Bird box camera uses cloud p2p - possible to configure and use locally?

[wallport]

My wife bought me a camera specifically designed to go inside a bird box to supplement my existing UNV camera which I use to monitor from the outside. This was bought from a specialist company in the UK.

Physically the device is fine but I had expected the software to be similar to implement but it turned out to use cloud P2P and to be based upon a Xiongmai device - uses Xmeye or CMS to access from Windows. Now, I have read about the potential security issues surrounding this supplier and technology and the way it totally circumvents my firewall (although I can see why this method - minus the weak security - might be attractive to a non tech savvy user).

My question is - is it possible to configure this camera to communicate locally without the P2P/cloud component? I have tried to capture packets on my network using wireshark on my laptop whilst trying all sorts of things to talk to it but have never seen any traffic at all and it doesnt seem to respond to ONVIF device manager or anything else. Surely it must be able to talk without its cloud server being involved?

All help greatly appreciated - I realise some of you may say "send it back" - it may come to that but I want to use the return window to check out other options first and I have no idea what I would get instead.

Wallport

 

[looney2ns]

bird box camera Archives - Green Backyard

green-backyard.com

 

[bob.m]

Don't know if you have a Mac or not but here is what I do when I have to figure out a device on my network.
1: I unplug the device
2: I start up LanScan (or on an older mac ArpSpyX) and scan the network for devices.
3: I plug in the camera and rescan
This will get me the IP address that got assigned and more importantly the mac address.

I then block the mac address at the router. But you can use that with wireshark to see what's going on for that address (hopefully).

Sometimes the device that you are connecting to the network has the mac address on it as well.

hope that helps

 

[wallport]

Hi Bob, I don't have a Mac but have worked out the IP address and MAC address via Fing on my Android phone and checked it in my firewall. I have done a port scan on that IP address but it reports zero ports open. I also totally blocked the internet and rebooted the camera to see if that made any difference.

When I run onvif device manager it finds nothing on that IP address although if I run it when I turn the camera on, I briefly see it appear but never get any details and then it disappears. The same happened when there was an internet connection so it doesnt seem to make much difference.

Just not sure where to go unless there is some hidden settings to make it talk locally. I do see that it can be booted in access point mode but that means it can only talk on its own private wiifi network which is useless down the garden where it will be out of range.

Any other insights greatly appreciated

Wallport

 

[jack7]

Have you tried to find a rtsp url?
Google xiongmai rtsp url, and see if you can find something to try.

 

[TonyR]

If it is a xiongmai TOP-201, this URL might work with VLC:

rtsp:/Camera-IP:554/user=admin_password=Dt0xtPLi_channel=1_stream=0.sdp?real_stream

Be sure to use 2 "/" after "rstp:", as the forum software won't allow 2 forward slashes next to each other!

Also, after being reset with a paperclip, the default IP is 192.168.1.10

 

[wallport]

ok so I tried the rtsp as above but no joy and googled it but these cameras don't have any Xiongmai model number as they are OEM and rebranded as Green Feathers. It is a WiFi device so has to be programmed with my WiFI network SSID and password before it will work on my network - this is done via the ICSee Pro Android app which is no doubt joining it up with Cloud.

It would be good to know if anyone has made any similar Xiongmai model work without the cloud just to be sure I'm not wasting my time trying. An RTSP stream would be fine but I've never seen a single packet from this thing go anywhere other than to the cloud server (although of course my wireshark captures can only see packets targeted at the laptop running it and my firewall can only see packets traversing it).

Can anyone confirm?

Many TIA

Wallport

 

[jack7]

Green Feathers appears to provide substantial information and help at

Garden Wildlife Cameras | Green Feathers

When it comes to watching wildlife, we’re no birdbrains! Green Feathers is the UK's leading supplier of garden wildlife cameras. Shop today!

www.green-feathers.co.uk

An example:

Making an RTSP stream for a Wi-Fi or wired IP bird box camera | Green Feathers Help

help.green-feathers.co.uk

 

[wallport]

Hi Jack - yes I think I have tried everything Green Feathers have published and also have an ongoing case open with them which so far hasn't provided any answers. Just want to pursue all avenues.

Wallport

 

[Mark_M]

Anything like this in the GUI?
These videos show a similar cameras.


I've ordered one of these cameras off AliExpress to stick inside a birdhouse. I'm hoping that mine has RTSP and/or ONVIF stream!!

 

[wallport]

Thanks - very interesting. So, my camera is clearly very similar as it has a near identical settings screen. The difference of course is its WiFi and not wired and this means that it doesn't have a connection to my WiFi network until its been configured and a side effect of configuring it with ICsee Pro is to connect it to the cloud as you have to give its device ID as part of the dialog. Oh to be able to bypass all this and just talk to it locally BUT still be able to connect it to my WiFi network.

One thing I will play with is to reset it to factory settings and bring it up with its private WiFi network used for configuring and try and connect the laptop to that network and get into the Camera locally.

Will post an update later.

Wallport

 

[wallport]

Hmm back to square 1. Thought I knew how it talked to the Camera before ICSee Pro has interacted to give it the WiFi SSID and password but I don't. I was expecting to see a temporary WiFI hotspot pop up but having tried for a while - I don't see it. Basically, I have no idea how it does this and if I go through the normal setup sequence in ICSee Pro for WiFI its then tied to the cloud.

Anybody got any ideas?

TIA

Wallport

 

[Mark_M]

Thought I knew how it talked to the Camera before ICSee Pro has interacted to give it the WiFi SSID and password but I don't. I was expecting to see a temporary WiFI hotspot pop up but having tried for a while - I don't see it. Basically, I have no idea how it does this and if I go through the normal setup sequence in ICSee Pro for WiFI its then tied to the cloud.

Could you turn unplug the WAN from your router and then complete setup steps with this 'hotspot'? While it's on your local network (it cannot escape) you have the opportunity to play around to get an RTSP stream.

 

[wallport]

Brilliant idea! Indeed this has allowed me to get a stream working for the first time to a generic app running on Windows (OBS). Ping started working too. Although its still limited to Internet Explorer with an ActiveX plugin, this too allowed access the stream and the device config. So I now know a working RTSP URL.

There are still some issues. Leaving it inactive for a while resulted in nothing being able to talk to the camera - not even ICsee pro. This would suggest that it isn't going to be at all fault tolerant. Also, I have still to crack how to play and download recordings on the SDcard.

Onvif device manager now detects the camera and shows its firmware version and IP address but thats as far as it goes - it just gives the "there was no endpoint listening at

http://ip-address:8899/onvif/device_service

that could accept the message"

However, from getting absolutely nowhere, this is a big breakthrough. I think next step would be to try to block external access from the firewall rather than pulling the plug. Have never needed to do this for outbound access before.

Any ideas for accessing the SDcard?

Regardless, many thanks for this

Wallport

 

[wallport]

...and after a while of having the WAN connected again, the stream and pings and the limited onvif detection have stopped working but ICSee Pro is still showing the feed. Seems that it reverts to its cloud only personality when connected.

 

[Mark_M]

...and after a while of having the WAN connected again, the stream and pings and the limited onvif detection have stopped working but ICSee Pro is still showing the feed. Seems that it reverts to its cloud only personality when connected.

I know this sounds bad.
Could you connect as the instructions say (P2P) then go through the cameras settings in the app.
Then, hopefully find anything about forcing RSTP.

Even running the app in a virtual machine to protect your actual mobile device.

I haven't got this ICSee Pro app to trial sorry.

 

[wallport]

Thanks to all who tried to help but I have had to give up and return the camera.

I would be grateful if anyone has any advice on an alternative small birdbox camera available in the UK which is standards based, doesn't enforce the use of cloud P2P and will work on my network alongside my existing bullet camera for viewing side by side in a standard application.

TIA

wallport

 

[Mark_M]

I would be grateful if anyone has any advice on an alternative small birdbox camera available in the UK which is standards based, doesn't enforce the use of cloud P2P and will work on my network alongside my existing bullet camera for viewing side by side in a standard application.

Not in the UK, but my cheap AliExpress camera has arrived. This is the non-POE version.

24.29US $ 10% OFF|HD IP Camera 2MP/3MP/4MP Infrared Night Vision Camera Home Security IP Camera Surveillance Baby Monitor Mini CCTV IP Camera|Surveillance Cameras| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

It works alright for the price. It also seems to be behaving itself. There was an option in settings to disable P2P and 'cloud'. It hasn't tried since I unticked the box .

I will finish putting together a video on the camera and share it here.

 

[wallport]

I realise I didn't say above but I do also need wifi support as I can't really string Ethernet cables down my garden.

Pity - I was surprised by the low price.

Thanks anyway

wallport

 

[jack7]

If you find a camera that is wired only but want to use wifi, you could try using a wifi bridge/repeater similar to this:

https://www.amazon.com/Vonets-VAP11G-300-Wireless-Multi-Functional-Amplifier/dp/B014SK2H6W/ref=asc_df_B014SK2H6W/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309777534894&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13228086596949878363&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9025695&hvtargid=pla-491814881990&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=58425267301&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=309777534894&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13228086596949878363&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9025695&hvtargid=pla-491814881990