Guides
Plain answers for people who already own CCTV: how to watch your cameras on a PC or phone, how to log in, and how to keep a site safe.
Your cameras on a PC or phone
gCMOB for PC
There is no gCMOB app for Windows. Here is the free CP Plus software that does the same job on a PC, and how to set it up in 10 minutes.gCMOB login
What to enter at the gCMOB login, how to log in on the web, and what to do if you forgot the password, got locked out or the device shows offline.gCMOB APK
The real gCMOB app comes from Google Play, not an APK site. How to install and update it, fix a not compatible error, and what to use on an iPhone.KVMS Pro
KVMS Pro Lite is CP Plus's Windows software. Get the official download, install it and add your recorder by serial number or IP address, step by step.CP Plus IP Finder
CP Plus IP Finder lists the recorders and cameras on your network with their IP addresses. Get the official download, change an address, fix an empty list.CP Plus default password
CP Plus DVR and NVR default login, why new recorders have none, and the official ways to reset a forgotten password. Short Dahua and Hikvision sections.CCTV on mobile
Find your recorder's brand, install its official app and add it by QR code or serial number. Covers CP Plus, Hikvision, Prama, Dahua and XMEye recorders.Watch CCTV on a TV
Ways to see your CCTV cameras on a TV: HDMI from the recorder, a PC, apps, or casting from your phone. What CP Plus, Hikvision and Dahua say about TV apps.Hik-Connect login
How to log in to Hik-Connect, add a recorder by QR code or serial number, fix verification code errors and offline devices, and get the app safely.iVMS-4200 Lite
iVMS-4200 Lite was a slimmed-down Hikvision PC client from 2018. Here is what Hikvision lists now, the official download and how to add cameras.iVMS-4500
Hikvision ended iVMS-4500 and its HiDDNS service in February 2022. Here is what to use now, how to move your devices across and fix login problems.Hikvision SADP tool
Hikvision devices have no default password. Here is how to download SADP, find your device, activate it, change its IP and reset a forgotten password.DMSS for PC
How DMSS login works, how to add a Dahua recorder by QR code or serial number, what the common errors mean, and the Dahua software to use on a Windows PC.SmartPSS download
SmartPSS is discontinued; SmartPSS Lite is Dahua's PC software now. See where Dahua offers the download, how to add your devices and fix problems.Dahua ConfigTool
ConfigTool is Dahua's tool for finding devices on your network, setting a password, changing IP and updating firmware. Official download and steps.XMEye
XMEye is the cloud app behind many unbranded DVRs. Find your serial number, add a recorder, fix offline and login problems, and use only official apps.Reolink app and Client
Where to download the Reolink app and Reolink Client for PC, how to log in with UID or IP, and what to do about a forgotten password or offline camera.Lorex app
Lorex has several apps: Connect, Classic, Pro, Cloud and Cirrus. See which one fits your recorder, how to add it, your PC options and common fixes.Understanding your system
DVR vs NVR
DVR vs NVR vs XVR in plain words. Tell which recorder you have from its ports and cables, and what it means for phone viewing, new cameras and upgrades.CCTV hard disk
How big a hard disk your DVR or NVR needs, how many days of video it keeps, which drives to buy and how to spot a failing one, with a worked example.RTSP and ONVIF
How to find your camera's RTSP address, test it in VLC, check ONVIF with ONVIF Device Manager, and turn ONVIF on. Stream address patterns from each maker.PoE security cameras
PoE security cameras explained: one cable for power and video, switch vs recorder PoE ports, the 100 m cable limit, and how to tell if your system is PoE.Security camera maintenance
A security camera maintenance checklist: lenses, hard disk, clock, firmware, and proof every camera records. Plus how to catch a dead or covered camera.AI camera
What an AI camera really detects and what it cannot do. Built-in camera AI against software for cameras you already own, and what to check before you buy.ANPR and LPR cameras
LPR camera and ANPR explained: how license plate recognition works, what the camera must do, a section for US readers, what to ask a supplier.Alerts from the cameras you have
AI alerts for existing CCTV
You can get AI alerts from the CCTV you already own, with no new cameras. Five ways to do it, what each one needs and where each one falls short.Add AI to a Hikvision, Dahua or CP Plus DVR
Switch on your recorder's own people and vehicle alerts first. To add photos, smoke and fire and a covered-camera warning, add software. No DVR swap.Fire and smoke detection on existing cameras
Can your CCTV detect fire and smoke? Yes, with software that watches the same video. What it needs, where it fails, and why it never replaces a fire alarm.After-hours alerts from existing cameras
How to get an alert when someone enters your shop, factory or warehouse out of hours, using the cameras and recorder you already have. Steps and limits.Covered or offline camera alerts
How to tell a CCTV camera has been covered, sprayed or unplugged, and how to get an alert: tamper and video loss settings, and software that sends a photo.CCTV alerts on WhatsApp
Hikvision, Dahua and CP Plus apps send alerts to their own app, not WhatsApp. Here is how to get CCTV alerts on WhatsApp, and what WhatsApp allows.AI video analytics for factories in India
How a factory or warehouse in India can add AI to the DVR and cameras it already has: what it watches, what it needs, what to ask, and what it costs.After-hours alerts for a car dealership lot
How to cover a car dealership lot after close without a night guard: alerts from the cameras you already own, what they can do, and what they cannot.Running a safe site
Business security cameras
Before you buy business security cameras, check the picture, the recorder and whether other software can read your video. Then see how to add alerts.Retail loss prevention
Retail loss prevention for a store with cameras already installed: what shrink is, what cameras can and cannot do, and where alerts add to your system.Jobsite security cameras
How to power and connect jobsite security cameras, what gets stolen, and how to get after-hours alerts from the cameras your site already has.Construction site CCTV
Construction site CCTV for UK and Australian sites: where cameras earn their place, power and 4G without mains, police advice and how to be told in time.CCTV and remote video monitoring
CCTV monitoring service or smart alerts? What a control room does, what it costs to run in general terms, and when alerts on your phone are enough.Warehouse security
Where warehouses lose stock, where cameras and lighting earn their place, who should have access, and how to be told while it is still happening.Commercial CCTV
How to buy business CCTV: recorder types, IP or analogue cameras, coverage planning, data protection basics and upkeep, in plain English.CCTV camera for shop
A neutral buying guide for shop CCTV in India: how many cameras, where to put them, resolution, night vision, audio, recorder, phone viewing and power backup.Farm CCTV camera
How to watch a farm with CCTV: solar and 4G cameras with no wiring, IP ratings, where theft happens, animals and false alarms, and what needs a PC.Forklift safety
Practical forklift safety for sites: training, pedestrian zones, blind spots, near-miss reporting, and what cameras can and cannot do.Fire alarm vs smoke camera
What certified fire alarms and detectors do, what video smoke and flame detection adds in big open spaces, and why cameras never replace alarms.Video analytics
Video analytics explained for a small business: what it can detect, where it runs, why false alarms happen, how it is priced and how to test it free.Cloud video surveillance
Cloud, local or hybrid recording explained: what each does, how much upload you need, what to ask about privacy and what drives the cost.For installers
Start a CCTV business
How people start as CCTV installers and dealers in India: skills and training, brand partner routes, GST basics, first customers and yearly AMC income.CCTV installation cost
What decides your CCTV installation cost in India: cameras, cable, recorder, hard disk, heights and labour, with price ranges from published rate cards.Security camera installation cost
What drives business security camera installation cost: cameras, cabling, recorder, labor and permits. How to compare quotes and what to get in writing.CCTV installation in the UK
What a UK business CCTV installation involves, how to choose an installer, what NSI and SSAIB approval mean in plain terms, and what to get in writing.CCTV AMC
What a CCTV annual maintenance contract should cover, how comprehensive and non-comprehensive differ, what to ask before you sign, and red flags.Hik-Partner Pro
What Hik-Partner Pro does for installers, how its accounts work, how to add a customer site and hand it over to the customer's Hik-Connect account.See it on your own cameras
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