Camera Discovery Troubleshooting Guide

Camera Discovery Troubleshooting Guide

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Affected Roles:  Owner, Administrator

Related Digital Watchdog VMS Apps:  DW Spectrum

Complexity:  Medium to High

Last Edit:  April 21, 2020

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ONVIF Camera Issues

DW Spectrum Servers operate with standard ONVIF Profile S API, which is commonly used by most IP cameras.  This encourages an easier setup process when adding cameras to the Server.

However, if you are facing issues with a camera that is not being discovered by DW Spectrum, this article will outline some troubleshooting that can be performed.

Note:  If you are adding a third-party camera to DW Spectrum and are having similar issues, please use the following articles or consult with the camera manufacturer for assistance.

Enabling ONVIF On HikVision Cameras

Enabling ONVIF On AXIS Cameras

Adding Devices Manually To DW Spectrum

Supported/Affected Devices

• DW MEGApix Camera Series
• DW Blackjack Series

Identifying the Issue

Before troubleshooting problematic devices, it is a good idea to try and identify what may be causing the issue to begin with.

It is recommended to download and install ONVIF Device Manager (ODM) to the computer that your DW Spectrum Server is installed on, or on a computer that shares the same LAN as the Server.  This application is compatible for Windows OS only, but is a great tool for troubleshooting camera issues.

Device Discovery Issues

If your camera adheres to the ONVIF standard, DW Spectrum should be able to automatically discover the camera, as long as it is on the same LAN as the Server.

If DW Spectrum does not discover your camera automatically, possible issues include:

• Network Issue – the camera is on a different network, IP address assignment is incorrect, multicast is disabled for your LAN, failing network hardware, etc.
• Device Issue – the camera incorrectly processes ONVIF requests, camera firmware is out of date, camera is experiencing software issues, camera is not powering, etc.

To troubleshoot device discovery issues:

1. Launch ONVIF Device Manager (ODM) on the computer that is hosting your DW Spectrum Server or on a Windows computer that shares the same LAN as the Server.

Enter the User ID and Password of the camera’s ONVIF profile.

2. If you do not see your camera listed in the Device List and know the IP address of the camera, enter the camera’s IP address into the Search box.

If the camera is still not discovered by ODM, the issue may be occurring because the device is presently unreachable with the current network configuration or because the device is not processing ONVIF requests correctly.

3. Power cycle the camera.  Turn the camera’s power off, then back on to reboot the device.

After allowing the camera to reboot, search for the camera with ODM again. 

If the issue persists and you have confirmed that the camera is powering on, proceed to the next troubleshooting step.

4. Confirm that the camera is connected to the same network as the Server.

Check the network cable connection between the camera and its PoE switch (or PoE injector).

If the network cable appear to be securely connected to the camera network, try to connect with the camera’s web client using a web browser.

Even if the camera is not being discovered by DW Spectrum or ODM, you may still be able to access the camera’s settings.  Otherwise, proceed to the next troubleshooting step.

5. If the camera is still not being discovered by DW Spectrum or ODM, there may be an issue with the device itself.

Factory Default the camera.  If you are able to connect with the camera’s web client, use the initialization/reset options to default the camera.

If you are not able to connect with the camera’s web client, use the Manual Reset button of the camera.

Note:  Some camera models cannot be opened and do not have a manual reset option.  Check the camera’s user manual if you are unsure if the camera supports this option.

6. After defaulting the camera, test with ODM again to see if the camera can be discovered through ONVIF.

If you successfully discover the camera, connect with its web client to confirm that it is using its latest firmware version and that it is assigned to the camera network.

Note:  For more information on assigning cameras to a sub-network, please read Assigning A Static Address To New Or Defaulted Cameras.

7. If you are still unable to discover the camera after power cycling, factory defaulting, and confirming that the camera is connected to the network, you may want to bench test the camera.

If possible, uninstall the camera and separate it from its original connection to test with another PoE switch or PoE injector, a different network cable, and/or directly at the NVR.

If the camera continues to appear unresponsive, please contact Digital Watchdog Technical Support for further assistance.  If this is a third-party camera, please contact the camera manufacturer for further assistance.