01/14/2022 - Technical Bulletin - PathFinder (P2P) Service Changes

Technical Bulletin

To: DW® Customers

Date: January 17, 2022

Re: PathFinder™ (P2P) Service Changes

PathFinder™ (P2P) Service Changes

Affected Model Numbers: DW-VP16xT16P, DW-VP12xT8P, DW-VP9xT4P; DW-VA1P16xT, DW-VA1P8xT, DW-VA1P4xT

New Firmware Version: VMAX IP Plus v1.4.2.7; VMAX A1 Plus v1.0.1.56

Current Firmware Version: VMAX IP Plus v1.4.1.9; VMAX A1 Plus v1.0.1.52

PathFinder™ (P2P) Service Update

The PathFinder™ peer-to-peer (P2P) connection feature is undergoing changes behind the scenes. The new PathFinder service will still allow users to remotely connect with their standalone unit(s) from the comfort of their mobile devices. Additionally, Digital Watchdog’s mobile applications for the remote mobile viewing of a VMAX® IP Plus™ or VMAX® A1 Plus™ standalone unit are being consolidated into a single application – DW Mobile Plus™.

After updating your VMAX IP Plus (v1.4.2.7) or VMAX A1 Plus (v1.0.1.56) with the new firmware version, each recorder will generate a new PathFinder ID which will need to be registered as the new connection address used with mobile applications.

To use the updated PathFinder function and to re-establish a remote connection with a recorder, users will need to update the operating firmware of the recording unit and must also update the PathFinder ID in the DW Mobile Plus application by either manually entering the new PathFinder ID or by scanning the QR code in the system’s Network settings.

Digital Watchdog has acted as the industry leader in digital recorders, surveillance cameras, and surveillance management software for years. We will continue to remain fully committed to providing our customers with the means and methods for managing their surveillance systems with this P2P service update.

This document will outline how to configure the P2P connection using the DW Mobile Plus application at a VMAX IP Plus, a VMAX A1 Plus, and how to use the Web Viewer to obtain the PathFinder ID remotely.

Click Here for a PDF copy of this bulletin

Compatible Mobile Applications

DW Mobile Plus™

PathFinder™ End-of-Life (EOL)

The PathFinder v1.0 utility in the VMAX IP Plus and VMAX A1 Plus models will be replaced as of January 17, 2022.

PathFinder v1.0 will remain available for use until January 2022. Past this point, the recorder must be updated to the latest firmware in order to utilize PathFinder v2.0 with your system and continue using the P2P service.

What is PathFinder™?

The PathFinder function offers a secure peer-to-peer (P2P) option to connect with a VMAX IP Plus or VMAX A1 Plus system on your iOS or Android mobile device. This can be done by either scanning a QR code or manually entering the PathFinder ID that is generated in the recorder’s Network settings menu. This allows users to connect with standalone NVR or DVR, view live or playback video, and search recorded footage from a mobile device while using most consumer network setups.

PathFinder™ Limitations

When connecting the DW Mobile Plus application to a VMAX IP Plus, users have an option to connect to the recording unit by using the P2P feature known as “PathFinder”.

The PathFinder service requires a strong Internet connection to work correctly. If the Internet connection is poor, being slow/bottlenecked in the LAN, or if you are using a VPN, you may encounter connection issues with the PathFinder function.

Locating the PathFinder ID

PathFinder Setup at a VMAX IP Plus

To set up a PathFinder connection at a VMAX IP Plus:

After logging in as the Administrator, the VMAX IP Plus will display the Live View for all connected cameras.

Right-click in the Live View area, then select “Menu”.

Next, click on “Network” and select the “Pathfinder” menu.

The PathFinder menu will display the recorder’s PathFinder ID and QR Code.

Enable the “Use Pathfinder” setting to activate the Pathfinder (P2P) service. The Status at the bottom of the window will indicate if a P2P connection with the recorder is available.

Next, you must reconfigure the site information in the DW Mobile Plus application to use the new PathFinder ID.

Pathfinder Setup at a VMAX A1 Plus

To set up a PathFinder connection at a VMAX A1 Plus:

After logging in as the Administrator, right-click in the Live View area and select “Menu”.

Next, click on “Network” and select “Pathfinder”.

The Pathfinder menu will display the recorder’s Pathfinder ID and QR Code.

Enable the “Use Pathfinder” setting to activate the Pathfinder (P2P) service. The Status at the bottom of the window will indicate if a P2P connection with the recorder is available.

Next, you must reconfigure the site information in the DW Mobile Plus application to use the new Pathfinder ID.

PathFinder Setup Through Web Viewer

Each standalone recording unit comes equipped with its own integrated web server. This function can be utilized to gain access to the PathFinder ID information through a computer instead of being physically at the recording unit.

**NOTE: To gain access to the PathFinder menu page through the unit's Web Viewer, Port 80 (web port) must be OPEN in order to access the NVR's web client. Otherwise, you will need to access the PathFinder menu at the recording unit itself to see its menus and obtain the PathFinder ID. DW does not provide port forwarding services. Please contact the ISP if a port forwarding for a direct connection is required.

To connect to a recorder with PathFinder through the Web Viewer:

Open a web browser and connect with the recording unit’s Web Viewer.
- To connect with Web Viewer, enter the NVR’s or DVR’s IP Address or DDNS Address into the browser’s URL bar.

URL Template – https://<IP Address>:<Web Port>

Example - https://192.168.1.80:82

Once connected, enter the User ID and Password for the recorder.
- Default User ID: admin
- Default Password: <blank>

Once logged in, click on the “Setup” tab at the top of the window.

The System Status menu will display. Next, click on the the “Network” tab, then select the “P2P” menu.

The P2P menu will display the recorder’s Pathfinder ID and QR Code.

Next, you must reconfigure the site information in the DW Mobile Plus application.

Updating the PathFinder ID in DW Mobile Plus

Launch the DW Mobile Plus application on your mobile device. Once you are at the Site List, tap on the “Edit” icon (pencil symbol) and select the site that will be updated with the new Pathfinder ID.

If you are creating a new site in the application, tap on the “Create a new site” tile and select “Site”.

The site configuration window will display.

Configure the following settings:

Name – create a title that can be used to identify this site within the mobile application.
Host – use the QR Scan button that appears beside the Host field and scan the QR code of the unit from the Web Viewer. Alternatively, you may manually enter the new Pathfinder ID. This information can be found in the recorder’s Network settings.
Port – enter the TCP/IP port value of the recording unit. When initially selecting this setting, the mobile application will suggest a model series. You may either select your recorder model from the list (if default network ports are in use) or you can manually enter the value. This information can be found in the recorder’s Network settings.
Login – enter the User ID to the recording unit.
Password – enter the Password to the recording unit.

After configuring the site information, tap the “Save” button.

After tapping the Save button, DW Mobile Plus will attempt to verify the connection and login information entered for the recording unit. If successful, the site will display as an option in the Site List.

Select the recording site to begin viewing video with the updated PathFinder connection.

For More Information or Technical Support

DW Technical Support:

Toll-free: 866.446.3595

digital-watchdog.com/contact-tech-support/

_____________________________________________________________________

866.446.3595 [email protected] www.digital-watchdog.com