Networking
How to find a camera or recorder's IP address
Six ways to find the IP address of a security camera or NVR, from the vendor's discovery tool to your router's client list, and what to do when nothing shows up.
VuePoint
Almost every networking task on a camera system starts with the same question: what address is it on? The fastest answer depends on the brand and on what you can log in to. Work down this list; one of them will find it.
1. Look at the recorder's own screen
If an NVR or DVR has a monitor attached, its IP is in the local menu, usually under Network (on many firmware versions Network > TCP/IP or Network > General). Cameras on the NVR's built-in PoE ports are listed in the camera/channel management page with the internal addresses the NVR gave them.
2. Use the manufacturer's discovery tool
Discovery tools broadcast on the local network and list every device of that brand they hear, even ones on the wrong subnet. Run them from a computer plugged into the same network (not on guest Wi-Fi).
| Brand | Tool | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hikvision, LTS | SADP | Lists IP, MAC, firmware and whether the device is activated. New Hikvision devices must be activated (given a password) before use, and SADP can do this. |
| Dahua | ConfigTool | Locates devices on the LAN and can change their IP address in bulk. |
| Amcrest | Amcrest IP Config | Amcrest's discovery and IP-change utility, available from Amcrest's download center. |
| Reolink | Reolink Client | Add Device > Scan Device in LAN shows Reolink cameras and NVRs with their IP addresses. |
| Any ONVIF camera | ONVIF Device Manager | Free, open-source Windows tool (not made by any camera vendor) that discovers ONVIF devices. ONVIF must be enabled on the camera; on some brands it is off by default. |
3. Check the router's client list
- 1
Log in to the router
Open the router's web page or app with an admin account.
- 2
Open the connected devices list
It is usually called Attached Devices, Client List, DHCP Clients or Network Map, depending on the brand.
- 3
Match by name or MAC
Cameras often show a model number or a generic name. Compare the MAC address with the one printed on the device label. The first half of a MAC identifies the manufacturer, which helps pick cameras out of a long list.
4. Use the command line (arp)
Your computer keeps a table of IP-to-MAC addresses it has recently talked to. It only contains devices your computer has exchanged traffic with, so run a discovery tool or open the camera system's software first, then list it.
Windows: arp -a
macOS/Linux: arp -a (or: ip neigh on Linux)5. Use the phone app
If the system is already in the maker's app, the device information or network page often shows the local IP. Useful when you are on site with a phone but no laptop.
6. A general network scanner
A network scanner app lists every device on the subnet with its IP and MAC vendor. It is a good fallback for unknown or rebadged brands. Only scan networks you are authorised to manage.
Nothing shows up?
- Different subnet. A camera with an old static IP from another network will not appear in the router list. Vendor discovery tools usually still see it; change its IP from there.
- Behind the NVR. Cameras on an NVR's PoE ports sit on the NVR's internal network and are invisible to your router. Find them from the NVR.
- Guest or isolated Wi-Fi. Discovery needs the same network segment. Plug the laptop into the same switch.
- Different VLAN. If cameras are on their own VLAN, run the tool from a machine on that VLAN. See how to put cameras on their own network.
- No power or link. Check the switch port lights and that the PoE budget is not exhausted. See PoE switch and cabling basics.
Common questions
- The IP keeps changing. How do I stop that?
- Set a DHCP reservation on the router, or give the device a static IP outside the DHCP pool. Either keeps the address fixed through reboots.
- Is the IP in the app the same one I use from outside the building?
- No. The local IP only works on the same network. From outside you use the vendor's cloud/P2P app, a VPN, or your public IP with port forwarding.
Can't find half the cameras on site?
Tell us the brands and what you can log in to, and we'll point you in the right direction.