Computers & Electronics

Security Cameras - NVR question

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Deal Addict
Jun 27, 2005
3030 posts
348 upvotes

Security Cameras - NVR question

Really struggling here, hoping someone can help.

About 3 years ago, I bought EZVIZ NVR + 8 cameras from costco. I don't have an exact model but it's listed as this:
EZVIZ 16-channel NVR Surveillance System with 3 TB Item # ‌1178980‌

Originally all 8 cameras were working but overtime, more and more cameras started becoming unavailable. I'm down to 3 working cameras out of 8 currently.

I think this is a power issue because if I switch 3 working cameras with 3 other cameras, those ones start to work and the original 3 stop. For some reason it seems there's less and less power being supplied...or the NVR is degrading somehow.

Can I buy any random NVR and plug in the POE cameras into the new NVR and expect it to work?

Any recommendations?
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8 replies
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Jun 27, 2005
3030 posts
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shabby wrote: Some camera's have a power plug on them in case they don't get enough power. Another issue could be the cable it self, especially if its exposed outside. You can use this to test the cable https://www.amazon.ca/KELUSHI-NSHL468-U ... 870&sr=8-5
Thank you for the response.

My DVR has 16 ports. I've got 8 cameras hooked up.
It seems only 3 of the ports are working. I can plug in any camera into the 3 working ports - and those cameras show up on my screen.

Hence the DVR is the issue it seems (not the cameras or the network cables)

So I'm trying to find a replacement DVR (either the DVR is not getting enough power, or all the ports except 3 are messed up).

I'm trying to figure out which DVR would work with my existing 8 cameras/cables.
Toronto Illusionist and close-up Magician.
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Apr 30, 2014
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jadoocian wrote: Thank you for the response.

My DVR has 16 ports. I've got 8 cameras hooked up.
It seems only 3 of the ports are working. I can plug in any camera into the 3 working ports - and those cameras show up on my screen.

Hence the DVR is the issue it seems (not the cameras or the network cables)

So I'm trying to find a replacement DVR (either the DVR is not getting enough power, or all the ports except 3 are messed up).

I'm trying to figure out which DVR would work with my existing 8 cameras/cables.
If your cameras are ONVIF compliant, then you can buy any ONVIF compliant NVR and it would work. If not, then you have to buy the proprietary NVR that works with your proprietary cameras.

If your cameras and your NVR are ONVIF compliant, you can disconnect your cameras from the NVR and connect to a POE switch (make sure it has enough power for the number of cameras you connect). This is assuming that you replaced the ethernet cables that came with the kit with a POE-compliant ethernet cable (aluminum and CCA ethernet are not compliant). You know, I am guessing that you used the aluminum cables from the kit, please tell me I am wrong.

My NVR shows me how much available power is left depending on the number of cameras that I activate, does yours not show you? I do not have the same NVR system as yours, that is why I asked.
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Jun 27, 2005
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TeateaM wrote: If your cameras are ONVIF compliant, then you can buy any ONVIF compliant NVR and it would work. If not, then you have to buy the proprietary NVR that works with your proprietary cameras.

If your cameras and your NVR are ONVIF compliant, you can disconnect your cameras from the NVR and connect to a POE switch (make sure it has enough power for the number of cameras you connect). This is assuming that you replaced the ethernet cables that came with the kit with a POE-compliant ethernet cable (aluminum and CCA ethernet are not compliant). You know, I am guessing that you used the aluminum cables from the kit, please tell me I am wrong.

My NVR shows me how much available power is left depending on the number of cameras that I activate, does yours not show you? I do not have the same NVR system as yours, that is why I asked.
Thank you for taking the time to respond.
I am not very familiar with security camera protocols but here's what I have found.

-Last summer I contacted EZVIZ tech support when the issue started happening. The first thing the recommended is that I update the firmware on the NVR. One of the things the firmware did was made sure the NVR was "OnVIFv2.4 compliant to support 3rd party IP camera". I imagine this means the NVR is OnVIF compliant. Does this mean the 8 cameras that came with it are also OnVIF compliant? If so, can you make a recommendation of an NVR I could possible swap with my current one?


You mentioned I can disconnect the cameras from NVR and connect to POE switch. What's the advantage of this, vs sending the cameras straight to NVR?

Are you able to show me a link to a POE switch?

I have no idea what cables were used...I think it's possible the installer used the supplied cables, or perhaps replaced them with other regular network cable because I needed much longer cables than the one supplied. (Installation was back in 2017)

Regarding power available in NVR - I'm not sure if my NVR is messed up or what, but it says :
"The rated power for all POE ports is 200.0W"
However Cameras 1-4 show using >3000 Wats each

Remaining power is listed as: -12036.5W

All this makes very little sense to me...all of this was bought as part of one kit... all the cameras should work without using more power than the NVR can support... no?
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Apr 30, 2014
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jadoocian wrote: ...

-Last summer I contacted EZVIZ tech support when the issue started happening. The first thing the recommended is that I update the firmware on the NVR. One of the things the firmware did was made sure the NVR was "OnVIFv2.4 compliant to support 3rd party IP camera". I imagine this means the NVR is OnVIF compliant. Does this mean the 8 cameras that came with it are also OnVIF compliant? If so, can you make a recommendation of an NVR I could possible swap with my current one?
...
So the NVR is Onvif compliant. We don't know about the cameras but for now let us assume that they are. I don't have a recommendation for an NVR (my NVR has not failed yet, knock on wood), I can only mention that there are ONVIF-compliant NVRs and PoE switches in amazon.ca.
jadoocian wrote: ...

Regarding power available in NVR - I'm not sure if my NVR is messed up or what, but it says :
"The rated power for all POE ports is 200.0W"
However Cameras 1-4 show using >3000 Wats each

Remaining power is listed as: -12036.5W

All this makes very little sense to me...all of this was bought as part of one kit... all the cameras should work without using more power than the NVR can support... no?
What I was driving at was that your NVR may not be the problem and the power draw that you just mentioned seems to support this.

If you can do the following, you might be able to identify where the problem is.
- Disconnect all ethernet (except LAN) from your NVR.
- Take down the cameras from their mounts and connect one of the cameras to your NVR with a short patch CAT6 (6 feet or shorter). Observe the power draw, it should be less than 15 watts. For perspective, each of my cameras only draws around 4.73 watts when not recording.
- If you connect one camera and your NVR says it is drawing over 15 watts, connect it to the next ethernet port and so on. You are trying to identify where the problem is.
- If the first one has good reading, connect another one until you find one (or the maximum connections) that drives your NVR crazy (each camera draws over 15 watts on average). Have 8 patch cables ready.
- If all cameras test good, then you know that your existing ethernet wiring is defective and must be replaced.

Update us and we will try to help you. If you don't get satisfactory results from above, you can try using a PoE switch, (I will help you set this up when you get to that point) or you can buy the NVR.

Good luck.
Deal Addict
Jun 27, 2005
3030 posts
348 upvotes
TeateaM wrote: So the NVR is Onvif compliant. We don't know about the cameras but for now let us assume that they are. I don't have a recommendation for an NVR (my NVR has not failed yet, knock on wood), I can only mention that there are ONVIF-compliant NVRs and PoE switches in amazon.ca.



What I was driving at was that your NVR may not be the problem and the power draw that you just mentioned seems to support this.

If you can do the following, you might be able to identify where the problem is.
- Disconnect all ethernet (except LAN) from your NVR.
- Take down the cameras from their mounts and connect one of the cameras to your NVR with a short patch CAT6 (6 feet or shorter). Observe the power draw, it should be less than 15 watts. For perspective, each of my cameras only draws around 4.73 watts when not recording.
- If you connect one camera and your NVR says it is drawing over 15 watts, connect it to the next ethernet port and so on. You are trying to identify where the problem is.
- If the first one has good reading, connect another one until you find one (or the maximum connections) that drives your NVR crazy (each camera draws over 15 watts on average). Have 8 patch cables ready.
- If all cameras test good, then you know that your existing ethernet wiring is defective and must be replaced.

Update us and we will try to help you. If you don't get satisfactory results from above, you can try using a PoE switch, (I will help you set this up when you get to that point) or you can buy the NVR.

Good luck.
Again, thank you for taking the time to write this out. I wish there was more info readily available but I haven't really found it (I've searched online and have had contact with their tech support).

The practical issues is the NVR is in the basement, the cables run through piping on through the house, outside of the house, and through the roof, to get to the proper spots where the cameras are located on the outside of the house. Taking out the cables, or installing new ones would be a job for a professional I'd have to hire in the summer. Even taking down all the cameras - I'd have to wait for the summer, as due to the weather, it's not worth trying to climb up two stories on the outside to get cameras down.

However you bring up interesting points. Few questions:

1. You mentioned connect a camera with a short patch cable. Are you suggesting that longer cables might be taking up more power?
2. What is the type of cable I should be using? In a previous post, you suggested that the cables that came with the unit might not support POE. How could that be - considering NVR/cameras are POE? Also the fact that the cameras have worked in the past, and some are still working - doesn't that mean the cables must be POE?


I think the easiest/first things I would be able to try are:
1. Take down one camera that's easily accessible, and only connect that one using a short cable to see what power draw is like.
2. Order a Onvif compliant NVR, and replace it and see if it makes a difference

It's def strange that the cameras that are working show they're drawing greater than 3000 W, meanwhile the system says the rated power for all ports is 200 W.
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Mar 13, 2004
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Ideally if you were to replace the cables you would want Cat6 solid Copper. none of the cheap knock off stuff thats just copper plated or whatever to save money.

As already mentioned the issue with buying camera systems from big box stores is that they usually only work with the same brand cameras/NVR so you cant mix and match all the time (not sure about your case) In my opinion depending on the cameras and if you want better quality this could be an excuse to upgrade to a Hikvision system with 4K cameras. But if you jsut wanted an NVR the Hikvision NVR's are pretty good quality and if I'm not mistaken can support many different cameras so they MAY work with your cameras IF your cameras support that ONVIF protocol. There is a big hikvision thread here on RFD with a seller on Aliexpress that sells original cameras/NVR then buying locally I bought from them this past summer.
jadoocian wrote: Again, thank you for taking the time to write this out. I wish there was more info readily available but I haven't really found it (I've searched online and have had contact with their tech support).

The practical issues is the NVR is in the basement, the cables run through piping on through the house, outside of the house, and through the roof, to get to the proper spots where the cameras are located on the outside of the house. Taking out the cables, or installing new ones would be a job for a professional I'd have to hire in the summer. Even taking down all the cameras - I'd have to wait for the summer, as due to the weather, it's not worth trying to climb up two stories on the outside to get cameras down.

However you bring up interesting points. Few questions:

1. You mentioned connect a camera with a short patch cable. Are you suggesting that longer cables might be taking up more power?
2. What is the type of cable I should be using? In a previous post, you suggested that the cables that came with the unit might not support POE. How could that be - considering NVR/cameras are POE? Also the fact that the cameras have worked in the past, and some are still working - doesn't that mean the cables must be POE?


I think the easiest/first things I would be able to try are:
1. Take down one camera that's easily accessible, and only connect that one using a short cable to see what power draw is like.
2. Order a Onvif compliant NVR, and replace it and see if it makes a difference

It's def strange that the cameras that are working show they're drawing greater than 3000 W, meanwhile the system says the rated power for all ports is 200 W.
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jadoocian wrote: It's def strange that the cameras that are working show they're drawing greater than 3000 W, meanwhile the system says the rated power for all ports is 200 W.
If they really were consuming 3000 W, you would probably need to plug the NVR into your 220 V stove outlet. If the NVR was consuming 3000 W it would require a 25 amp circuit breaker on a regular 110 V wall outlet.

So obviously it isn't really consuming 3000 W, and that erroneous reading is the first indication that the NVR has a problem.

If you unplug all cameras, does the NVR show zero watts?

You may have one or more bad cables, but unlikely they are all defective. Perhaps you have one defective camera (or cable) that is causing the whole problem. Plug in one camera at a time, and see if the power consumption is the same for each camera.

Once you find a working camera, try plugging it into each of the ports (one at a time) to verify every port will work with a single camera.

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