How-to: How to connect an IP camera to a Hikvision NVR

Adding cameras to your Network Video Recorder (NVR) is a crucial step in any CCTV setup. Not only does it allow you to store and access all your camera recordings in one place, but it also simplifies camera configuration. In this simple step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to add cameras to a Hikvision NVR using the new NVR 5 web interface.

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Why add cameras to an NVR?​

• Centralised storage: Storing all recordings on the NVR ensures easy access and management.
  
  
• Simple and efficient configuration: With cameras connected to the NVR, you can configure settings from a single interface.
  
  
• Streamlined viewing: View your camera feeds and adjust the settings conveniently.

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Before you start...​

Before anything, to be able to add your IP cameras, you need to make sure that:

• Each camera is connected via a network cable to a POE switch that's connected to your local network, or to the POE ports on the NVR.
  
  
• Each camera is connected to a power source (normally a POE port on the NVR or a switch) - if you are not using POE, you will need to power the camera via its optional 12V barrel connector.
  
  
• All cameras to be added are ONVIF compliant.

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How to add your cameras using the V5 GUI...​

Step 1:​

Open a web browser and enter the IP address of your NVR in the address bar. If you are not sure what this is, use the SADP tool to find it.​

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Step 2:​

Log in to the NVR using the “admin” username and password you have set on it.​

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Step 3:​

Go to: Device Access > Device Configuration > PoE Settings​

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If you are connecting your camera via the Plug-and-Play method, then make sure that Network Camera Plug-and-Play is enabled on the POE port you will be connecting the camera to on this page.​

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For any camera with a cable run under 100m, leave the Network Cable Distance as Short Distance.​

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If you are connecting your camera manually by IP address, disable the Network Camera Plug-and-Play option for the channel that you plan to add the camera to.​

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Step 4:​

Go to: Device Access > Device > Video Device​

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For any Plug-and-Play camera, just make sure that it is in its inactive default state and then connect it to the port you reserved in step 3. After 20 seconds or so, the camera Status should turn to Connecting and then Online (you may need to click on Refresh to see this).​

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For Manually added cameras, if you can see the camera in the List of Online Devices section, then just tick the box for the camera and then click + Add to Device List, which will then automatically add it to one of the channels you disabled Plug-and-Play on in the last step.​

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Alternatively...​

Click on +Add at the top of the page and fill out the fields as follows:​

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IP Address: Enter the IP address of your camera, using the 'Test' button to verify there is a camera at that address. ​

Device Name: This can be anything you like, as it is the name the camera will show with on your NVR. ​

Protocol: Select the camera’s manufacturer from this list, or failing that, use the ONVIF protocol (your camera will need to have ONVIF enabled for this to work). ​

Management Port: Enter the Server port set on the camera, which you can find in the SADP tool or in Network>Basic Settings>Port in the camera’s web browser interface. If you haven’t changed this, it is usually 8000 by default. ​

User Name: “admin” or the username of any other users set up on that camera. ​

Password: The password set with that user on the camera – if this is the same as the 'Default Activation Password' you have set on the NVR, then you can tick this box instead. ​

Transfer Protocol: 'Auto' is normally best. ​

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When these are completed, click OK.​

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Your camera should then appear in the list of devices with an assigned channel, and an Online status, meaning it has been successfully added.​

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Extra tips...​

• To rename your channels, so you can easily identify each camera within the NVR, you will need to go to Device Access > Device Configuration > Device Parameter > OSD Configuration. Then, select your camera from the Channel dropdown and enter your chosen name for it beside Channel Name.
  
  
  
  
  
• One useful feature with the new V5 NVR firmware is that you no longer need to use the Virtual Host feature. Instead, to access the configuration menus on the cameras now for doing things like updating the firmware, accessing advanced image settings, and hard resetting the cameras, you just need to use the Go button (a monitor with an arrow on it) in the Operation column.
  
  

 

[rickwookie]

Does naming channels in the new web ui now work for non-Hikvision cams (e.g. RTSP streams), or do you still just get an error message?

 

[Kyle]

I've checked our M-Series running V5.03.000 build 240428 and, if you add the camera under the ONVIF protocol, you can change the channel name.
But, if you add it as an RTSP camera, you get a "this function is not supported" error when trying to access the OSD Configuration menu.
I'll try and find out if there's a reason for this, but if your camera supports it, I'd add it as an ONVIF camera for now.

 

[rickwookie]

I've checked our M-Series running V5.03.000 build 240428 and, if you add the camera under the ONVIF protocol, you can change the channel name.
But, if you add it as an RTSP camera, you get a "this function is not supported" error when trying to access the OSD Configuration menu.
I'll try and find out if there's a reason for this, but if your camera supports it, I'd add it as an ONVIF camera for now.

Same as it’s always been then, i.e. broken. Mad that in major version 5 of the interface, there’s still no option to simply name the channels within the channel/camera settings.

 

[Kyle]

So, Hikvision have explained that changing names / OSD settings has never been possible with channels using any RTSP protocol, as the camera is only sending the RTSP video streams to the recorder but the NVR cannot communicate back to the camera.
So, all you can do is access the camera's live view and playback.
Most cameras should support at least ONVIF profile S now, so if you can add it under the ONVIF protocol (you may need to enable ONVIF on the camera directly), this is the closest thing to a workaround.

 

[rickwookie]

So, Hikvision have explained that changing names / OSD settings has never been possible with channels using any RTSP protocol, as the camera is only sending the RTSP video streams to the recorder but the NVR cannot communicate back to the camera.
So, all you can do is access the camera's live view and playback.
Most cameras should support at least ONVIF profile S now, so if you can add it under the ONVIF protocol (you may need to enable ONVIF on the camera directly), this is the closest thing to a workaround.

Yeah, I’m aware it’s never worked from the OSD settings (because as you point out, it can’t communicate back to the “camera”), but none the less the NVR still allocates a name to the stream e.g. IPC Camera 01, and surely it should be possible to change that. I thought you could via the local interface, but maybe that was only on a hybrid DVR.

 

[Kyle]

Agreed, there should be a way to rename the channels without the NVR needing to communicate with the camera / it needing to be done via the OSD menus...

I'll say to Hikvision that it would be a good feature to add.

I've tested a couple of older NVRs via the local interface too (as well as the M-Series), and have the same issue with RTSP channels, so I think it must have been a DVR you had it working on before!

 

[davenel]

Hello

I recently installed a DS-7608NI-M2/8P with 4 DS-2CD2T87G2P-LSU/SL. My home network is a Ubiquity Dream Machine SE.

The cameras are all connected to the NVR (as opposed to the network itself). This seemed a great solution as it (I think) removes the camera traffic from the rest of my network without having to manage it.

I created a VLan for the DS-7608NI-M2/8P (192.168.30.0). The cameras all have the default 192.168.254.x addresses. I have wanted to update the Firmware on the cameras, but get a "Check Network Connection" error.

Thinking this might be a network issue (cameras are NATing via the NVR???), I started researching and landed here. Further, I was thinking I would like the cameras to have a 192.168.30.x address to facilitate direct access...

I can't change the IP of the camera without changing the IP of the Internal NIC. When I try to change the internal NIC IP from 192.168.254 to a 192.168.30 address, I get an "IP Address Conflict Error".

I see in your video, the manually added Camera as and IP of 192.168.1 while the plug-n-play have the default 192.168.254 addresses.

Can you help me understand the setting changes to affect if I want my NVR external and internal NIC to be on the same subnet, along with the cameras, all on one that I manage independently (in my case in my UDM). I think this post/video get me almost there, but I am missing something.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dan]

Hi @davenel

As far as we are aware, it is not possible to change the NVRs internal NIC to match the same IP range as your local network.

We have only ever played around with it a few times and changing this internal IP address always causes strange network & NVR behaviour, there might be some other users that have found some workaround for changing the internal IP but we are not aware of any way to do it.

If you want to access the camera settings and update the camera firmware, you can follow the final step in the above guide (under the section labelled "Extra tips...") that guides you the virtual link that opens settings for each directly connected camera.

 

[davenel]

Hi @davenel

As far as we are aware, it is not possible to change the NVRs internal NIC to match the same IP range as your local network.

We have only ever played around with it a few times and changing this internal IP address always causes strange network & NVR behaviour, there might be some other users that have found some workaround for changing the internal IP but we are not aware of any way to do it.

If you want to access the camera settings and update the camera firmware, you can follow the final step in the above guide (under the section labelled "Extra tips...") that guides you the virtual link that opens settings for each directly connected camera.

Hi Dan (I am also Dan)

Thanks for the reply.

That is how I am trying to upgrade the firmware. When I do so, I receive an error "Upgrade stopped. Please check the network connection and try again".

This is why I was thinking perhaps I needed to move the cams to my VLan. I then thought I might create a firewall rule to route from 168.30 to 168.254, but of course, there is not a 168.254 subnet on my router to route to... this means it would be the responsibility of the NVR to route to the camera... I may be chasing a rabbit down a rabbit hole... all the articles I read, many I have found here, lead me to believe this should "just work" ... but for me so far... I have not found the path to success...

 

[Dan]

Okay,

It could be that your VLAN might be the cause of the problem, if you search "Hikvision VLAN" on the forum you will see multiple threads where Hikvision users with their systems set up on a VLAN have run into all kinds of issues which other users (not using VLANs) have not been able to replicate.

 

[Dan]

I've just spoken to my colleague about the particular error message you are seeing and they say they have recently started seeing this error message on our NVR/cameras as well (which are not on a VLAN).

They say they have raised this issue with Hikvision support and that the only workaround at the moment is to add the NVR to the Hikvision iVMS-4200 desktop software [iVMS-4200(V3.11.1.6_E)] and update the firmware through that software instead.

 

[davenel]

I've just spoken to my colleague about the particular error message you are seeing and they say they have recently started seeing this error message on our NVR/cameras as well (which are not on a VLAN).

They say they have raised this issue with Hikvision support and that the only workaround at the moment is to add the NVR to the Hikvision iVMS-4200 desktop software [iVMS-4200(V3.11.1.6_E)] and update the firmware through that software instead.

Good morning...
A little feedback for perhaps your next user here....

I was NOT able to update the firmware using iVMS. I received non descript error that did not mention network... Somthing like "Upgrade failed" .

I WAS succesfull by plugging a laptop into the NVR, manually setting the IP address to a 192.168.254 address with a submet mask of 255.255.255.0. No need for DNS. I could then directly connect to each camera and update the firmware, which I had previously downloaded to my laptop.

Hope this helps a future reader...

Cheers, and thanks for all your help...