Don Stephens

It's possible that it may be the version of firmware on the DVR. It can be related to glitchy firmware, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. It's still worth asking them for the latest version. Do you know which model it is from them? As long as they're only trying to access the one DVR at a time, I don't know how it could be bandwidth related; only if they were really taxing the network.

"-repeated fails-" As in, sometimes they're able to connect and sometimes they aren't? Is it a login failure or is it timing out? It will say one or the other and that will help to narrow it down a little more. If it's failing to login, I would tell you that something is going on with the credentials. If it's timing out, then what IC Realtime told you is probably 100% accurate. I've had a long standing relationship with several people at IC Realtime solely because they have always been brutally honest with me no matter what. I don't think they'd be feeding you garbage just to get you off the phone.

It'd be very hard for me to sympathize with the person who gets caught here. I don't have "Please don't rob me" signs all over my house. Does that mean I'm solely responsible when someone breaks into my home?

If your NVR is Onvif compatible, you're probably good to go with a Hikvision camera. I really don't know why the 720p camera wouldn't be working on that NVR though, but Swann does like to carry a lot of different things from a lot of different manufacturers so I guess compatibility might be the problem.

That's really strange that the router is causing the HDD to stop recording. I really don't even know how that would happen. Short of just trying another router, I wouldn't even know what to suggest. I've only ever had issues with SonicWALL when it came to brands but that's a completely different issue. Older hardware (i.e. modems and routers) from the ISP can also cause problems with networking and remote viewing, but I've never seen them affect the DVR so much that it stop recording.

This happens a lot when you have issues with firmware. More than likely a firmware update will correct the problem but it usually has to be sent back to the people you got it from in order to get that update.

viewtopic.php?t=30127 I think Soundy probably says it best when he includes Swann as a "bottom of the barrel" brand. Having said that, all of those brands are usually where people start with CCTV systems to get their feet wet and there's nothing wrong with that. The only reason people stumble into most of these brands is because the big box stores, like Costco, love to sell cheap crap knowing full well that people will buy it because of the low price. Look at it differently. Costo is a company that specializes in selling cheap merchandise. How reliable do you think a CCTV system is going to be from them? I would say the biggest problem with purchasing any of these brands is longevity. None of it is really built to last. Whoever told you that Swann is the best you can buy is NOT a reliable source of information. That's actually one of the more hysterical things I've heard on this forum.

Excerpt from recent article related to HDSDI: "While video loss is not an uncommon occurrence among security cameras, you're usually able to trace the issue back to a specific problem. With HDSDI, don't be surprised if you can't find anything wrong. Most of the time, the problem is with the technology itself and not related to an installation error. Flickering and complete video loss is very common among HDSDI cameras. In some occasions you're video feed will just freeze. The solution to all of this is the same; reboot the whole system and don't be surprised if you have to reboot it several times in a row." To answer your questions, I've never heard of a modem causing this. If your entire display is freezing and not just the camera feed, I would think your HDMI cable is probably at fault (probably poor quality).

Are you able to make it work locally through the app? What's your upload speed at the site of the recorder? Which application are you using and for what system? Which plan are you on with No-IP and how long have you had it? Is your No-IP address working remotely through a computer? Did you properly configure you recorder for the No-IP type account?

If you're talking about the Linksys WRT1900, there have already been a huge amount of complaint about it not working properly. It's brand new and not exactly time tested, so don't be surprised if it's your router that's causing the issues. Since you're not new to this system, I'm under the assumption that you're familiar with which browsers, applications, and software are compatible for use. If you're using your browser, I would just recommend double checking to make sure you have the plugins configured the way they need to be. To be honest, if you're not a networking guru, you've got the wrong router. That thing is ludicrously unnecessary for most peoples applications. If you're having a difficult time figuring out the Linksys, Netgear is still good quality and way more user friendly. If you just want a powerful router, look into the Netgear Nighthawk.

I would go for two separate 8 ports. Like you said, "Don't put all your eggs in once basket." This is the same reason I recommend using a separate switch instead of purchasing NVRs that have them built in.

I have had a lot of bad experiences with this cable. I've had to find out the hard way, more than once, that it's not actually outdoor or burial rated. I'm not going to tell you that this is your problem but just a heads up. You really need to take the cameras down at this point and bench test them to see if the cameras are dead or if your cable is just giving you a hard time.

Are u joking ? It has it listed as "5000mA" twice on the spec sheet. If that's not a typo, my head is going to explode.

You definitely have an entry level camera picked out and to be honest, there's nothing wrong with it as long as it's accepted as such. In my experience, camera's like this one just aren't built to last. For $30, is it cost effective? For a camera that's only expected to last around a year or two, I think $30 is right on par. This is where most people start with their first system and it's a very good learning experience. Just keep your eye open for any video degradation over time and be prepared to replace those cameras with something bigger and better at that time.

Your IP camera needs to be configured to your network. The camera's IP needs to correspond with the IP address of your router. PC - Command Prompt - Enter ipconfig and press enter. Locate the Default Gateway (router's IP) Mac - Terminal - Enter ifconfig and press enter. Locate the Default Gateway (router's IP) If you've already done this, or when you finish this, you'll more than likely need to enable the Active X plugin in its entirety, login to the camera, and then add the camera's IP as a trusted site.

Can you specifically tell us which products (cameras and recorder) from Q-See you have here. Just based on what you've said, if I only had one guess, I would say moisture is leaching into those connectors.

I guess what I really want to know is why are you bothering to put all this time and energy into making sure you have fantastic cable for camera's that clearly don't need it. Is the plan to eventually upgrade to camera's worthy of your efforts?

I would sincerely hope that Hikvison follows in Dahua's footsteps and ensures that the Tribrid is not the only option as a DVR. That's going to force a good number of people to pay for features they don't need/want. BTW, I just recently saw some Tribrid DVRs compatible with Analog, HDSDI, and IP. I wish I could remember where I saw it.

This has been part of my process with system design for the last several years. Knowing what kind of hardware exists beforehand will ultimately determine whether or not it will have to be replaced, or if it can handle the workload. I normally find that the existing router, at the very least, needs to be replaced. This is all depending on the amount of strain the system will put on bandwidth. The Netgear Nighthawk works better than anything else I've got my hands on and with it going down it price, I don't know that you can do much better for the money. I don't know what kind of selling points you're looking for here, but it's powerful and very customize-able while maintaining the simplicity that Netgear has become known for. I tend to stick with Linksys or Netgear for switches. No reason other than that's what's always worked reliably for me, has the least amount of failures, and seems to last the longest. You didn't mention access points but I imagine it might come up at some point. I've been using Ubiquiti for awhile. Their failure rate is minimal at best, but I will say that when one of there products does break down, getting them to honor their warranty equates to about 2 weeks of ***ing and trying to get them to reply to you.

There has been a problem with HDSDI since it's inception. I would be careful considering it. I've been talking to manufacturers for the last 3 weeks about why everyone suddenly wants to dump their stock. I will quote the last one: "HDSDI really f*%#%ed everyone over."

Are you even sure you put in a compatible HDD? Who did you buy the DVR from?

Install a better camera. Install the camera on a better spot. Install a camera suited for capturing license plates. Install a camera with better resolution (IP megapixel, etc). You will not get a license plate from that screenshot. Seconded.

Everything about this says power supply problem to me. I would also suggest bring the camera inside next to the DVR. This problem obviously isn't getting solved by leaving it where it is. Just try plugging the power supply directly into the PTZ without any additional cable. PTZ cameras have always been fidgety about power consumption relative the cable length. What's the gauge of the coax and power cables? Are they both 100ft? What kind of cable are you using for the RS485 connection?

If you're transmitting through a wall, you're looking at anywhere from 30%-%100 video loss depending on the thickness and material. Typically speaking, it's about 40%-60% video loss when transmitting through most walls. Glass and very light foliage are some of the only things that I've found most of these to transmit through without a lot of issues. If you're determined to go with wireless and it's only going to be 4 cameras, use 5.8Ghz transmitters and receivers. You'll have less interference from other wireless devices.

Normally you can purchase DVRs with or without a hard drive. If you want to record, you obviously need a hard drive. The size of the hard drive you need will be dictated by your recording resolution, bitrate, and the amount of time you're looking to have backed up. If you think you can do better on hard drive prices by buying one separately from a different retailer, just confirm that the hard drive you're buying is compatible with the DVR.