Adding a New DW Camera to the Local Network
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Affected Roles: Administrator, Owner
Related Digital Watchdog VMS Apps: DW Spectrum® IPVMS
Complexity: Medium
Last Edit: August 2, 2024
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Adding IP Cameras
When a new device is added to the network, it is necessary to assign the device an IP address so that users may monitor and manage it through DW Spectrum® IPVMS.
By default, Digital Watchdog cameras are assigned with a dynamic (DHCP) networking protocol that allows network routers to easily assign IP addresses to the connected devices. While using the Auto Discovery feature of DW Spectrum® IPVMS can simplify the setup process of devices, some additional setup on part of the user may be required.
This article will outline how to configure the network settings for a new IP camera.
**Note: The use of “device” and “camera” is used interchangeably for this article.
Supported/Affected Devices
- MEGApix® IP Camera Series
Configuring Device Network Settings
When configuring network settings for a camera, the device will need to be added to the Local Area Network (LAN). If the camera cannot be reached by the other devices within the LAN, then workstations/computers will also be unlikely to communicate with the device from outside of the local network.
All devices must be configured within the LAN before successful communication over the WAN/Internet can be established.
**Note: If you have been provided a static public IP address by an ISP (Internet Service Provider), assign the network information that was provided by your provider to the DW Spectrum® Server. This information should include the static public IP address, Subnet Mask, Gateway, and DNS Server(s).
Adding An IP Camera to the LAN
- Connect the camera to your PoE switch using Ethernet cable.
The IP camera should power on and be network accessible over the LAN, through the PoE switch.
- Assign the camera a static IP address that matches your camera network scheme.
By default, most Digital Watchdog MEGApix® cameras are assigned to the IP address of 192.168.1.80. However, it is recommended to keep your camera subnetwork on a different IP address scheme than your primary local network.
If the camera is using a DHCP protocol (default setting), then the IP address will automatically change after communication is established with a router through the local network.
An easy way for users to assign IP addresses to their DW MEGApix® IP cameras is by using the DW IP Finder™ tool (Windows only).
Establishing A Local Connection to the Camera
- Open a web browser on a computer within the LAN, then enter the camera’s IP address into the address bar.
If the camera has been assigned a port number of anything other than Port 80, you will need to specify the port value in the address bar.
For example:
Camera IP: 192.168.100.94
Port: 8245
Example URL: http://192.168.100.94:8245
- The camera’s login pop-up will display. If you have not yet set up a new Username or Password for the camera, use:
- Default Username: admin
- Default Password: admin
**Note: DW MEGApix® IP cameras require a password assignment when connecting for the first time. Please read Assigning Passwords to IP Cameras as a reference for changing or assigning the password to these devices.
- If you are able to successfully connect and log-in to the camera using a web browser, the camera’s LAN configuration setup is complete.
Adding Devices to A DW Spectrum® Server
After configuring the local network settings of your
DW Spectrum® IPVMS uses an Auto Discovery feature to detect and add ONVIF compliant devices to the server. However, if the Auto Discovery feature is disabled or is not adding devices from the network, may try to add your camera(s) manually to the Server.
For more information, please read Adding Devices Manually to DW Spectrum.
Creating External Network Access
To allow external network access to your camera system, the DW Spectrum® Server must be port forwarded. If there is a SonicWall blocking external access to the local network, a network administrator will need to allowlist/permit access for the DW Spectrum® Server.
