Topic: Status of HikVision DS-2CD2032-I cameras

[DaleReid]

I know, a lot of water under the  bridge since these units were the hot thing to have.
I still have two, one which is OK and seems to function just fine, and another that while supposedly is OK, thinks I have the wrong password, and to reset it I'd have to get some scaffolding to get up there with my arthritis preventing a ladder ascent now.

I'm wondering if those who used to use these cameras are still doing so?

Is the myth that they all had backdoors in them and were considered a security risk, just that, a myth?

Oh, is there a way to 'easily' reset the password on my one camera?   There used to be some program you could run to reset it if I recall, but attempts at locating it on my computer or the correct key words on Google to search elude me know.

Just wondering, since both cameras are mounted in good spots and give nice images (when I accessed them last) or the current one which still is working OK.
Thanks for any comments.  Dale

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

Let's see if I remember this process.... takes it back to 'factory default password'...
1. Remove the power.
2. Press and hold the reset button. Keep holding it,.... don't release...
3. Reconnect power. Keep holding the reset button... grow a third hand if you need to..heh
4. After about 30 ceconds, release the reset....
Keep the power on ... don't kill power before it reboots.
When reboots, should be back at the factory defaul admin password. I think,... if I remember it correctly...

Only issues I've had have been with water in net connector, and repairing those a couple of times.  I did accidentlally 'brick one'... don't remember what I did, think I wired it wrong... but it makes a good paperweight...heh...,
Have two with 'repaired' cable connectors, and one still in the box, new, as backup for the three in use... BTW... the three old Logitech c910 Pros from years ago, mounted outside still perking along... someday I'll take 'em down and cklean 'em real good'... heh. Images are a bit degraded after a buncha years..

[gwwilk]

I had an issue with one of my HikVision cameras repeatedly going offline.  I replaced the wall-wart power supply and that solved this very irritating recurring issue.

[Otis]

I'm wondering if those who used to use these cameras are still doing so?

Is the myth that they all had backdoors in them and were considered a security risk, just that, a myth?

Oh, is there a way to 'easily' reset the password on my one camera?   There used to be some program you could run to reset it if I recall, but attempts at locating it on my computer or the correct key words on Google to search elude me know.

Yes I still have several of these cameras running and I too have had password problems.

First - Yes I believe the older firmware versions had a backdoor issue with the cameras.
Second - As a couple of my cameras have been "hacked" and results in password problems.  After reading information on another site (IP CAM Talk) I was able to reset the camera passwords and all has been fine.

What I did was use the user name of "admin" and then tried the following passwords - 1111aaaa OR asdf1234.  The second one is the one that has worked for me.

I hope this helps, good luck.

[DaleReid]

Jerry, the wall wart problem extended to a Rainwise Oracle III display I had, so even though the run cool, those cheap switching supplies are an annoyance in not failing outright but just getting lower voltage or such output, which are hard to test under no load.

A friend of mine (now celebrating his 91st birthday) fixed old TVs (you know the ones with tubes and all) with his dad when he was a kid and into the time when tube sets were finally eliminated) along with rebuilding classic (Collins, and other higher end ham gear) radios. 

His wife, patient wise soul, always could hear some frustration when things didn't work and would go by the shop and say, "First, check the fuse..."

It was amazing as to how often that sage advice for even an experienced troubleshooter (one hand in the pocket when reaching into a TV) needed reminding of the basics.

As to the HIK camera itself, I don't think it is the power supply (yet).  I recalled that the Sea Monkey browser would read some older Java files, and linked to the camera with that.  It displayed a picture!  And in the right lower corner in big block letters the word HACKED was superimposed on the screen.

Paul, with your clue, when I get to the Sea Monkey computer I'll try those two passwords.
Almost all the other resets require sending a file to HIK and getting a file back to load into the camera to reset it.

I don't know if they even do that anymore, and that's why I was hoping to find the kludge that allowed one to reset the camera from within the firewall (somewhat safer I guess) so when they discontinue support or go out of business, we'd not be left high and dry.

Thx for the info so far, and I appreciate keeping these old rigs going

Oh, Mike, if you are in the area and wish to clamor up into my garage rafters to reach the plug in for the camera power supply while I dangle from the roof to try to hold the little reset button in, I'm game for that!  Now that you related your pretty good memory of how to do it, I think I read that in the manual at one time and know a lot of disconnecting would be necessary to do the hard, physical reset.

Dale
73

[Otis]

Paul, with your clue, when I get to the Sea Monkey computer I'll try those two passwords.
Almost all the other resets require sending a file to HIK and getting a file back to load into the camera to reset it.

I don't know if they even do that anymore, and that's why I was hoping to find the kludge that allowed one to reset the camera from within the firewall (somewhat safer I guess) so when they discontinue support or go out of business, we'd not be left high and dry.

Yes I have tried the system whee you send in a file and get one in return.  AFAIK this only works with cameras that have been purchased from a verified US retailer (not Amazon as I discovered).  Since then I have been using the way I posted here, it has worked for me.

[gwwilk]

Much wailing and gnashing of teeth can be avoided if you're have the disk space, are willing to install and are willing to then work with iVMS-4200.

Works for me...

[Otis]

Much wailing and gnashing of teeth can be avoided if you're have the disk space, are willing to install and are willing to then work with iVMS-4200.

Works for me...

Agreed, iVMS works well.

[Cutty Sark Sailor]

Oh, Mike, if you are in the area and wish to clamor up into my garage rafters to reach the plug in for the camera power supply while I dangle from the roof to try to hold the little reset button in, I'm game for that!  Now that you related your pretty good memory of how to do it, I think I read that in the manual at one time and know a lot of disconnecting would be necessary to do the hard, physical reset.

Dale
73

Heh... I'm getting a bit old for rafter climbing... 

Maybe instead of a third hand, a second body to throw the circuit breaker for the attic...?
Mine run POE, so just have the one cable to worry about.. Two Hikies are on the mast, and last year added a lash-up to raise and lower the mast with a trailer winch...why I didn't do that years ago  ...

[DaleReid]

A couple of follow up comments:

the troublesome camera allowed me to access it when I used the password asdf1234.  curious as to why, maybe it was there to work already, or if all the HIK cameras out there were found (I'm not sure how the hacker could gain access since NAT was on and I hadn't opened up any ports to the outside but maybe they just lock up once in awhile.

I had forgotten that i had iVMS4200 installed but when I'd futzed with it earlier it didn't seem to work well.  Now, both cameras were visible, could be seen, could be configured and were able to be tiled so both were showing images on the same screen in the 4 panel view.

I haven't delved into trying to set up some motion detection areas to see if it will auto record if there is movement in a selected area of the image.  Has anyone used that?  It would be like a game camera taking photos or video when a deer or squirrel (or bear) walks through.

Thanks for all the info on this and it is good to know that these cameras aren't junk (yet).  I did a lot of work getting them installed and they were moderately priced, so I don't want to toss them. 

I guess next might be actually publishing the images from them onto my web page, but that sounds like a lot of exploring software and may be more of a challenge than I want to undertake.  Maybe you guys can suggest some material for me to research on how to do that, if you are doing it too.

Dale

[Otis]

Glad you got it resolved, good work.

[gwwilk]

I've been using motion detection with my two HikVision cameras for years.  They save to a Synology Diskstation via a Surveillance app that's free for my level of use.  Defining the areas for detection can be a bit tricky, and sometimes just the passage of clouds will trigger it because of the changes in lighting.  Blowing tree branches are also a problem that must be dealt with by the careful selection of active areas.  I regularly see videos of pedestrians, cars, and even wildlife, e.g. foxes, at night and squirrels by day.

There were problems with the cameras' internal FTP program such that I couldn't get them to reliably save images at intervals.  WebCam 7 is an old program, but it transfers images every minute via FTP from the cameras to an FTP server (Cerberus) on my oldest, slowest but primary weather computer.  From there Virtual-Weather-Station-dependent ImageSalsa, (another ancient program) overlays the text and the images appear in various places on my web site and as part of my avatar and signature here.  WebCam 7 also streams the video when it's requested on my web site.

[jimi]

I use ContaCam, which has loads of options for everything, does multiple cameras, motion detection, ftp upload and its free. https://www.contaware.com/

[DaleReid]

 JIMI,
thanks for the info.  There are so many programs that don't get a lot of publicity that I'd never find them to evaluate without folks like you chiming in.  thanks.

And the ImageSalsa program was mentioned earlier.  Very versatile and I used it a lot years ago.  I understand it went the way of many programs that were just too time consuming to support and develop by one programmer, but a nice program.  I used it to assemble a nice thunderstorm sequence at sundown, and I'll have to dig it out again just to watch it.  Nice stuff, all done with talent way beyond mine.  Which also goes for many of the programs we use, like WD, Sarasota etc.

Wow, your latitude is further north than mine.  Speaking of thunderstorms do you get any in your area?

Thanks again, Dale