VTO2000A can it be installed without a physical VTH?

[dana2]

I was planning to use this just with iphone/android/PC/MAC clients.

Is it necessary to have an actual, physical VTH installed?

Thanks!

 

[catcamstar]

I was planning to use this just with iphone/android/PC/MAC clients.

Is it necessary to have an actual, physical VTH installed?

If I remember correctly, I've seen one IPCT user showing his VTO (including push notifications) without a VTH. But ... you should think about all use cases:
- if you have a babysit at home, and the loverboy/girl rings at the door - YOU will get a notification, not the babysit. You won't give them access (on their cell phone) to your VTO right? So you need an "anonymous" yet local access on the VTO - that's where the VTH comes in
- VTH does more than just being the VTO monitor: if you would have other IPCs/NVR, you can hook them too. AND, if you have some domotica, the VTH does have some alarm outputs too.

On the other hand, take note that apparently @EMPIRETECANDY does not sell it anymore, although I've still seen some kits (VTO+VTNS+VTH) flying around in webshops in Europe. It would be a waste of time & energy to investigate a solution based on something you can't buy anymore.
Hope this helps!
CC

 

[dana2]

I have iPads throughout the house ... I was thinking of making them all clients of the doorbell.

 

[catcamstar]

I have iPads throughout the house ... I was thinking of making them all clients of the doorbell.

Interesting, I would never ever hand over a personal iPAD/Android to visitors in my house, with access to my mail, agenda, dropbox, "bookmarked documentaries" etc. But I honor your choice

Keep one thing in mind: if you have iDMSS's deployed everywhere, the FIRST one picking up the line (meaning the green dial button) gets the communication line, all other devices are "shot off".

 

[dana2]

They are in the wall. They control my home automation - lights, security system, audio system, no access to personal stuff Plus they look much nicer than a VTH

Ok, how do you register iDMSSs with the VTO. I am using the P2P method, seems fine to see the video, but there are no push messages happening. VTO tells me "there is no answer". And I cannot make a call from the iDMSS to the VTO.

P.S. That makes sense, if a person answers the call, they know what they are doing (supposedly).

 

[catcamstar]

They are in the wall. They control my home automation - lights, security system, audio system, no access to personal stuff Plus they look much nicer than a VTH

Ok, how do you register iDMSSs with the VTO. I am using the P2P method, seems fine to see the video, but there are no push messages happening. VTO tells me "there is no answer". And I cannot make a call from the iDMSS to the VTO.

P2P is not quite safe, you open up a "tunnel" for Dahua servers to see/work with/manipulate/... your device. But there are two things on the VTO: you have the video part, and the push notifications. Everyone's situation is differently, but here's what I did:
- all VTO/VTH/IPC/NVR are in one isolated vlan: no access to internet (thus P2P will never work) - access from internal lan (eg wifi) is "controlled" by firewall
- ONLY port 2195 (tcp) is open - this is REQUIRED for push messages to work

Then you put your iPAD in the network range of your VTO. In iDMSS Plus you go to "door" and register your VTO (manual by IP address) and ENABLE alarm manager on it. If that tickbox is green green, you will receive push notifications.

Now, regarding the "there is no answer", I suppose you have group call checked in the VTO configuration page? Disable that first.

P.S. That makes sense, if a person answers the call, they know what they are doing (supposedly).

Well, not always ;-) I was once abroad, and thought that my partner wasn't running around in the building. But it took like 10 rings on my phone, so I took the line. Needless to say it creates a lawine of whatsapps "why did you pick up the line" etc etc. Anyway, everyone's situation is differently ;-)

Good luck!
CC

 

[dana2]

Hey, thanks for the help, I am getting: "the number you dialed does not exist" when pushing the button door. I am guessing because extension "test" does not exist.

 

[catcamstar]

Hey, thanks for the help, I am getting: "the number you dialed does not exist" when pushing the button door. I am guessing because extension "test" does not exist.

That's already much better lol Normally you'd put the extension of the VTH there. Let me google a bit for you.

 

[dana2]

For now, everything is on local LAN, so I do not have to bother (for now) with exposing ports.

Haha, yep. Got the following: installed smartPSS, and that took the role of: VDP. Added the address of the machine running smartPSS as: MGT Centre IP Address. Now, it rings the PC, BUT the cell phones do not get the push notification.

 

[catcamstar]

For now, everything is on local LAN, so I do not have to bother (for now) with exposing ports.

Haha, yep. Got the following: installed smartPSS, and that took the role of: VDP. Added the address of the machine running smartPSS as: MGT Centre IP Address. Now, it rings the PC, BUT the cell phones do not get the push notification.

So back to the phone: see my post above: if you go into iDMSS, select "door", then "alarm manager", do you have a green slidebar (meaning active) on the VTO2000A device? If not, you have to FIRST remove the complete device from iDMSS, I even had to uninstall it from my phone. Then re-add the VTO2000A with IP/Domain (not p2p). Try the "live view", that already should work. On top, you should be able to dial the VTO from your phone. Then slide that bar in Alarm Manager to green. IF if can't find the VTO, it slides back to the right and you know there's something wrong. What can be wrong? You say: local LAN. If there is NO internet access (outbound port 2195), it simply won't work.

Report back when this works (or not).
Thanks!
CC

-- edit: after bit of Google, I found this: Video Intercom/Products/VTO2000A - Dahua Wiki which states: Push notifications only work if a VTH is added to this device.

 

[dana2]

Nice ...

 

[dana2]

-- edit: after bit of Google, I found this: Video Intercom/Products/VTO2000A - Dahua Wiki which states: Push notifications only work if a VTH is added to this device.

However, the SIP version does not have that limitation or so it seems And actually many things are better with the SIP version, as you take advantage of group calling and Follow Me and all the other cool features of the SIP version. In that scenario, the VTH becomes just one of the many SIP clients ... And as long as you have one registered with the VTO (be it a cell phone or other), in principle the whole system should work!

 

[catcamstar]

However, the SIP version does not have that limitation or so it seems And actually many things are better with the SIP version, as you take advantage of group calling and Follow Me and all the other cool features of the SIP version. In that scenario, the VTH becomes just one of the many SIP clients ... And as long as you have one registered with the VTO (be it a cell phone or other), in principle the whole system should work!

In theory that sounds like a plan! Keep us updated whether it works

Have a nice day!
CC

 

[dana2]

Will do! Neither do I like those monitors, nor do I really like them LOL, if it doesn't work, I will look into another solution that does not require VTH-like monitors haha

 

[dana2]

@catcamstar I was able to register the VTO with my Trixbox server. I was able to make the VTO ring all the SIP phones that I have in the house, whether real or S/W, by using a ring group.

Only problem is that ringing over SIP does not come with live images from the doorbell. @riogrande75 was working on a solution for this (called "early media" over SIP), dunno if he managed to solve the problem.

Now, the next step is: if people in the house do not answer, forward the call to the cellphones. I can do that in two ways, via a Follow Me in asterisk/FreePBX/Trixbox or via Dahua's method. I will keep you posted.

One thing is for sure, this S/W definitely eliminates the need for having a VTH.

 

[catcamstar]

@catcamstar I was able to register the VTO with my Trixbox server. I was able to make the VTO ring all the SIP phones that I have in the house, whether real or S/W, by using a ring group.

Only problem is that ringing over SIP does not come with live images from the doorbell. @riogrande75 was working on a solution for this (called "early media" over SIP), dunno if he managed to solve the problem.

Now, the next step is: if people in the house do not answer, forward the call to the cellphones. I can do that in two ways, via a Follow Me in asterisk/FreePBX/Trixbox or via Dahua's method. I will keep you posted.

One thing is for sure, this S/W definitely eliminates the need for having a VTH.

Well done dana2! If I was you, I'd continue with the SIP method, because that eliminates being dependant on 3rd party services (in this case both the push messaging system from Dahua). But on your ipads-in-the-house, you also had iDMSS, so could open that to actually verify that Santa-at-the-door is the real Santa

 

[dana2]

Haha, the ipads-in-the-house have SIP softphones installed (zoiper) as well as iDMSS. SIP softphones work just fine with the VTO. Today I will see if iDMSS and gDMSS continue to work with this firmware.

 

[dana2]

iDMSS works like a charm with this version of the firmware. Let's see gDMSS.

 

[dana2]

gDMSS works as well. Problems that I am seeing: even if one person picks up an extension, gDMSS/iDMSS may continue ringing (not all the time, from time to time). And vice-versa. Which may create some problems if 2 people pick up the call, I guess ...

 

[damian jozwiak]

I've just upgraded my VTO2000a to v4.3 SIP firmware. It works with gDMSS like a charm - including push notifications without VTH. You don't need to setup a separate SIP server. To make it work add the device in gDMSS and subscribe for alarm notifications.
I downloaded my firmware from: ftp:/serwis.eltrox.pl/FIRMWARE/WIDEODOMOFONY/DAHUA/SIP/VTOXXX.zip (but you can find it in multiple places, including: VDP firmware )
It includes an additional package for languages: EN, PL, TR, SL, HU, FI, CZ and BG