what a nightmare password loss

[robint]

i got some gear 2nd hand but have now found you can easily run into compatability problems - hit of miss, mixing suppliers. They want you to use only their cameras with their dvrs,

Had a Hikvision new old stock IPC B220. it was cheap but its basically a brick cos its been activated and i dont know the password

you have to go through a very convoluted process using the sadp tool to get an xml file which you send off to Hikvision, who will then send you a new xml which you plug back into the sadp tool, its quite a business, no simple reset button or the like

apparently their dvr is just as bad

so Hik gets a big thumbs down for very user unfriendly - this has been shown in other posts

can anyone tell me if there is a more friendly manufacturer or are the all as bad

I might have to revert to analog systems at this rate as I never had this sort of trouble before

 

[JB1970]

Hikvision NVR's will accept various manufacturers IP cameras and also those using ONVIF. Their DVRs will accept their own HDTVI cameras along with AHD, CVI, IP, and analogue, so there shouldn't be an issue with compatibility.

Hikvision use various methods for password retrieval if it's lost - GUID export, Q & A with recovery e mail address and the XML export. The password is used for security, so the method to circumnavigate it also needs to be secure. All newer Hikvision IP cameras (probably for the last 4 years at least) actually have a reset button, just the really old discontinued models that don't. I'd imagine most professional equipment manufacturers use an equally convoluted processes for security. As an example - if you lost your Apple ID you can't just press a button on your iPhone to reset it - without a device to receive the authorisation code on, you have to wait 28 days before Apple will unlock your account.

Hikvision will only provide direct support for their professional products to their authorised dealers/distribution network. A consumer has to get support via their installer or supplier (if authorised) If you need products to provide easy methods of password resetting/retrieval I'd imagine you'd need to look at consumer level products such as Ring, Arlo etc.

 

[robint]

thank you JB, its confirmed my suspicions

In short summary

Consumers should stay away from IP systems and in my experience wifi cameras are too unreliable for the amateur network fiddler

Dont buy 2nd hand IP stuff you could end up with bricks and no support from makers or installers - you didnt buy from them

Beware of 99% of the shite over hyped on Ebay, its likely (very) old stock mis-described and not always compatible

If you are a small business or own a mansion you need an accredited local installer who will design a proper system and guarantee and maintain its operation - but thats going to cost thousands so suck it up. Its not for the amateur diy

There's a big difference in what works for a small well lit room and yet will be useless for your back/front garden 24/7 all seasons

PIR sensors seem very good value but I havent seen them integrated with DVRs to initiate intruder recording (motion sensors being largely unreliable waste of space) Perhaps its in there somewhere known only to pros

so its back to BNC coax video stuff for me no internet access cant be digitally hacked so no need for convoluted security (of course any system can be compromised by direct physical intrusion)

Having had my rant it must be said that there is a growing urgency for home security products just not the pile of rubbish on offer on Ebay

Beats me how many high end vehicles get stolen from owners front driveways sometimes in broad daylight as per my neighbour. turned up with a breakdown truck and towed it away. It was clear after, that the house had been watched for some time and they knew when the family went out

 

[JB1970]

I do love a good rant! I'm normally the one ranting however and as I age, it's getting steadily worse! Answering a couple of your points:

Consumers should stay away from IP systems and in my experience wifi cameras are too unreliable for the amateur network fiddler

No and yes. No need to stay away from IP. It's just that there are a huge amount of people out there that think everything should be simple to install and it rarely is. Consumer oriented kit can be easier to get support for as it is sold as such and support is consumer/end user oriented. Professional equipment is easy to get support for if you're an installer or have the backup of your supplier. I'm an installer but I have to admit I loathe going to my supplier for support as they generally know less than I do after so many years in the business and I have little patience dealing with them. If I get stuck I persevere, or contact Hikvision who ask why I've not gone back to my supplier first....WiFi cameras - yes, give them a miss. Most Hikvision cameras don't support WiFi natively anyway. I'll normally only use WiFi to get where cables really cannot - between buildings using point point wireless bridges.

Dont buy 2nd hand IP stuff you could end up with bricks and no support from makers or installers - you didnt buy from them

Often true unfortunately. I sell on cameras on eBay when I upgrade them. However I always strip them down, clean them, update to the latest firmware and deactivate them to an out of box state. I imagine most don't....

If you are a small business or own a mansion you need an accredited local installer who will design a proper system and guarantee and maintain its operation - but thats going to cost thousands so suck it up. Its not for the amateur diy

Definitely an advantage to having that backup - so long as you get the right installer. There are many electricians, alarm engineers, aerial installers who have all jumped on the CCTV bandwagon who are clueless. Some of the work I come across is beyond belief.

There's a big difference in what works for a small well lit room and yet will be useless for your back/front garden 24/7 all seasons

This is the one I'll have to disagree with. I come from an analogue CCTV background and started around 30 years ago. For a long time IP cameras simply weren't up to scratch and the industry hung on to analogue way longer than other countries. There was a time 9/10 years ago where IP would not have been a consideration for city centre CCTV and we were still installing analogue systems and cameras with 1/2" (or even 1/3") CCD that would easily outperform IP. I chuckled the first time a rep showed me one of the first Hikvision cameras and needless to say wouldn't use it. However the low light capability and image quality of IP has moved on so much. 7 years ago I got my first Hikvision domes - 1 megapixel that would work down to 0.1 lux at F1.2 (though the lens was actually F2 so that figure was a joke and they were pretty poor) The new AcuSense are specified at 0.03 lux at F1.4 and have an F1.4 aperture lens. Unfortunately there'll be a lot of older IP kit kicking around for sale second hand so it pays to research models and specs if buying them.

PIR sensors seem very good value but I havent seen them integrated with DVRs to initiate intruder recording (motion sensors being largely unreliable waste of space) Perhaps its in there somewhere known only to pros

Yeah I used to do this with Analogue DVRs and still do on the Hikvision NVRs from time to time. However with the AcuSense tech it's getting to the point where good results are available from motion and other analytics without using PIR. I've just 10 mins ago swapped out one of my own 2 megapixel Darkfighter turrets for a 4 megapixel AcuSense and will be disabling the link to the GJD PIR.

so its back to BNC coax video stuff for me no internet access cant be digitally hacked so no need for convoluted security (of course any system can be compromised by direct physical intrusion)

lol don't do it!

Having had my rant it must be said that there is a growing urgency for home security products just not the pile of rubbish on offer on Ebay

True. While I love IP and Hikvision for the kit and the way the technology is moving forward, I actually also blame them for harming the industry for those who are trained, experienced and knowledgeable. There are a lot of installers throwing in systems with little thought for standards and providing little support when a customer has issues. I've seen a lot of posts where a user has an issue and the installer has vanished

 

[robint]

Well thanx @JB1970 for that most informative inside track info. Im sure many browsers here will benefit from your wisdom and it largely confirms my suspicions

Its easy to see that the home/sme area is a lamb for the slaughter as unscrupulous "chancers" pedal their carpet bagging systems around - here today gone tomorrow. " I've seen a lot of posts where a user has an issue and the installer has vanished"

No point in having an unreliable system to give you false sense of security.

BTW is this board basically a portal for Hikvision rather than an independent users board

 

[Dan]

Hi @robint

This forum is an offshoot of our use-IP webshop, we do sell Hikvision and we do often recommend Hikvision to users asking for system recommendations.

We would love to more often recommend some of the other brands we sell (wisenet, Mobotix, AXIS, etc...) but often those enquiring at the forum are looking for a great quality, professional system for a very small budget (often less than £1,000) and thus Hikvision is always still the best option for what they want.

A large proportion of the Hikvision threads started on this forum have nothing to do with us and are simply people who have purchased Hikvision elsewhere and need help because they bought from Amazon, eBay, or an installer who are unwilling to offer support. If you go to any IP security forum online I would not be surprised if you found the majority of conversations, good or bad, would be about Hikvision simply because they are the #1 CCTV brand in the world.

 

[fullboogie]

Well thanx 10^6 J for that most informative inside track info. Im sure many browsers here will benefit from your wisdom and it largely confirms my suspicions

Its easy to see that the hone/sme area is a lamb for the slaughter as unscrupulous "chancers" pedal their carpet bagging systems around - here today gone tomorrow. " I've seen a lot of posts where a user has an issue and the installer has vanished"

No point in having an unreliable system to give you false sense of security.

BTW is this board basically a portal for Hikvision rather than an independent users board

So then you'll be signing out and not coming back, right?