it shows an access door on the bottom of the cam, but you do not have that. But it sounds like you got them working, right?

One thing I have noticed is that some cams can use the Edge browser (like my all of my 5442's, 5241's and 2431's), but others will not. However I have been able to use Chrome with the NACL extension just fine on those cams. I know it depends on the firmware installed. You might give a different browser a try for those cams.
 

looney2ns

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IE or Chrome with IE extension installed works for me.

Read the helpfile for config tool. Upper right corner, little camera icon.
No need to have to change your computers IP address.
As you found it is not really intuitive.
 

MrSurly

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YAY! I managed to get all of the cams talking, even a white-box outdoor PTZ bought from WISH that came with NO info at all.
Now, I need to get a couple of cams mounted (the mailbox hidey hole) and then I will need to set up the 5443 test rig to get this project underway. I have some wire to pull and a switch to mount. Thanks for the help!
 
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