1.37.57: Unable to connect IP camera as monitor

[iconnor]

https://github.com/thirtythreeforty/neolink

[rik]

https://github.com/thirtythreeforty/neolink

thanks for this hint. but the neolink doc says

Neolink does not support other cameras such as the RLC-420, since they already provide native RTSP

and the reolink doc for the camera
https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/ar ... h=RLC-811A
shows both RTMP and RTSP as options to set, on default ports 1935 and 554, resp.

that's what made me think i could make these cameras work?! cf. viewtopic.php?t=33205

[rik]

here's another bit of reolink doc saying that

Applies to: All Reolink IP cameras (Reolink E1 pro and E1 zoom included) except for battery-powered cameras and B1200/D1200/B800/D800/B500/D500/B400/D400/E1/ Reolink Lumus.

The RTSP URL should be:

Main Stream: rtsp://admin:password@ip_address/Preview_01_main

Sub Stream: rtsp://admin:password@ip_address/Preview_01_sub

https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/ar ... ia-Player/

[iconnor]

If the camera supports rtsp and/or rtmp it should work.

If it can work in vlc, it can work in zm. If not, then... not.

If their support goes on about not supporting linux... then... demand that it work in vlc on windows. Or mac. Narrow the demand down to something that they have to support.

If it works in vlc on windows, then it will work on ZM.

[mikb]

Sorry to tell you that we only support the Windows and Mac Client currently.
So we do not know how to and can not connect the cameras to your Linux system.

Typical support response.

In effect, they don't know anything beyond their scripted answers to typical user failures. You said the word "Linux" or "Firefox" or something that gave them an easy "Dunno mate!" option to walk away.

The message this unfortunately sends is "Reolink: We don't make standards compliant stuff, we don't care enough about customers like you!"

Depressing, innit?

[rik]

The message this unfortunately sends is "Reolink: We don't make standards compliant stuff, we don't care enough about customers like you!"

Depressing, innit?

Yup! it reminds me of having to look for printers that had good FOSS support.

So now I'm on a quest for camera manufacturers that get it, the importance of providing support of open source solutions like ZM. What are your current favorite ZM brands?

[rik]

The message this unfortunately sends is "Reolink: We don't make standards compliant stuff, we don't care enough about customers like you!"

What's odd is that reolink puts some effort into describing use of RTSP, connecting with VLC, ONVIF, ...

https://support.reolink.com/hc/en-us/ar ... n-to-RTSP/

https://reolink.com/blog/onvif-vs-rtsp/

[mikb]

What are your current favorite ZM brands?

I'm behind the times on these things. My cameras are D-Link, but old. They "support" browsers that understand the camera downloading some Active-X player thing (!) to see the live view. I ignore that totally and go to http://camera/video.cgi and access the stream there from ZM.

If I wanted something better, I would first look for anything that was cloud-mandatory, and discount it. Functionally useless IMO. I want my camera to stream on my network to my ZoneMinder. Not to cloud and then back to me *if* they deign to allow me that.

If I couldn't find something that did what I want, then I'd get Raspberry PIs and their native CSI connected cameras, and install streaming software on there to get what I wanted.

[mikb]

What's odd is that reolink puts some effort into describing use of RTSP, connecting with VLC, ONVIF, ...

That's great. But if there are no ports open on the device, and no clue how to wake up the device, then that's not helpful

Probably their official app does some kind of initial handshake. You may need to "spy on" the communications between a supported Windows computer with app and the camera. Then, work out what it did.

The thing is that your mere mention of Linux etc. sets off alarm bells.

Even the most irrelevant problem can be batted away if you say "Linux"

Faulty mains lead? Sorry, you're using it to power a Linux computer. We don't support that.

Hard drive making funny noises and smoking? Sorry, only supported on Windows.

Companies that play that game are either benignly clueless, or maliciously evil. Either way, tell them their product/support sucks, don't buy them, return them if you already did. I'm sure it won't make much difference, as it's just a minority of customers they lose. Why put in the effort?

Until the competition put in that little bit of effort and become the de-facto product, because "Hey it works AND they support it!"

[rik]

That's great. But if there are no ports open on the device, and no clue how to wake up the device, then that's not helpful :(

Probably their official app does some kind of initial handshake.

the only thing i've thought of is that it might have to do with the (reolink) PoE "injector" that sits between the camera and the host? i've assumed it is doing nothing other than adding the power lead, but...?

[dougmccrary]

Not likely PoE "injector" , unless it's "smart" enough to only pass pings...

[mikb]

(reolink) PoE "injector" that sits between the camera and the host? i've assumed it is doing nothing other than adding the power lead, but...?

If you can safely open and look inside the PoE injector, you could find out!

On one hand, common sense says it's either a "ghetto" injector that uses 2 pairs (4 wires) to carry the DC (two positives, two negatives) and the other 2 pairs (4 wires) in the CAT-5/6 carries the TX and RX pair for network. This requires no active components at all, you can buy "injectors" like that on eBay for nothing much to carry 5/12V DC over existing Cat 5/6 cable. As long as you only expect 10/100 Mbps operation.

Or, at best, a standards compliant PoE circuit that uses transformers etc. to couple the DC voltage as "phantom power" in a way that allows all 4 pairs for comms, e.g. Gigabit ethernet. That would use a little electronics.

On the other hand, some companies go out of their way to be evil, and do things like hiding chips inside cables so that you can't use a bog-standard X to Y lead, you have to use their BRANDED X to Y lead, just to protect revenue. Apple, e.g. so to find something nasty in the PoE that cripples the network until it sees a magic thing -- wouldn't be entirely unheard of. Mean, unlucky, and a clue to shop elsewhere ...