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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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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
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.
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:
To troubleshoot device discovery issues:
Enter the User ID and Password of the camera’s ONVIF profile.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.