1.37.57: Unable to connect IP camera as monitor

[rik]

I am able to ping the camera from the host connected directly to the
camera.

I first attempted to use the "Scan network" button, and exactly ONCE
the camera showed up on the list of monitors. But clicking on "add
monitor" didn't do it. And never since (repeatedly restarting ZM,
reconnecting the camera, ...) has it shown up via the scan.

I've also tried providing the camera IP, name and PW then hitting the
"add button" but that also has no effect.

(Using `tail -f to monitor) None of the ZM log files generate messages.

Looking at the mysql database, the Monitors table remains empty.

What other debugging tricks can I use?

[dougmccrary]

The scan function seems to need work...

I've also tried providing the camera IP, name and PW then hitting the
"add button" but that also has no effect.

Hit Add first, set fields, then Save. Pressing Save on any page saves all the pages, if the info appears sufficient.

[rik]

Hi Doug, thanks for your reply. Tried again and... Good news/bad news:

The good news is that now for the second time a Scan DID show the camera.
(Why would the camera only show up on SOME scans?!)

But the bad news is that clicking the found monitor's ADD button
results in the same behavior as clicking ADD to start a manual add:
I get this odd "No url in button" message clicking either?
See attached screen shot, showing both the good and bad(:.

[rik]

Since the "no url in button" message sounded browser-related, I just tried it with chromium (vs firefox), but i get the same error there.

[iconnor]

It means that we don't recognize the make/model of the camera and hence don't know what to do with it. You should try the onvif probe.

[rik]

Still can't get my camera to connect to ZM, but perhaps a bit closer:

i'm following these [Reolink camera suggestions](https://wiki.zoneminder.com/Reolink#RLC-810A) for my RLC-811A camera.

and this is how I used the reolink app to set the camera's server

reolink-server.png (292.85 KiB) Viewed 3477 times

Pinging the camera still works.

nmap only shows port 9000 open

Code: Select all

nmap -p1-65535 10.0.0.12
Starting Nmap 7.94SVN ( https://nmap.org ) at 2024-04-11 15:59 PDT
Nmap scan report for 10.0.0.12
Host is up (0.0010s latency).
Not shown: 65534 closed tcp ports (conn-refused)
PORT     STATE SERVICE
9000/tcp open  cslistener

and also shows the RTSP port closed:

Code: Select all

nmap -p554 10.0.0.12
Starting Nmap 7.94SVN ( https://nmap.org ) at 2024-04-11 16:00 PDT
Nmap scan report for 10.0.0.12
Host is up (0.00061s latency).

PORT    STATE  SERVICE
554/tcp closed rtsp

I'm now at least able to have the monitors listed in the console

zm-console.png (72.29 KiB) Viewed 3477 times

.
The first two monitors are using RTSP on the camera's sub and main streams, specified like this

eye4-2-source.png (116.72 KiB) Viewed 3477 times

. I also tried the RTMP protocol but no better results using that.

the ZM monitors' logs shows 'Connection refused' for all streams.

As you suggested, I tried using onvif probing both via ZM and using `onvif-util`, but it also cannot see the camera:

Code: Select all

preferred network address: 10.0.0.1
Discovery started
currently selected IP for broadcast - 10.0.0.1
libonvif found 0 cameras
discovery is completed

other folks are able to make these reolink cameras work via RTSP; what am I doing wrong?!

(I also just found the ZM slack channel; do folks prefer that to this forum?)

[borozenetsww]

Maybe firewall block connection to RTSP?

[rik]

hi @boronzentetsww, no, this is on a direct ethernet connection from the host to the PoE camera

[dougmccrary]

Do those network settings on the camera persist through a power -off?
I don't think anthing is gonna work if nmap can't see those ports. Unless there's some magic something that turns them on?

[borozenetsww]

hi @boronzentetsww, no, this is on a direct ethernet connection from the host to the PoE camera

Host may have firewall too. Try connect from another PC to camera RTSP. Try VLC to get picture from camera.

[rik]

Do those network settings on the camera persist through a power -off?
I don't think anthing is gonna work if nmap can't see those ports. Unless there's some magic something that turns them on?

hi @dougmccrary, yes, the camera retains the settings thru power off. and i am also worried that nmap can't see anything.

@boronzentetsww, i tried VLC, it also complains it can't open the rtsp URL. it says to look in the logs, but VLC's `Messages` tab shows nothing, and i don't find any `/var/log/vlc/` ?

[dougmccrary]

I forget how right now, but you need to turn logs on in vlc. the default is off.
I'm suspecting (hoping, really) that there must be some overriding setting to actually enable/disable the settings you've described...
Unless it really is some firewall thing, but those usually only block *unsolicited* inbound queries.

[rik]

yes, i found the place to turn on vlc logging. but even setting it to DEBUG level doesn't seem to generate errors even tho its error message says to check?! but that is not my current concern.

i am trying to get into reolink support to ask about this, but they currently are NOT doing either chat or phone connections?!

[dougmccrary]

they currently are NOT doing either chat or phone connections?!

Hmm. Maybe they're swamped with questions about this camera and closed while looking for the answer?

[rik]

they currently are NOT doing either chat or phone connections?!

Hmm. Maybe they're swamped with questions about this camera and closed while looking for the answer? :roll:

Sigh, Reolink support finally came back with an answer:

Sorry to tell you that we only support the Windows and Mac Client currently.
So we do not know how to and can not connect the cameras to your Linux system.

Bummer! It is such a surprising conclusion to this quest that I started a separate thread:
viewtopic.php?t=33205