lindsayspop

What brand/model is the dvr?

I see your router is a Linksys. What model is it? You might try using the troubleshooting resources at the Linksys website. My router has to be powered off occasionally because of problems with my TIVO service losing a connection but it always saves the port forwarding settings for my HVR.

Why are you turning off the modem and router? I keep mine on 24/7. Are you in North Korea?

I have a used Pelco DX8100 series HVR that I bought for use at home knowing it was way more machine than I needed but thinking the durability and design would make it a worthwhile investment. After getting it operational thanks to the help of Pelco's tech department I installed the iPhone app and webviewer client software from Mobideos that is the only developer that Pelco says provides the interface needed for remote viewing. After some fits and starts we got it connected and working fine but the connection seems to drop out occasionally, causing the ability to view remotely to be lost. I checked the Auto Reboot setting on the HVR and deactivated it, reset the HVR and rebooted the embedded Windows XP computer that drives the system. That helped for a while but lately I've been unable to log on via the internet, either through the iPhone app or the webviewer. I talked to my IP and they checked network strength, packet traffic, etc and said they couldn't find anything that would cause the problem. The IP address hasn't changed to cause a connection loss. The app developer tried to log in using my password info and couldn't connect from their servers directly. Pelco didn't identify any other features that might cause the problem and suggested I download Wireshark to test the system. Haven't waded into that yet because it looks pretty involved. Do any of you pros who use this device have any suggestions (other than sell it since I'm in over my head) that might cause this issue. Thanks, Phil

I did try lowering the bandwith which didn't help. I think they refer to it as the bandwidth throttle. Maybe I can try to increase it in my case just to see if it works. The DX8100 has a log of connections and disconnections which shows when the unit was connected to and when it wasn't. It recorded my connects and disconnects, the ports all show they're open and I ran telnet to the viewing port (9002) which displayed some wonky code which according to the app developer confirms that the dvr is communicating with the host. Still, I can't get the app to show the cameras. I've re-entered the setup data number of times to no avail. What cranks me the most is that I had a cheapo Zmodo dvr with a free app that ran without problems and now with this expensive app ($200 for a lifetime subscription) and a enterprise quality HVR I can't see anything over the internet or 3G.

Thanks for checking in guys. I thought I had it fixed by having our IT guy from work remotely log in and review all my PC and router settings. After he tweaked a couple of things I went out of town for a few days, planning to re-connect with the app developer that makes the only app for this unit. I checked in with them when I returned and they must have reset something because I was able to view two of the cameras after that. I re-entered all the settings on the app and the web client in hope of seeing all 6 cameras. Now I can't see any of them and I'm unable to get a response from them. I've got the DX8108 for sale on eBay for $995 and am going back to a simple DVR like Techline or Dahua. I'm pretty sure it's the app. Reviews on it haven't been good but it's the only thing that will allow remote log in. Pelco doesn't support it and offers no help.

I have a used Pelco DX8100 series HVR that I bought for use at home knowing it was way more machine than I needed but thinking the durability and design would make it a worthwhile investment. After getting it operational thanks to the help of Pelco's tech department I installed the iPhone app and webviewer client software from Mobideos that is the only developer that Pelco says provides the interface needed for remote viewing. After some fits and starts we got it connected and working fine but the connection seems to drop out occasionally, causing the ability to view remotely to be lost. I checked the Auto Reboot setting on the HVR and deactivated it, reset the HVR and rebooted the embedded Windows XP computer that drives the system. That helped for a while but lately I've been unable to log on via the internet, either through the iPhone app or the webviewer. I talked to my IP and they checked network strength, packet traffic, etc and said they couldn't find anything that would cause the problem. The IP address hasn't changed to cause a connection loss. The app developer tried to log in using my password info and couldn't connect from their servers directly. Pelco didn't identify any other features that might cause the problem and suggested I download Wireshark to test the system. Haven't waded into that yet because it looks pretty involved. Do any of you pros who use this device have any suggestions (other than sell it since I'm in over my head) that might cause this issue. Thanks, Phil

I have hooked up my used Pelco HVR DX8108 and while I can operate the cameras and record just fine, I can't seem to make the connection to the LAN and subsequently to the Internet. I spoke with the IT guys at Pelco and they asked me to ping the unit but the command timed out. This unit has an embedded Windows XP computer in it and I wondered if the previous owner had in some way disabled the ability to connect for security reasons. Anyone have any advice about what to look for and what to try? I am going to pick up a cross over cable so I can check the connection between the unit and my pc directlly on the possibility that the connection between the unit, the router and the pc is inoperative. Thanks.

I have a chance to buy the above unit -- used but tested -- for not a lot of money. I know it's overkill for a home application but I like the idea of eventually converting my analog cameras to IP. I only need 8 cameras so the capacity is right. Am I nuts? Is there anything I should know about this unit before moving ahead?

You don't say how you're going to use the cameras or what they are needed for. Are you trying to cover a doorway or entrance? Do you need to have a sharp image in all light conditions? I am a relative amateur but I found out the quality of the camera makes a big difference in your ability to use the image for identification purposes. You should be able to get a good image on your PC hard drive with commonly available software but don't skimp on the cameras.

Glad you got it figured out. I got some help from the Zmodo tech support folks although depending on who answers the call, the quality of the help will vary considerably. An earlier post said any hard drive will do but in one of the several exchanges I had with them, I was told to use an AV grade hard drive -- one made specifically for use with DVR's. Their point was that with the constant overwriting on the drive in surveillance systems the drive will fail prematurely if it isn't rated for that use. The reason I know that is I that I bought a standard HD after upgrading from a smaller one. After a short time I couldn't get it to reboot and had other problems. Once I bought the AV drive, things have been fine. I don't think I paid any more than for a standard drive so it might be worth using one if you plan to change out the drive at some point.

I had a DVR that came with the DX Client Viewer you refer to. I don't recall the brand name but it was a low end 9 channel unit. Found that I couldn't use it to view via mobile phone thanks to the software so eventually replaced it. As I recall, the DX Client Viewer runs Active X which can sometimes has to be enabled through the browser on the remote computer. Check your settings under Internet Options in Internet Explorer to make sure you enable it. Also, I seem to recall that software won't run on anything but IE.

It might be worth it to sign up for the dyndns.com service even though they now charge. At one time it was free but they decided to start charging one day and I only found out when I couldn't use the service anymore and lost my connection. My Linksys router doesn't support anything else as I came to find out -- even contacted Linksys to confirm. It might be easy to change your IP address once you get a message alert but what happens to your coverage if you can't get to it instantaneously? It's $20/per year and even though it pains me to pay it I haven't had a problem since I signed back up with

You've got about $1200 worth of equipment there so almost $3K of installation costs. I would think you could get by for much less.

You didn't format the hard drive when you installed it?

I can't tell from the aerial view what kind of street lighting -- if any -- you have. It's not apparent that there's much illumination for picking up license plates and so forth. In the absence of street lighting you might consider attractive but powerful yard lights as one form of deterrence. I'm not a security pro like many of the guys on this forum but another thing you might also invest in is motion activated lights located strategically on vulnerable areas of each house. High up on the eave of what appears to be some pretty tall homes, they might be a deterrent in their own right as well as a supplemental source of lighting to the cameras you choose to install.

Another thought. Since you can see the login page and you're told "Login Failed" you might check your user settings to see if the user name and password are consistent with what you are entering. The admin setting should give you access with a generic password of 666666 unless you've changed them.

I have a similar Zmodo unit and after talking with them I actually had to have 3 ports forwarded -- one for the LAN (internal to my PC), one for Internet viewing through a remote PC and the last for use with my iPhone. I use the Naway software they recommended and although it has limited functionality I can at least see my cameras from the cell phone. I also use a DNS service to keep track of the changing IP address. Make sure you have the ports in your router configured to correspond to those on the setup screen of your DVR. They are a pretty inexpensive unit but if you can work through the settings without the help of a detailed owners manual, it should work okay in the end. You might call Zmodo tech help. Toll Free: 866-551-6881 They actually speak English and are located in Illinois. Good luck.

I participated in an recent auction of closeout items from Mace Security and on a whim bought a bunch of stuff thinking I could resell it for a little profit. I'm no longer interested in profit -=- I just want to get rid of it. Items consist of BNC cameras and 3 way dome cameras -- both B&W. You can find it all on eBay at this link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Security-and-Surveillance-Camera-Fire-Sale-/221055800590?pt=US_Security_Cameras&hash=item3377f3d50e#ht_642wt_1154 Let me know if you're interested.

I still be crazy too because me can't be sure you have a question.

Several years ago I traded out an old DVR that was connected to the cameras via a separate 12v power module. I bought a new one last winter and hooked it up in the same way the old unit was connected -- with the power module between the DVR and the cameras. Thing is, the new DVR doesn't require a converter box. It hasn't seemed to affect the camera images but I'm wondering if it has contributed to a problem I'm having with the viewing of all six images on the same screen. They rarely display the same time code and it's obvious the image of an object or person moving from one camera to the next aren't in sync. I've also had to put in a new hard drive. Thoughts?

I'm not a professional like many of the guys in this forum so take this with a grain of salt but my carrier -- Cox -- also blocks port 80 but doesn't charge to "open" another port. So I just assigned a 4 digit port number -- say 8080 -- and ran the utility at canyouseeme.org to check if the port I was assigning was open. Just type in your IP setting, then the port you want to assign to check its status. Remember to set up the corresponding port in your DVR software and make the appropriate settings in your router. I had to resort to a dynamic DNS service to make sure that once things were open and working the frequent changes in IP address from Cox didn't screw up my settings for use in viewing via the internet and 3G network.

Best way is to contact the company. I saw a post on another site where the guy said he got help from a tech at Maplin. Here's a link to customer service. customercare@maplin.co.uk Send your model number and they should be able to help.

I just replaced a camera in my system with a vandal proof dome type camera. The old bullet camera operated well until I broke it cleaning the lens. The new camera is 1/3" Sony CCD with horizontal resolution of 600 TVL. It has 48 LED's and during the day time the color and focus is outstanding. I checked it for the first time last night and the image is totally washed out with what appears to be concentric white circles in a field of grayish white. The image is barely visible behind the wash out. I have it mounted under the overhang in front of the garage. The system is pretty basic so the only settings are on the dvr -- contrast, brightness, chroma, etc. None of those adjustments fix the problem. Can't adjust the camera itself. Any theories on what's wrong before I send back the camera? Thank you. Phil

At the risk wearing out the subject I thought I'd wrap up what I found out upon the advice of members of this forum. There apparently are too many IR's for the type of use I'm putting this camera to. I have it mounted under an eave in a residential application and found that in order to get the view I want I run into a problem of getting reflections off the camera mounting housing where I have placed the lens as close to parallel with the ground as possible. Were the elevations different and the angle of the lens less acute it might work okay. In order to test the theory of too many IR's reflecting into the housing I taped over at least half of them with electrical tape. It's a temporary fix but it does prove that there is too much going on with intense IR reflection for this application. Also, I think the design of the housing is inferior in that there should be no point at which the housing should interfere with the lens or cause reflection. Thanks to all of you for your help. I'm returning the camera and going back to a bullet camera -- the type that was working well before I broke it.