SmartPSS - anyone have 7 cameras and phone alerts working

[MickPB]

I have spent several evenings in SmartPSS and really like it except two things. It's installed w/ 7 2mp Starlight Dahua cams on an I7-870 PC with a 6gb Purple drive.

#1 It looses connections with the recorder and seems that eventually a reinstall is only choice. I've read posts about channel config and waiting a long time. For me it just seems like a day or so is as long as I can get it to stay connected. I am making changes but not that many.
#2 I cannot configure the Apple software to see the notifications from the SmartPSS but it works well from the camera. I've tried Idmss and Easyview. It is a major goal to have Alerts with a video snippet on the phone.

Any suggestions? Should I move on to another program? Do I need to buy SD cards (in cam) just for this?

I know there is a lot of mo to BI. I just have concerns about the long term with a small company

THANKS

 

[msnow]

I have spent several evenings in SmartPSS and really like it except two things. It's installed w/ 7 2mp Starlight Dahua cams on an I7-870 PC with a 6gb Purple drive.

#1 It looses connections with the recorder and seems that eventually a reinstall is only choice. I've read posts about channel config and waiting a long time. For me it just seems like a day or so is as long as I can get it to stay connected. I am making changes but not that many.
#2 I cannot configure the Apple software to see the notifications from the SmartPSS but it works well from the camera. I've tried Idmss and Easyview. It is a major goal to have Alerts with a video snippet on the phone.

Any suggestions? Should I move on to another program? Do I need to buy SD cards (in cam) just for this?

I know there is a lot of mo to BI. I just have concerns about the long term with a small company

THANKS

I get iOS push alerts from IDMSS Plus mobile app.


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[MickPB]

This is the msg I get

 

[msnow]

This is the msg I get

So you’re using a PC as your NVR? I added my Dahua NVR using SN/Scan.


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[jwoodard80]

I wanted so bad to use PC-NVR but it just had too many quirks. New version didn't move my PTZ cams and the old version kept having issues. I ended up buying a NVR4232 off ebay and I'm really enjoying the setup. I have no windows updating issues and I have it set in a corner. I use SmartPSS to connect to it from most everywhere and I have a cheap laptop that is in my kitchen that runs SmartPSS 24/7 and has 6-7 cams (yard, doors, bedrooms). Mobile App is really good and now that UI 4 is out I can pull up web access with no plugin needed.

 

[MickPB]

I get iOS push alerts from IDMSS Plus mobile app.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I have the IOS push alerts but no video attached. I would like to see if the dog has came home and is on the porch or if it is the big bad wolfe. Does that work for you? Where is it pulling the video from (card, NVR, etc)

 

[MickPB]

It worked until I added a recording plan for 1 camera. I'd be happy to get a better PC but don't want to do that and then find out I too want / need a DVR.

 

[MickPB]

I wanted so bad to use PC-NVR but it just had too many quirks. New version didn't move my PTZ cams and the old version kept having issues. I ended up buying a NVR4232 off ebay and I'm really enjoying the setup. I have no windows updating issues and I have it set in a corner. I use SmartPSS to connect to it from most everywhere and I have a cheap laptop that is in my kitchen that runs SmartPSS 24/7 and has 6-7 cams (yard, doors, bedrooms). Mobile App is really good and now that UI 4 is out I can pull up web access with no plugin needed.

That's what I am afraid of - Just bought a 16 port POE switch and then the 6TB drive. I did software for years and am always amazed at the rubbish that is put in the market place. It cannot be that far from good - heck the DVR should be the easiest part

 

[jwoodard80]

I would advise the same thing I did. You'll run yourself nuts looking for software. I wish i would have known then what I do now. I paid $175 for an amcrest 4116 and I just bought a nvr4232 for $180. Better throughput, more channels and 2 sata ports. It works with ONVIF as I have 1 reolink cam. I'll either be able to mirror my recordings or just expand the storage.

I did the same thing with my switch. I found a 24prt HP gigabit poe for $75 and VLAN'd the cams.

 

[harb]

That's what I am afraid of - Just bought a 16 port POE switch and then the 6TB drive. I did software for years and am always amazed at the rubbish that is put in the market place. It cannot be that far from good - heck the DVR should be the easiest part

I had exactly the same issue. 1 or 2 cameras and SmartPSS works fine, any more you get that connection loss problem. If you want to use SmartPSS, setup the recording and then leave it alone and it will continue to work but once you try to view the recording setup later you will get that issue.

I got fed up and purchased a Dahua 4208 NVR cost about £80 from Andy’s AliExpress store. Just plugged it in and everything just works. It is 100x better than SmartPSS. I was amazed at how simple and stable it is.

trust me my friend, don’t waste time with SmartPSS, get the 4208 or 4216 if you need more cameras.

 

[MickPB]

I had exactly the same issue. 1 or 2 cameras and SmartPSS works fine, any more you get that connection loss problem. If you want to use SmartPSS, setup the recording and then leave it alone and it will continue to work but once you try to view the recording setup later you will get that issue.

I got fed up and purchased a Dahua 4208 NVR cost about £80 from Andy’s AliExpress store. Just plugged it in and everything just works. It is 100x better than SmartPSS. I was amazed at how simple and stable it is.

trust me my friend, don’t waste time with SmartPSS, get the 4208 or 4216 if you need more cameras.

Can I use a switch to add more devices to the 4208? Will it have the CPU to handle 12 cameras or do I need the 4216? I have a 16 port POE switch already which makes me thing I need to try BI too.
ANd yes, I came up with a slightly newer version of SmartPSS and it too has the same issue whereby the connection to the NVR seems to be corrputed.

Thanks

 

[MickPB]

I get iOS push alerts from IDMSS Plus mobile app.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Do the alert have the video as well? I'd like to know if the alert was our dog, the neighbors dog, or the a would be burglar

 

[harb]

Can I use a switch to add more devices to the 4208? Will it have the CPU to handle 12 cameras or do I need the 4216? I have a 16 port POE switch already which makes me thing I need to try BI too.
ANd yes, I came up with a slightly newer version of SmartPSS and it too has the same issue whereby the connection to the NVR seems to be corrputed.

Thanks

I have the 4208 which handles 8 cameras. the 4216 has support for 16 cams. Do some reading up.
These are the models that don’t have a built in poe switch. Rather they plug into your network and then talk to your cameras over your lan.

 

[msnow]

Do the alert have the video as well? I'd like to know if the alert was our dog, the neighbors dog, or the a would be burglar

Yes, I click on the alert banner and it opens the app and starts the video. I have mine configured to send alerts of anything at my front door or in my garage.


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[Barboots]

Anecdotally, I ran PCNVR for well over a month while my Dahua NVR was in RMA with Andy. It was processing seven cams, and I had absolutely no problems with it.

I'm not saying it's great, but it should work.

Cheers, Steve

 

[jwoodard80]

One thing I have learned from my short time in cams....always overbuy on the NVR. It may say 16 channel but that's not the only thing. If I have over the throughput limit of the NVR it doesn't matter if I am at 8-9 cams.... you'll have problems.

On my recent purchase, I was after dual hard drives so I was originally looking at the 4216. However, it was about $10-$20 more for the 4232 so I opted for it to provide more headroom. I have 15 cams right now and don't think I'll be adding more but for the price I'd rather have it. Some of these ebay auctions have make offers as well. I offered $180 for the 4232 and it was accepted.


Another note... SmartPSS and PC-NVR are not the same thing. PC-NVR can be installed at the same time as SmartPSS but one can exist without the other. I point this out because I have the NVR in my server rack and I connect to it VIA SmartPSS on 5-6 different computers (Incidentally, both Windows and Linux via WINE) with no problems. The small laptop in the kitchen runs SmartPSS 24/7 as a viewer, has been for about a year and I have never had an issue.