Newbie needs some help!

[Newipcamuser]

I purchased a home with an existing system of IP cameras. The professional AV team that had installed it years earlier was less than helpful and tried to substantially overcharge me to fix them. All are now working but one. The last one is giving me a login runtime error. I’d like some help figuring out how to fix it.

• I have physical access to the camera - it is on the ceiling of my basement. So if I need to look at it to find things out I can do that
• they left me with a massive, disorganized AV rack with dozens of switches - so figuring out where it is plugged in is difficult
• the runtime error I see on the NVR is giving me an IP address - is that the right one?
• I don’t have the original password for the camera but suspect it is the default

Thanks in advance!

 

[TonyR]

Welcome to IPCT!

Lots more info needed, such as NVR make/model and camera make/model.
A screen shot of the NVR's error screen and the screen showing that cam's IP address can't hurt either.

Your LAN IP's and the cam's IP's are private (meaning we all have those); just don't show us the NVR's WAN (public) IP, any QR codes or any serial numbers.

 

[Newipcamuser]

Hi! Thanks for answering. Here’s a shot of the error screen. Also the front and back of the NVR and the main menu page…

The camera on channel 10 is the one I want to fix. It says IP is 100.0.1.113.

 

[bobct1]

Check network connection
Check camera
Check that it has the correct IP

...in that order.

 

[TonyR]

I repeat.......NVR make/model and camera make/model?

 

[Newipcamuser]

I repeat.......NVR make/model and camera make/model?

I wish I could tell you. I apologize again that I’m brand new at this. I assumed I’d find the NVR make/model and camera make/model in the NVR web interface. But “System” doesn’t seem to have that type of info. And I didn’t see any brand identifiers on the NVR box itself. For the camera - it just says IP Camera for the similar camera types in the NVR. If you give me some direction on where to find this info I’ll grab it. Sorry that I’m not better at this!

 

[TonyR]

If you give me some direction on where to find this info I’ll grab it.

For the NVR, maybe look on the bottom?
On the cam, there is generally a label somewhere on it: a bullet cam, on the underside of the cylindrical part; on a turret, under the part hidden by the mounting assembly; a dome, under the dome on on the bottom.

 

[bobct1]

From the pic... looks like an Heivision NVR4416-4K

16 Channel 4K NVR - HD Security Cameras, DVR, NVR, CCTV, Alarm, Access Control Systems

heivision.com

 

[Newipcamuser]

So - the good news. I took the NVR out of the rack and found this label. So NVR is ENS. Bad news is I hit the power button by accident and my interface now says “Decode Not Enable.” How do I get it back up and running?

I tried to take down the camera but it is hidden inside a smoke detector and there isn’t a good way to take it out that I can see

 

[Newipcamuser]

Never mind! I put the HDMI cable in the wrong plug. It’s back up now.
But I’m getting a “login return time is up” on camera 2 and the error on camera 10 changed to “can not find the network host”

 

[Newipcamuser]

Not sure if this is helpful but I just found “Onvif” for the camera.

 

[TonyR]

FWIW, I downloaded a whole gigibyte zip file that contained a bunch of manuals for various ENS models but none were yours, it's likely too old. ENS is in Plainview, NY, web site here.

I see no less than 4 working cams in your image but only 1 cable is plugged into the POE NVR and that's port #1.
That means more than 1 cam is being powered by a POE switch, likely connected to the NVR's LAN port, NOT powered by the POE NVR.
You could have a bad cable, connection or port on a switch feeding cam #10

Unplug that one cable that's plugged into NVR port #1 and see what cam(s) disappear.
After noting, plug it back in, wait several minutes and report back.

 

[Newipcamuser]

There are 11 cameras.
1 is a feed from the front gate. It has an IP address that starts in 172 (all the others start with a 10… not sure why that is?). I find this one disappears when I unplug the NVR or lose Internet by mistake but it eventually comes back on its own after a few hours (I hope!) It’s showing black now.
2 through 8 are PZTs I can find using the IPConfig tool. All of them have a good feed and are plugged into a POE Switch upstairs. They all came back on.
9 thru 11 are the indoor cameras. 10 hasn’t worked since I moved in. The other two came back on. I can’t find these cameras using IPConfig….so maybe they are ONVIF?

 

[Newipcamuser]

Yep - camera 1 just came back online again.

 

[TonyR]

In 2 words or less, what goes away when you unplug the cable that's in POE port #1.

 

[Newipcamuser]

Camera 1

 

[TonyR]

Camera 1

OK, then cam 10 that's out and is fed by a POE switch somewhere in that closet. Because it's on the same subnet as the NVR's LAN it's on the 10.0.1.XXX subnet.
If there is no legend of cable numbers on a list then you'll have to go by process of elimination and start unplugging cables from a switch(es), go see what disappeared and label or write it down.
Go slow, one cable at a time.
Wait until the unplugged cam comes back online before you unplug another one.
Keep that process up until you have all cables labeled or on a list, leaving the one cable you're looking for, the one feeding cam #10.

 

[Newipcamuser]

Very helpful! I’ll report back tomorrow…!

 

[Newipcamuser]

So - the good news - whoever set up the switch used white cables for the outdoor cams and black ones for indoor. There were four black ones. The top two were blinking green and sure enough when I unplugged them they correspond to the two functioning indoor cams.
The other two were not blinking. I believe the left one is our culprit. What do I do now?

 

[TonyR]

I believe the left one is our culprit. What do I do now?

First, test the port as follows:

• Mark the "left" black one and note the port it's plugged into.
• Move it to another port to a working one (mark it first so you can put it back).
• Any change?