Is there any way to connect a cheap Chinese outdoor camera to my Dahua NVR?

kombajn

n3wb
Joined
Apr 21, 2022
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Location
Slowenien
Hi, this is my first time posting, but I have tried everything but to no avail. my FIL just bought a cheap solar powered Wi-Fi camera, to accompany the 3 Dahua cameras that are connected to a Dahua NVR over a switch, that is connected straight into a router. I somehow managed to set up this Wi-Fi camera with some weird app called i-Cam+, and it works, but I cannot for the life of me figure out if connecting it to the NVR is possible. Finding the camera IP was a challenge in itself, but trying to connect to is seems impossible. If I try to open the web console, it doesn't work, and I ran netstat -a in CMD, and it didn't even show up. I have no idea how to connect it to the NVR, without knowing ports and other settings. I'm afraid that using the app is the only option. Anyone have any clue? Thanks

P.S. - The Wi-Fi camera is very similar to the one shown in this video:
 

looney2ns

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Sep 25, 2016
Messages
15,521
Reaction score
22,657
Location
Evansville, In. USA
Did you have to scan any QR codes into the app to get it working?
If so, this may be a cloud only camera and' won't be able to connect to the NVR.
It is always best to keep the brand name of the cameras the same as the NVR.
 

kombajn

n3wb
Joined
Apr 21, 2022
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Location
Slowenien
Did you have to scan any QR codes into the app to get it working?
If so, this may be a cloud only camera and' won't be able to connect to the NVR.
It is always best to keep the brand name of the cameras the same as the NVR.
There was a QR code yes... so is there really no way? I mean the camera still has to send the video over the network, couldn't I somehow intercept it? Probably nonsense heh
 

wittaj

IPCT Contributor
Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
24,450
Reaction score
47,588
Location
USA
Most cloud based cameras are proprietary closed systems that only work in their platforms.

Even cameras that are ONVIF compliant can struggle working with an NVR not of the same brand as the camera.
 

Mark_M

Getting comfortable
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
963
Reaction score
1,366
Location
Land down down under
I mean the camera still has to send the video over the network.
Just like Arlo, Ring, Eufy and the other cloud cameras; they scrabble that video signal so only their servers harvesting your data can read it.
Similar encryption/decryption that happens when you visit ipcamtalk.com, notice that little padlock in the URL box.

If there's some way you could find an RTSP stream, then that could be added to your NVR.
That's an "IF".

So is there really no way?, couldn't I somehow intercept it? Probably nonsense heh
Imagine the chaos that would occur if everyone's crappy cloud camera could be intercepted easily... People would realise the value in having non-cloud cameras to a local storage device.
 

Mark_M

Getting comfortable
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
963
Reaction score
1,366
Location
Land down down under
If there's some way you could find an RTSP stream, then that could be added to your NVR.
That's an "IF".
There is one "IF" that plays on my mind about this.


When you use the phone app while on the same Wi-Fi/network as the camera, does all that video still go over the internet or does the app do some special thing and get a local video stream?
You could try Wireshark and look for any video streams being sent between the two devices.

Hopefully it's such a cheap Chinese camera that they haven't even put any security on the local stream and you could see the app login with it's credentials in plaintext.
 
Joined
Mar 31, 2023
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Location
Bacalhau Land
I have one solar model similar to this one for icsee aplication. The camera doesnot record 24/7, only records to sdcard when its trigerred by the PIR sensor. or you wake it up via aplication.
 
Joined
Mar 23, 2021
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Location
Myrtle Beach, SC
I have one solar model similar to this one for icsee aplication. The camera doesnot record 24/7, only records to sdcard when its trigerred by the PIR sensor. or you wake it up via aplication.
I think I have the same solar model icsee camera. I'm trying to figure out the wake up system now, but so far no luck.
 
Top