NTP clocks and LAN disconnected from the internet

[Matts1984]

Hi TimG Thanks for starting this thread. I've been meaning to do something like this for a while (install a time server client on my pc).

You got me to thinking today and in literally 5 minutes I had a solution. I have a couple of Synology NAS' on my network. With 2 keystrokes I had my NTP
With a couple of minutes on each camera I had them all providing their video stream with the time/date overlay.

To be honest I don't see much of a drop in cpu usage, maybe 1-2% but I feel better - I actually accomplished something today

Have a great day!

In regards to the cpu usage, generally when BI no longer needs to add overlays, the real CPU gain is from setting it to use Direct-to-Disk as there is really little need for it to do an extra code cycle when the data is already overlaid (by the cameras). Simply turning off overlays would not net much gain. Are you set to D2D?

[ctfjr]

Thanks for the reply Matt - yes they are all set for direct to disk recording

I'm running BI on my desktop machine, an overclocked 2950X Threadripper with 64gb of memory installed. Usage on BI's indicator used to show 11-12% usage. Now it pretty much sits at 10.

I really don't have much of a load on it:

8 cameras, 4000KB/s 875 MP/s

[Matts1984]

With that machine I think you're at the point of diminishing returns Not much more you can do, but great rig.

I'm assuming BI doesn't use anywhere near that much RAM, but perhaps you use the PC for other purposes... and also if you have it, might as well use it. I sit right about 10% unless being used as well, with spikes to around 25 or 30%. I can live with that and if I didn't use it in a VM I could throw more cores at it, free VMware just limits to 8 CPUs. You also have double the cameras I have. For now I think I'm set but may add more eventually with talks of a pool floating around the house, lol.

[nielk]

TimG

Can you tell me more about your Foscam NTP settings ? I must be missing something simple

Device status shows NTP Status as failed.
Camera time has a tick for "sync with NTP server", and "NTP server" shows 3 dots (It's that, auto, or preset NTP servers).
"Enter the NTP server" is set to 10.0.0.1

Looks just like my setup apart from the IP address of the NTP server. FWIW, I keep my cameras permanently on GMT/Zulu so the "Use DST" box is not checked. My cameras correct their time within a few seconds of configuring the NTP setup and pressing Save.

If you use the Windows 10 built-in Linux subsystem for Windows, you can test your NTP server quickly with the ntpdate command:

Code: Select all

nielk@blueiris:~$ ntpdate -q 192.168.0.99
server 192.168.0.99, stratum 14, offset -0.000988, delay 0.04155
31 May 00:34:08 ntpdate[21]: adjust time server 192.168.0.99 offset -0.000988 sec

[TimG]

MikeBwca mentioned about metadata:

Starting with update 5.2.8.1, BI now implements BVR metadata recording. If you use D2D, you can use overlays AND play them back when you play back your recordings. When playing back, make sure that you right click the playback screen and enable 'Add text/graphic overlays from direct-to-disc BVR'.

I set it up in BI5 for the errant Foscam last night, and it worked well. Today I have set it up for all cams, and it doesn't seem to have affected cpu loading. For the first time ever, all of my camera clocks are synchronised.

So I now have H265, capped vbr and timestamps (with NO NTP server), and its using LESS cpu than it was a week ago with H264, cbr and a NTP timeserver. Need more cameras

[Matts1984]

Need more cameras

Yup, thats the problem with all of this. Tweak to get the performance as good as it can be, then you realize 'oh, I have overhead for more cameras now........' It's a vicious cycle

[mcdowelljc]

I don't know if you answer this question or not...
I have 2 networks. 1 for the cameras and 1 for the home internet... Two complete separate networks with different IP schemes.
10.199.30.XXX internet for home computers
10.199.31.XXX camera network.
They are not attached to each other... Just as a note...

One thing I do with all of my customers in the business world is set their windows machines as an NTP server. There is a few steps to take, but is is fairly simple.
The software we use for business is Salient Systems, and it cost per license. It is windows based, so it makes it equivalent to this issue...
This site is one of many that can walk you though that process..
https://www.interfacett.com/blogs/creat ... r-windows/
Or simply google "setup windows 10 as a time server"