Cant unlock DVR password without remote

[littleg15uk 0]

Hi, I volunteer at a not for profit train park where they have been having some trouble. In the past someone bought a hard drive DVR and cameras. They installed the cameras but never hooked the DVR up.

I set it up today and everything was fine. I changed the password and enabled it. I do not have the remote for the DVR and it looks like you can only enter the password via the remote. It asks for a password when I try to access the menu and none of the front panel buttons do anything and there are no channel select buttons only CH+ and CH- it is 16 channel.

Its unbranded, there are no identifying features anywhere. It has an internal SATA 500 GB hard drive and a cradle for an additional one. It uses an external 12v power supply.

I removed the battery from the motherboard which reset the time but it still asks for a password which may or may not now be reset to the default 111111 anyway. Either way I cannot enter anything from the front of the DVR. There are no reset buttons on the board either.

It uses four Techwell TW2835 chips

HELP...

I have added some pics in the hope someone may recognize it and have a clue what to do.

Is there some way to reset it, enter the password with a universal remote?

Even if I could borrow a remote just to turn the password off again would help.

Thanks

[tng5737 0]

When left click with the mouse inside the password field - doesn't a keyboard pop-up which allows you to select letters/numbers with your mouse? That is the way mine works. I never use the remote. just a wireless mouse.

[littleg15uk 0]

Hi, does yours look the same as mine? I wondered if I can a link to the client software maybe I can unlock it from a laptop? Do you have the client software?

Thanks

[tng5737 0]

No, mine is a dahua NVR. I would think that with both a client or a web browser you'd still need to know the password. What happens if you use a mouse connected to the usb port. Are there any markings at all on the interior board which would help ID the unit. I didn't see any sort of RS232 port in the photos. Is there one perhaps on the board you could use. Setup a terminal pgm like PUTTY and reboot and watch the resulting stream. Maybe you could 'break into' the boot and try some basic cmds to see if you can id the unit. Can you post a screen shot of what you see on the tv?

Edited February 1, 2015 by Guest

[littleg15uk 0]

all a mouse will do is move the mouse pointer across the screen. Wont bring up any virtual keyboard etc. I know the password, I just cant find any way of entering it.

No RS232 port either. two terminals on back marked 485 are about all there is.

[tng5737 0]

How about a pix of the board maybe someone here can spot something like reset pins! Also, can you get a closeup pic of the remote shown on the manual cover?

[littleg15uk 0]

here you go, and pic of rear terminals too

[tng5737 0]

On the daughter bd there are 4 empty pads (bottom of your photo) this is probably the comm port (V+, Gnd, Rx and Tx) this would be a last resort. As a last resort you could populate those with pins and get a TTL to USB serial adapter. Have you tried telnet into box using the default userid/pwd?

[littleg15uk 0]

Telnet sees nothing. Which 4 pads did you mean? Straight down from battery holder?

[tng5737 0]

No, on the daughter board below the RAIN chip

[littleg15uk 0]

You could be right, I havn't messed with comm ports, USB and TTL in years. Somewhere I have a Prolific USB to comm port adaptor.

there is +3.3 v between pin 1 (left one in pic) and pin 4.

between 2 and 4 also +3.3v

between 3 and 4 +2.5v

between 1 and 2 nothing

between 1 and 3 nothing

Sound right?

[tng5737 0]

Sounds reasonable, RX and TX lines are only active during boot if I recall so during boot the voltages would be lower on those pins. If the daughter bd is removable I'd try to id the V+ and gnd from their planes then the other two are the rx and tx. Also, note that there are two types of TTL serial adapters - +5 and +3.3 be sure you have the right one. With the board off you'll be able to solder some pins in the empty pads. something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/20pcs-Connectors-Strip-Lights-Insert/dp/B008LR35VK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1422837428&sr=8-3&keywords=pins+connector

Be sure to get the correct spacing though.

If you get the type of adapter that has the separate connectors (one for each line it will be easier to move the connections around. You can find these on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/niceeshop-PL2303HX-RS232-Module-Converter/dp/B00F167PWE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1422837371&sr=8-5&keywords=ttl+usb+connector+3.3

OpenWRT has some tutorials on finding the correct pinouts.

[unix1992 0]

Can't you access the DVR (log in to your modem to look for the internal IP address) on your computer by plugging a network cable in it to configure the settings?

 

Steps:

Log in to your modem/router

Look for the internal IP address of the modem in the client list

Open internet explorer

Internet options > security

Security > Trusted sites > Add the internal IP address of the DVR

Set the security of trusted sites at low >> so at the bottom

Set the compatibility mode one for the internal IP address

Install the ActiveX component or other software that is required by the DVR

Login ???

 

Well, it would be useful if you can make pictures or record a small video.

 

My experience is that you get something like this (that yellow box) when clicking on the empty password box:

 

 

Well, the bright side is that you can easily replace the DVR if it's really broken and replace it with another one.

[littleg15uk 0]

Ok so as well as not having the remote I also dont have the DVR software. I can plug my Mac or a laptop into the DVR and get the IP address but that doesn't really help. As the DVR is unbranded I'm at a bit of s loss. Dante security have a manual for one of theirs that's identical and the front panel is the same except theirs has extra buttons. Can't find a download anywhere for their client software.

[unix1992 0]

Ok so as well as not having the remote I also dont have the DVR software. I can plug my Mac or a laptop into the DVR and get the IP address but that doesn't really help. As the DVR is unbranded I'm at a bit of s loss. Dante security have a manual for one of theirs that's identical and the front panel is the same except theirs has extra buttons. Can't find a download anywhere for their client software.

 

Well, why would you want to configure it by using the dvr, while you can do the same thing with Web interface (Windows only, so does not work on Linux or Mac). My experience is that the ActiveX component can be downloaded from the dvr itself. To watch the cameras using a client software, you can try to look on the website of zmodo. On their support page they have the client software for 4 different interfaces, try them all to look if one is suitable?

 

Even without the password, you can always use the lcd screen as live monitor. When you want to do something else, you can use the Web interface.

 

Of course it's difficult when you don't have a remote. The only way to bypass that is to try remotes from other unbranded/unknown/generic dvrs and check if one is working. But this process is time consuming and not everyone has access to several remotes at a surveillance company. So, I would recommend you to use the Web interface instead if focusing to reset the device.

[littleg15uk 0]

DVR runs Linux so not sure what hookup I can get without their software. I tried all the remotes I could find. Some did enter something but as the DVR password screen on the vga monitor only showed stars and not actual characters I have no clue what it was entering. There is no internet where the DVR is to be located so all we need to do is turn the password off again so we can turn the DVR to record on from the front panel

[unix1992 0]

DVR runs Linux so not sure what hookup I can get without their software. I tried all the remotes I could find. Some did enter something but as the DVR password screen on the vga monitor only showed stars and not actual characters I have no clue what it was entering. There is no internet where the DVR is to be located so all we need to do is turn the password off again so we can turn the DVR to record on from the front panel

 

Buy a switch or router and set it at the place of the dvr.

 

 

But wait before you do that, try this first.

 

You have the dvr now in your house right with Internet access I assume otherwise you couldn't post here. Connect the dvr to a modem or router with a Internet cable. Ask your neighbour if they have a Windows laptop and that you can lend it for 30 minutes. Follow the steps from the previous steps, so you can access the Web interface of the dvr. Log in, since you know the password right? . Now the real thing begins... Go to the settings and change the admin password to nothing. Click on apply and ok. Live long and happily ever after?

[littleg15uk 0]

I have a windows laptop, win 7, I have a macbook, I also have an old laptop still running xp. I can plug any of them into the rj45 cat 5 port on the DVR, without the software that came with the DVR I cannot access anything on the DVR? They all see it as an unknown network if I look at the networks on any of them, if I try to use telnet it doesn't see it.

[unix1992 0]

I have a windows laptop, win 7, I have a macbook, I also have an old laptop still running xp. I can plug any of them into the rj45 cat 5 port on the DVR, without the software that came with the DVR I cannot access anything on the DVR? They all see it as an unknown network if I look at the networks on any of them, if I try to use telnet it doesn't see it.

 

Post a screenshot of the Internet Explorer page when you are in the internal ip address . I assume you have the internal op address, since you are trying to telnet it?

[littleg15uk 0]

OK so I plug the DVR straight into the back of the win xp laptop, it sees the DVR on the network and says it has limited or no connectivity, under details tab it shows an ip address of 169.254.192.104. If I open internet explorer and type that into the web address it says internet explorer cannot find the webpage

[littleg15uk 0]

Also if I plug the DVR into my wireless router and open the router software it shows all the network connections on the wireless but does not show anything on the wired netwiork

[littleg15uk 0]

When you first power the DVR up it boots to what would be the multiview page of the cameras, press esc or menu buttons it then askes for the password. none of the other buttons do anything

 

Here is a link to the Dante Security pdf of the instruction manual, apart from this is ver 3 and mine is 2.0 its almost identical page for page including the photo of the remote. Difference in the front panel compared to the photo I posted earlier is it does not have the buttons along the top or the dial at the right hand side. They must have come out the same factory in China that's for sure.

Don't know when or where it was purchased in answer to another question

 

http://dantesecurity.net/download/DLB5208-DLB5216M_6-7-09.pdf

[unix1992 0]

Hmmm strange that the router is not showing the wired connections in the client list, please try to isolate the problem.

 

So disconnect your wireless router from the internet and turn the wifi off.

 

Connect your pc/laptop to the router using an old fashioned network cable and apply the same for the DVR, so there are only 2 hardwired connections. Check, if the network led indicators of both ports are blinking or not? Look if your laptop or the DVR are listed on the client list.

[littleg15uk 0]

If I am using the old laptop it is stand alone so I don't need to plug it into the router, just strsight in the back of the dvr?

[littleg15uk 0]

and when laptop and dvr connected direct to each other both leds on both ports do flash