BI is only showing one of my 4 cameras

Post Reply
xraymiller
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 12:24 am

BI is only showing one of my 4 cameras

Post by xraymiller »

Please, Please, Please, if you don't have something constructive to say, don't say anything. I don't have the time of patience to look through every post on this forum. Using keywords in the search field has not yielded the answer I need.

Basically, I have 4 Amcrest IP cameras going into an Amcrest NVR and the NVR goes into my router. I used the Blue Iris Config Tool and all I see is the IP address for the NVR. When I add a camera to BI using that IP address, I only see one camera. How do I get the other 3?
User avatar
Thixotropic
Posts: 743
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2019 7:20 pm
Location: Low-Earth Orbit

Re: BI is only showing one of my 4 cameras

Post by Thixotropic »

I suspect that the cameras probably aren't on the network proper since they all go into the NVR and it manages them, which is why they aren't being found by the Config Tool.

Unless the NVR has actually put the cameras on the network, you'll probably have to plug the cameras into a switch and connect that to your Blue Iris box before you can see them individually. That's my best guess; I don't know much about Amcrest NVRs and what they allow.

What model of Amcrest camera do you have?
Blue Iris 5.x x64 | Windows 10 Pro x64 | 16GB RAM | i7-7700 3.6 GHz | 1TB HDD | 2TB RAID NAS | 9 Cameras | Almost Dual NIC | 2KVA UPS
xraymiller
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 12:24 am

Re: BI is only showing one of my 4 cameras

Post by xraymiller »

I have the Amcrest NV2108E-HS 8CH PoE NVR.

If I have to buy a switch I will, but if there's a known solution out there I would like to find it.
User avatar
Thixotropic
Posts: 743
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2019 7:20 pm
Location: Low-Earth Orbit

Re: BI is only showing one of my 4 cameras

Post by Thixotropic »

1) Does the NV2108E-HS provide any extra video outputs?

2) Is the NVR currently attached to your network?

The only suggestion I have would be to try connecting the cams to a switch and the switch to your NVR. I'm not sure if the NVR will use the network instead of its own inputs, but there may be some way to configure the NVR so it looks for cameras on the LAN.
Blue Iris 5.x x64 | Windows 10 Pro x64 | 16GB RAM | i7-7700 3.6 GHz | 1TB HDD | 2TB RAID NAS | 9 Cameras | Almost Dual NIC | 2KVA UPS
xraymiller
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 12:24 am

Re: BI is only showing one of my 4 cameras

Post by xraymiller »

There is a VGA port, which I have connected to a little 10" monitor on my desk. It also has an HDMI port.

The NVR is connected into my router and is on the network. I can only see the IP camera address by using the small 10"
monitor (directly connected to NVR). I cannot see the cameras via my router.

The manual does mention using a switch, just not in great detail. One excerpt says "Do not connect a switch to the PoE port, otherwise the connection may fail". I'm not sure what would be the right switch to use (or rather the different configurations). It seems like everything gets plugged into the switch (all the cameras, the NVR and the router) is that correct?

If so, does the switch plug into the Network port on the NVR since it says not to plug them into the PoE? Doesn't the switch use PoE (since the cameras need power). Would that cause damage? Could a PoE port be used to go to the router?
User avatar
Thixotropic
Posts: 743
Joined: Wed Sep 04, 2019 7:20 pm
Location: Low-Earth Orbit

Re: BI is only showing one of my 4 cameras

Post by Thixotropic »

Hmmm, I really don't know what to suggest, I'm not familiar with the Amcrest NVR. It looks like it should be able to hang off of the network, but I'm not sure. I'm sorry I don't have better answers for you.

Maybe just dump it and build a basic BI system- sell the NVR and put the money into an inexpensive server from eBay or somewhere. :)
Blue Iris 5.x x64 | Windows 10 Pro x64 | 16GB RAM | i7-7700 3.6 GHz | 1TB HDD | 2TB RAID NAS | 9 Cameras | Almost Dual NIC | 2KVA UPS
xraymiller
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 12:24 am

Re: BI is only showing one of my 4 cameras

Post by xraymiller »

I bought a Netgear Switch (arriving Saturday). I have a good feeling that this will work. As long as I can identify the cameras IP addresses I think I can get it to work with BlueIris and record on the NVR. But I'm curios, I thought BI was just software, do they sell hardware? What components do you consider a basic system?
MikeBwca
Posts: 1109
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2019 5:39 am

Re: BI is only showing one of my 4 cameras

Post by MikeBwca »

The Amcrest NVR you have connects to your router via an Ethernet cable. It does not have Wifi.

Your cameras can connect to your router either via wifi or Ethernet cable. If cable, a switch would be necessary, unless you have 4 free ports on your router - which is unlikely as routers have only 4 ports on it's switch. You could connect 2 cameras wifi to your router, and 2 via cable and thereby eliminate the separate switch.

You probably have a gigabit or higher router - all newer routers are at least gigabit. Is the Netgear switch gigabit? If not, return it for a gigabit switch.

As far as identifying the cameras, you have a few options...
Option 1: Log into your router and look for 'connected devices'. This may be listed as 'Device list'. This will list your cameras.
Option 2: Use a search tool like 'Tenvis Search Tool'. I've been using 'Tenvis Search Tool for MJPEG v4.0.0.3' for years. The pgm has been renamed to'Tenvis Search Tool', but the one I have works for all Ip camera, MJPEG or not. This will list all cameras and you can go to the cameras gui by double clicking on a camera in the list. You can also modify the basic network settings of the cameras.
Most search tools will only list cameras from a particular brand. This Tenvis version lists all ip cameras.
Option 3: You can use an Android phone app 'Port Authority' to list all devices on your netowrk.

It would be helpful if you could provide captures of the cameras network settings from the cameras gui, not BI settings. This would help eliminate a lot of assumptions/guessing.
xraymiller
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 12:24 am

Re: BI is only showing one of my 4 cameras

Post by xraymiller »

Follow-up:
The Switch for the most part solved my initial problem. It's a little strange in Amcrest Surveillance Pro because now it shows my 4 cameras and then the NVR with the 4 cameras under that. Blue Iris seems to be seeing the cameras correctly, but I think it is using my hard drive for recordings and not the NVR.

Still not ideal, but a step in the right direction.
Post Reply