Want to switch from your current NVR to SecuritySpy? Hardware NVRs/DVRs can be limited, and their macOS software (like iVMS from Hikvision or SmartPPS from Dahua) often falls short. If your cameras support ONVIF or your NVR can produce RTSP streams, you can make the switch and gain all of SecuritySpy’s features while keeping your current cameras.
Your next steps depend on how your cameras are current connected – expand the section below that describes your current setup:
If your cameras plug directly into the NVRThese cameras aren’t visible on your network – they only connect to the NVR. To use them with SecuritySpy, you can either:
Remove the NVR; connect SecuritySpy to your camerasThis is the best solution for a simpler, more reliable system, but requires reconfiguration. Your cameras must be ONVIF-compliant IP cameras with PoE Ethernet connections (not coaxial/analog).
To reconfigure:
- Record all current camera settings from the NVR’s web interface: IP addresses, DHCP status, and login credentials
- Buy a PoE switch (Netgear, TP-Link, or Ubiquiti recommended)
- Remove the NVR and connect cameras, Mac, and router to the switch
- Add all cameras to SecuritySpy by following our guide: Connecting to a Camera Over Ethernet.
Connect SecuritySpy to your NVR
This lets SecuritySpy and your NVR run simultaneously without network changes. Most NVRs can transmit RTSP streams to SecuritySpy for each camera. Setup varies by NVR brand:
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Hikivision: add a new network device in SecuritySpy, enter the NVR’s address and username/password, and set the Profile to Hikvision. Repeat with different Input or stream number settings to add all cameras.
Alternative method: enable the Virtual Host function of the NVR. This opens up a route to connect to each camera on a particular port (65001 for the first camera, 65002 for the second and so on). In SecuritySpy, the setup for each camera comprises the NVR’s address and username/password, the camera-specific NVR port (e.g. 65001, which must be entered into the HTTP Port box), the Profile Hikvision, and the Format RTSP-over-HTTP.
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Dahua: add a new network device in SecuritySpy, enter the NVR’s address and username/password, and set the Profile to Dahua. Repeat with different Input or stream number settings to add all cameras.
- Other: NVRs vary in the structure of the URL for the RTSP streams they produce. The best way to determine this information is to look through the NVR’s settings pages to determine whether it is provided there. If shown, the URL will be in the form:
rtsp://address/path (where “path” includes a number that refers to each camera).
The setup in SecuritySpy is to create a new network device, set the Profile to Manual Configuration and enter the “path” text into the “Manual profile path” box in SecuritySpy.
Failing this, contact the NVR manufacturer to ask them to supply details about the RTSP URLs.
Some potential errors and their solutions are:
- Timeout: double-check that you have entered the correct address of the NVR. Another potential issue when using RTSP is if the NVR doesn’t use the standard port of 554 – in this case you will need to provide the custom port to SecuritySpy.
- “Unrecognised request”: when using the ONVIF Profile, this indicates that the Input or stream number setting is incorrect. When using the Manual Configuration profile, this indicates that the Manual profile path setting is incorrect.
- “Bad image data”: unfortunately the NVR is sending data in a format that SecuritySpy doesn’t understand – it’s likely that your NVR cannot be used with SecuritySpy.
If cameras and NVR connect to an Ethernet switch
Setup is simple since your cameras are already on your network. As long as they are ONVIF-compliant cameras, SecuritySpy should auto-detect them – just click the plus (+) button under Settings > Cameras and they should appear there. Camera login details can be found in your NVR’s settings if needed. You can keep or remove the NVR after setup.
Whether you’re switching to avoid NVR limitations or just want to try SecuritySpy’s features, these steps should get you started. Have questions? Contact our support team.