Adding more than 4 cameras to QC808

[spotmom 0]

Hello from the frigid north!

 

I have lurked and read for quite some time and I can't find an answer to my question (at least not how I am searching for it).

 

Probably simple for you, but I am new to all this.

 

I bought the Q-See kit from Sam's club, the QC808, 4 camera system with an NVR that supports 8 cameras. They only have 4 ports on the back. How do I add more cameras? I have 5 at the time being (a separate issue is the 5th one is an Acti TCM7811 and I can't get the NVR to see it or get an answer out of Q-See so far as to whether or not it ever will).

 

Anyway, can someone tell me what I need to add more cameras? I assume a poe device, but how do I make each of the 4 ports on the back accept 2 poe cameras so I can have 8 (eventually) as per what the NVR supports? Q-see's website has been a dismal zero for information. Nothing in the manual as far as I have been able to see.

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[lowpro 0]

http://www.q-see.com/files/manuals/QC804,%20808,%208016%20Manual%20v1_web.pdf

 

Look at page 17 of the pdf to give an idea.

[spotmom 0]

Thanks for the tip (The start page for the info is 16 not 17, though.)

 

Well, I am feeling a bit cheated by advertising here. From reading the manual (again) it looks like I can only connect 4 cameras directly to this NVR, period. Then if I want to use the other 4 I have to run them over a network with a router?

 

I was hoping I would not have to run my router 24-7 just to have another camera. Silly me. I thought an NVR that supported 8 cameras could, well, support 8 cameras. By itself. Either that or I am reading the manual all wrong.

 

Please tell me I am missing something! If I have to have the other cameras hooked to the router, I am going to need a router with more ports! Or can I hook more than one camera to a port? Somehow I doubt that. As I understand it you shouldn't have more than one router in line with this system either, so it probably wouldn't work to just give the system its own router?

[lowpro 0]

Thanks for the tip (The start page for the info is 16 not 17, though.)

 

Well, I am feeling a bit cheated by advertising here. From reading the manual (again) it looks like I can only connect 4 cameras directly to this NVR, period. Then if I want to use the other 4 I have to run them over a network with a router?

 

I was hoping I would not have to run my router 24-7 just to have another camera. Silly me. I thought an NVR that supported 8 cameras could, well, support 8 cameras. By itself. Either that or I am reading the manual all wrong.

 

Please tell me I am missing something! If I have to have the other cameras hooked to the router, I am going to need a router with more ports! Or can I hook more than one camera to a port? Somehow I doubt that. As I understand it you shouldn't have more than one router in line with this system either, so it probably wouldn't work to just give the system its own router?

 

You're right, page 16, sorry about that!

 

QC808 only has 4 poe ports, as you mentioned. You'll need to purchase a switch like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=33-181-163&ParentOnly=1&IsVirtualParent=1, that'll provide power to your other 4 cameras. Then you'll have to connect your new switch to your router. So the nvr will be connected to your router and now your new switch will be connected to your router also. Since they'll be on the same network, the nvr will now be able to see your additional cameras via the network.

 

Your router should already be running 24/7, if you'd want your cameras to be seen view the web and/or your mobile device.

 

Side note: Though the switch (from the link) may have 8-ports, it only really has 4 poe ports available. Make sure that you know what you're buying.

[spotmom 0]

Thanks.

 

Just so new to this part of computing I don't know much about switches and poe stuff, even though I have been reading for the last 2 months pretty well non stop. Enough to realize my dream camera cost as much as what I am trying to protect . Suggestions for parts to buy save me from analysis paralysis on Amazon trying to figure out what I need.

 

The q-sees are actually pretty good for my use, nothing is very far away from them so the pictures are very clear. The Acti TCM7811 is to reach out to a little farther out spot. I may sell it and get something else if I can't get it to talk to this NVR, though.

 

I turn off my computers and router every night. I don't need to see my cams on the computer 24-7, As long as they are recording on the NVR. I just have a small a home setup. I can watch as needed by just switching the input of the tv.

 

The only time I would want the router on all the time is if I were going on a long trip and want to access the cameras off site.

[spotmom 0]

QC808 only has 4 poe ports, as you mentioned. You'll need to purchase a switch like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=33-181-163&ParentOnly=1&IsVirtualParent=1, that'll provide power to your other 4 cameras. Then you'll have to connect your new switch to your router. So the nvr will be connected to your router and now your new switch will be connected to your router also. Since they'll be on the same network, the nvr will now be able to see your additional cameras via the network.

 

Is there any reason to go with a gigabit switch? Would it handle heavier network traffic? I don't have a gigabit router at the time being (at least I don't think it is), but I would prefer to spend a couple dollars more for futureproofing by going with a gigabit switch if it seems like a good idea.

 

PS, if anybody is looking for some snow I have some I can let you have cheap.

[lowpro 0]

Do you need it for this? Probably not.

 

Have you made up your mind on a gigabit switch? Sounds like you have. Go for it!

[spotmom 0]

No, I haven't made up my mind. I was just wondering if I ever got a full 4 cameras on it if gigabit would be necessary or just overkill. My internet connection itself only goes 2mbs(?) so I don't think I could even make use of it with remote viewing. One more thing to go learn about.

 

I am wandering around Amazon and Newegg looking for the best price/feature for the switch with POe. I can never just go buy something. I get a Scottish cramp every time. Takes a while to unknot the fingers from the purse strings.

[lowpro 0]

Do a search for Zyxel here on this forum board. Many users have used their POE switches. The one that I linked above would work well.

[spotmom 0]

Do a search for Zyxel here on this forum board. Many users have used their POE switches. The one that I linked above would work well.

 

Sounds good. Not a bad price either. Looks like I can wait a while, though, since I have only one other camera so far and I have to plug it into the wall for the heater/fan (for a while anyway). We are still in the 0 to 5 degree F range at night, 20's for the day.

[dexterash 0]

Then you'll have to connect your new switch to your router. So the nvr will be connected to your router and now your new switch will be connected to your router also. Since they'll be on the same network, the nvr will now be able to see your additional cameras via the network.

 

Your router should already be running 24/7, if you'd want your cameras to be seen view the web and/or your mobile device.

 

Side note: Though the switch (from the link) may have 8-ports, it only really has 4 poe ports available. Make sure that you know what you're buying.

 

The NVR can run without a router, in a "closed network". You don't need to plugin the additional switch to a router.

 

There are 2 ways of adding more cameras:

1. you connect a switch (any type, but if you get non-POE you will have to power the cameras using the 12V connector) to one of the PoE ports on the back of the NVR, thus expanding it through it's internal network with no need to assign IPs manually to the cams

2. you connect a switch to the separate WAN/LAN port, but you will have to assign IPs to the cameras from the same network class as you NVR's LAN address;

 

IPs should have the same netmask as the NVR and the 255 part of the IP should match both the NVR and the cameras, as in:

 

NVR IP: 192.168.1.100

NETMASK: 255.255.255.0

IPs for cameras: 192.168.1.XXX (XXX could be any IP excluding 100)

NETMASK for cameras: 255.255.255.0

or

 

NVR IP: 192.168.0.99

NETMASK: 255.255.0.0

IPs for cameras: 192.168.0-255.0-255 (excluding 192.168.0.99)

NETMASK for cameras: 255.255.0.0

[spotmom 0]

In the manual it says

 

"Using the Power Over Ethernet Block (I assume they mean the one on the back of the NVR)

Your NVR’s POE block will power up to four cameras while receiving their video signals.

This is the primary and preferred method to connect cameras to your NVR. This feature

cannot be expanded through use of a network switch".

 

Does this mean I cannot do as you suggest and put the switch right into the NVR ports? Because that sounds like the better plan to me.

 

What happens when you plug a powered switch into a powered port on the NVR?

 

As Klink would say " I know nothiiinnngggg"

[dexterash 0]

Just try! It can't go wrong.

 

Due to lots of firmwares/custom firmwares and hardware/firmware clones, i cannot guarantee...

[spotmom 0]

I finally got my extra Cat5 cords so I could get my router hooked to the QSee NVR again.

 

I can now see the NVR and all 4 Qsee cameras on my computer with the PSS (POS?) software, barely.

 

I have the Acti TCM7811 hooked straight into the same router and am powering it with it's own plug in so there is no PoE or switch involved. The router is a TP-Link TL-WDR4300 Dual band gigabit.

 

The PSS software will not talk to the Acti camera at all. They are on the same IP/Subnet (192.168.10.xx and 255.255.255.0). I think I have everything set up good.

 

However, while the NVR is on the same IP/Subnet as the Acti, the QSee cameras are showing a different IP (10.1.1.xx) via the switch in the NVR.

 

Do I have to have the Acti on a switch to make it work with the QSee NVR, rather than just straight into the router? I have a feeling this is never going to work and I will have to buy a different camera to take the place of the Acti unless I want it to be hooked to a computer all the time.

 

I have photographed all of the QSee on screen NVR settings if a picture of it all would help further clarify anything.

 

Or, can you suggest some good 3rd party software that will talk to both of the brands and ditch both Acti's NVR3 and QSee's PSS? I have tried the Blue Iris trial, but it does not seem to like the Acti, either. It is also not on their list of cameras, but neither is the QSee cameras and it saw one of them.

 

I really am trying hard to not ask a bunch of questions, but I have beat my head on this for nearly 2 solid days and am making no progress.

[dexterash 0]

PSS will only work with DAHUA-based products (including QSEE).

 

If ACTi is not "seen" by the NVR, then it might not be OnVif compatible - thus it will not work. If the camera is OnVif compat, maybe you need to update the NVR.

 

Of course they are on different IPs, since the NVR manages them. If you want to access any camera, you should do that via the NVR.

 

You could try Axxon to view both brands, but the NVR will not record ACTi.

[spotmom 0]

The Acti is ONVIF Compliant (according to the spec sheet).

 

Do I need to give it an IP in the 10.1.1.xx range for it to be seen by the NVR like the other cameras?

 

My goal is for it to be on the NVR and not the computer, but not sure that is possible.

 

This camera was such a good price and it has everything I need (short of PTZ), especially a heater, I really want to make it work. Dahua does not seem to make any cameras that go the temps I need to (way below zero), or I would buy one of them and sell this.

 

My needs are IR 60-100ft, Day/Night, Outdoor and subzero to at least 30 below F. PTZ would be icing on the cake. Does Dahua have anything like that? It seems like every one I look at is missing something (normally the IR) or its $2k and up. I guess I could buy an IR separate and get the invisible ones to boot. I doubt I would have any problem at all selling this camera if needed. The picture is great and it is sitting in a window looking through 2 panes of filthy glass, one layer of window insulator kit and its own dome. It must be amazing outside with only its own dome to look through!

 

I really appreciate you following up on this with me. I do believe in Karma as I have spent countless hours helping other people with their computer issues, this is just not my field (but I get smarter every day!)

[dexterash 0]

No, if it's outside NVR's internal router/switch, should have an IP in the class of the LAN port of the NVR.

Did you try manually adding it?

 

I don't know a dedicated heated fixed camera from DAHUA, but most cameras do somehow auto-heat via electronics. Problem could appear is power is down or something like that (IPC not working).

 

All DAHUA's PTZ have a fan and somekind of heat (via resistors or a heating element). I used only PTZs from DAHUA (due to their amazing click-in-image function) and fixed, MP cameras. I beleive the heating element it's only used so the camera would not fog up.

 

FYI, I have some no-name fixed interior cameras(were some samples) that are mounted outside, in a non-waterproof enclosure, but protected from rain via a small "roof". I never had any problems with them at about -13 - -15F.

[spotmom 0]

I did try manually adding the camera, with its 192.168.10.xx, port 80 as it shows up in Acti's NVR3 and it just shows up with an orange not found icon through the QSee NVR.

 

I know the bullet cams I got with the system don't have heat, but they are mounted under the eaves near the house and they produce a lot of heat so I was just going to wrap them with insulation come winter and figure that they would stay warm enough. The dome cam will be on a pole above the roof, no protection at all.

 

What does too much cold do to them anyway? Stick the IR filter, kill the electronics (which would seem unlikely), or just stop working till they warm up?

[dexterash 0]

About ACTi, I really don't know... maybe the revision specs of the OnVif implementation are not 2.0 or the NVR has an older firmware.

 

You could get error in images (due to sensor temperature problem) and affect the mechanics (as you said, the IRCUT).

Since I haven't seen any cameras bad due to cold weather, my experience is close to nothing. Most of them have problems with bad waterproofing/dustproofing, sweat or ESD/thunder strikes.

[spotmom 0]

Good News! I found a firmware update for the NVR that supports more Onvif and I finally got a picture from the Acti on the QSee NVR!

 

It's odd that I could not get the firmware to update with their instructions via a USB drive in the front, I ended up going through the config tool and running the update through that through my computer/router to the NVR.

 

Now to get that puppy outside and see if it can do a better job then the stand in QC bullet holding its spot.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[shockwave199 0]

Awesome! I've been following but didn't have any suggestions. Bundle up and and install that sucker! Good luck!

[dexterash 0]

Good News! I found a firmware update for the NVR that supports more Onvif and I finally got a picture from the Acti on the QSee NVR!

 

It's odd that I could not get the firmware to update with their instructions via a USB drive in the front, I ended up going through the config tool and running the update through that through my computer/router to the NVR.

 

Now to get that puppy outside and see if it can do a better job then the stand in QC bullet holding its spot.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I suppose it wasn't a QSEE branded firmware? That could explain some stuf...

[spotmom 0]

It was QSee, got it right off their website.

 

Now my next issue is the night picture outdoors (we finally put it out today) is AWFUL! I have played with it for a while, but have to go to bed and read more tomorrow.