HikVision NVR + 2 IP Cams

[NewbieCCTV]

Hi,

First post here so apologies for any newbie mistakes.

Normally I can sort out the basics with our HikVision setup but we've just switched BB providers and have a new router. I've set the SSID and PW the same as the previous provider to try and make a seamless switch over, rather than having to re-login on all our devices etc. So far so good. However the HiKvision iVMS app on my mobile won't connect either by Home or Network (Mobile data) and I can't reach the HikVision setup page via the usual IP. I'm assuming this is a router issue as the three lights on the NVR operate as normal and it's evidently recording to the drive (status light flickers red). So my thoughts are the system can't get past the router to the outside world which is why it won't show up when using mobile network (3G & 4G). Do I need to somehow reset the IP on the NVR/Cams and if so, is the only way to do that over ethernet cable? If this is the case, it's not a problem with the NVR but it's going to be a PITA with the cams as they're set quite high. Also I'm assuming the new router is delegating a new IP to the NVR/Cams which is why it won't show up as active on the Home iVMS app. I've used an IP scanner, but nothing comes up showing HikVision or anything related.

Would be grateful for any pointers.

Cheers!

N

 

[Phil]

Use Hikvision's SADP tool to find your NVR on your network.
Is your router at the same LAN IP address as the previous router?
Same domain range?
It's likely that your NVR will need to have those network settings corrected after the router replacement.
Possibly Primary & Secondary DNS too if the router was set there before ...

 

[NewbieCCTV]

Hi Phil,
Sorry for late reply. Notification went to junk box.
So the new router has been set to the previous LAN IP and straight away both cams dropped back in over LAN. However, the network (mobile data) connection fails and and in the iVMS app devices select page, only the 'Home' devices show as active. The other two (Hangzhou, china & Network) are greyed out.
On the Device information for Network there is the following:
Register Mode IP/Domain
Address (which hasn't changed as it's from the company that installed the cams)
Port 8000
User Name xxxxx
PW xxxxx
The domain range is the same and I've left ports 80 & 8000 open when configuring new router.
I think you are right though that the NVR needs to have the network settings reset, I will try to do that once logged in to the NVR via the main portal. Would it be as straight forward as making sure the NVR has the correct router IP ?
Cheers

 

[NewbieCCTV]

Forgot too mention everything looks ok via the SADP tool. I'm wondering if the issue is with the subnet so will need to check the router has the same.

EDIT: Subnet is the same so that's not the issue. On the new router the default DMZ server isn't ticked and am fairly sure it wasn't on the previous as is the Use dynamic DNS service. I have set up the NVR IP as a reserved (static) IP with the router.

 

[JB1970]

Would it be as straight forward as making sure the NVR has the correct router IP ?

Yes and no. That depends if the IP/Domain 'address' was previously an IP address or a DDNS domain name. If it's an IP address you'll have problems as your providers IP address will not be static and will change regularly. You don't mention who your provider was and now is which is important. With Virgin Media your IP address, although not strictly speaking static, is locked to the Hubs MAC address. It doesn't change unless you get a new Hub or VM do some network restructuring that affects it (that is rare). So if you've moved from VM to BT for example, it would be pointless adding the correct external IP address as it'll only work until it changes which could be a matter of days. Also you would need to port forward 8000 and 554 in the router to the internal address of the NVR.

 

[NewbieCCTV]

Ah ok, this I'm not sure about tbh. Previous BB provider was Plusnet (using a BT Homehub5) and now with Sky. The new Sky router has been set to the original IP that the BT HH5 was set to but maybe the Sky MAC address is the problem then? The NVR is looking for both the IP and MAC address and not seeing it because the Sky Mac is different. I'm hoping this is easily corrected by setting the NVR with the new MAC address and leave everything the same?

 

[JB1970]

Ah ok, this I'm not sure about tbh. Previous BB provider was Plusnet (using a BT Homehub5) and now with Sky. The new Sky router has been set to the original IP that the BT HH5 was set to but maybe the Sky MAC address is the problem then? The NVR is looking for both the IP and MAC address and not seeing it because the Sky Mac is different. I'm hoping this is easily corrected by setting the NVR with the new MAC address and leave everything the same?

The MAC address is a hardware address and is not changeable.

On the Device information for Network there is the following:
Register Mode IP/Domain
Address (which hasn't changed as it's from the company that installed the cams)

This is possibly your problem. "Address (which hasn't changed as it's from the company that installed the cams".

1 - If it's an IP address it has to change as there's no way have you changed provider and got the same external IP address

2 - If it's a DDNS domain name, then it will still be translated to the previous (incorrect) IP address unless you've set up the DDNS account information in the new router (so that the router sends updates to the DDNS account when the external/WAN IP address changes). You can check that easily enough. Go to whatsmyip.org in a browser and make a note of your IP address. From a PC on the network ping the domain name in the app. The result will show the IP address that relates to the domain name. If it's different it proves you've not setup the DDNS in the router (it can also be set in the NVR)

Edit: Additionally check the Gateway and DNS server in the NVR match that of your new router. You say it's on the same subnet as previous, however if Plusnet used the same default settings as BT in that Homehub5, the old router address will be 192.168.1.254 and the NVR gateway address (and DNS server) may be set to that incorrectly (the new router is likely to be at 192.168.1.1)

 

[NewbieCCTV]

HI,

"2 - If it's a DDNS domain name, then it will still be translated to the previous (incorrect) IP address unless you've set up the DDNS account information in the new router (so that the router sends updates to the DDNS account when the external/WAN IP address changes). You can check that easily enough. Go to whatsmyip.org in a browser and make a note of your IP address. From a PC on the network ping the domain name in the app. The result will show the IP address that relates to the domain name. If it's different it proves you've not setup the DDNS in the router (it can also be set in the NVR)"

Will give that a try, thank you.

"Edit: Additionally check the Gateway and DNS server in the NVR match that of your new router. You say it's on the same subnet as previous, however if Plusnet used the same default settings as BT in that Homehub5, the old router address will be 192.168.1.254 and the NVR gateway address (and DNS server) may be set to that incorrectly (the new router is likely to be at 192.168.1.1)"

Changed the new router to the same IP as the BTHH5 initially so would assume it will look for that IP and therefore should work ?

Thank you for the help!

 

[NewbieCCTV]

Hi,

So there is a mismatch between my IP as displayed by 'whatsmyip' and when I ping the device app address.

whatsmyip came back with 155.192.87.xx where as the domain name ping came back with 35.125.210.xx

I can't find an obvious place on the router to change and have looked at the configuration panel in the IP NVR HikVision page as below

Config/Basic Setting/DDNS

Enable DDNS "ticked"
DDNS Type "NO-IP"
Server Address "dynupdate.no-ip.com"
Domain "is a .co.uk address provided by the installers"
User name "is registered email"
Password
OK
Status displays a greyed out drop down menu with 'connecting'

Could someone point to where in the NVR config settings I can check/edit where the NVR looks for the IP that whatsmyip came back with?

Seems to be so close to sorting it....

Cheers!

 

[JB1970]

Hi,

So there is a mismatch between my IP as displayed by 'whatsmyip' and when I ping the device app address.

whatsmyip came back with 155.192.87.xx where as the domain name ping came back with 35.125.210.xx

I can't find an obvious place on the router to change and have looked at the configuration panel in the IP NVR HikVision page as below

Config/Basic Setting/DDNS

Enable DDNS "ticked"
DDNS Type "NO-IP"
Server Address "dynupdate.no-ip.com"
Domain "is a .co.uk address provided by the installers"
User name "is registered email"
Password
OK
Status displays a greyed out drop down menu with 'connecting'

Could someone point to where in the NVR config settings I can check/edit where the NVR looks for the IP that whatsmyip came back with?

Seems to be so close to sorting it....

Cheers!

So that's the issue for remote connection. The NVR is failing to connect to the NO-IP server and report the new address and update it to the internet.

I know you said previously that the new router was given the same network address as the old one but I suspect that the DNS server address and possibly the Gateway address in the NVR do not match the new connection. The wrong DNS server address will prevent it the NVR resolving 'dynupdate.no-ip.com' to it's IP address and teh wrong gateway would prevent the NVR reaching the internet at all.

On your phone while on WiFi, go into the network settings and make a note of the DNS address and Gateway( if it's an iPhone it'll be called Router address not Gateway). Then go into the network settings on your NVR and enter the Gateway address from the phone into the NVR Gateway address and DNS.

Edit: In the NVR just click on Settings then Network. DO NOT copy that external IP address from Whatsmyip into the IP address in the NVR....as that is the local address.

 

[NewbieCCTV]

So that's the issue for remote connection. The NVR is failing to connect to the NO-IP server and report the new address and update it to the internet.

I know you said previously that the new router was given the same network address as the old one but I suspect that the DNS server address and possibly the Gateway address in the NVR do not match the new connection. The wrong DNS server address will prevent it the NVR resolving 'dynupdate.no-ip.com' to it's IP address and teh wrong gateway would prevent the NVR reaching the internet at all.

On your phone while on WiFi, go into the network settings and make a note of the DNS address and Gateway( if it's an iPhone it'll be called Router address not Gateway). Then go into the network settings on your NVR and enter the Gateway address from the phone into the NVR Gateway address and DNS.

Edit: In the NVR just click on Settings then Network. DO NOT copy that external IP address from Whatsmyip into the IP address in the NVR....as that is the local address.

Ok, that makes a lot of sense.
1st problem is I'm on an android and I've not been able to find the DNS address and gateway in the connections settings. I've checked in the wifi connections menu andit has the MAC address and it's own IP address but there isn't any info about gateway or DNS.
2nd is in the NVR web browser, there is configuration/Network/Basic Settings/ with TCP/IP/DNS/PPPoE/Port/Nat on the main page. Is that where you mean to input the gateway and DNS info?
Thanks

EDIT: So the router gateway IP is the same as that on the NVR and unless I'm mistaken the DNS is the same as the gateway (192.168.1.254)?

 

[JB1970]

EDIT: So the router gateway IP is the same as that on the NVR and unless I'm mistaken the DNS is the same as the gateway (192.168.1.254)?

Yes the DNS can be the same as the gateway. The NVR forwards DNS requests to the router (at 192.168.1.254) and then the router will forward them on to an external DNS server.

If your NVR is on the network, has a 192.168.1.xxx address, the correct gateway and DNS addresses - that's the first step....

The ports that the NVR uses for Server, RTSP and (optionally) Http need to be forwarded to the IP address of the NVR. This can be done in the router or in the NAT page of the NVR. We don't know how your installer set it up previously, so it's difficult to point you in the right direction.

If you want it to work as it previously did (direct connection without HikConnect service), you would probably be better to contact your installer as it'll take them about 10 minutes to get you back online. One issue is that the NVR is updating its account via your installers NO-IP account - you have no access to that as it is their account. I do similar for my customers and provide them with a DDNS address so that they don't have to pay for one themselves. If you don't want to use your installer, you would be better just creating a HikConnect account and adding the NVR to it. If you do that the NO-IP account can be deleted as it'll connect through the HikConnect domain. There are guides on here as to how to add your device to the HikConnect service.

 

[NewbieCCTV]

Yes the DNS can be the same as the gateway. The NVR forwards DNS requests to the router (at 192.168.1.254) and then the router will forward them on to an external DNS server.

If your NVR is on the network, has a 192.168.1.xxx address, the correct gateway and DNS addresses - that's the first step....

The ports that the NVR uses for Server, RTSP and (optionally) Http need to be forwarded to the IP address of the NVR. This can be done in the router or in the NAT page of the NVR. We don't know how your installer set it up previously, so it's difficult to point you in the right direction.

If you want it to work as it previously did (direct connection without HikConnect service), you would probably be better to contact your installer as it'll take them about 10 minutes to get you back online. One issue is that the NVR is updating its account via your installers NO-IP account - you have no access to that as it is their account. I do similar for my customers and provide them with a DDNS address so that they don't have to pay for one themselves. If you don't want to use your installer, you would be better just creating a HikConnect account and adding the NVR to it. If you do that the NO-IP account can be deleted as it'll connect through the HikConnect domain. There are guides on here as to how to add your device to the HikConnect service.

Hi JB1970,

See what you mean....I think.

As for the original installers, I did contact them first and initially they were very helpful but now they've gone quiet so am on my own a bit but thanks to this forum, can kinda see a way forward. I can upload screen grabs of the NVR portal page on the off chance that'll help put more flesh on the bone? In the meantime, I'll have a look at the HikConnect account and see how that all works.

Thanks

 

[NewbieCCTV]

HI,

Update: All sorted!
Tried the Hik Connect under platform access but that didn't work however managed to sort out the noip settings and finally got it online. Big thanks to all the help provided.
Cheers