Trying to Connect GW-1371IP Camera to QCAM 8 Channel NVR

[fourspin]

I have an Amcrest Qcam 3-Megapixel 8Ch Network POE Video Security System which came with four bullet cameras. I would like to add two dome cameras to this setup, but Foscam/Amcrest doesn't make any.

I purchased two GW-1371IP cameras from Amazon that support POE and, supposedly, ONVIF. I can get them to connect to my NVR through my home network on a 192.168.x.x address, but not directly to my NVR. I logged directly in to the cameras and enabled DHCP, but the NVR will still not pick them up. The NVR uses 172.16.xx addresses for the existing bullet cameras. I downloaded ONVIF Device Manager and connected directly to the G-1371IP cameras while they are attached to my home network. If I enable DHCP on the cameras, it forces the DNS to 202.96.134.133 and that value can't be changed, nor can it be dynamic.

If I disable DHCP, I can set IP, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and DNS to whatever values I like, except that the IP and the Default gateway have to be in the same range (i.e., I can't have a 172.16.x.x IP and a 192.168.x.x default gateway). Any suggestions on proper configuration? Or are these cameras just not going to work with the NVR?

 

[alastairstevenson]

The NVR uses 172.16.xx addresses for the existing bullet cameras.

Suggestion to try:
Configure the 2 new cameras to the next IP addresses in that range, and the same default gateway that the existing cameras are already using.
Then manually configure the NVR PoE port that you are going to connect the camera to with the new camera IP address and ONVIF protocol and a valid username/password.
ONVIF Device Manager will show you the 'ONVIF port' in the URL at the bottom of the 'Identification' page.
This tends to vary amongst cameras, and will be needed for the port value in the NVR channel configuration.

Also - you will very likely be able to connect the cameras as a 'Generic RTSP' model, assuming the NVR has that option.
In ODM you can see the RTSP string at the bottom of the 'Live Video' page.

The DNS address in your screenshots is the Chinese DNS server "ns.szptt.net.cn" and will likely just be a default built into the camera.

 

[fourspin]

Thanks, Alastair. I configured one camera in ODM to 172.16.25.7, the next IP in the range. I left the default gateway as 192.168.1.1. That's the gateway of the NVR, Im not sure if it's the correct gateway for the cameras (would they be 172.16.25.1?).

I then connected it to my NVR, and manually added it as camera 5 with an IP of 172.16.25.7:9000 (all of the other cameras use Port 9000, although I don't know if this one will or not). I set the user to admin and the password as the very long string of characters that shows up at the bottom of the Live Video page as the password.

Camera shows offline, passes no video. I think this camera must not be compatible with my NVR.

 

[fourspin]

Sorry, forgot to mention, at the bottom of the identification page, the URL says: http://192.168.1.252/onvif/device_service, so I have no idea what port to use.

 

[fourspin]

And finally, I tried RTSP as well, I entered 172.16:25.7:554. No dice.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Sorry, forgot to mention, at the bottom of the identification page, the URL says: http://192.168.1.252/onvif/device_service, so I have no idea what port to use.

That means that the 'ONVIF port' =80, the same as the HTTP port.

added it as camera 5 with an IP of 172.16.25.7:9000

For the ONVIF dialogues - you have quoted the URL on 'Identification' as showing that the needed port=80

the password as the very long string of characters that shows up at the bottom of the Live Video page as the password.

That sounds like a password digest, as opposed to the plain-text form of the actual camera password. The RTSP setup negotiation is being instructed to use a digest password. This may well be a settable option in the camera web GUI (plain or digest).
Try the actual plain password in the NVR camera config.

And finally, I tried RTSP as well, I entered 172.16:25.7:554. No dice.

Generally the RTSP port would be a field in it's own right.
And you may or may not have to include it in the 'RTSP string' or 'RTSP path', that varies somewhat in my experience.
And usually the RTSP string, that value at the bottom of the ODM 'Live Video' page, is a bit more complicated than just the IP address.
If you are prepared to mess around a bit more with the camera, putting it back on the LAN, you could prove out the RTSP string, password requirement and all, with VLC.

If you can post a screenshot of the NVR camera connection configuration page with your ONVIF selection that may be helpful.
And also that full value at the bottom of the ODM 'Live Video' page.
And lastly - the gateway setting as used by the existing working cameras would be the one to use on the new cameras, though I doubt that would affect the ability for the NVR to connect to the camera video stream.

 

[fourspin]

Thanks again, Alastair.

I logged in to the device on ODM and made sure it was ONVIF discoverable, tested the password used to log in to the camera directly (a 6 digit password), and then disabled DHCP and set the address as 172.16.25.7, 255.255.255.0, gateway 192.168.1.1.

At that point, I lose visibility to it in ODM because it's on a different subnet than my PC. But, I can use the utility that came with the camera to see that it did accept the IP address.

Then, I plug the camera into my NVR, and attempt to manually add the IP as 172.16.25.7:80. I set the user/password to match what works to log in to the camera directly, and then I can toggle a pull down for Auto/ONVIF/RSTP discovery. I've tried both ONVIF and RSTP, but in either case, the camera shows offline. Boggled. Black screen images below are the NVR interface.

 

[fenderman]

Amcrest systems seem to be rebranding dahua or at least using dahua firmware. You may be better off with dahua cameras.

 

[alastairstevenson]

Well, you seem to have done everything right on the available configuration choices of the NVR.
And ODM is able to query the camera properly to give you needed configuration values.
It's a bummer that it didn't work - it should have. It sounds like the PoE ports are restrictive in some way.
Just one stray question - when you successfully add the camera when it's on the LAN, with a valid LAN IP address, did it work with both RTSP and ONVIF and was it port 80 that you used?
I can't think of any more suggestions to try, sorry.

 

[fourspin]

Thanks for your help, Alastair. When I put the cameras on my home network, they automatically appear on my NVR, no configuration necessary. That's the most amazing part to me, that the NVR can find these cameras through the network on a different subnet, but not when directly connected! Here are some screenshots of a camera connected to the home network. It picks up the IP, user/password, and autonegotiates port 80.

It would be a viable to run this way, except a) I don't really want to saturate bandwidth on my home network, b) no POE, and c) the NVR restricts the bandwidth on the camera to 512kbps.

I'll send these back and try dahua or hikvision.

 

[alastairstevenson]

That max bitrate is pretty low, even for a 960p resolution.
Don't worry about saturating the bandwidth on your LAN.
Even if you only have a 100Mpbs switch/router, at that bitrate, each camera will only consume a little over 0.5% of the total traffic capability.
And if you have a Gigabit switch/router and a Gigabit connection from the NVR, an even smaller proportion.