Can't connect my cameras to my NVR

[DingDong]

Greetings all


I am trying to get my new rig (1x NVR DS-7616NI-E2/8P and 2x DS-2CD2132F-IS cameras) up and running but I am encountering some issues with my NVR recognizing my cameras.
I'm pretty sure I am making some dumb mistake in the network configuration somewhere, but I can't figure it out.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated




---- My Hardware ----


NVR:
DS-7616NI-E2/8P (original English international version)
Firmware: 3.3.1 build 150422
Bought on AliExpress


CAMERAS (x2):
DS-2CD2132F-IS (English firmware)
Firmware: V5.2.5 build 141201
Bought on AliExpress




---- Step1: I connected the cameras to my router ----
Before I got the NVR, I hooked the cameras up to the router to ensure they were working.
I updated the camera's passwords and assigned new IP addresses to each camera.


Router: 192.168.1.1
Router's DHCP Server assigns fixed IPs to my devices based on their Mac address:
*Camera1: 192.168.1.80
*Camera2: 192.168.1.81


I can access the cameras through my browser just fine.


E.g. In the camera's network seetings tab, Camera2 is curently configured as follows


NIC Settings
NIC Type: auto
DHCP: off
IPv4 Address: 192.168.1.81
IPv4 Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
IPv4 Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1 (router)
DNS: 192.168.1.1 (router)






---- Trying to add the NVR to the mix ----


So, the setup so far is:
Router: 192.168.1.1
Camera1: 192.168.1.80
Camera2: 192.168.1.81


and I now added the NVR to the network giving it a fixed IP as well: 192.168.1.79.




I now plug the cameras into the NVR ports. Both ports are properly PoE powered.
I rebooted the router/NVR and can now access the NVR over my browser as well.




So, here's my problem:
- NVR is accessible (ping 192.168.1.79 -> OK)
- cameras are no longer accessible (ping 192.168.1.80 and 192.168.1.81 -> NOT OK... no route to host. Host is down)
- so of course the NVR does not see the cameras in the camera management tab.


PS: I can't use SADP as I'm on a Mac and my virtual machine with Windows runs on a completely different set of IPs than my above config.


The NVR is configured as follows:


LAN 1 - NIC Settings
NIC Type: auto
DHCP: ON
IPv4 Address: 192.168.1.79
IPv4 Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
IPv4 Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1 (router)
DNS: 192.168.1.1 (router)




Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong?

 

[Del Boy]

Oh man... have you made life hard for yourself. All you needed to do was plug cameras directly into NVR and not play with them first.

Plug cameras back into router. Reset them back to default (do not do what you originally did and give them an IP address).

Plug cameras into NVR. Voila, NVR will give it an IP address it likes.

Hope that works

Edit: Also NVR firmware 3.3.1 doesn't have virtual host, so you won't be able to access cameras plugged into NVR from your Mac unless you plug your mac into the NVR PoE ports too

 

[DingDong]

Thanks for your reply
I ordered the NVR 2 months after the cameras, so I initially tried them out over the computer.

So if I want a setup that is not at all connected to my computer network and just have the cameras+NVR in their own little circuit, I presumably have to activate DHCP in the NVR right (assuming that means the NVR will allocate IPs to the cameras)?

 

[Del Boy]

Set the NVR to a static IP, then you know it's IP address for when you log into it.

It will auto allocate the IPs of the camera irrespective of whether you activate DHCP. The NVR has two IP addresses. One for the LAN plug... and one for the PoE ports.

Easiest solution... reset everything to default, plug cameras in, see video, set NVR to static IP of your router, unplug and only connect the NVR back to your router if you go on holiday.

 

[DingDong]

Hi again...
Thanks that worked great indeed. Reset the cameras to default (incl. passwords) and plugged them into NVR and it magically worked!
And the idea of only plugging the NVR into the router for alerts/remote access is a good one. Will have to test that out.

Many thanks for your help! Greatly appreciated