About this project:
This project is focused on getting your Dahua & Q-See (US version brand) camera equipment working with your Micasaverde Vera while retaining functionality of your NVR. I have fixed, rather than PTZ camera models, so I’m afraid I cannot comment on getting PTZ functions working, but more information may be available elsewhere on these forums.
So far, integration into vera means you can only view your live cameras through the vera interface, including web and mobile versions. While it’s not as sophisticated as being able to view your camera’s recorded content, it’s a good first step. Please note these instructions do not include getting the stream integrated from the NVR, but rather from the cameras directly.
Some of this information was collected here on the MCV forums and also from the helpful message boards at http://cctvforum.com/.
Added bonus:
If you happen to have one of the Dahua DVR models (Dahua NVR3204/NVR3208/NVR3216 or Q-See QC804/QC808/QC816) which support alarm relay output when motion is detected, you can hook this up to your vera-integrated alarm (such as a DSC1832) and use it to trigger actions in Vera such as turning on lights.
Overview
[ol][li]Requirements[/li]
[li]Setting Up the Dahua/Q-See Cameras & NVR.[/li]
[li]Vera Setup[/li][/ol]
Requirements:
[ul][li]In addition to the Vera you will need the following.[/li]
[li]Dahua/Q-see cameras. These instructions are specific for Dahua manufactured cameras. The principles may be the same for other manufacturers though.[/li]
[li]Separate POE switch. This is required in order to expose your cameras on the same subnet as your vera if you are using the Dahua NVR. Gigabit preferred if your network has a large number of HD cameras. Here’s a cheap one to consider: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156229[/li][/ul]
Setting Up the Dahua Cameras and NVR:
[ul][li]By default, the Dahua NVR acts as a POE switch, and separates the cameras onto a private physical network and subnet (i.e. 10.10.20.x). As far as I can tell, it does not have the ability to bridge the connection to any other network without hacking the firmware image. Of course, this means the cameras are not visible to other network devices such as your Vera.[/li]
[li]To work around this, we need to use a separate POE switch to put everything on your local subnet. In other words, if your Vera’s network address is 192.168.1.1, our goal is to get everything assigned 192.168.1.x. [/li]
[li]Before the permanent installation, log into your cameras and statically assign each one a proper IP address to match your topology.[/li]
[li]Make sure your Dahua NVR is also assigned a static IP address.[/li]
[li]When setting up your Dahua NVR, make sure to plug your POE switch into the NVR’s WAN port. All cameras will plug into the POE switch instead of the built-in POE ports on the NVR. One port on the switch will plug into your regular network as the uplink.[/li]
[li]If configured correctly, you should be able to log into your NVR and manage the cameras as usual. You should also be able to log into the cameras directly from your browser without going through the NVR.[/li][/ul]
Vera Setup:
[ul][li]Add your Dahua cameras into Vera by taking the following steps. These instructions are based on information from http://wiki.micasaverde.com/index.php/Manually_create_IP_Camera_device but tailored for Dahua/Q-see models.[/li]
[li]For each camera you want to add, go to Apps >> Develop Apps >> Create device.[/li]
[list]
[li]In the Description field enter a name for the device.[/li]
[li]In the Upnp Device Filename field enter D_DigitalSecurityCamera1.xml.[/li]
[li]In the Ip Address field enter the IP address and port of the camera. e.g. 192.168.1.22:9988 for Q-see[/li]
[li]In the URL field, enter: onvif/media_service/snapshot[/li]
[li]In the MAC field enter the MAC address of the camera. This is required for archiving snapshots on our servers. If you don’t want to archive snapshots on our servers, you can leave this empty. Very important: For the current firmware (1.5.622), there is a strange bug which wipes your settings if a MAC address is entered. Instead of following the wiki instructions, leave the mac address area blank. [/li]
[/list]
[li]Click Create device and reload the Luup engine (press the blue Reload button in the upper right corner of the dashboard).[/li]
[li]Open the camera’s control panel (click on the wrench).[/li]
[li]Open the Settings tab and enter the required information (URL, username, password, etc.).[/li]
[li]Save.[/li]
[li]Repeat for each camera you want to add.[/li][/ul]
That’s it. Now you should be able to view your cameras through the vera web UI and any mobile apps which support cameras.
Good luck!
