Panasonic IP Cameras

Latest revision as of 03:16, 15 June 2013

For some unknown reason, Panasonic IP cameras will not obtain an IP address automatically when you plug them into the network. We can provide no logical explanation for this since nearly every user will want the camera to get an IP address on the network. It is, after all, an IP device.

If you experience this issue, use one of the following methods to correct the camera's settings:

Method #1:  Run the Windows CD that comes with the camera. Once you run Panasonic's app and tell the camera to get an IP address, then Vera will find it and will integrate the camera automatically and setup will be effortless.  However, because Panasonic only offers a Windows version of the camera setup software, Linux and Mac users will have to use Method #2.

Method #2: Temporarily give your computer an IP address of 192.168.0.10, with netmask 255.255.254.0, so that it joins the same subnet as the Panasonic camera.  Open a web browser to http://192.168.0.253 to get to the camera's admin page. Path: /SnapshotJPEG?Resolution=640x480&Quality=Standard

When you first connect to the camera you need to pick a user name and password. Entering the username: dceadmin and the password: dcepass allows Vera to automatically integrate and control the camera. If you pick a different username/password, then go to the 'Devices' page in Vera and manually add the camera (if it isn't there already) and provide the username and password.

Once Vera issues an IP address to your camera, it will be on your home's network, meaning the camera is only accessible from within the home and not accessible to outsiders on the internet. Therefore you do not need to worry about a secure password to prevent outsiders from gaining access. The camera's password further serves to keep out casual users within your home.

So that you can view your IP camera when you're not home, Vera acts as a secure gateway to your camera.  Simply login remotely through the FindVera.com site using your username and password.  FindVera.com is protected by the same level of encryption used by banks for online banking. Through this secure gateway you can view and control the cameras from anywhere in the world!

If you buy the camera from Mi Casa Verde, we will use Panasonic's utility to tell the camera to get an IP address automatically, and give the camera a username/password of dceadmin/dcepass. So then the camera will be automatically detected and used by Vera. If you buy a wireless camera, then we will also set the SSID/WPA2 passphrase to match your particular Vera so that the camera works out of the box wirelessly as well.

Troubleshooting

1. If you can see images from the camera when wired, but not when it is wirelessly connected to your router/Vera, just make sure the camera is in the same network as your Vera unit. For example if you can connect to Vera on the IP 192.168.81.1, the camera should have an IP address like this: 192.168.81.*.

If you have a main router and Vera is a switch, both Vera and the camera should be on the same network, so when you're using your PC from the same network you should be able to have full live streaming from the camera.

2. If you did everything as instructed and you still can't see any image, go to the camera's settings by accessing the camera directly on its local IP address, under the Setup tab go to Image Display and make sure the Refresh Interval for the Single camera is set to 3 seconds (not motion).