Network security cameras are ubiquitous and sought after for any security camera system. If you have an existing camera system and have recently upgraded the DVR recorder by purchasing one from CCTV Camera World then you're in luck. All of our DVRs support IP cameras and PoE cameras that we offer. Since DVRs only have BNC ports built-in, a PoE switch is required to connect any PoE cameras over the network to the DVR. You can even setup a standalone security camera system by connecting the PoE switch directly in to the network port of the DVR. Regardless of how you are deploying your PoE switch, the process is pretty easy as long as you have a basic understanding of computer networking principles and follow the guide below on how to enable IP channels on your DVR or XVR and the camera to the recorder.

This guide is applicable to Security DVR we offer and may not apply to one you already have. If after the following this guide you have further questions, feel free to contact technical support by submitting a trouble ticket.

Prerequisites

Here's what you will need to follow this guide:

  • PoE switch - to power the IP cameras
  • Router - to network the cameras and the DVR on the same local network
  • Windows PC - to configure the cameras on the network using our Windows based tools
  • IP cameras - compatible cameras purchased from CCTV Camera World
  • DVR recorder - that supports IP camera inputs over the network

 

Once you have the necessary hardware to create a local network for the security cameras and one of our DVRs to communicate to each other, connecting them together is a four step process:

  1. Connect IP cameras to PoE Switch
  2. Configure DVR to your network
  3. Configure cameras to your network
  4. Add cameras to the XVR using its menu interface
  5. Add 3rd Party ONVIF cameras to the XVR using its menu interface

 

Step 1. Connect IP cameras to PoE Switch

  1. You need to have a PoE switch that is 802.3af/at compliant to power the IP cameras.
  2. Connect the PoE switch to your router to make sure it is connected to the network.
  3. You need to connect the DVR to one of the ports on the switch or router. If your PoE switch has multiple uplink ports (non-POE), we suggest connecting the DVR/NVR to one of the uplink ports.
  4. If you have lights on your switch, make sure the lights for the ports you just connected are lit. Each port will be numbered according to the port you have connected.

 

Step 2. Configure DVR to your network

  1. Configure the DVR to an IP address that is compatible with your network. If you don't know how to do that, you can follow our guide on how to connect security cameras to the internet to learn simple networking concepts to properly deploy a DVR or camera on a network.
  2. It is important to configure networked devices to proper IP addresses based on your local network (LAN) for them to communicate to each other. A common network structure is 192.168.1.xxx but yours may vary.
  3. We suggest changing the IP address of the recorder to something other than the default 192.168.1.108 so there is no conflict with any new IP cameras you purchase from us. All devices we carry come with a default factory set up address of 192.168.1.108.

 

Step 3. Configure IP cameras to your network

  1. Connect your IP cameras to the PoE switch and configure them to an IP address that is compatible with your LAN. For the guide on how to configure cameras follow our guide on How to Assign an IP Address to your IP camera. If the camera does not allow you to change the IP address then it may need initialization. A video guide for initialization can be found in section 1D in our guide on How to Connect an IP Camera to a Computer. Repeat this step for each IP camera that you intend to connect to the security DVR recorder.

 

Step 4. Add cameras to the XVR using its menu interface

  1. The first step before you are able to add IP camera channels to a DVR is enabling the IP channels. Using the Channel Type screen you can enable the additional IP camera channels, or switch existing BNC channels to IP channels. If you switch a channel from Auto or a coaxial type it will disable that BNC port for an IP channel. Note that this does not allow you to use the BNC port for an IP channel and vice versa. The video below shows how this can be done.

  2. After you have configured the DVR and the cameras properly on the same network, you need to configure the XVR to accept IP camera channels. This requires changing the channel type or signal type on the DVR from BNC cameras to IP cameras. The comprehensive video guide below  will show you the process of changing channel signal type on the DVR and connecting an IP camera from the network. Watch a video process of this guide for cameras on same network, or cameras that may be on a different network below. If you are looking for the Gen 1 interface video, you can click here. If you are still having a problem, then it's necessary to check the IP addresses of both cameras and DVR. If they are the exact same then the camera will not appear. The same is also true for devices that are not properly configured to be on the same network. Make sure you fully understand the concepts above before attempting to configure your security camera system to accept IP camera channels.

Step 4b. How to add ONVIF cameras to the XVR using its menu interface

In this video, we demonstrate how to connect an ONVIF security camera to one of our Elite series Avalonix XVR recorders. This method is straightforward. Before you begin, make sure your camera is properly configured in your local network and that you have activated ONVIF on your camera if it requires it. In addition, as shown in the first half of the guide, you must enable IP channels on the XVR.

Continue by verifying that the XVR recorder and security camera are connected to the same network. Then, to access the main menu, log in to your XVR. Then, in the Settings area at the bottom, click the Camera button to access the Camera List.

If you're lucky and your camera has good ONVIF support, it will appear once you click Device Search, and you might be able to use the "Add" button option by ticking the box for the camera and clicking Add. After that, by clicking the pencil symbol, entering the right password, and clicking OK to save the change, you'll be able to connect the camera. Otherwise you will need to use the Manual Add button to enter in the IP address, username, password, and switch the Manufacturer option to ONVIF.

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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