Hikvision DS-7204HQHI-F1/N no display and not showing up in SADP etc.

[4-sherad]

Hi all,
I recently got given a Hikvision DVR model DS-7204HQHI-F1/N and the problem I’m having is it has no display output on the HDMI or VGA ports, also I cannot get it to show up in SADP or Hikvision batch configuration tool. I was thinking it was bricked by a firmware update so started the troubleshooting process for that but still had no luck. (I don’t think it’s connecting to the TFTP server and I have tried using a direct connection and using a switch) so then proceeded to use the DVR JST outlet to a USB TTL serial adapter.
Using Putty (I’m no expert in this part) I get the following (as pictured) CRAMFS load error for uImage and a warning stating the DVR software is broken down, further down it displays the mac address and states “trying to update from TFTP server” but seems to end here and nothing progresses. Also, when pressing the CTRL+U to interrupt boot I don’t think it’s doing anything as I get the same results on the screen when I both press it and don’t during the DVR start up.
Is there anything else I should be doing or something I’m doing wrong or is the DVR dead? Any help is most apricated.

Many thanks,
Adam

 

[alastairstevenson]

Also, when pressing the CTRL+U to interrupt boot I don’t think it’s doing anything as I get the same results on the screen when I both press it and don’t during the DVR start up.

I'd suspect a problem with the connections of the serial USB to TTL convertor, maybe the TX isn't correctly connected to the DVR RX.
Is it hooked up like the connector in the image here ?

Hikvision NVR DS-7804N-E1/4P Bricked

Hello, i have NVR DS-7804N-E1/4P bricked when i flash wrong firmware DS-7604NI for it. So now it only boot to Logo then bip bip and auto restart. I tried flash TFTP very many time by set IP of my PC to 192.0.0.128 / subnet 255.255.255.0 and turn firewall is off. But no thing flashable although i...

ipcamtalk.com

Also worth checking is if you just connect the RX and TX of the USB to serial TTL convertor together - do characters that you type echo?
And does the switch link detect light come on when the DVR is powered on?

One more easy thing to try - just on the off-chance the DVR is using the newer default IP address when probing for the tftp server - does the tftp server report anything when you have the IP address set to 192.168.1.128 ?
By the way - connecting both via a switch is the best way to get the tftp updater to work.

 

[alastairstevenson]

And something I forgot about -
Did you get a Windows firewall 'Allow' popup the first time tftpserve.exe was run?
Maybe temporarily disable the Windows firewall to ensure the probes reach the tftp server.

 

[alastairstevenson]

then proceeded to use the DVR JST outlet to a USB TTL serial adapter.

Just to confirm - this is a 4-pin 1.5mm pitch connector on the main board, not a DB9 connector on the back panel?

 

[4-sherad]

Hi, thank you for your reply.

I have followed a few videos on how to test the TTL to usb adaptor and I'm not getting any of my text echoed back with the Rx and TX linked, just been looking around for a new one and would like to check if a cp2102 chip will work before I buy it

Many thanks,
Adam

 

[alastairstevenson]

The ones I've used that have worked ok have been PL2303TA based versions.
But as long as it's USB to TTL serial it should be ok.

 

[4-sherad]

Thank you for your help, I have ordered it and it should hopefully be here tomorrow in order to carry on with the steps you have kindly provided. Many thanks, Adam

 

[4-sherad]

Hi,

I have managed to get hold of a different USB to TTL adapter (this one is a CP2024) and I can confirm this one is working as its echoing text when the TX and RX pins are linked together. I have disabled the firewall in windows defender and I can confirm the DVR and laptop both have active link lights on the switch (DVR still cannot be found in SADP etc.).

I have also tried pressing & holding CTRL+U during and before the DVR is booting up and I’m still getting the same results as before. I have also tried both of the IP addresses and it still gets stuck at “trying to update from TFTP server”

I have also tested the cable between the DVR and TTL adapter I’m using for continuity which confirmed that this is working fine, I have also attached some more pictures showing the setup and issues further.

Many Thanks,

Adam

 

[alastairstevenson]

I have managed to get hold of a different USB to TTL adapter (this one is a CP2024) and I can confirm this one is working as its echoing text when the TX and RX pins are linked together.

That's good - it appears to confirm that the other one is faulty, as it didn't do that.

I have also tried pressing & holding CTRL+U during and before the DVR is booting up and I’m still getting the same results as before.

Well, that's disappointing now that you've swapped the USB adaptor.

I have also tried both of the IP addresses and it still gets stuck at “trying to update from TFTP server”

And that eliminates another way that the required interaction may not be occurring.

I have disabled the firewall in windows defender

That's the Windows firewall, yes? I'm not often a Windows user, but I have a recollection that how the firewall is named varies with the Windows edition.

I have also attached some more pictures showing the setup and issues further.

That's a good set of screenshots, and shows that your setup looks OK.

Do you think the previous user of the DVR may have been trying to fix it up also by access to the serial console, and could have damaged it?

A couple more suggestions to try :
If you keep Control-C pressed til it auto-repeats then power on the DVR, does that change anything?

And if you feel able to have a go with this, it's not too difficult and might give useful info :
See if wireshark can see any network activity from the DVR as it starts up.
Installation download from here :

Wireshark · Download

Wireshark: The world's most popular network protocol analyzer

www.wireshark.org

Wireshark should just work 'out of the box' with it's default settings.
With the DVR powered off, and with the tftp server running on the PC, but no other programs such as a browser, and ideally if you can, any AV disabled.
Start wireshark, click the 'Start recording' button on the top menu, power on the DVR.
Let the capture run for 2 or 3 minutes, stop it with the same button, and use File | Save as to store the capture file.
You can zip it up and attach here for interpretation.
The content should not be sensitive.

Wireshark will capture the traffic between the PC and the DVR, and any broadcasts on the switch, which should include any attempts to find and use a tftp server.

 

[4-sherad]

Hi,

I have now tried using two different USB to serial adapters (both the CP2024 and the CP2102) and its still getting stuck, it has made progress to a new screen (think it’s now interrupting the boot but still not every time, please see picture attached.) Unfortunately, I don’t know the history of this DVR so anything could have happened to it, Holding CTRL+C whilst the DVR was powering on also made no difference. I have also tried the Wireshark as suggested, please see attached file, I had this recording whilst the laptop and DVR are connected to the switch with firewall disabled (hopefully I have done this correctly) and followed your instructions with running it for 3 minutes. Thank you for your help.

Many thanks,

Adam

 

[alastairstevenson]

I have also tried the Wireshark as suggested, please see attached file, I had this recording whilst the laptop and DVR are connected to the switch with firewall disabled (hopefully I have done this correctly) and followed your instructions with running it for 3 minutes.

I'm sorry to say that the wireshark capture has not yielded any useful information.
I'd hoped it might show some evidence of the DVR probing for the tftp server, unfortunately it doesn't.

There is simply a UDP broadcast after 10 seconds, repeating every 2 seconds, from IP address 192.0.0.64 from port 3803 to 3802.
These are not the ports used in the tftp server handshake.

But there is something odd.
There is not a single packet associated with the PC.
I find that surprising and unusual.
Generally, a Windows PC will be very chatty fill the capture with lots of packets, so the lack of them is a puzzle.
I'm wondering what the significance of this is, and if it relates to the DVR communication at all.

So, if you're up for spending a bit more time on this -
When you start wireshark, it will show the interfaces that it will be listening on, and show a simple traffic line.
Can you do a screenshot of that?
And with the PC back on the network as normal, does wireshark show lots of traffic if you start a capture?

 

[4-sherad]

Good afternoon,

In folder one the DVR and laptop were connected to the switch with no connection to a router etc, and TFTP server was running.

In folder two the DVR was directly connected to the laptop also with TFTP server running

Also, with the laptop directly connected to the router, router has the standard IP of 192.168.1.1, laptop IP still 192.0.0.128. there was a lot more traffic when the capture started, I haven’t shared this capture as wasn’t sure if it was safe to do so through a public forum.

Every time the Wireshark application was recording it was for roughly 3 minutes and the firewall was disabled. Hopefully these extra captures will help.

Also thank you so much for your help so far it is most apricated.

Many Thanks,

Adam

 

[alastairstevenson]

Every time the Wireshark application was recording it was for roughly 3 minutes and the firewall was disabled. Hopefully these extra captures will help.

Your screenshots all look OK to me, I don't see any problems with them.
The laptop and DVR via the switch look the same as your previous capture, no traffic from the PC but only the same 2 second repeat of a UDP broadcast from the DVR.

Folder 2 packet capture though shows exactly the type of idling traffic I'd expect to see from a Windows PC, it looks normal.
But in amongst it is exactly the same traffic from the DVR as in the other captures.
Nothing like the usual probing for the tftp server that we normally see.

It is a bit odd that the connection via the switch appears to eliminate the PC traffic - I don't have an explanation for that.
But your captures have shown that the DVR isn't looking for a tftp server on a different IP address from the default one.

It's not clear to me what else to suggest doing.
The DVR operating environment is broken - and nether the serial console nor the tftp updater seem to be available ways to effect a recovery.