As with all security cameras, before installing the Avalonix Pro Series IP Camera we suggest bench testing the camera before installation and configuring it for use on your network with your NVR or the internal network of a PoE NVR. There are a few settings that need to be configured on this ONVIF compatible IP camera using its web interface before connecting the camera to a NVR. This article will guide you through the necessary changes that need to be made to the camera's configuration in order to function with our PoE or non-PoE NVR. We will also cover a few other features that the Pro Series camera offers. 

Step 1: Powering the Camera

To test the camera you need to power the camera and connect it to your network. There are a couple of different way to do this depending on whether you have a external PoE switch or not.

If you are using the camera with the internal PoE switch on a PoE NVR

Using a power adapter and configuring the settings outlined below are necessary steps to configure the camera for use with the internal PoE switch of the NVR.

ip-cam-connections

  • Connect the 12V power jack on the camera to a 12V DC 1amp power adapter to provide power to the camera
  • Connect the RJ45 network Jack on the camera to your router or switch using a ethernet cable

If you are using the camera with a external PoE switch

Connect the camera to a PoE switch connected to your network to send both data and power over a single network cable.

Step 2: Login Using the Web Interface

The Avalonix Pro Series cameras have a different default IP address than most of our other IP cameras. Open Internet Explorer 11 and navigate to http://192.168.1.88. It does take a minute or two for the camera to boot up and become accessible after connecting the camera to a power adapter or a PoE switch.

If you haven't already done so, install the ActiveX File for the camera. This file is downloaded directly from the camera and is known to cause false positives with Anti-Virus programs. Install the file and add 192.168.1.88 to your trusted sites. If you run into issues with viewing the login  prompt after you enter the IP address for the camera, follow the steps outlined in Enabling ActiveX on internet explorer.

Login to the camera using the default credentials if you have not changed the username or password; use admin for username and password.

Pull up the camera in your web browser

Step 3: Default the Camera

After logging in there may be residual effects from updated firmware that might cause the screen to not format correctly.  Do the following:

  1. Click on CONFIG from the tabs on the top of the camera's web interface
  2. Click SYSTEM
  3. Click RESTORE
  4. Hit the button for "RESTORE FACTORY SETTINGS"
  5. Enter the password (default is admin)
  6. Click SUBMIT

Restore Settings

A message will be displayed stating "Restart, please wait...". Once it's finished you will be redirected to the login page. Enter the credentials and log in again. This time, you will see the web interface the way it was intended.

Step 4: Enable Audio

Certain features of the Avalonix Pro Series cameras are turned off by default. One of those features is external audio input (if applicable) which allows the use of an add-on security camera microphone. If you will be using an add-on microphone, to activate audio input on the camera, navigate to:

  1. Click the CONFIG tab at the top right of the screen
    Click Config Tab
  2. Select AUDIO SETTINGS from the drop-down on the left
  3. Click AUDIO PARAMETERAudio Settings
  4. Check the box for ENABLE and click SAVE. Your screen should look like the above.

It is always a good idea to confirm your settings were properly saved by navigating to a different page in the web configuration section, and revisiting the modified page to confirm the settings were saved properly.

Step 5: Set Internal Clock

All of our IP cameras keep time. We suggest synchronizing the camera with an NTP server so you don't have to worry about the internal clock going out of sync. Having the time out of sync can cause playback issues in multi-camera systems. Here's how to set the correct time:

  1. Click SYSTEM on the left side menu
  2. Click SYSTEM TIME from the submenu under System

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  3. Select the NTP Server radio button (shown above) and a drop-down box for timezone should appear.
  4. Select the time zone that matches actual time and click on save.We are EST or GMT-05:00. The URL and port will auto populate as well.

Make sure the camera is on a network that allows internet access. If your router or firewall are blocking port 123 you will not be able to communicate with the time servers.

Step 6: Enable and Configure Motion Detection

To enable motion detection on your Pro Series camera navigate to:

Alarm Settings -> Motion Detection

Enable Motion Detection

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  1. Click MOTION AREA SET to highlight it orange
  2. Click ALL
  3. Click MOTION AREA SET again to stop the action
  4. Check the box for ENABLE
  5. Check the RECORD box below the video feed
  6. Click SAVE

Here is what your screen should look like:

After enabling motion detection

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Including Only Designated Areas for Motion Detection

By selecting all you are setting the whole image to trigger motion events. If you do not want to include an area you can click and drag one or more boxes on the screen with Motion area set highlighted to include only specific areas. This can be helpful if there is a fixed object that moves in the wind, and sets off false motion alarms.

Motion Detection Sensitivity

Depending on your given scenario you may want to set motion detection to a stronger or weaker sensitivity. There is no cut and dry setting for sensitivity. It's something that will have to be adjusted to suit your needs over time. The sensitivity on this camera ranges from 1-5, with 5 being most sensitive. We suggest setting the camera on 3 for motion sensitivity.

Email on Motion Alarm Trigger

You can skip this section if you are going to be using the camera with a NVR. If you would like to send motion alerts in a IP camera NVR system, it is the NVR that needs to be configured to send email alerts on motion. You can read our Email alert setup guide for NVR  and DVR for more information on this topic.

If you will be using the IP camera as a standalone web camera, you can have the camera email you upon video-based motion detection. Check the box to enable the email function when a motion alarm triggers. You'll also need to add an email address under Network Settings > Email.

Step 7: Configuring Video Resolution

Video Settings Options

This series of IP cameras offer a lot of options that can be tweaked depending on your use. By browsing the category for Video Settings, you will find plenty of options to configure. The most commonly used are:

  • Image Orientation - Video Parameter -> Basic and Advanced
  • Resolution - Video Coding
  • Camera Name/Date Format - OSD Settings

In some cases, the default video settings need to be adjusted, such as mounting a dome on the wall or desk. Dome cameras are designed to be mounted on the ceiling so the image is oriented to be upright when mounted on the ceiling. If you've noticed, I've had the camera sitting on a desk and pointing at a phone in the office. Initially, the image was upside down but I flipped the image using the camera's web interface to suit my needs.

For this guide we will be focusing on the available settings for camera resolution and frame rate.

Camera Video Quality Settings

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Depending on the type of NVR you use and the resolution you want to record the camera at, you can tweak the video resolution from the VIDEO CONFIG submenu found under VIDEO SETTINGS. For example, you can also change the resolution on the main stream which gets recorded on the NVR between 4MP, 3MP and 2MP resolution, and set the Frame Rate dependent on the resolution you choose and the capabilities of the camera and NVR.

Here are the recommended Video Encoding Settings for the camera 's Main Stream for us with our NVRs:

Resolution Frames Per Second Coding Rate control Bit Rate (Kb/S)
4MP (2592x1520) 15fps H.264 VBR 8192
3MP (2048x1520) 25fps H.264 VBR 6144
1080P (1920x1080) 25fps H.264 VBR 4096

We suggest you choose one of the above settings for compatibility with our NVRs . The Sub Stream should be left at the default resolution of 640x480 (D1) Resolution which is the same quality as a analog camera. In this way you will record the high resolution Main Stream on the NVR, and the Sub Stream will be used for remote viewing to save bandwidth on your internet connection.

Step 8: Network Settings and Configuration

If you're configuring the cameras to be attached to your network, and not to the integrated PoE ports on the back of the NVR read this article instead Configuring Pro Series IP Cameras with an NVR. Otherwise for use with one of our PoE NVRs, please continue below.

The default IP address of the Avalonix Pro Series camera is 192.168.1.88. Since you are connecting it to a PoE port on the back of one of our NVR with PoE Switch  the IP address will have to be changed to match the internal network of the NVR's switch. In the camera settings navigate to:

  1. Network Settings
  2. LAN

Check the settings on the NVR to determine what scope its internal switch uses. The default for the NVR we are using in this guide is as follows:

  • IP Address of Switch: 10.1.1.1
  • Subnet mask = 255.255.255.0
  • Gateway = 10.1.1.1

Here's a quick screen shot from the the NVR's Network->Switch Menu:

NVR Internal Switch Settings

For the camera to work with the NVR, you will need to configure the IP address on the camera to match the scope of the switch on the back of the NVR. We can set the cameras to an ip address that matches the scope of 10.1.1.X  where X is any number from 2 thru 254.

Since this will be our first camera on the NVR, we will set it to the following network parameters:

  • IP Address: 10.1.1.2
  • Subnet mask = 255.255.255.0
  • Gateway = 10.1.1.1

Notice the Subnet and Gateway are exactly the same as what is on the NVR. This is very important. Here is a screen shot of the settings from our camera:

7-5-2016 11-57-56 AM

Do not click save until you have reviewed your settings and are confident that they are correct. Once you click SAVE you will not be able to access the camera on the current network, unless you change the scope of your network to match 10.1.1.1.

For example, let's say your computer's IP address  is 192.168.1.22 and the default gateway is 192.168.1.1. The camera by default is on 192.168.1.88. Given that the first three octets are the same, you are considered to be on the same segment. If you were to change the camera's IP address to 10.1.1.2 and its default gateway to 10.1.1.1 the camera will not be visible on the network and a specific IP scanning tool must be used to scan your network for the camera and make the camera accessible on the network again.

If you have followed the steps above, then you should be ready to click save and connect the camera to your NVR's PoE Ports.

Step 9: Connect to your PoE NVR

The final step is to connect your camera to one of the available PoE ports on the back of your NVR. We suggest adding cameras in succession without skipping ports. In our case we are connecting the camera to Port 1.

Make sure your Camera is connected to one of the PoE Ports. In our case we connected it to Port 1.

Make sure your Camera is connected to one of the PoE Ports. In our case we connected it to Port 1.

  1. Click Manual Add
    Click Manual Add to Attach ONVIF IP Camera

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  2. Enter the settings as outlined in the below picture: 
    Enter Camera Settings Manually

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  3. Click SAVE and your camera will sync with the NVR.
    Success

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If you would like to see this process in video form, please check out the video below:

If you have any questions about this guide, please use our support form to contact us.

Matt Rossi is a Technical Support Manager at CCTV Camera World, a leading CCTV Camera distributor located in Buffalo, NY. He is a technical support expert for everything video surveillance related.

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