Issues with Dahua Starlite Camera

D

DillyDilly!

n3wb
Mar 22, 2023
14
6
United States
Greetings everyone!

I am having issues with one of my Dahua Starlite Cameras not showing up anymore through the web browser. I won't get into the notification issues on the DHSS app. That might have to be another thread lol Or at least after I get the camera back online.

The camera in question is a model N42BJ62. The status was green on the camera tab. I moved the cable to another port and now the status is red, even though it has pulled a new IP address. When it was on the original channel the status was green, but it would never display the video feed. I would just get the spinning dial. Same when I tried to open the webpage directly to the camera. The camera sits outside. Do the cameras go bad?

I am guessing maybe I need to reset up the camera on the new channel. but I am not sure how. I had an A/V company set this up. They of course gave me zero training and now about three years after install, I am calling the company for help with the system they setup and they will not return my calls lol My web interface looks completely different than the online guides do in setting up a camera, so not sure where to start.

The model of the NVR is N41B2P2

I am not a fan of this system and will probably eventually replace it, but we just replaced the windows in the house and I'd rather wait a bit before replacing the camera system. I am retired IT so I have computer knowledge but have no experience with Camera Systems outside of struggling to manage my own system currently lol.

I have an Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro I will probably eventually switch the camera system too. The notifications through DMSS with the current system frankly suck. Half the cameras stopped getting notifications after an app update.

But right now I am mostly concerned with getting this one camera back online.

Sorry if this was a bit rambling. I am posting while trying to do like three other Honey Do list things around the house this morning.

Please let me know if there is any more info I can provide. This looks like a very helpful forum/group, so I thought I would throw this out there. I posted here a couple years ago and got some very good help, so here I am again lol

Thanks!
 
Just a different firmware version, you're is newer, I have 3 different schemes on various NVRs no problem

So that camera was working fine on a different port?

SO do you know if the camera password is the same as the NVR password? Usually are if plugged in brand new...

Unplug another of the cameras and hit refresh and see if that one comes back. Maybe you are overloading the NVR with incoming bandwidth...
 
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Well the camera DID work fine on Port 1 until a month or so ago. It would show as green on port 1 but would not load the live video, even if it is the only camera i tried to display live. So I tried a different port, Channel 8. I can move it back to port 1 if you like.

Wouldn't display on the webpage, the DMSS app or on the Control4 app I use for Home Automation.

So not sure if bandwith would be overloading with just one camera feed would it?
 
When overloaded it usually will cut out the last camera.. so no probably not the issue

But yeah move back to its original port. If it goes green we can troubleshoot elsewhere
 
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What a freaking mess.

I just tried deleting all the cameras and starting over fresh.

Now I am getting cameras with duplicate IP address as other cameras. There doesn't seem to be any type of DHCP on this thing either.

Do the ports get assigned an IP address?

Anyways, I deleted the one in red, it shows up when I search devices. I re-add it and it is still red.
 
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The ports themselves are assigned 10.1.1.x IPs yes.

Could we’ll be a bad cable or camera. Cable is always first choice.

Now on the duplicate IPs…. Delete the dupes, reboot NVR…. Let’s see what that does
 
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So Channel 3 keeps switching between green and red lol Looks like the camera on Channel 3 ends up with an IP on my home network.

Channel 1 keeps changing IP and ending up with a duplicate.

This is just not a very good system it looks like lol

This is a mess.

Ive deleted all channels, and when they come back they come back with at least one channel duplicating another.
 
I would unplug all cameras.
Factory default the nvr
Plug each camera in one by one
After plugging #1 in, factory default it
Rinse repeat for each camera.

You have networking issues. I dont think its a bad system. But you will have to take one step at a time and go back to default.

Pushing buttons and swapping stuff around just further complicates trying to troubleshhoot the problem

has the original camera got a green indicator at anytime since you started moving stuff around? Focus on that then we can know if its a camera or a bad connection,. Swap it with another physically using the same cable
 
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Well I think I am going to order a cable tester first.

Make sure that cable is good. I hope the cable is good and it is just a bad camera. I am too old to be crawling around the attic. lol

Any networking issues is with the system though wouldn't it, since it is the system handing out the duplicate IP address? I dont even know how the camera is getting an IP on the home network since it isnt even connected to the home network.
 
Don't waste your money on a cable tester.

We have had MANY people here after running cable and the tester shows it is fine but doesn't work.

The consumer grade testers only test continuity. Unless you are using a true Fluke tester (that costs thousands of dollars LOL), the cheap testers simply measure continuity but not be sufficient for POE loading. Especially if it is CCA wiring.

Personally I don't put much stock in the cheapo testers LOL. I have had them pass and I plug the camera in and it doesn't work.

So now I simply plug the camera in and if I don't hear the IR filter click within 10-15 seconds, I know it isn't right LOL.
 
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Could be the internal switch, but all was fine until you started changing things. Thats why a factory default would be the best next step. You can do it from the NVR.

nvr-default.jpg
 
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Well the camera from the driveway wasnt working, so not everything wasn't all fine though. Maybe you were meaning just with the ip addresses.

Did a factory reset. Or at least attempted to lol

Channel 1 doesn't even show up. That is where the driveway cam is plugged into.

Channel 8 has an IP address and shows type as N42BJ62 even though nothing is plugged into it lol

And all the camera names are still the names that I had configured lol
 
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OK so Ch1- original bad cam- bad cable or camera likely.
1- You will need to get the camera down, plug a known good short 3-6ft cable into it and keep on the same port at the NVR
2- If it works, we know its the cable- likely a connector that got moisture.
3- If it doesn't, you can try and spray the camera side connector with DeoxIT D5 go to home depot or Amazon and get some . Good stuff.

Ch8- not unusual. I plugged in a camera to test into port 10 for a few days. Since removed it but still shows "remembers" it. Red indicator, no harm no foul. Forget about it, means nothing. The next time you plug something into it, it will change.

Rest of the cameras back to normal
 
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So I was able to get the camera down, plug it into the NVR with a known good cable (the internet connection from my PC retro arcade lol) and the channel is still red.

So it looks like the camera has gone bad.

So now it look like I have to decide if I want to just replace the one camera and keep using a system I am not really crazy about (the DMSS app is TERRIBLE and doesn't give good notifications) or slowly switch over to a new system.

I already have an Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro running my home network so I am tempted to get the Ubiquiti cameras to connect to it. I might start with just the one camera I have to replace and see how I like it.

Any thoughts on replacement alternatives is welcome and thanks everyone for the feedback and help!
 
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