Foscam NVR systems are ONVIF compliant and can work with many 3rd party cameras which hold this compliance certification. In this case the user is experiencing difficulties with adding a 3rd party camera to a Foscam NVR. Follow the steps below to correct this.
Note: Please be sure the Foscam NVR is using the latest firmware update before proceeding.
Step 1: Verify the maker, model number, and firmware version of the 3rd party camera.
Visit the web page the of the manufacturer of the camera and check for the latest firmware version.
Verify the firmware is appropriate for the make and model number of the camera in question. Attempting to install the incorrect firmware version may result in damage to the camera. Follow ALL the instructions for the firmware update to minimize any risk to the product.
Check to make sure the firmware instructions do not mention anything about a multiple firmware update. Some manufacturers release multiple versions of firmware over the course of time. To update some products to the latest version incremental updates of the firmware may have to be performed.
Be sure to follow ALL the instructions provided by the manufacturer when it comes to updating the firmware on any product.
Step 2: Confirm the 3rd party camera is ONVIF 2.1 compliant. If the unit is compliant with an earlier version of ONVIF check to see if a firmware update has been released for the product which updates the compliance version. Apply the update if needed.
Note: Be sure to follow all the instructions for a firmware update otherwise this may cause the product to malfunction in the event the incorrect firmware is applied or all the instructions were not followed.
Step 3: Verify the login information for the 3rd party camera.
If the incorrect login information has been inputted the Foscam NVR configuration settings this will prevent the unit from accessing the 3rd party camera. In some cases, the use of login characters outside of A-Z and 0-9 may result in problems with the unit being able to login.
Update the username and password for the 3rd party camera using only A-Z and 0-9 if possible. Make sure the username and password is more the five characters in length to minimize login problems between the NVR and the camera.
Step 4: Verify the 3rd party camera and NVR are communicating and connected to the same network.
If the NVR is unable to locate the camera on the same network it will be impossible for the unit to communicate with the camera.
Verify the login credentials are entered correctly for the network on both the camera and the NVR. If the NVR can see other cameras on the network and communicate with those cameras the fault is more than likely with the 3rd party camera’s configuration.
Verify the login credentials for the 3rd party camera has been properly entered in both the camera and the NVR.
Step 5: Change the ONVIF port of the 3rd party camera and attempt to add it again to the NVR.
Note: If after performing all the above steps and the problem persists there may be some type of unknown compatibility problem between the devices. If this is the case we recommend using Foscam cameras with Foscam NVR systems. Check user related forums and the manufacturer webpages/forums for other solutions which may be outside of the scope of this document.
