HikVision ip Cam TFTP - Chinese / US version question

[telljcl 0]

Trying to decide if buying a Chinese version of a Hikvision is worth the FW hassles, and think I have a handle on how to put US firmware on a Chinese camera using TFTP tool (seems pretty simple - hope I'm not missing something).

 

As I understand it, even after I flash US firmware to it, in the future I'll still be unable to put any US FW on it via the web interface - I'll have to use TFTP tool every time.

 

So, if that is true, I guess my question is can I use TFTP tool across the network?

 

I understand I'll have to change my PC's ip address to whatever the one is that TFTP tool uses (or that the camera looks for at bootup), but do I have to specifically connect it to the PC with a network cable (isolate the PC and camera from the LAN in my house).

 

Seems like the camera could find 192.0.0.128 (or whatever it looks for at boot) no matter if it is connected directly to the host PC running TFTP tool or across the network.

 

It would be a pain to go move cables around or take down a camera to update FW, but just using TFTP doesn't seem like that big of a deal.

 

I'm also assuming that the US and Chinese cams are identical - if anybody has info to the contrary I'd love to know about it.

 

Thanks for any help!!

[buellwinkle 0]

It's the same firmware, just country code is different. If you apply firmware via TFTP it does not prevent you from using the browser firmware update in the future. The US and Chinese versions of the 5.1 firmware are available, why use TFTP?

[telljcl 0]

Well I guess you're right - no reason not to use the Chinese version.

 

I do realize you could still use the web interface to do future FW updates, but I was hoping that once you went Chinese->US, you could then do future US updates via web interface, and I don't think that is possible. The way I understand it is EVERY FW update you do that is not the original "region" coded into the camera MUST be done via TFTP.

 

The only reason I really would be averse to using the Chinese version is just that maybe the US may be available sooner, or be easier to get / find, etc... but maybe that isn't the case.

[buellwinkle 0]

It's all the same, all made in China, same everything. The only difference as several of us figured out is the country code is burned into the ROM, so for now, it will not be possible to load firmware via the browser for the wrong country code.

 

As for who gets firmware first, it's weird, 5.0.2 and 5.0.5 came out on Euro site first, 5.1 came out on the U.S. site first and not yet on the Euro site. From China, they are not pro-active, so if you know 5.1 is available, I have to make a request to China, and they send it to me in a few days.

[Securame 0]

As for who gets firmware first, it's weird, 5.0.2 and 5.0.5 came out on Euro site first, 5.1 came out on the U.S. site first and not yet on the Euro site. From China, they are not pro-active, so if you know 5.1 is available, I have to make a request to China, and they send it to me in a few days.

 

it has been on the euro site for 3 days.

http://www.hikvisioneurope.com/portal/index.php?dir=Product%20Firmware/Cameras/TI%20365%20platform%20firmware/V5.1.0%20build%20131202/

[telljcl 0]

So does anybody know if you can TFTP the firmware across the network (not physically plugged into your PC) IF:

 

1) Set your PC's ip to 192.0.0.128 (I think it is anyway...), make sure the FW update file is in the directory as advised by HiKvision instructions

 

2) Physically unplug the network cable (from the POE switch) going to the camera you want to update - wait 10-15 seconds and plug back in (Resets power to cam)

 

3) Wait at your PC for that one camera to start the boot sequence and "find" the TFTP software on the PC

 

4) Pray the process works

 

Am I missing something or should this work if I want to apply US firmware to a Chinese camera?

 

Obviously 5.1 has been posted here and there for the Chinese version, but if a newer update hits and I don't want to wait around, this may be the way to go.

 

Thanks !

[JoeyJoey 0]

Am I missing something or should this work if I want to apply US firmware to a Chinese camera?

 

That is how we use TFTP to install the English firmware into a Non-English camera.

[telljcl 0]

Thanks for the input.

[Brenning 0]

Regarding doing it across the network, yes this will work if by "network" you mean a switch. Mines a 24 port POE switch and it works fine through that. As long as it can find the TFTP server on bootup then no problems. For various reasons, you'd struggle doing it across a VPN etc.

[buellwinkle 0]

Installed it on a brand new Hikvision ds-2cd2132-i china dome, installed via the browser, worked as expected. Thanks.