Looking for ZM friendly Solar IP Cameras

[ericb]

All,
Was a ZM user years ago, moved, and didn't mess with it for a few years..my how things have changed;-)
I did google and go through the hardware list, and having a hard time finding newer products on the supported list, or any data on the web regarding newer cameras. I also seem to vaguely remember a future in an older version of ZM where you put in an IP of a camera, and it would probe it and come back with the settings to use for source. Is that all in my head, or did that exist?

Anyway, I'm trying to set up another cam perimeter using solar powered cams.

First struggle: It seems that all my old cameras had web interfaces to set them up, that no longer seems to be the case? Everything is through a droid app now.

Second struggle seems to be that even if a cam supports rtsp or onvif, its not possible to get it set up to do so.

Initially, I figured I'd just buy cameras that said they supported rsvp/onvif. That led me to try an Anran C3 Solar 2MP camera. Sadly that is not working. When I search for Anran, I just find references to older models, same as with the hardware wiki. Nothing for the C3 Solar Camera.

I have 2 questions:

1. Recomendations for a solid 100% supported solar powered IP cam, OR a 100% supported battery cam with a USB-C charging port, OR a low power draw IP cam that is powered by USB-C (usb power pack + solar panel will drive it just fine).

2. Suggestions for the source data for the Anran C3...though I'm thinking at this point it simply doesn't work.

Thanks guys! Appreciate it.

[rockedge]

Possibly the ANRAN C3 can stream both rtsp://, http://

I was looking here for more stream URL possibilities -> https://www.ispyconnect.com/camera/anran
Good chance the C3 solar cam uses something similar.

Try some of the URL's and paths in the Source configuration page.

Code: Select all

rtsp://IPADDRESS:554/user=[USERNAME]&password=[PASSWORD]&channel=1&stream=0.sdp?

I would try the JPEG type with http: as well. Can use VLC to test the URL and port. Usually if you can stream a URL in VLC it will also work in ZM

[dougmccrary]

Maybe you're thinking nmap? And then there's VLC.

Just looked at the amran, and like every solar powered cam I've seen, it transmits on motion detection only. So not good for ZM.
You could make it work with an external battery and solar panel sized for it and connected at the usb-c.
Didn't see a spec for power requirements, so you'd have to measure it. Then all you need is to figure out how to make it stream continuously.

So, look for IP cameras with rstp and add your own solar system. Or, big batteries that you can recharge once a week, or month, or whatever...

[ericb]

Possibly the ANRAN C3 can stream both rtsp://, http://

I was looking here for more stream URL possibilities -> https://www.ispyconnect.com/camera/anran
Good chance the C3 solar cam uses something similar.

Try some of the URL's and paths in the Source configuration page.

Code: Select all

rtsp://IPADDRESS:554/user=[USERNAME]&password=[PASSWORD]&channel=1&stream=0.sdp?

I would try the JPEG type with http: as well. Can use VLC to test the URL and port. Usually if you can stream a URL in VLC it will also work in ZM

I scanned it with nmap, it's running a port blocker from any thing other than the app on a phone. So it might support it, but there appears to be no way to actually disable the port blocker.

[ericb]

Maybe you're thinking nmap? And then there's VLC.

Just looked at the amran, and like every solar powered cam I've seen, it transmits on motion detection only. So not good for ZM.
You could make it work with an external battery and solar panel sized for it and connected at the usb-c.
Didn't see a spec for power requirements, so you'd have to measure it. Then all you need is to figure out how to make it stream continuously.

So, look for IP cameras with rstp and add your own solar system. Or, big batteries that you can recharge once a week, or month, or whatever...

No, the function is still there....for onvif, after playing with it, the memory came back. Lol, pretty hard to mix nmap up with zm

Yeah on the rest, that's why I was looking for suggestions on any camera that meets those requirements.

[mikb]

I scanned it with nmap, it's running a port blocker from any thing other than the app on a phone. So it might support it, but there appears to be no way to actually disable the port blocker.

Just a thought. Is it possible the APP is using BlueTooth to talk to the camera to tell it "wake up your Wifi" with some kind of authorisation dance? This means that without having done this magic handshake, you either won't even find a Wifi hotspot/connection -- to save power. Solar powered usually means trying to reduce power usage to as little as possible.

I'm thinking like a battery powered game-camera I have. Not used in ZM, though. It spends its time powered down, if physical PIR motion detector goes off it starts recording, sleeps 10-30seconds later.

The WiFi side is invisible. Port blocker? The ultimate firewall -- it's powered down. Unless you use the app, which uses BlueTooth LE to talk to a little module, which makes the camera raise a WiFi hotspot which you then connect to.

Needless to say, without the app, none of that works. Until you snoop the BT-LE exchange, duplicate it, then snoop the wifi behaviour ... etc. and replicate it in horrible shell scripts. Then you can talk to the camera from a laptop

[ericb]

I scanned it with nmap, it's running a port blocker from any thing other than the app on a phone. So it might support it, but there appears to be no way to actually disable the port blocker.

Just a thought. Is it possible the APP is using BlueTooth to talk to the camera to tell it "wake up your Wifi" with some kind of authorisation dance? This means that without having done this magic handshake, you either won't even find a Wifi hotspot/connection -- to save power. Solar powered usually means trying to reduce power usage to as little as possible.

I'm thinking like a battery powered game-camera I have. Not used in ZM, though. It spends its time powered down, if physical PIR motion detector goes off it starts recording, sleeps 10-30seconds later.

The WiFi side is invisible. Port blocker? The ultimate firewall -- it's powered down. Unless you use the app, which uses BlueTooth LE to talk to a little module, which makes the camera raise a WiFi hotspot which you then connect to.

Needless to say, without the app, none of that works. Until you snoop the BT-LE exchange, duplicate it, then snoop the wifi behaviour ... etc. and replicate it in horrible shell scripts. Then you can talk to the camera from a laptop

Definitely not the case, Cam is on wifi, BT requires phone be near, which it isn't. Inititial set up of course is BT, but once the camera is configured BT no longer plays a roll. I plugged wireshark in on that nw segment too, nothing from the anran but encrypted streams to the cloud services..it's not even talking directly to the phone via the app on the local network...the app and the device both communicate via their cloud services. Between wireshark and nmap, there is no open listeners, nor is there any open stream. I'm over the anrans, they are already boxed up and ready to go back to Amazon. I've pretty much given up on a COTS solar solution...none of the available stuff actually streams. I'm now trying to find a 5VDC camera that is powered by USB, onvif compliant, and can continuously stream, as that's the easiest to convert to a solar app. If I can't find that, I'll have to go with a 12vdc solar solution which is more of a pita and more costly, but the available devices are more plentiful and will be super easy to acquire.

[dougmccrary]

No, the function is still there....for onvif, after playing with it, the memory came back. Lol, pretty hard to mix nmap up with zm

Right, since you said years back I thought you wouldn't have seen that...I'm getting old, and time flies...

[mikb]

nothing from the anran but encrypted streams to the cloud services..it's not even talking directly to the phone via the app on the local network...the app and the device both communicate via their cloud services.

OK, well that's a nice clear warning -- these things are cloud-enabled paperweights. Junk them, send them back, companies need to realise this is not the way to sell products. The moment the cloud service expires you are screwed. Also, consider the ridiculous bandwith required to send all that data to them and then back to you. Either designed by idiots, or by nosey control freaks that want to monitor anything you do. You decide which ...

I've pretty much given up on a COTS solar solution...none of the available stuff actually streams.

This is the problem with "solar" being a requirement. Very little that is "solar powered" on that small scale has enough storage and collection to work in the way you want. If you want 24/7 uptime of the camera and the WiFi link, then that eats power. You need a fat battery and a large solar cell. Suddenly, no-one wants the oversized fat battery and solar cell

I'm now trying to find a 5VDC camera that is powered by USB, onvif compliant, and can continuously stream, as that's the easiest to convert to a solar app

That's one answer. The other is to investigate an "entirely roll your own" using Raspberry Pi range, their high-res colour or IR cameras, and software of your choice to create the stream, in any format/protocol you want. Including things like a full-res stream and a low-res stream for motion detection at ZM.

[ericb]

I've actually thought of a pi. I've got half a dozen Pi's around the place doing various things, and yes, it would be an easy build...but between the pi, bread baord, cam, and battery, it's a pretty big foot print. You'd have to cobble it together inside a weatherproof box, create some sort of adjustable mount for the cam itself that is weather proof, plus the solar. Rather not do that much work, plus it's too close to what I do for a day job...and I dang sure don't want to do that same stuff on my own time. Rather just cobble up a battery and panel for a cheap ZM compatible cam, and when one dies, just throw it away and buy another.