Some installations may require cameras to be added to the NVR over the network. This may be the case if the NVR doesn't have POE ports, or if a wireless bridge is involved in the installation. In this case the cameras need to be added to the NVR via a different method, see below for details.
Step 1 - CMD: Identify and Set an IP Address
If you are currently connected to a router or have internet access, that means a Router/Modem or Other Device is supplying your computer with an IP Address, Subnet Mask and Gateway. This process is Automatic and is called DHCP.
How to see check your IP Address and find available IP Addresses
To find the IP range on a network, or to find available IP addresses, follow the steps below.
Windows
Finding the IP Range of a Network
This is useful if you are unsure what the network details are, or if you have requested pre-programming. When pre-programming devices, we require these details.
1. Connect a Windows PC / Laptop, open the start menu and type cmd.
2. Launch the Command Prompt program.
3. Once it opens, enter the command ipconfig and take a screenshot or copy the information as below. We require the IP address, Subnet Mask and Default Gateway.
4. A screenshot can be taken by pressing the Windows + Shift + S keys simultaneously, then paste it into a document/email with Ctrl + V
Finding Available IP Addresses
If you wish to connect devices to the network for remote access, you must give each device an IP address, within your network range. In this example, we will be using a Windows computer which is connected to a modem to find the IP address of the computer, and available IP addresses to use for the devices. If the devices are being installed on a business or managed network, contact an IT representative for assistance.
1. Connect a Windows PC / Laptop, open the start menu and type cmd.
2. Launch the Command Prompt program.
3. Once it opens, enter the command ipconfig and take a screenshot or copy the information as below. Note down the IP Address, Subnet Mask and Default Gateway.
4. In our example, the IP address is 10.0.0.61. To check what IP address is available, type ping 10.0.0.XXX, where XXX is any number between 2 and 254. If Destination host unreachable or Request timed out is show on screen, there is no device using that IP address. Repeat the process to find multiple IP addresses that are available for use. Every devices requires one IP address. 10.0.0.XXX is used as an example, you the IP Address range will vary depending on the network.
5. When configuring the devices, use the IP addresses that you have found that are available, making sure each device has a unique IP address. The Subnet Mask and Default Gateway, will be set the same on each device.
MAC OSX
Finding the IP Range of a Network
This is useful if you are unsure what the network details are, or if you have requested pre-programming. When pre-programming devices, we require these details.
1. Open the Apple Menu ( ) and select System Preferences.
2. Select the Network option.
3. Select either Ethernet (for wired connections) or Wi-Fi (for wireless connections), then select advanced.
4. Select TCP/IP. The details in red are the network details.
5. A screenshot can be taken by pressing the Command + Shift + 3 keys simultaneously. The screenshot will be saved to the desktop
Finding Available IP Addresses
If you wish to connect devices to the network for remote access, you must give each device an IP address, within your network range. In this example, we will be using a Apple Mac which is connected to a modem to find the IP address of the computer, and available IP addresses to use for the devices. If the devices are being installed on a business or managed network, contact an IT representative for assistance.
1. Follow the steps for Finding the IP Range of a Network - Mac OSX.
2. Press Command + Space bar keys to bring up spotlight.
3. Type Terminal, and double click on the search result.
4. To check what IP address is available, type ping 192.168.1.XXX, where XXX is any number between 2 and 254. If Request timeout is show on screen, there is no device using that IP address. Repeat the process to find multiple IP addresses that are available for use. Every devices requires one IP address. 192.168.1.XXX is used as an example, you the IP Address range will vary depending on the network.
5. When configuring the devices, use the IP addresses that you have found that are available, making sure each device has a unique IP address. The Subnet Mask and Default Gateway, will be set the same on each device.
To access the devices you will need to be in the same range as them. See the guide below for how to change the IP Address of a Windows Computer.
Changing the IP Address of your Computer
- Open Settings.
- Select Network & Internet.
- Select Status, then Change Adapter Options.
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Right-click the network adapter you want to change the IP address for, and select Properties.
- Select the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) item.
- Click Use the following IP address and enter an IP address in the same range as the device you are trying to access. (E.g when trying to access 192.168.1.108 use a IP address in the 192.168.1.x range.) Note: This cannot be the same as the device you are trying to connect to or any other device on the same network. Save your changes on both windows.
- Type the IP address of the device you are trying to access into the address bar of your web browser.
- Once finished configuring the device, change the adapter settings back to normal by following steps 1-6 and clicking Obtain an IP address automatically.
Step 2 - Initialise the cameras
What is camera initialisation?
When configuring a new IP camera for the first time (or after a factory reset), an initialisation process must be performed before the camera can be used. This process was introduced to enhance security by removing the default "admin" password, instead adding a method for the installer to create this password themselves during installation.
When do you need to initialise a camera?
On recorders released after January 2018 this process can be performed through the recorder user interface - On recorders with inbuilt PoE ports this process happens automatically and the current recorder "admin" password is copied to the cameras. Any recorder built before this date will need to have cameras initialised manually using a PC / Laptop before they can be used.
If you are installing multiple cameras that will be connected to an external PoE switch, the cameras will need to initialised, the quickest way of doing so is by following method 1 below and initialising cameras in a bulk lot.
Method 1: Initialisation using the Config Tool
The initialisation process can also be performed using the latest version of our Config Tool - Please see the images below showing how this is done. To speed up the process the Config Tool also allows you to initialise multiple cameras at once.
- Download and open Config Tool.
- Put a check in the box
next to the device you would like to Initialise, and select the Initialize button.
- Select the Initialize button.
- Enter a password, that is at least 8 characters, and is a mix of letters and numbers. Enter an email address, this will be used if the password is ever forgotten. Select Next.
- Depending on the installation requirements, you can check or uncheck the boxes for Easy4IP (P2P Remote Access) and Auto-check for updates. Select OK.
- If the status shows as Initialized, the process was completed successfully.
Method 2: Initialisation using the Web Interface
This method does not involve the use of the Config Tool software, this method can be used if you have a single of camera to setup, and do not have access to the internet to download the Config Tool.
Step 3 - Setting Camera IP Address with Config Tool
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Select Search Setting, and enter the password for the device. Select OK.
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Put a tick the box
next to the device(s) you would like to change the IP address of, and select Batch Modify IP.
- Enter the Start IP address, Subnet Mask and Default Gateway for the device, in this example we are going to start from 192.168.1.160. If you have multiple devices selected, the first device will be addressed as 192.168.1.160, the second 192.168.1.161, the third 192.168.1.162, and so on. Select OK.
- The IP address of the device will now be set. If you encounter any errors, ensure the password in Search Setting is correct, and there are no errors in the IP Address.
Step 4 - Recorder Network Configuration
- Right click and select Main Menu. Login to the recorder's using your username and password.
- Select Network, then TCP/IP. Select the pencil icon next to the network port, on some recorders there will be the option to select from multiple network ports, select the one that the cameras are going to be connected to.
- Ensure DHCP is turned off, and enter the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway for the recorder. In our example we are using 192.168.1.150 for the IP address, 255.255.255.0 for the Subnet Mask, and 192.168.1.1 for the Default Gateway. Select OK.
- Select Apply to save your changes. The IP address of the recorder is now set.
Step 5 - Adding Cameras to the Recorder
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Right click and select Main Menu. Login to the recorder's using your username and password.
- Select Camera, then Camera List.
- Select Search Device. The cameras that are connected should be listed in the top list.
- Select the check box next to the camera/s, then select Add. If you cannot see any cameras, select Manual Add, and enter the IP Address, username and password and select OK.
- The camera/s should now be added to the bottom list, and the status green. If the status is red, select the modify button, and ensure the password is entered correctly and select OK.
Optional - Initializing Cameras from the NVR
In some installations you may find it easier to initialize cameras directly from the recorder, this method works best when adding a few camera.
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Right click and select Main Menu, then Camera.
- Select Device Search.
- Select the cameras you wish to initialise, then click Initialize.
- Select Next.
- Enter the IP Address, Subnet Mask and Default Gateway, then click Next.
NOTE: When initialising more than one camera, the last section of the IP address will be incremented by the Incremental Value.
- Select OK.
- Select the Cameras you wish to add, then select Add.