This issue is caused by using the wrong firmware to update your Hikvision NVR, DVR or IP camera. That’s the reason why it says “mismatches”, the recorder or the camera can’t identify the firmware through its algorithm.

You need to make sure you have the right firmware. For example, if your recorder is an USA Hikvision NVR (or DVR), you can’t use a firmware meant for the Chinese market or for the OEM line (even if the models look the same).

How to fix Hikvision “upgrading failed, firmware mismatches” issue

Hikvision markets its products for various world regions that are locked into their firmware and are not supposed to be compatible. Hikvision Chinese devices are not supposed to be sold in the USA.

You need to buy them from Hikvision USA. If you somehow update using the wrong firmware you will get the “ Upgrading failed, firmware mismatches” error message (or “Language mismatch”).

How to download the correct Hikvision firmware

The proper and safe way to get the firmware for your Hikvision IP camera, NVR, or DVR is by going directly through the seller. Contact them and provide the exact model as shown on the sticker.

They will send you the right firmware which is named “digicap”, paste in a USB stick and update directly via the recorder’s interface. Or you can flash it through the web browser.

If your equipment is Hikvision USA and you’re sure about that, you can go to the Hikvision USA official website, search for the model and download the firmware.

If you’re not sure you can call or email them and usually they’ll reply quickly. From our experience, Hikvision USA provides good technical support.

If there’s no way for you to get the firmware via your reseller, then you can try to google your model and see if you can find something. You can check our Hikvision firmware page as well. Make sure the model number matches the one on the device’s sticker.

The firmware update broke my Hikvision camera/NVR/DVR

Most of the time, if you update the wrong firmware, nothing will happen to your recorder or IP camera. The firmware will simply not go through and usually, you’ll get the message “Upgrade failed”.

However, in some situations and certain equipment, flashing the wrong firmware on your security device may brick the device. In this case, the software will be messed up and the IP camera or the NVR/DVR will not function properly.

For the NVRs or DVRs, they will not be able to start up anymore, the machine will turn on but nothing will show on the screen. For IP cameras, the camera will appear dead and no IP address gets detected.

If that’s what happened to you, there are two possible solutions. First, you can try to reflash the firmware using the TFTP method.

Basically, the method consists of “forcefully” updating the camera/recorder and correcting the damaged internal software. It may work, or it may not, depending on the model. This article has the full instructions: How to reflash the firmware on Hikvision cameras (Hikvision TFTP procedure).

The other method is an easy way, simply return the product to the manufacturer. However, there’s a “dishonest” tip: don’t tell them that you updated the wrong firmware, simply don’t tell them that you tried to update the device.

Just say the camera or the recorder went bad and doesn’t work properly. Many resellers void their warranty if you update the equipment without contacting them first. So, pretend that you didn’t do anything.

Hikvision upgrading failed fix

How to update the Hikvison firmware

Below, you can find guidance on how to update your system accordingly.

Updating Hikvision IP camera firmware

Download the right firmware for your IP camera. Locate the downloaded firmware file (this typically will be in the default download folder, unless prompted for a download location, then choose Desktop) and extract it by right-clicking on the file and selecting extract all or unzip.

When prompted for an extract location, choose Desktop to extract the final file to. A file labeled DIGICAP will appear on the desktop.

After the file is extracted, log into the camera using Internet Explorer or Firefox web browsers. If prompted to install the plugin (or to allow the plugin to run), follow the prompt to proceed with the upgrade procedure.

Log into the camera using the administrator username and password, then go to the Configuration tab. In this tab, go to Basic Configuration then System, and then click on the Maintenance tab.

On the bottom of the page under Remote Upgrade, press the browse button to locate and choose the firmware file, which was previously saved on the Desktop. After selecting the file, click Open, then click Upgrade.

The camera will display a prompt that a reboot is necessary to complete the upgrade. Click OK. The camera will reboot when the firmware is successfully upgraded.

Upgrading Hikvision DVR/NVR firmware

Insert a USB flash drive into the computer’s USB port. Note that the USB flash drive does not need to be empty; it may contain other files and documents.

Locate the right firmware for your Hikvision NVR/DVR. Then locate the downloaded firmware file (this typically will be in the default download folder, unless prompted for a download location, then choose Desktop) and extract it by right-clicking on the file and selecting extract all or unzip.

When prompted for an extract location, choose the USB flash drive (typically labeled by letters E, F, and so on) to extract the final file. A file labeled DIGICAP will appear on the USB flash drive.

After the firmware has been extracted (unzipped), remove the USB flash drive from the computer and insert it into one of the available USB ports on the DVR/NVR unit.

On the DVR/NVR, go to the Main Menu, and then go to Maintenance. From the sub-menus on the left click Upgrade. This will display the content of the USB flash drive.

Choose the DIGICAP file and press Upgrade. An information window will pop up prompting that the unit will reboot after the upgrade is complete. Click YES.

To verify that the firmware has been upgraded, after the DVR/NVR is rebooted, go to the Main Menu, and then go to System Information. The current firmware version will be displayed.

Video Source

“How to add IP cameras in ZKTeco DVR pentahybrid DVRs?”

The DVRs of the Z8400XE/F-CL series of the ZKTeco brand allow cameras of up to 5 MP to be added to their channels in all video technologies and IP channels, except in CVI, which allows a maximum of up to 4 MP in the 3 models. , which are:

• DVR PENTAHIBRIDO 4 CHANNELS HD + 2 CHANNELS IP.
  Z8404XE-CL
• PENTAHYBRID DVR 8 HD CHANNELS + 4 IP CHANNELS.
  Z8408XE-CL
• PENTAHYBRID DVR 16 HD CHANNELS + 8 IP CHANNELS.
  Z8416XF-CL

The DVRs by default do not have the option of IP channels, but only show the BNC analog channels, it is necessary to change the display mode.

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It shows us the following options:

• Analog channels only. (Example; the Z8404XE-CL with 4 BNC channels).
• Analog channels plus IP channels. (Example; the Z8404XE-CL with 4 BNC channels + 2 IP channels).
• Change to ALL channels as IP. (Example; the Z8404XE-CL with 6 IP channels).

This applies to all 3 recorder models.

To make this change it is necessary to perform the following steps:

• Enter the Menu and choose “System”.

• Select System Parameters.

• Click on Display Parameters.

• Once inside this display parameters menu, in the “display mode” part, choose the one that is required or desired, and finally click on Save.

When making the change in the DVR, the system must be restarted, when turning on it will already have the corresponding spaces to add the IP channels.

To add those cameras you have to enter the menu –> Channel management –> Channel information –> Add channel.

It will open a new tab and you have to click Refresh to scan and show the IP cameras in the same network segment, to add it you have to select the camera and click OK.

For cameras that are not ZKTeco but that can be added by ONVIF, it is necessary to edit it to enter your username and password so that the status changes to “Online”.

By following the steps described above, it will be possible to enable the channels and in the same way add the IP cameras in the ZKTeco penta-hybrid DVRs.

Do you know how to modify the video signal of ZKTeco DVRs?

Like other video surveillance brands, ZKTeco’s 8000 series DVRs are penta-hybrid recorders, that is, they accept all video technologies.

• AHD
• TVI
• CVI
• CVBS (Analog)
• IP

Thus accepting coaxial HD cameras from other brands that use a different video technology.

The purpose of this article is to show how to adjust any video channel (BNC) to a specific video technology, having our factory recorder all BNC channels are configured as automatic ” Auto Mode ” accepting any AHD, TVI, CVI camera while the latter has a resolution equal to or less than the capacity of the DVR.

The steps to follow are those: 

1.- Enter the Menu and select Channel Management.

2.- Go to General Configuration and Channel Display.

3.- Select the channel where it says “Channel Selection”.

4.- Once the channel is selected, locate the “Detection” part, select an option:

• Modo AHD
• CVI mode
• TVI mode

5.- To finish, just select Save and that’s it, the video channel will accept the configured video technology.

How to enter the OSD menu in ZKTeco DVRs?

Sometimes it is necessary to adjust the resolution of an analog HD camera, many of these cameras have an internal menu called OSD in which you can adjust the parameters of the camera, such as:

• Day – Night mode.
• Image parameters (contrast, brightness, gain, etc.)
• Video output (resolution, video technology, FPS).
• menu language
• camera reset

It is important to mention that both the video technology of the channel and that of the camera are the same, since if this is not the case, the OSD menu will not be accessible; an easy way to validate that they are on the same technology is for the video in live view to be seen in COLOR.

Once the aforementioned has been validated, the steps to enter the camera menu are the following:

1.- Select the channel where the camera to be modified is.

2.- Enter the PTZ control, left clicking on the video image and selecting the PTZ icon.

3.- The PTZ part on the right side of the screen will open, you have to verify and/or change that the ” Control Mode ” option is as UTC Control .

4.- When validating point 3, there are two ways to access the internal menu of the camera, one through the GUI joystick or with Iris +.

• Joystick, selecting the middle button as Enter.

• Selecting Iris + is the Enter button, while Zoom + and Zoom –  mark the direction up and down.

How to configure the Email in the ZKTeco 8000 series DVRs to receive notifications?

This article will show how to configure email in the ZKTeco 8000 series recorders, to send a notification for some type of event. The devices have the option of sending notifications to a maximum of 4 different recipients, receiving the notification at the same time.

For this configuration, it is recommended to use a Google-based email such as Gmail and that is not from an institutional domain, but rather a personal email.

For example:

• xxxxxx_xxx@gmail.com                    CORRECT 
• yyyy.yyy@tecnosinergia.com            INCORRECT

Because for the configuration it is required in the first instance to activate the Verification in 2 steps and then create an application password, all this within the Google account precisely in ” Manage your Google Account ” and ” Security” , and this only it is possible with a personal account. 

We leave you a help link where it is shown step by step how to generate this application password:

• How to configure GMAIL mail in Meriva N9000 recorders?

Once the password is created, it is recommended that it be written down somewhere so that the characters are not forgotten. 

For example:

When you already have this password, you can configure the Email, we must follow the following steps: 

1.- Enter the Menu and then Network. 

2.- Now in Network we will go to Advanced and Email. 

3.- In this menu the final configuration will be made, where: 

• Sender Email: The Gmail email from where the recorder emails will be sent will be placed. 
• Password/Confirm Password: Enter the password created for the recorder, the application password, and confirm it. 
• Activate SSL.
• Recipients 1..4: Place the name in User and the Email of the user.
• SMTP server : We will place the address of the Gmail smtp server, this is ” smtp.gmail.com”.
• SMTP port:  The port that we can use are 465 and/or 587 . 

4.- After configuring point 3, it is recommended to Save so that no data is deleted.

5.- When saving the configuration, an email test can be done. In each recipient there is an envelope icon, when pressed, it will perform a test and it will be possible to validate if the email is leaving successfully. 

In the mail it will arrive as follows. 

By following the steps described above, the email configuration will be ready, and if some type of event is configured, for example movement, it is enough to activate the Email box to receive notifications. 

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up your new Hikvision DVR system from taking it out of the box to getting all of your cameras up and running.

Before You Begin

• Find yourself somewhere in your house with enough space to set up your entire system and ensure it works before mounting the cameras in position.
• Ensure that you have enough power sockets available. You will need one for the DVR and one for each of your cameras.

Let’s Get Started

There are two different software versions that are used on Hikvision recorders. Please follow the section below that is relevant to the version that you have on your DVR.

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The first step is the same for both software versions. The first thing to do is plug everything in. The DVR should be connected to the power, a suitable monitor and to your router if you wish to have the system connected to the internet, with the mouse from the box connected in to one of the USB ports on the DVR. Each camera should be powered using one of the included power supplies and to one of the inputs on the back of the DVR.

GUI 3.0

Passwords

The first thing you will be prompted to do is set a password. You need to create a password, confirm it in the second box and enter the same password in the IP Camera Activation box. We recommend leaving the Security Question box ticked as this will allow you to create answers to three security questions which will enable you to reset your password if you forget it in the future.

After creating your password you will be prompted to Export a GUID file.

This step is optional but as with the security questions will make resetting your password much easier if you forget it in future. To do this you will need to plug a USB Memory Stick in to one of the USB ports on the DVR and then click Yes on the prompt.

On the next screen make sure that USB Flash Disk is selected and press Export followed by Back. This will save the GUID file to your USB Memory Stick so please keep it in a safe place.

Finally you will be asked to set an Unlock Pattern, once set this can be used as an alternative to the password. Click and drag a line across at least 4 dots before repeating the same pattern to confirm.

Setup Wizard

After creating your unlock pattern the setup wizard will start. This is the easiest way to set up the basic functions of the DVR so we will follow the setup wizard through from here.

1) The first page shows you some basic system information about how many IP cameras can be added to your DVR. Most DVRs can accept at least 2 IP cameras however for the purpose of this guide we are going to treat this purely as an analogue system. Click Apply.

2) Next choose your desired language and press Apply.

3) If you wish to see the wizard each time then leave the Start Wizard When Device Starts box ticked, if you do not wish to see the wizard again then untick the box and then press Apply.

4) If the time displayed is not correct it can be updated here. Click on the box for the relevant piece of information and it will allow you to input a new date & time or change time zone or date format.

5) The next screen is for your network settings. The simplest option here is to tick the Enable DHCP box which will instruct your DVR to automatically assign itself the correct settings for your network. If you are more confident with networking you are able to manually assign network settings however for most users Enable DHCP is sufficient.

6) Next is the Remote Viewing setup. This is for if you would like to be able to view your cameras on either a phone or tablet. If that is something you would like to do then tick the Enable box and follow this guide otherwise you can leave the box empty and press Next.

7) The next page will show you more network settings, for most users this can all be ignored so simply click Next.

8) If you do not have a Hard Drive installed in your DVR the next page can be skipped. If you have got a Hard Drive installed you will need to select your Hard Drive by ticking the box to the left of the device and then click Init. You will see the Status change to Initialising, wait until the status shows Normal and then press Next.

9) Most users can skip the next page, it is only relevant if you are planning to add any IP cameras to your DVR so for the purposes of this guide we will simply press Next again.

10) The final step on the wizard allows you to set some basic recording settings. If you would like your cameras to be recording all the time click the cog icon next to Continuous, if you would like them to only record when something moves in front of them you can press the cog icon next to Motion Detection.

Press Finish and you will be returned to the home page of the DVR and will see the live feed from your cameras.

Additional Steps

You may find that your NVR is making an audible beep at regular intervals after completing the setup. These can indicate a range of things such as there being no hard drive present in the system to it not being connected to the internet. These can be useful to indicate if there is a fault but they can be unnecessary, for example if you are choosing not to connect your DVR to the internet then the system warning you that the system isn’t connected to the internet isn’t very useful. As a result what we can do is switch off the audible beeps.

1) While watching the live view for your cameras, right click and select Menu.

2) Enter your password or unlock pattern and then navigate to Configuration > Exceptions

3) Change the Exception Type to All, make sure that the Audible Warning box is blank and press Apply.

GUI 4.0

Language

The first thing that needs setting is the language for the system. If you wish to leave the system in English simply press Exit, otherwise select your desired language from the drop down menu and press Apply followed by Exit.

After selecting your language you may see a message like the following image:

If you see this message it simply means that the system can output in a different resolution that matches your chosen monitor better. Press Yes to continue.

Passwords

The next step is the creation of your password and making sure that you are able to reset it if the password is forgotten in future.

Enter your desired password in the Create and Confirm boxes. We would also recommend using the same password in the Channel Default box. The three options you see in the middle of the screen, Reserved E-mail Settings, Export GUID and Security Question Configuration all relate to various methods for resetting your password if you forget it in future. We very strongly recommend that you leave all three options enabled in case the password is ever forgotten. Finally press OK.

The next page will prompt you to enter an email address.

After that will be the GUID Export page. At this point you need to plug a USB memory stick in to one of the USB ports. Select the device from the Device Name menu and press Export. Once you see confirmation that the file has been exported press Back.

Next are the security questions. Select 3 questions from the available options and enter your chosen answer for each question before clicking OK.

The final step is creating an unlock pattern. Draw a line that connects at least 4 dots before repeating it to confirm the pattern.

Setup Wizard

After creating your unlock pattern the setup wizard will start. This is the easiest way to set up the basic functions of the DVR so we will follow the setup wizard through from here.

1) First we set the date & time on the system. Select your time zone and check that the date & time are accurate. If they need changing you can click in the box for each section which will pop up the option to make the change.

2) The next screen is for your network settings. The simplest option here is to tick the Enable DHCP box which will instruct your DVR to automatically assign itself the correct settings for your network. If you are more confident with networking you are able to manually assign network settings however for most users Enable DHCP is sufficient.

3) If you do not have a Hard Drive installed in your DVR the next page can be skipped. If you have got a Hard Drive installed you will need to select your Hard Drive by ticking the box to the left of the device and then click Init. You will see the Status change to Initialising, wait until the status shows Normal and then press Next.

4) Most users can skip the next page, it is only relevant if you are planning to add any IP cameras to your DVR so for the purposes of this guide we will treat this as a purely analogue system and simply press Next again.

5) Next is the Remote Viewing setup. This is for if you would like to be able to view your cameras on either a phone or tablet. If that is something you would like to do then tick the Enable box and follow this guide otherwise you can leave the box empty and press Next.

6) The final page gives you the option to change your password. If you wish to change your password you can tick the box next to New Admin Password however if you are happy with the password you have already set simply click Finish.

Additional Steps

You may find that your NVR is making an audible beep at regular intervals after completing the setup. These can indicate a range of things such as there being no hard drive present in the system to it not being connected to the internet. These can be useful to indicate if there is a fault but they can be unnecessary, for example if you are choosing not to connect your DVR to the internet then the system warning you that the system isn’t connected to the internet isn’t very useful. As a result what we can do is switch off the audible beeps.

1) Right click to show the row of menu icons at the top of the screen. Open the settings menu by clicking the cog icon.

2) Navigate to Event > Normal Event > Exception.

3) Change the Exception Type to All, make sure that the Audible Warning box is blank and press Apply.