Network Setup For the VMAX IP (DW-VIP)

How to Set Up A Network For A VMAX® IP (DW-VIP)

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Affected Roles: Administrator

Last Edit: August 15, 2024

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Installation and Setup

The benefits of having your VMAX® IP recorder connected to your router include the ability to monitor the NVR from your phone or computer, access the FTP server for firmware updates, and remove

This article will outline the basic steps for connecting the VMAX® IP NVR to a network for LAN connection and WAN connection.

**NOTE: This article is for the discontinued VMAX® IP NVR (DW-VIP), not to be mistaken with the VMAX® IP Plus (DW-VPxxT). If you are trying to set up a VMAX® IP Plus (DW-VPxxT), please refer to Network Setup For The VMAX IP Plus.

Prerequisites

To set up the Network settings of the NVR, you will need the following hardware:

Display monitor (connected with display cable)
USB powered mouse
Ethernet cable (for connection to the router)

Supported/Affected Devices:

VMAX® IP Series (DW-VIP)

Local Area Network (LAN) Setup

The first portion of the network setup is to configure the NVR to communicate over the Local Area Network (LAN), so that you can view your system remotely while you are onsite.

Connect the VMAX® NVR to the router with an Ethernet cable. The Network Cable port (LAN/Ethernet port) can be found near the USB port and display ports on the rear panel of the NVR.

Next, we will need to have the NVR retrieve an IP Address from the router, so that it can identify on the network and communicate with remote devices (computers, phones, tablets, etc.).

At the NVR, log in as the Administrator.

- Default ID: admin
- Default Password: <blank>
Right-click with the mouse and select Setup Menu from the context menu.

In the Setup Menu, Select Network, then select the Network menu.

By default, the NVR is set to an IP Address of 192.168.1.160 and a Gateway Address of 192.168.1.1. To set the NVR up on the network, we will need to have it obtain an available IP Address.

In the Network menu, set the NVR Network Type to DHCP (Dynamic IP), then click the IP Detect button and allow the IP Detect Progress to complete.

Once the progress bar has reached 100%, the IP Address will have changed. This is an indicator that the NVR has successfully communicated with the router.

**NOTE: If two or more NVRs are using the same network, make sure that all units are assigned to different IP Addresses and Network Ports to avoid network conflicts.

Change the Network Type back to Static IP. By changing to a Static IP setting, the NVR will keep the new IP Address

Click the Save button to apply the settings. The NVR is now set up on the Local Area Network (LAN).

Testing LAN Connection (Optional)

It is recommended to test the communication between the NVR and a local device over the Local Area Network (LAN).

If you have a computer connected to the same LAN as the NVR, open a web browser and enter the IP Address of the NVR into the address bar. If the NVR has been assigned a Network Port value other than 80 (default), you must specify the port value in the address as well.

Example IP Address: 192.168.1.90
Network Port: 8245
Example URL: http://192.168.1.90:8245

If the URL (IP Address and Port) has been entered correctly and the NVR is able to communicate over the LAN, then the Web Viewer of the NVR will display. The User ID and Password will be the same login that is used at the NVR.

Default ID: admin
Default Password: <blank>

**NOTE: Please be aware that the Web Viewer requires the use of the ActiveX plugin “WebACS” to stream video to your browser. Use of Internet Explorer (Windows only) is recommended for viewing video streams from your browser. Otherwise, access to the menus and settings of the NVR will still be accessible.

DDNS Address Setup

Routers will typically change the Public IP Address regularly unless you are paying for a subscription to a Static Public IP Address service through your ISP (Internet Service Provider). Instead of having to regularly check the Public IP Address of the network, it is recommended to set up a DDNS address in the VMAX® IP unit.

The DDNS is a static “stand-in” address for your router’s Public IP Address that can be configured through the NVR.

To set up a DDNS address for your NVR:

At the NVR, right-click with the mouse and select Setup Menu from the context menu.

In the Setup Menu, Select Network, then select the DDNS menu.

In the DDNS menu, enable the Use DDNS setting.

Select a DDNS Server. Choose between either dwddns.net or dwddns2.net. These are both free DDNS servers that are provided by Digital Watchdog.

**NOTE: Use of dyndns.com is reserved for DDNS setup through a third-party service setup.

Next, set up a Host Name. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) and use the virtual keyboard to enter a name to identify the NVR for the DDNS service. Click the Confirm button on the keyboard to apply the name.

**NOTE: The DDNS will accept alphanumeric characters only. Do not use spaces or special characters (!?#&#@) in the hostname.

Do not enter an ID or Password if you are using either dwddns.net or dwddns2.net as the server. This information is for third-party setups only.

Click the Request Start button to check if the entered Host Name is available on the selected DDNS Server. If the registration fails, try a different Host Name or the alternate DDNS Server.

If the Request returns with DDNS Success, click the Save button to apply the settings. The DDNS address has been successfully created and registered.

The complete DDNS address for connecting with the NVR remotely over WAN (Internet) connections is <Host Name>.<DDNS Server>.

Example Host Name: digitalwatchdog2015
Example DDNS Server: dwddns2.net
Example URL: digitalwatchdog2015.dwddns2.net

**NOTE: To connect with the NVR from an outside network (WAN) or over an Internet connection, the unit will need to be port forwarded to the router. To learn more, please read Port Forwarding Simplified.

For More Information or Technical Support

DW Technical Support: 866.446.3595 (option 4)

https://www.digital-watchdog.com/contact-tech-support/

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DW Sales: 866.446.3595 [email protected] www.digital-watchdog.com