mezentia 0 Posted September 2, 2014 I've just acquired a hikvision ds-2cd2132-i. I'm trying to set up motion detection recording on a schedule. I want to record to a NAS device. The camera has been set up on the same subnet as the NAS device and an NFS partion created on the NAS box. The camera's NAS settings have been made using the camera's browser interface, and I get a successful test result when I point to the NFS directory on the NAS box. I click on the Storage Management tab and sucessfully initialise the directory. At the end of the process, I get 4 directories set up on the file share with loads of empty files in each directory. However, if I navigate away from the Storage Management page, to Live View, say, end then go back to the Storage Management page, the file storage status says Uninitialized. If I try to re-format the share, the format completes instantaneously, but the status remains Uninitialized. I do manage about 10 - 15 seconds of recording when the file share initialization first completes, but that's all. If I delete all the directories created in the Format process and try again, the format completed and the status returns to normal until I navigate away from the page and then it's back again to Unititialized. I've tried this using an ordinary Windows share on the NAS box, and get exactly the same results. I've checked the camera firmware, but it's later than the firmware available in the HIKVision website. Need some help here Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
catseyenu 0 Posted September 2, 2014 I've checked the camera firmware, but it's later than the firmware available in the HIKVision website. Version specifics? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mezentia 0 Posted September 2, 2014 I've checked the camera firmware, but it's later than the firmware available in the HIKVision website. Version specifics? Model: DS-2CD132-I Firmware: V5.1.6 build 140412 Encoding: V5.0 build 140411 Although I've just noticed that firmware V5.2.0 went up a few days ago .. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brenning 0 Posted September 2, 2014 Think I've had this in the past and it turned out to be an NFS permission issue. I'm running a Windows Server though so the fix would probably different on your nas (probably runs Linux) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mezentia 0 Posted September 3, 2014 Having seen a firmware update on the HIKVISION Europe site, I thought I'd download and apply it. Now the firmware is in Chinese. You would have thought that there would be some form of warning in the release notes, but there's none. I spent over 5 hours tring to get back to 5.1.6, but this has been taken off the download sites. Tried to re-instate 5.1.2, and now the camera is well and truly "bricked". Should have gone to Axis in the first place. Use them extensively at work - no problems. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brenning 0 Posted September 3, 2014 Having seen a firmware update on the HIKVISION Europe site, I thought I'd download and apply it. Now the firmware is in Chinese. You would have thought that there would be some form of warning in the release notes, but there's none. I spent over 5 hours tring to get back to 5.1.6, but this has been taken off the download sites. Tried to re-instate 5.1.2, and now the camera is well and truly "bricked". Should have gone to Axis in the first place. Use them extensively at work - no problems. There is a fix for this on here by a user called CBX, its probably because you purchased your cams through ali express so they are the Chinese versions. Mine are also Chinese but its possible to edit the davinci file to make them English again, I have 6 of them working with no issue. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mezentia 0 Posted September 3, 2014 Actually, I got the camera through ebay from someone who imports them from China, but with full UK English firmware. I wanted a camera that would record to NAS rather than my PC, which isn't left on all the time for recordings to be made to. This camera fitted the bill perfectly, and I've no compaint about the build or image quality. However, the documentation and software leave - a lot to be desired, to be polite. The camera should be usable by anyone who has the capability of installing and configuring a broadband router at home, but having to use a hex editor on image files to change a configuration setting is way beyond all reasonable expectations. I've over 45 years of IT experience and even I find it challenging All I want to do now is get an English firmware version on the camera, and the it'll go on back on Ebay. Frankly, life's too short to have to resort to the lengths needed to get the camera to do what it's supposed to do if the manufacturer's specifications are to be believed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Securame 0 Posted September 3, 2014 Well... you are the one who purchased a chinese camera to save a bit. It had been hacked already to change it to english, and updating the firmware changed it back to chinese. You can install again a hacked firmware, or install one of the older firmwares that can be used in english even with the chinese cameras. You do not need to use a hex editor at all if you do it the right way. You can recover the camera with TFTP, I am sure it has been explained somewhere in the forum. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mezentia 0 Posted September 3, 2014 Thanks for the lesson, MindTwist: I'm well aware that the first rule of buying over the internet, and particularly from sites such as ebay, is caveat emptor. However, with all due respect to my supplier, my camera arrived in a sealed box complete with HIKVISION roundel, factory installed English firmware, and a CD with English documentation, applications, utilities, etc. (but sadly not a firmware image, too). Therefore I have nothing to indicate that it is anything other than a legitimately imported HIKVISION camera for use in English-speaking countries. I have also no guarantee that I would have not encoutered the same problems if I had got the camera from a local specialist HIKVISION dealer at over twice the price. If the product had worked in all respects as described in the manufacturer's specifications there would not be an issue. The fact is it didn't, and it is only subsequently as I browsed for issues with HIKVISION cameras that I came across a litany of problems relating to recording and event notification, and the subsequent horrendous procedures needed on occasion to get the functionality to work. Maybe I ought to have been more thorough in my research, but I have used cameras imported from the Far East before, and they did not have the same problems recording, indeed any reasonably competent person could set them up without any particular specialist knowledge. Maybe I should have returned the camera as soon as the problems arose - but I didn't, I tried to get the problems fixed using the advice posted here and on other forums and so now I don't feel I can legitimately ask my supplier to take it back. So, I'm going to make one more attempt to get the camera working as it should. If that fails, it's going back on ebay. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
catseyenu 0 Posted September 3, 2014 5.16 firmware available here: http://wrightwoodsurveillance.com/forum/thread-83.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dan732 0 Posted September 3, 2014 Thanks for the lesson, MindTwist: I'm well aware that the first rule of buying over the internet, and particularly from sites such as ebay, is caveat emptor. However, with all due respect to my supplier, my camera arrived in a sealed box complete with HIKVISION roundel, factory installed English firmware, and a CD with English documentation, applications, utilities, etc. (but sadly not a firmware image, too). Therefore I have nothing to indicate that it is anything other than a legitimately imported HIKVISION camera for use in English-speaking countries. I have also no guarantee that I would have not encoutered the same problems if I had got the camera from a local specialist HIKVISION dealer at over twice the price. If the product had worked in all respects as described in the manufacturer's specifications there would not be an issue. The fact is it didn't, and it is only subsequently as I browsed for issues with HIKVISION cameras that I came across a litany of problems relating to recording and event notification, and the subsequent horrendous procedures needed on occasion to get the functionality to work. Maybe I ought to have been more thorough in my research, but I have used cameras imported from the Far East before, and they did not have the same problems recording, indeed any reasonably competent person could set them up without any particular specialist knowledge. Maybe I should have returned the camera as soon as the problems arose - but I didn't, I tried to get the problems fixed using the advice posted here and on other forums and so now I don't feel I can legitimately ask my supplier to take it back. So, I'm going to make one more attempt to get the camera working as it should. If that fails, it's going back on ebay. Your local supplier would have sold you a genuine English Hikvision camera, not a hacked one from China. Big difference. How to tell if you have a Chinese region camera? In the serial number if you see CCCH in the middle of the serial number, it is a Chinese region camera If you see CCWR, this is a United States/Europe Camera If you see CCRR, you are running older firmware, like 5.1.0 or older and this code will change when you upgrade the camera Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaxIcon 0 Posted September 3, 2014 Assuming the camera is not completely bricked, you can recover it with TFTP, as mentioned. The solution to the Chinese country code issue is to apply the CBX fix. This fix appears to have a 100% success rate, based on user posts. All IP cams have their bugs and issues, but if you want to get good performance at a reasonable price, it's hard to go wrong with a Chinese Hik with the CBX fix applied. However, you do lose the local support you'd get from a local supplier, but this is why local suppliers cost more. This applies to warranty service as well as firmware support. Likewise, going with someone like Axis will get you better support at a higher price. The Chinese cam savings are big enough that a user buying, say, 6 cams will be better off buying a spare for replacing a dead cam than trying to deal with warranty service. This is for buying from Ali, not ebay, where the middleman eats up some of the savings. Unfortunately, Hik is battling with the grey market resellers, and the end user can be the one who loses out, as you've found. I'm not sure what they're thinking. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brenning 0 Posted September 3, 2014 IIRC the Chinese cameras come in plain brown boxes, UK specific ones in Hikvision branded boxes with images of the product on etc, Chinese: UK: Ironically both of those images are from aliexpress so things may have changed since I purchased from there. My UK supplied camera came in the branded box and has had no issues with firmware updates. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaxIcon 0 Posted September 4, 2014 My US supplied, CCWR serialed Hiks came in plain brown boxes. The retail style box may be something a vendor can pay extra for if they want. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Securame 0 Posted September 5, 2014 My US supplied, CCWR serialed Hiks came in plain brown boxes. The retail style box may be something a vendor can pay extra for if they want. Agree. I also get in Europe models with brown or color box, and they are all with CCWR serial. A brown box does not imply it is a chinese market camera, a retail box does not imply it is not. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites