How To Setup a Security Camera System?

The first phase in setup of a security camera system consists of installing the cameras and running the wire. The second phase is completing the connections between the cameras and the recorder, which depends on the type of camera system you have purchased.

How To Setup a DVR Camera System

DVR camera systems consist of security cameras that have BNC jacks to send video over coax wire, and a 12VDC power connector for power. Such coax wire based systems use RG59U siamese cables that have BNC and 12VDC power connectors at each end, which allow video and power to be run together over one “siamese cable.” As shown in the setup video below, BNC connectors are silver colored metal connectors that twist lock on to the video jacks of a camera and DVR recorder.

Infrequently, an installer may use network cabling with video baluns instead of coax cabling, which was very common with older CCTV systems to transmit video signal over long distances. Regardless of whether you are using coax wire or video baluns, setup of a DVR camera system is similar as demonstrated in the following video:

How To Setup a NVR Camera System

NVR camera systems use plug-and-play IP Cameras that connect directly to built-in PoE ports on the back of the NVR. Such systems are also commonly referred to as PoE IP camera systems because the cameras use Power over Ethernet technology to send power/video/data all over one network cable. We recommend using CAT5e cable as a minimum, and CAT6 wire is recommended for runs longer than 150ft as its thicker wire gauge allows for improved power transmission.

Our IP camera systems feature plug-and-play compatibility between the NVR and IP camera. Unless otherwise specified, we ensure the cameras and NVR we sell are compatible with each other and allow even a novice user to setup a IP security camera system.

To gain a good understanding of your purchase, we recommend customers bench test IP cameras with the NVR recorder before installing the cameras. Once it is established that all cameras are operational, continue with mounting the cameras at the desired location and running the camera wire. Since installation errors are common when crimping CAT5e or CAT6 network cable, we recommend using a cable continuity tester to safeguard against wiring related issues.

As each camera is installed and connected to its wire, follow the video below to learn how to connect each IP camera to the NVR in a NVR camera system.

Once cameras are installed and wired to the digital video recorder it is time to login, and start using the system, which leads us to the third phase

How to use your surveillance system

1. How To Login to a Security Camera System

Before you are able to login to your camera system over the web, you need to login at the DVR or NVR itself using a mouse. Connect the recorder to a monitor that supports at least 1080P resolution. We recommend using a HDMI input capable monitor. Turn on the recorder and login using two possible login methods.

Please watch the video below to learn more from our video tutorial about the two different ways to login to your or security system.

In case you are unable to login due to a forgotten password, it is easy and secure to reset the password and gain entry into the unit. It is required that you be present at the recorder when following the video guide below on how to reset the login password. As shown in the video below, by answering some simple security questions you can quickly reset the login password.

2. Viewing Live Video and Audio on a Security System

All of our DVR Systems and HD NVR systems allow multiple viewing options. You can view multiple cameras in a grid-view or view one camera at a time in full screen mode. Full screen mode also allows the user to listen to audio from security cameras with built-in microphone. To hear audio from cameras, all of the following conditions must be met:

For a comprehensive guide of the different viewing options offered by our security camera systems, please watch the following video:

Regardless of whether you have an IP security camera system or DVR camera system, both provide the user with two types of zoom:

It is important to understand the difference between digital zoom and optical zoom, and the fact that optical zoom can only be used in live view mode. Below is a detailed video demonstration of each type of zoom function and how both can be utilized during live view to see objects far away. Using a 4MP security camera mounted 7ft above the object of interest, we show the power of optical zoom provided by a motorized zoom security camera to view objects in fine detail.

If your system has motorized zoom cameras or a outdoor PTZ camera that you purchased from CCTV Camera World, they can be easily controlled using our surveillance video recorders. Regardless of whether the motorized cameras are HDCVI or IP cameras, or whether your recorder is a DVR, XVR, or NVR, the cameras can be controlled using the friendly GUI interface of our systems as shown in the following video.

3. Setting Recording Resolution

A common misconception about our camera systems is that all cameras have to be the same resolution, which is not the case. Cameras of different resolutions can be used on the same recorder in any of our systems, granted the cameras are within the maximum resolution limit of the recorder. This is true for systems consisting of Tribrid DVR, XVR, or NVR recorders.
Encoding settings can be set individually for each camera channel. Depending on the maximum recording resolution supported by the recorder and the camera, our surveillance recorders allow up to 12MP recordings. All of our DVR and NVR recorders also have dual video encoding technology to provide two streams of video for each camera channel:

The Encoding menu has several settings that can be set. A good understanding of the following settings is important in getting the most out of our security camera system purchase from CCTV Camera World.

The in-depth video tutorial below discusses encoding settings available in your system and how to configure them.

4. Customizing Video Settings

We manufacture our cameras to produce the best possible picture quality automatically. Sometimes peculiar lighting scenarios in a scene may require customization. Our DVRs and NVRs allow multiple picture quality settings to be modified from the recorder as explained in the detailed video tutorial below. It is important to note that there is a difference in capabilities to modify image settings when comparing coax based cameras versus IP cameras.

Coax based cameras produce video that is encoded by the DVR, thus allowing picture quality to be modified before the video is saved by the DVR. In contrast, IP cameras encode video that is streamed to the NVR for saving the video stream; the video is not encoded by the NVR. Therefore, any changes made in the picture settings on the NVR must be communicated back to the IP security camera. If an incompatible IP camera is used with an NVR, such changes will not be communicated to the IP camera, and changes will not apply before video is encoded by the camera.

Our systems allow a wide variety of picture settings to be toggled depending on the camera specifications. In addition to picture brightness and contrast, the user can toggle image quality features such as backlighting, glare compensation (WDR), and image flip.

https://youtu.be/zW3g-dTV30w

5. Recording Method Configuration

All of our security systems offer a variety of video recording methods. Each security camera can be set to record independently and the user has the option to choose from the following recording methods:

The digital video recorders in our systems even allow multiple recording methods for each camera. For example, cameras can be set to record all the time or during a portion of the day using the scheduled recording method, while also recording upon motion detection. This preserves video integrity in case a motion event is missed, and is very helpful when reviewing recorded security footage to allow the user to skip to points in the timeline when motion is detected. The video tutorial below is an in-depth guide on how to set the different recording methods for each camera in your surveillance system.

https://youtu.be/jRfV3N8sAqY

6. Playback Recorded Video on your Surveillance System

CCTV Camera World’s security camera systems have a user-intuitive graphical interface to playback recorded video. Using a mouse connected to your recorder, it is easy to review recorded security footage in the Search menu. It takes 3 simple clicks to playback recorded video:

The video above is a comprehensive tutorial on how to playback recorded video, in which we cover:

You can playback one camera or multiple cameras depending on the resolution of the recording and the playback capability of the recorder that is part of your system. Our 4000 series NVRs support playback of up to eight 1080P channels, while our 5000 series NVR support up to sixteen channel playback at 1080P. Stronger playback capability is available when playing video over the network using our free computer client software to playback video on a PC or Mac workstation.

7. How to Download Video from a Security Camera System

When there is an incident, it’s important to have a camera system that allows easy download of security footage catching the perpetrator in the act. Our security camera systems are based on this simple principle to allow easy video download of a short video segment to a USB drive and playback on a Windows or Mac computer. To download video from any of our standalone recorders you will need a USB flash drive that is formatted with the NTFS or FAT  file system. The flash drive should not be more than 256GB. The video guide below on how to download footage from your security camera system walks you through the process.

Briefly, below is a list of simple steps on how to download video from a DVR Camera System or HD IP Camera System purchased from CCTV Camera World.

8. How To View Downloaded Footage from a Security Camera System

Once security footage has been downloaded from your surveillance system, it can be reviewed on a Windows or Mac OS computer using our free playback software called Smart Player. You can download it here for Windows and Mac. Here is a list of features of Smart Player which makes our systems one of the best security camera systems in the industry for video archiving and review:

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How To: Set Up Your Hikvision Doorbells Via The Hik-Connect App

Here’s how to set up your Hikvision doorbell via the Hik-Connect App.

Load More :

• How to Set up a Hikvision DVR System
• How to set up a Hikvision Wi-Fi Kit

Metal Villa Door Station Specifications

Video / Audio Distributor Specifications

How To Configure Door Station On IVMS-4200

How to Connect Two Indoor Stations to Two button Villa Door Station

How to Connect Two Indoor Stations to Two button Villa Door Station

SIP2.0 FW INTERCOM SETUP PROCEDURE

Click here to open the PDF.

SIP 2.0 FW STATION EXTENSION SETUP PROCEDURES

Click here to open the PDF.

How To Upgrade HDCVI firmware for Amcrest XVR For best performance with your device it is highly recommended to operate your DVR with latest firmware version available.

If you are experiencing intermittent connectivity to the internet, general bugginess or difficulty using any features, you must make sure there is no available firmware update which would indicate you are not on the latest version.

There are 2 ways to check for your DVR firmware version:

1. Directly from the DVR on the built-in user interface.

2. On the web interface using a desktop computer or laptop.

Note: An Amcrest DVR cannot be expected to work as advertised unless it is up to date with the latest firmware.

Please always make sure you have the latest version before trying any other troubleshooting steps or contacting support.

Method 1: DVR Interface

To begin, locate and download the most recent version of firmware for your device from http://www.amcrest.com/firmware-subscribe.

Copy the firmware file onto a flash drive.

Note: The flash drive must be formatted to FAT32 or exFAT. Most flash drives are formatted to this by default.

Insert the flash drive, with the firmware file on it, into the USB port located on the DVR. A “Find USB device” screen will populate. Click on the System Upgrade button to begin the firmware upgrade.

A system upgrade screen will appear, click on the Start button to locate the firmware file from your flash drive.

Select the firmware file that you downloaded and click Start.

A progress bar will be shown at the bottom of the window. Once the upgrade has finished the DVR might restart on its own.

Note: Do not turn off the DVR during the upgrade process or it can damage the DVR and make it inoperable. 

Once the DVR has finished the firmware upgrade process, you can then log back into your DVR. To verify the firmware progress was completed successfully, navigate to Info>>System>>Version on the main menu and verify the System Version field. This field should reflect the same .bin name as the file uploaded.

Method 2: Web Interface

First download the most recent firmware from http://www.amcrest.com/firmware-subscribe

Copy the firmware file onto a flash drive and insert the flash drive into a USB port on your computer.

Note: The flash drive must be formatted to FAT32 or exFAT. Most flash drives are formatted to this by default.

Next, login to the DVR’s web interface. For more information on how to access the web interface for your DVR click here.

In the web interface, click the setup gear icon in the top right. Then click System on the left panel, then Upgrade below it.

Click the Browse button and select the firmware file you downloaded. Click Open to load the file into the interface.

Click the Upgrade button and the upgrade process will begin.

A progress bar will appear showing you the progress of the upgrade. Once the upgrade has finished the DVR might restart on its own.

Note: Do not turn off the DVR during the upgrade process or it can damage the DVR and make it inoperable.

Once the DVR has finished the firmware upgrade process, you can then log back into your DVR. To verify the firmware progress was completed successfully, click on the “i” icon on the live view screen and verify the System Version. The system version should reflect the same .bin name as the file uploaded.

General Guide of Watching Cameras on PC by Guarding Vision This article introduces basic skills to get along with the PC software Guarding Vision.

There are two ways to connect Guarding Vision with the ANNKE system. Each of their advantage and deficiency.
Loca access via IP address provides a better experience on the camera view and playback, while remote access via P2P cloud allows access even from abroad.

2. Playback/download footage

How to Playback And Download Recordings on Guarding Vision?

Playback/download works better under local access. It might take a while for loading when doing this via remote access.

Access the DVR/NVR System via Guarding Vision Software on PC (Via IP Address)

Summary:

This article shows you the steps to access the ANNKE system on a computer via the client software Guarding Vision.

Adding via IP address only allow local access (ANNKE system and computer must be in the same network/router). But you will get a better experience when watching camera live view/playback and download recordings, etc.

To access the system remotely on Guarding Vision, please add via P2P Cloud. See this instruction.

Video Guide:

Step by Step:

1. Download and install the software Guarding Vision on your computer.

For Windows, click here to download.
For Mac, click here to download.

2. Plug the ANNKE system into your router via an Ethernet cable.

3. Make sure your computer has been connected to the same router as the ANNKE system.

4. Run the software Guarding Vision. Register an administrator account.

Note: This account is only for logging in to Guarding Vision. It’s not the same as your ANNKE system account. (It is suggested to select “Enable Auto-login)

5. Run the software, and go to Device Management -> Device Type ­-> Device.
If the system and computer are in the same LAN network, you can see the device information under the Online Device list. Select your device, click on Add to Client.

6. On the pop-up page, set the details as the picture below shows, then click on ‘Add’.

Note:

1. The IP address of the system may vary from the network. Ensure the IP address you input is correct.
2. The user name must be ‘admin’.
3. Password is the one you used to log in to your system on the monitor/TV.
4. Remember to tick Export to Group.

7. The device information will then be shown on the tab page Device for Management. You can see the Net Status is online as the picture shows.

8. Go to the Main View tab page, click on the folder under the Camera list to expand the camera channels. Double-click on the channels to see the live streaming.

Access the DVR/NVR System via Guarding Vision software on PC (Via P2P Cloud)

Summary:

This article shows you the steps to access the ANNKE system on a computer via the client software Guarding Vision.

Adding via P2P Cloud allows remote access (ANNKE system and computer can be in the different network/router). While you may find the camera live view/playback and recordings download become laggy due to unstable network.

To access the system locally on Guarding Vision, please add via IP address. See this instruction.

Steps:

1. Download and install the software Guarding Vision on your computer.

For Windows, click here to download.
For Mac, click here to download.

2. Plug the ANNKE system into your router via an Ethernet cable.

3. Run the software Guarding Vision. Register an administrator account.

Note: This account is only for logging in to Guarding Vision. It’s not the same as your ANNKE system account. (It is suggested to select “Enable Auto-login)

4. Register an account (P2P account) on the mobile app Annke Vision.
Register an account on Annke Vision via your phone number or email address.

5. Come back to Guarding Vision. Go to Device Management -> Device Tap -> Add New Device Type; tick Cloud P2P Device and click OK.

6. Click Cloud P2P Device to enter the login screen. Select your country/area, click Login.

7. Then log in with the user name and password of your Annke Vision APP account.

Note: If your user name is the phone number, please input it in this format ‘+441234567890‘ (no space between the country code and the phone number).

8. If the ANNKE system has been added to the Annke Vision account beforehand, you can see it on the list automatically.
Otherwise, add the system to ANNKE vision account first.

9. Go to the Main View, click on the folder under the Camera list to display the channels. Double-click on the channels to see the live stream.

To monitor the flow of people, we added People Counting as an advanced function to our cameras. It has been well-received by the market since released.

Now, we release firmware version 4x.7.0.77, separating People Counting from VCA and adding Statistics Report function. From this article, you can have a better understanding about People Counting, Analysis Settings and Analysis Search.

Note: Only network camera with firmware version 4x.7.0.77 or above supports this function.

1.1 What is People Counting 

People Counting is able to count how many people enter or exit during the setting period, which can therefore serve multiple purposes such as helping retailers to count how many customers came in a day. It records the number of people passing through the line automatically. People who cross along the direction of the arrow will be recorded as IN. On the contrary, they will be recorded as OUT. 

1.2 Installation Suggestions 

When the camera counts, it will frame each object. To ensure the accuracy of counting, we need to let the object pass the line completely. There are two installation suggestions as follows.

• Top Mounting: Top-mounted cameras can better separate people passing side-by-side. 

• Wall Mounting: Wall-mounted cameras can better identify people.

Note: Either way, you need to make camera and people have a proper distance. And there is enough area in front and behind the detection line for the camera to recognize the object.

2. How to Set People Counting

2.1 Basic Settings of People Counting 

Step1: Select Event→People Counting→People Counting in Configuration and enable it. PTZ series cameras have advanced options to select and configure different preset points.

Step2: Click Edit of Detection Line and draw a line. The direction of the arrow is IN. If necessary, you can also set Min and Max size limits of object to exclude abnormal targets.

Step3: Click Edit of Schedule Settings and Choose when to count people. 

Step4: If necessary, turn on Counting OSD to display People Counting on the LiveView.

 Table1 Description of the buttons

2.2 Alarm Settings of People Counting

Alarm Trigger: Enable Alarm and set Thresholds first, and then you could do other settings.

Alarm Action: Configure the specific actions of the camera when the alarm is triggered.

Table2 Description of the buttons

Alarm Setting: Set alarm settings.

Table3 Description of the buttons 

3. Regional People Counting

When enabling regional people counting, users can check the real-time number of people and the time of each person’s stay in the detection region

Settings steps are as shown below:

Step1: Enable Regional People Counting;

Step2: Set detection region and object size limits. The object size limits can refer to screenshot above;

Step3: Set detection schedule, edit the schedule settings and choose when to count people.

Step4: 

Set Alarm Trigger and Alarm Action, Alarm will be triggered and take actions what you chose when the thresholds reaches to a certain value.

Note:

Camera firmware version xx.7.0.78 or above  support regional people counting

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4. Statistics Report

After a certain time of counting, you can start using the Statistics Report function. With this function, you can search by Statistics Types or Report Type. The search result supports Line Chart and Histogram, which could help users to study flow trend.

Search: Select Event→People Counting→Statistics Report in Configuration. Before click Search, you need to configure each parameter.

Table4 Description of Parameters

 Click the button in the top-right corner to switch Line Chart and Histogram.

Export: Click Report Export to manually export a picture or a CSV sheet of current display result.

Click Auto Export to configure the time, range and direction for automatic export, which only supports CSV sheets.

In this guide we will take you through how to configure your Comfast Onmi with a Wirelles Bridge.

Before You Begin

First, remove all components from the packaging and lay them out in front of you.

Wire Up the Bridge

Take the first panel and run an Ethernet lead from the WAN port to the PoE port on the power supply, then take a cable from the LAN port directly to your computer.

Now take the second panel and run a cable from the WAN port to the PoE port on the power supply.

Link: bit.ly/2KPSMgs

Make sure on both panels that you have the slider switch in the “on” position. If you are looking at the ports face on, with LAN to the left and WAN to the right, slide the switch to the left where it says ‘ON'(this may be upside down and appear to say ‘NO’). Once done you can follow the remaining steps.

You may need configure your ethernet adapter to be able to login into the bridges are these Onmi and bridges are on a weird network range.

Link: bit.ly/35yNspE

Configuring Your Comfast Onmi

Type in the IP address of your Comfast Omni into your web browser’s address bar then login using the password.

Once logged in, select Wizard from the menu on the left.

Then Select AP Mode.

Your page should now look like this:

If your internet provider is BT or TalkTalk set the IP address as 192.168.1.200.

For Virgin Media or Sky, set the IP address as 192.168.0.200.

Then click Next.

Once this is done, it will ask you to enter a password, this is the wireless password key for the Comfast bridge. For security purposes, set your own password here.

Set the Bandwidth to 80MHz, ‘Country’ to Europe and Channel to Auto.

Click Next and repeat as in the previous step. Make sure the password is the same.

On the next screen, click Finish and wait for the percentage bar to configure to 100% and that completes this part of the setup.

Configuring Comfast Bridge

Now you need to configure your Comfast bridge panel.

Open your web browser and type 192.168.10.1 into the address bar.

Input admin as the password.

Now select Wizard from the left-hand side of the page and then click on Bridge > Station > Client Site.

We need to ensure that the bridge is not on the same IP address as the Omni because otherwise it will cause a conflict. So here we have set this bridge IP address as 192.168.1.201.

Click Next, and then click on Scan and a list of networks will show like the page below. You will need to find the Onmi’s network from the list it with a name like: COMFAST_B4564_5G

If the SSID of the Omni doesn’t appear in the list, go to Network > Wireless and change the country to ‘Europe’:

Input the password that you used on the Onmi earlier.

Then select the Operate button, this is linking both devices together.

Click Finish and wait for the percentage bar to hit 100%, showing you have completed the setup process.

Check that Everything is Working

Finally, log in to the bridge and double check they are pairing. Enter the IP addresses you assigned to each device into your web browser to check that they are linked up and working together.

The homepage of the admin area should look like this:

Make sure that everything is up-and-running. Check the Link Status is Linked, RSSI should be showing a negative figure of dBm and a Connection Speed should be displayed. If this is the case, then the setup process is completed.

Setting up a Comfast long range WiFi access point

Purpose of the guide

This guide will show you how to set up a one of our Comfast long range WiFi access points as an extender, which will allow you to connect a WiFi device to your internet router from a distance of 100-200m.

• Before you begin
• Background
• Let’s get started
• Wiring it up
• Connecting to the WiFi access point
• Changing the WiFi name and password
• Changing the admin password
• Using this access point with a wired camera
• How to install the WiFi access point
  • Using metal ties
  • Using a pole mount
  • Using nails/screws
• Need more help?

Before you begin

If this has not already been pre-configured for you by our Helpdesk team, you will need to log in to the access point and set it up, see below for how to do this.

Make sure you set up the WiFi access point inside first and confirm it is working, and only mount it in the intended position when you have verified that it provides a connection to the internet.

If you will be connecting a WiFi camera or something similar, it is also best to connect it whilst quite close to the access point, then mount the camera in the final position once it has already been connected to the access point.

Background

This WiFi access point sends a 2.4GHz WiFi signal, which allows WiFi cameras to easily connect to it, as well as any other WiFi devices that have compatibility issues with 5GHz devices.

Once the setup is complete you should mount the access point on the highest point that you can, with as few obstructions in between the access point and the location of the WiFi device as possible. The more obstructions that are in the way, the shorter the effective range of the access point, so if you need the signal to reach 200m from the access point then it will need to be a clear line of sight to the WiFi device.

Let’s get started

First of all, remove all components from the packaging and lay them out in front of you.

You will have:

• A phone or tablet that can connect to WiFi
• One Comfast long range WiFi access point
• One POE injector (with included power cable)
• One 3m long ethernet lead, to connect the POE injector to your computer
• A second ethernet lead, to connect the POE injector to the WiFi access point (this supplies power and a connection to the internet router via one cable)

Wiring it up

1. Sitting next to your internet router and a free wall plug, take the POE injector and the power cable and connect it to a wall plug.
2. Connect one end of the short ethernet lead to the port marked ‘LAN’ on the POE injector, and connect the other end to a spare port on the back of your internet router.
3. Slide the port cover off the bottom end of the WiFi access point, then connect one end of the long ethernet lead to the port on the POE injector marked ‘POE’ and connect that to the port marked ‘WAN’ on the WiFi access point.

When the bridge is first connected to power you should see all the indicator lights on the side turn on briefly, this shows it is receiving power.

When the access point has turned on, it will create a WiFi network with a name beginning with ‘COMFAST’. If we have pre-configured the bridges for you then it should now be connected to the internet.

Try connecting to it using our default password of ‘12345Abc’ to test that it is definitely connected to the internet. Now skip to the section below called ‘Changing the WiFi name and password’. After that, make sure to complete the next step called ‘Changing the admin password’. The password for logging into the access point should be changed before you finish, or this will make it easy for someone to log in to it and change the settings or access your internet connection.

If it has not been pre-configured by the Helpdesk team then continue below, where we will connect to the access point and change the IP address settings.

Connecting to the WiFi access point

Open the internet browser on your phone/tablet and type ‘192.168.10.1’ into the address bar, then press enter.

Type ‘Admin’ as the password:

Select ‘AP’

Here you need to set the IP address of the WiFi access point so it works with your internet router. The subnet mask does not need to be changed.

If your internet provider is BT or TalkTalk:

• The IP address will be 192.168.1.200

If your internet provider is Virgin Media or Sky:

• The IP address will be 192.168.0.200

Or follow this guide to find out what it is:

How to use a Windows or Mac computer to find the default gateway

Now click ‘Next’:

1. Set the Local SSID to something you want; this is the name that you will see in the list of Wi-Fi networks on your phone/PC when connecting to the access point in future.
2. This is the password people will use when connecting their devices to the access point, so depending on how it is being used you may want a very complicated password or a very simple one. It is of course usually best to have a more complicated password. This is not the same as the admin password used when logging in to the access point.
3. Leave the Bandwidth as 20MHz
4. Set the country to ‘Europe’
5. Leave channel as ‘auto’, power as ‘100%’ and launch range as 2km.
6. Click ‘Finish’ and wait for it to apply the settings.

You will now be disconnected from the access point because the IP address has been changed.

Now reconnect to it via Wi-Fi, if you have not changed it to something else this will still be a name beginning with ‘COMFAST’. When prompted, enter the password you set on it previously.

Your device will now be connected to the internet. If you want to confirm this, type ‘192.168.10.1’ into the address bar on your phone again and type ‘admin’ as the password to log in. You will see a live graph showing the total amount of data being down/uploaded over time.

Changing the WiFi name and password

Open the internet browser on your phone/tablet and type ‘192.168.10.1’ into the address bar, then press enter.

Type ‘Admin’ as the password:

On the left side menu, select ‘Network’, then select ‘Wireless’ at the top:

1. Set the Local SSID to something you want; this is the name that you will see in the list of Wi-Fi networks on your phone/PC when connecting to the access point in future.
2. This is the password people will use when connecting their devices to the access point, so depending on how it is being used you may want a very complicated password or a very simple one. It is of course usually best to have a more complicated password. This is not the same as the admin password used when logging in to the access point.
3. Leave the Bandwidth as 20MHz
4. Set the country to ‘Europe’
5. Change the channel to ‘auto’, set power to ‘100%’ and launch range as ‘2km’.
6. Click ‘Finish’ and wait for it to apply the settings.

Changing the admin password

Now we need to finish up by changing the admin password.

• Go to System > Change Password.
• The old password is ‘Admin’ or ‘admin’.
• Set the new password to something that is not easy to guess. If you forget the password and ever need to edit the settings you can reset it by holding down the reset button in between the two ports for five seconds.

Using this access point with a wired camera

If you want to use a wired camera with your WiFi access point, you will need another accessory; a Wi-Fi repeater with an ethernet port for your camera to connect to. For example, the model sold on the website will work well but it doesn’t have to be that specific model. The reason this is required is because most mobile hot spots only provide a Wi-Fi connection, with no option to connect an ethernet cable. A Wi-Fi repeater can connect to and amplify the signal from a WiFi access point, and also provide access to that data connection via an ethernet port.

Make sure you have set up your mobile data hotspot first, then turn on your Wi-Fi extender. It will begin scanning for Wi-Fi networks, just tell it to connect to the name of the access point. If there is an option, set it to repeater mode so it is just repeating and amplifying the Wi-Fi signal from the access point. Try connecting your phone to the Wi-Fi repeater to check if you can connect to the internet.

If that works, then you should be able to connect the camera directly to the ethernet port on the Wi-Fi extender and have it connected to the internet.

How to install the WiFi access point

Using metal ties

Using a pole mount

Using nails/screws

Setting Up Your EnGenius Wireless Bridge

Purpose of this Guide

In this guide, we will cover setting up your EnGenius wireless bridge in WDS Bridge mode. This will allow you to connect an IP camera connected to either bridge to then view from either end.

Here is the wireless CCTV equipment you will need to set up a wireless CCTV system.

Background

There will be some small differences depending on the specific equipment you have but the basic idea of a bridge system is (starting from the camera):

1. Camera sends data to the ‘secondary site’ Wi-Fi bridge (via the PoE injector)
2. ‘Secondary site’ Wi-Fi bridge sends data to the ‘Home’ Wi-Fi bridge (via wireless connection)
3. ‘Home’ Wi-Fi bridge sends data to the internet router (via the PoE injector)
4. Internet router sends data to computers/phones/tablets via local connection or internet

There are three types of WDS Operation Mode and each of them serves the purposes as follows.

WDS Access Point (AP):

This mode allows you to simultaneously broadcast a publically visible WiFi network while bridging to another WDS AP or WDS Bridge. (Four other WDS AP/Bridge units can be linked back to one WDS Access Point using MAC address assignment in the WDS Link Settings.)

WDS Bridge:

This mode is required if you want to create a point-to-point link that is not visible to the public. (Four other WDS AP/Bridge units can be linked back to one WDS Bridge using MAC address assignment in the WDS Link Settings. – It is also worth noting that WDS Bridge is the fastest of all WDS modes.)

WDS Station:

When using WDS Station the device is effectively like a Client Bridge but maintains the integrity of a WDS link in terms MAC address transparency. (You can connect as many WDS Stations to a WDS AP as you require because you do not rely on the WDS Link Settings and simply do a Site Survey to connect to the WDS AP.)

How to Set Up in WDS Bridge Mode

It is quite often that there is a requirement to deploy a wireless bridge between two buildings to share an Internet or network connection and this requires the use of a pair of Outdoor WiFi units.

First, find out what your network IP is.  To do this: Click Start –> type “run” –> hit enter –> type “ipconfig” –> Look for the IPv4 address – (this is the IP address that’s needed).

Here I will show you how to set up a generic scenario where a building-to-building link is required.

First of all we need to make a note of the Wireless MAC address of each unit – this can be located on the label on the back and in the Main section from the Status heading.

For this demonstration we will have a Unit A and a Unit B set up in WDS Bridge Mode.

(UNIT A = the bridge that’s connected to the computer)

We will also assume that the Default Gateway/Router of the network has an IP address of 192.168.2.1

The default IP address of the EnGenius Outdoor WiFi unit is 192.168.1.1 (may vary according to model). We need to ensure we’re on the same subnet as the EnGenius unit so give your computer’s Ethernet adapter a temporary static IPv4 address of 192.168.1.20 

1. After doing this connect your EnGenius unit to your computer, open a web browser, and in the address bar type in 192.168.1.1 – click enter and you should see a log in box appear.

• Use “admin” for both Username and Password.

• Select Operation Mode from the menu heading System
• Select United Kingdom (or appropriate Country)
• Select WDS then Bridge
• Click Save & Apply

This will convert the unit’s mode of operation to a WDS Bridge.

2. Next go to the WDS Link Settings from the menu heading Wireless

• Set the Security to AES
• Enter an AES Passphrase at least 8 characters long (you will use the same passphrase on Unit B) – Select Enable from the Mode box – this will allow you to enter a MAC Address of the other unit.
• Type in Mac Address of Unit B (next time we will do vice versa and use the MAC address of Unit A) – Click Accept

 

(Be aware of Save/Reload: under the Status heading, you can apply multiple changes at once but they won’t take effect until you click Save & Apply from this section, don’t do this just yet…)

3. Go to IP Settings from the menu heading System

• As the Router in the network has an address of 168.2.1 we need to give the Engenius unit an IP address that is in the same network range but does not clash with anything else.
• Here I’ve used 168.2.100
• The Subnet Mask should be 255.255.0
• If desired, put in the Router’s address for the Default Gateway (our example is 168.2.1) – Click Accept

4. Go to Save/Reload: under the Status heading and click Save & Apply.

• The unit will now be configured as we require but you will no longer be able to access it as the IP address has been changed to a different subnet (the subnet of the router).
• Disconnect it from your computer, however, leave it powered up, as we will want to see if we can establish a link after we’ve set up the second unit

5. Now we will configure Unit B – connect it to the computer in the same manner as the last.

• Repeat step 1. In this guide.
• Repeat step 2. But type in the MAC Address of Unit A (use exactly the same passphrase as before)
• Repeat step 3. But give the unit an IP Address of 192.168.2.101 (So it doesn’t clash with the other)
• Repeat step 4. You should now see the unit configured as desired.

6. After the unit has rebooted we may have to change the IP Address of the computer to access it –

• If so we only need to change the subnet so alter the computer’s Ethernet IPv4 Settings from 168.1.20 to 192.168.2.20

• Use the web browser to log into the address 168.2.101 as before and go to WDS Link List under the Status heading.
• Here we should be able to see the WDS Link Status and if the wireless bridge is up and running.
• So now both the units are configured, each with a static IP address that resides on the same network as the router, finally we change our computer’s Ethernet settings back to Obtain an IP address automatically / viaDHCP.

There are many ways you can use WDS, however, if you wanted a unit to broadcast a publicly visible WiFi Network we could set it (or multiples) up as a WDS AP for additional WiFi coverage.

Guide and images provided by Solwise.

We hope you have found this guide useful. If it has not answered your question you can see related articles on the right or get in contact.

Setting Up Your Comfast Wireless Bridge

Purpose of this Guide

In this article we will take you through how to configure your Comfast Wireless Bridge which can help you guarantee a reliable connection for a wireless CCTV system.

Before You Begin

First of all, remove all components from the packaging and lay them out in front of you.

There will be some small differences depending on the specific equipment you have but the basic idea of a bridge system is (starting from the camera):

1. Camera sends data to the ‘secondary site’ Wi-Fi bridge (via the PoE injector)
2. ‘Secondary site’ Wi-Fi bridge sends data to the ‘Home’ Wi-Fi bridge (via wireless connection)
   
3. ‘Home’ Wi-Fi bridge sends data to the internet router (via the PoE injector)
4. Internet router sends data to computers/phones/tablets via local connection or internet

Wire Up the Bridge

Take the first panel and run an Ethernet lead from the WAN port to the POE port on the power supply, then take a cable from the LAN port directly to your computer.

Now take the second panel and run a cable from the WAN port to the POE port on the power supply.

Click this link to find out how to configure the settings on your Windows computer.

Make sure on both panels that you have the slider switch in the “on” position. Once done you can follow the remaining steps.

If your internet provider is BT you will want to use the below settings:

• The IP address will be 192.168.1.200
• Gateway will be 192.168.1.254
• Default password for the camera is admin

For TalkTalk you will want to use these settings:

• The IP address will be 192.168.1.200
• Gateway will be 192.168.1.1
• Default password for the camera is admin

For Virgin Media or Sky, it will be these settings:

• The IP address will be 192.168.0.200
• Gateway will be 192.168.0.1
• Default password will be admin

Configuring Your Comfast Bridge

Open a web browser and type 192.168.10.1 into the address bar.

Once the login page has opened up type in admin as the password.

You change the bridge to AP mode.

Change the IP address to what matches your ISP, then click on Next.

Then next page you can either change the SSID or leave it and setup a wireless password key, so no other people can just join  the network.

Then click finish. Once this bridge is done, you leave the first bridge plugged in and then wire the 2nd bridge to the PC./Laptop

Log into 2nd bridge and on the setup wizard this time, you will bridge -> Station -> Secondary Site.

Now press the next button and then click on where it says scan. This will show a list of nearby WiFi networks which you will want to select the Comfast one which shows up.

In the password box set a password, you will then want to set the same password on the next page when asked.

Press on the finish button which you will get a progress bar show up. Once done you can take the lead out of the laptop and plug it into your router.

Type the IP address which you set the bridge to into your address bar to bring up the login page again. Once logged in you will see a graph which shows the connection between the two bridges.

Set up and wire a pre-configured Wi-Fi bridge

Purpose of this Guide

This guide shows you how to set up your Comfast bridge, if it has been pre-configured by us.

Even if they don’t seem to work, do not press the reset button on the bridges as this will erase all of the settings and will mean the bridges have to be set back up. If you do this and need us to set the bridges back up for you we will need to book you in for an Engineer Support session. If you want to set it up yourself, please follow the relevant guide below:

Comfast: bit.ly/37DiDC0

Ubiquity: bit.ly/2pSPDVQ

Before You Begin

Please unpack your bridges, cables and power supplies ready and get your computer up and running preferably in the same room as your router.

There will be some small differences depending on the specific equipment you have but the basic idea of a bridge system is (starting from the camera):

1. Camera sends data to the ‘secondary site’ Wi-Fi bridge (via the PoE injector)
2. ‘Secondary site’ Wi-Fi bridge sends data to the ‘Home’ Wi-Fi bridge (via wireless connection)
   
3. ‘Home’ Wi-Fi bridge sends data to the internet router (via the PoE injector)
4. Internet router sends data to computers/phones/tablets via local connection or internet

Let’s Get Started

Now, watch the following video guide which will walk you through how to wire up and set up your Comfast bridges.

Setting Up Your Ubiquiti NanoBeam Wireless Bridges

Background

There will be some small differences depending on the specific equipment you have but the basic idea of a bridge system is (starting from the camera):

1. Camera sends data to the ‘secondary site’ Wi-Fi bridge (via the PoE injector)
2. ‘Secondary site’ Wi-Fi bridge sends data to the ‘Home’ Wi-Fi bridge (via wireless connection)
3. ‘Home’ Wi-Fi bridge sends data to the internet router (via the PoE injector)
4. Internet router sends data to computers/phones/tablets via local connection or internet

Below is a video guide on how to set up the Ubiquiti Nano Beams.

Should you need any more help with your Ubiquiti NanoBeams please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

This article will go over Motion Recording setup in detail on the recorder’s new GUI

Prerequisites

• Dahua Recorder with new GUI
• Dahua Camera

Step by Step Instructions

1. On the main menu go to Management

2. Click on Camera

3. Under Camera select “Video Detect” to enter the Motion Detect settings and enable the functions for your application

4. Click on “Settings” next to region to modify hot spots.

Note-Colored boxes detect motion, transparent boxes do not detect motion

5. Click on “More Settings” to open up the rest of the options for Motion Detect

6. After configuring the settings, check “Enable MD” to enable motion detect and save the configurations by clicking on “Save”

7. We need to setup a schedule now so go to “Management” and click on “Storage”

8. Select the channel you are working with and go to settings

9. For this example we are doing Motion recording only for everyday of the week, so we disabled General recording and only kept Motion

10. After setting up a schedule make sure you save any changes. Next go to “Record”

• Note– Clicking to “Copy” will allow you copy the current settings to other channels

11. Make sure the channel(s) you are working with are set to “Auto” for the streams you want to enable. After doing so, exit the “Storage” tab.

12. Go to “Video”

13. You can now check recording for motion. It will be indicated with yellow bars

1. Download SmallFTPD from the following link: http://sourceforge.net/projects/smallftpd/

2. In the root of one of your hard drives, create a folder titled, “FTP”

3. Locate the file you downloaded and extract the contents of the zipped file to the FTP folder you just created in the root of your hard drive.

Your computer should look similar to the image above.

4. Double click, “smallftpd.exe”

5. Click, “Settings” and then, “General”

6. Note the port, and click, “OK”

7. Click, “Settings” and then, “Advanced”

8. Click the box next to, “Use local IP” and click, “OK”

->

9. Click, “Settings” and then, “Users”

10. Click, “Add”

11. Input the following:

Login: admin

Password: admin

Max. simultaneous connections:3-100

Inactivity timeout(s): 999

12. Under Directories click, “Add”

13. Leave Virtual Path set to, “/” and set the Physical path to, “C:/FTP” and click, “OK”

14. Under Permissions click, “Add”

15. Leave Virtual Path set to, “/” and set the Permissions to, “LRW” and click, “OK”

16. Click, “OK” to exit the User Properties.

17. Click, “OK” to exit the User Menu.

18. Click the, “Play” button to start the FTP server.

19A. For a NVR or DVR, go to Main Menu-> Settings -> Network -> FTP, and input the following: NVR or DVR

Host IP: (Your PC’s IP address)

Port: 21 or the port you setup earlier in SmallFTPD

User Name: admin

Password: admin

Remote Directory: /

File Length: 10-512

Image Upload Interval: 10-60

Channel: (any)

Period: (any)

19B. For an IP Camera, login to the IP Camera via web browser and navigate to, Setup-> Storage -> Destination -> FTP, and input the following:

IP Camera

Server Address:(Your PC’s IP address)

Port: 21 or the port you setup earlier in SmallFTPD

User Name: admin

Password: admin

Remote Directory: /

Once complete click, “Save” or “OK”

20. Once complete, check the SmallFTPD and the “C:/FTP” folder. They should look like the below images:

 and